[LTER-BioProd] Agenda paper: new draft, and request to present

Tue Jul 2 09:56:46 PDT 2019

Dear Mary et al,

Thanks so much for this, I think it's really cool.

I took some time to think carefully about the intro section on positive vs.
negative feedback and I just have a few comments about that. For the figure
that shows unidirectional effects and positive vs. negative feedbacks
(Figure 2): I believe the negative feedback loop should be negative in one
arrow and positive in the other arrow in order to be a negative/stabilizing
feedback. For example, for predator/prey relations, it could be read as: an
increase in prey leads to an increase in predators, but an increase in
predators leads to a decrease in prey. This stabilizes both populations.
Another way of thinking about it is that a negative/negative actually also
leads to a runaway (positive) feedback:
http://gerrymarten.com/human-ecology/chapter02.html

I was also thinking about examples of negative feedbacks that are
particularly informative for this paper. It seems to me that a series of
negative feedbacks regulate the saturating relationship between
biodiversity and productivity: for example, when there is more niche space
there will be more species coexisting, as there are more species in the
system there will be a reduction in the amount of niche space. This would
be a negative/stabilizing feedback...

Anyway, I just wanted to offer some conceptual ideas for now. I hope this
is useful.

Sasha

On Mon, Jul 1, 2019 at 8:02 AM LOREAU Michel <Michel.LOREAU at sete.cnrs.fr>
wrote:

> Hi Mary,
>
> My flights have been cancelled, so I have some spared time in airports
> today to read your manuscript. Please find attached some comments and
> reference suggestions.
>
> Looking forward to seeing you (rather briefly) in Monte Verità,
>
> Best,
> Michel
>
>
> Le 28 juin 2019 à 16:08, Mary O'Connor <oconnor at zoology.ubc.ca> a écrit :
>
> Dear all,
>
> Sorry for the second email: Here is the file with a revised author list,
> and to let you know that I also put the PDF in our google drive.
>
> Mary
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Dr. Mary O'Connor
> Associate Professor, Department of Zoology
> Associate Director, Biodiversity Research Centre
> University of British Columbia
>
> ph: 604-827-5653
> oconnor at zoology.ubc.ca
> oconnorlab.weebly.com
>
>
> On Jun 28, 2019, at 4:01 PM, Mary O'Connor <oconnor at zoology.ubc.ca> wrote:
>
> Hello everyone!
>
> I hope you are well, and off to a great summer. I’m checking with an
> update of (hopefully) progress on the Agenda paper (attached). This
> progress is motivated by me giving a talk at a Biodiversity/Climate Change
> meeting in Switzerland this coming Thursday. Some of us will be there
> (Michel, Forest, Jane, Andy H…) and the Agenda paper leaders felt this
> would be a good time to present this to that audience. Many of the
> attendees will include people actively involved in the recent IPBES
> reports.
>
> So, two action items for you:
>
> 1. OPTIONAL: FOR THE TALK NEXT THURSDAY JULY 4: If you have time and would
> like to comment on this before I present the highlights next Thursday,
> please do! I apologize for the short notice on this, and I also apologize
> for sending it on a Friday. If you have any major reservations with me
> presenting any part of this, let me know. I would like to acknowledge
> everyone in this group as a co-author on this part of my talk, and if you
> would prefer that I not do that (or not include your name at this stage)
> let me know. *Ideally, before Tuesday July 2nd*. *If I don’t hear from
> you I’ll assume it’s ok to present this with you included as a contributor.*
>
> 2. FOR THE MANUSCRIPT: Please read and comment on this version of the
> manuscript. I’d like to know how close this could be to submittable. I
> expect another round to the group for ‘final’ feedback after this round,
> but let me know if I’m off base. I’ve attached a PDF here so you can:
> - read and provide general comments on big/conceptual issues at this
> stage.
> - If you would like to work on text or figures, I would welcome the help
> and please let me know, I will send a word doc and we can discuss.
> - please help me with references and examples! You all know some part of
> the literature better than I do! Highlighted refs are ones that I don’t
> have but were suggested, so please fill those in too.
> - I still (as always) need major help with figures so if you are inspired,
> please help here!
>
> *Deadline for comments on this draft: July 12th*. This is very
> negotiable. After that I will revise and send back out, at that would be a
> time for finessing wording, etc (we don’t all have to do this, but a few
> helpers here would be great).
>
> Still need to make a final call on where to submit. We’re just over 3000
> words now and this seems like a good length to me, but I welcome in put on
> that too.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Mary
>
> <Agenda paper June 28 2019.pdf>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Dr. Mary O'Connor
> Associate Professor, Department of Zoology
> Associate Director, Biodiversity Research Centre
> University of British Columbia
>
> ph: 604-827-5653
> oconnor at zoology.ubc.ca
> oconnorlab.weebly.com
>
>
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>
> <Agenda paper June 28 2019.pdf>
>
>
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-- 
Alexandra (Sasha) Wright, PhD
Assistant Professor of Plant Ecology
California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90042

phone: +1305 989 0226
website: *https://sashajwright.wixsite.com/wrightlab
<https://sashajwright.wixsite.com/wrightlab>*
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