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The world's largest gathering of ecologists is ready for you! Early-bird registration is open through June 22 --- ESA members enjoy the biggest savings.

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Congrats, Award Winners!

Congrats, Award Winners!

Meet the winners of this year's ESA awards, recognized for their contributions to ecology in new discoveries, teaching, sustainability, diversity and lifelong commitment to the profession.

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Funding Support

Funding Support

Need help to attend? Registration and travel money, plus presentation awards and other opportunities are available from our sections and chapters.

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Providing Child Care

Providing Child Care

We are pleased to once again be working with KiddieCorps to provide child care options in Portland, subsidizing 50% of costs for attendees. Please pre-register and pay by July 10.

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Endowment Status

Endowment Status

A SEEDS Henry L. Gholz National Field Trip endowment announcement.

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Certification

Certification

Employers in all sectors value a credential that validates your skill as a professional. Learn more about ongoing changes to ESA certification and start your application today!

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Opportunity Fund Donations

Opportunity Fund Donations

Make a difference and fund programs which empower, educate and embolden both the current and next generation of scientists in the vast field of ecology.

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Journals & Publications

  • Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

    Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

    Each year, vast numbers of photographs are uploaded to online biodiversity platforms such as iNaturalist. But within these image libraries, species-level identification and family-level representation vary across taxa. In the May issue of Frontiers, Mesaglio et al. explain how some groups of organisms are more easily photographed and/or possess characteristics that make them more easily recognizable. For instance, adult dragonflies such as the Australian emperor (Anax papuensis) generally have a standard body shape, relatively large size, and prominent coloration. Invertebrate zoologists who wish to conduct large-scale studies using current iNaturalist records would do well to choose dragonflies and butterflies as research taxa, given their high degree of recognition worldwide and their extensive coverage within the existing dataset.

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  • Ecology

    Ecology

    A candy-striped spider (Enoplognatha ovata) feeds on a thread-waisted wasp (Ammophila sp.) at dawn. Three other victims (Prionyx canadensis) of the previous night's marauding hang nearby. At their study site on Canada's West Coast, Scott and McCann observed that candy-striped spiders commonly leave their capture webs to locate and launch sneak attacks on sleeping insects. These introduced spiders are extremely versatile predators with a broad diet dominated by pollinating insects, and likely have strong impacts on insect communities in North America. Scott and McCann's work, published in The Scientific Naturalist section of the May issue of Ecology, highlights the value of observing organisms in their natural environments.

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  • Ecosphere

    Ecosphere

    To understand how environmental variables influence white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn survival, Engebretsen et al. deployed 180 cameras throughout the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and the Big Cypress National Preserve. The authors were able to identify 271 fawns, such as the one shown here traveling with its mother through a cypress dome in the Big Cypress National Preserve. The authors used the camera data to create a data set for a spatial capture–recapture analysis that revealed differences in survival to 180 days between fawns born in 2015 and those born in 2016. The data reported in their paper in the April issue of Ecosphere suggest that extreme weather events likely contributed to lower recruitment in south Florida, USA.

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  • Ecological Applications

    Ecological Applications

    The Cape hare (Lepus capensis), photographed here in 2018 in Wadi Tznifim within the Nehalim Gdolim Nature Reserve, situated in the southern Negev Desert and Arava mountains of Israel, is native to the region. In their study published in the April issue of Ecological Applications, Lewin et al. show that nearby intensive agroecosystems have impacted these and other native desert species, as well as invasive species, through added agricultural resources mediated by trophic cascades.

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  • Ecological Monographs

    Ecological Monographs

    Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiments can be used to better understand the mechanisms behind diversity and ecosystem functions relationships. The BEF-China tree diversity experiment site is pictured here during early morning in September 2019. In their study published in the May issue of Ecological Monographs, Beugnon et al. studied the mechanisms behind tree diversity effects on microbial biomass and soil carbon concentration at this site. Their results highlight strong effects of forest diversity on soil microbial biomass and carbon by driving forest productivity, tree functional traits, and micro-environmental conditions.

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  • Bulletin

    Bulletin

    In the April issue of the ESA Bulletin, Lauren D. Pharr interviews Joseph Drew Lanham, a Black Man, naturalist, writer, and poet, and new MacArthur Fellow. Lanham is an ornithologist and bird watcher. The Bulletin contribution explores Lanham's influence, significance, and perspectives on ecology and society.

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ESA is the nation's largest organization of professional ecologists. ESA membership is the best opportunity to network with scientists in all aspects of ecology. Membership is on a sliding scale based on income and country to help promote inclusion.

ESA's Mission

The Ecological Society of America advances the science and practice of ecology and supports ecologists throughout their careers.

ESA's Vision

The Ecological Society of America envisions a future where people embrace science to understand and foster a thriving planet.

ESA's Values

Integrity
ESA is a trusted source of scientific knowledge that serves as a foundation for understanding and action.
Inclusion
ESA provides the community of ecologists of diverse backgrounds, heritage, and career paths with a supportive home that advances their aspirations.
Adaptability
ESA responds creatively to continuous change in our natural and social environments.