Naturresurs rinnande vatten

The new journal The Ecological Citizen aims to advance ecological knowledge, champion earth-centered action and promote ecocentrism in political debate. NRRV member John Piccolo recommends the journal as somewhere you’ll find much interesting reading about human relationships with nature. John is also a co-author of a recently published signable statement in support of ecocentric value that he urges our readers to read and consider signing. Access the statement here: Statement of Commitment to Ecocentrism. 

Also, related to the ecocentric debate, there is an ongoing survey of attitudes to conservation. Learn more and take the survey at www.futureconservation.org.

“Running Silver – Restoring Atlantic Rivers and Their Great Fish Migration” by John Waldman is a book about the history and future of anadromous fish in the Eastern United States. The books’s main characters are Atlantic salmon, alewife, blueback herring, American shad, striped bass, sea lamprey, Atlantic sturgeon, and American eel. The eel migrates from freshwater to the sea to spawn, whereas the other species typically migrate in the other direction – from feeding areas at sea to spawning areas in freshwater.

The author uses historical records, interviews, scientific literature and personal experiences to tell the story of the migrating fish. He describes the ecology and behavior of the migrating fish but also their great historical abundances, and high social and economic importance. He describes the decline of the populations of migrating fish due to dam building, habitat loss, fishing, and pollution, but also the modern day restoration efforts. The fish are put in a social context with stories about conflicts concerning dams and fish passage dating back several hundred years. Meetings with scientists and manager occur frequently in the book, contributing to the story and providing several inspiring portraits of fish ecologists.

The book is essential reading for anyone working with migrating fish and an important book for those interested in fish and our natural world. The book is a call to action for a future with healthy migrating fish populations. Read a short review here and borrow the book from a  well-stocked library.

The hyporheic zone –  the region beneath the river bottom – is home to a wide range of minute life forms and processes of high importance for the ecology of the river. Learn more in the short film Secret Life of Rivers:

John Piccolo, researcher at Karlstad University, recently published an article in Journal for Conservation of Nature about value in nature. The paper is titled“Intrinsic values in nature: Objective good or simply half of an unhelpful dichotomy?“. In the abstract John Piccolo writes: “Two generations of conservationists and philosophers have built a strong case for intrinsic values in nature; they are the basis of the normative postulates of conservation biology. I argue that the recognition of intrinsic natural value is a fundamental and non-negotiable aspect of an eco-evolutionary worldview. Recently, relational values, “preferences, principles, and virtues associated with relationships”, have been proposed as a third category of values in nature, which may help to resolve the debate between instrumental and intrinsic valuation. By depicting intrinsic values as part of an unhelpful dichotomy between anthropocentric and ecocentric values, the current assessment of relational values fails to adequately account for the modern philosophical view of intrinsic natural value. The recognition of intrinsic natural value is not merely an academic exercise, but rather a vital aspect of conservation of the biosphere; recognition of value entails the obligation to do what is right, i.e., protect the good. Any attempt to reframe the discussion about values and environmental protection through more formal recognition of relational values will need to more clearly address how relational and intrinsic values coexist and how they can jointly form the basis for nature conservation.” 

Read the full paper here.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), February 28, David Aldvén from the University of Gothenburg and Vattenfall AB, will give a seminar titled ”Downstream migration of anadromous brown trout”. David Aldvén finished his PhD with a thesis titled ”Migration in anadromous brown trout”. The frame of his thesis is available online here.

The seminar will be given at 13:30 in room 5F416 on Karlstad University. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Fish Passage 2017 – International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage will be held in Corvallis, Oregon, USA on June 19-21 2017. The confererence “…promises to be an important international forum for researchers and practitioners to exchange findings and experiences on fish passage issues.

Fish Passage 2017 will be of interest to researchers, educators, practitioners, funders, and regulators who have an interest in advancements in technical fishways, nature-like fishways, stream restoration and stabilization, dam removal, and the myriad of funding, safety, climate change, and other socio-economic related issues surrounding connectivity projects.

This is a three-day conference with concurrent sessions in engineering, biology, management and monitoring techniques. The conference will also feature plenary talks, professional networking opportunities, and a poster session. Independently offered short courses, workshops and tours will be available immediately before and/or after the conference.”

Plenary speakers will be say’ay’ – John Eli Sirois, Futoshi Nakamura, Tony Farrell, Paul T. Jacobson, and Kurt D. Fausch. Read more about the plenary speakers here. Also, pre-conference short courses and post-conference tours are available. Read more about the conference at www.fishpassageconference.com.

John Piccolo recommends the short film “Lahontan Cutthroat Trout: A prehistoric legend returns“. The film briefly discusses the restoration of cutthroat trout to Pyramid Lake and the Truckee River in Nevada, USA. This strain of cutthroat trout was assumed extinct until remnants of the population were found in streams in neighboring Pilot Peaks. This started great efforts to re-introduce the socially and culturally important fish population to the lake. Watch the film here:

Dokumentären “Tana älv – mellan tre länder” (“Tanaelv – den beste elva” på norska) ligger just nu uppe på SVT-play. FIlmen handlar om laxen i älven och människorna runt den. Forskare, förvaltare, husbehovsfiskare och repressentanter för turistfisket kommer till tals. Älven – och dess biflöden – är hem för en mängd lokalt anpassade laxpopulationer och fisketrycket måste minskas för att skydda hotade laxpopulationer. Detta skapar både lokala och internationella konflikter.

Se filmen på SVT-Play eller på NRK:s hemsida.

A postdoc position in the ecology of river restoration is open for applications at Karlstad University: “The main duty of the position is to conduct research on the effects of dam removal and the installation of fish-friendly turbines on river connectivity and ecology. Intact river connectivity is essential for many organisms in running water, and especially so for organisms that move between different habitats to complete their life cycle, such as many migratory fish species. Many rivers are modified by dams such as hydroelectric power plants. Dams disconnect river stretches and habitats, thereby reducing dispersal and migration possibilities for fish, benthos, and plants, with negative effects on individuals, populations, and communities. The post-doctoral candidate will be expected to evaluate the effects of complete dam removal and installation of fish-friendly turbines as measures to improve connectivity in rivers.“. The deadline for applying is February 28. Read the full announcement here:

Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Ecology of River Restoration: Dam Removal and fish-friendly Turbine

As advertised previously, NRRV at Karlstad University, also has two additional openings for full-time post-doctoral research fellows and one opening for a PhD-student (deadline February 10). Read full announcements for these positions here:

Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Aquatic-Terrestrial Linkages

Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Ecology of River Connectivity.

PhD position in Global climate change and winter ecology

A PhD-position in the field of global climate change, as it relates to the ecology of stream fishes in winter, is now open for applicants at Karlstad University. The position is a full time position for 4 years within the River Ecology and Management (NRRV) group at the Department of Environmental and Life Sciences. Read more about the position on kau.se.

As advertised previously, NRRV also has two openings for full-time post-doctoral research fellows. One position is in the field of stream-riparian ecology with focus on the reciprocal interactions and linkages between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. The other position is on river connectivity with focus on rehabilitation, management and development strategies. Read full post-doc position announcements here: Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Aquatic-Terrestrial Linkages and Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Ecology of River Connectivity.