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Samantha M. Wisely

@profwisely.bsky.social
250 followers 182 following 48 posts

Professor of Wildlife Ecology @UF. Research interests: pathogen pollution from invasive species, One Health, pathogen transmission dynamics, girl rock bands

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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Hot off the presses, our comprehensive survey of soft ticks for relapsing fever Borrelia found two unique strains circulating in Florida! doi.org/10.1371/jour...
doi.org
Prevalence, distribution, and phylogenetics of the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia turicatae in the soft tick Ornithodoros turicata americanus in Florida
Author summary There is a large gap in knowledge regarding the bacteria that causes Tick-borne Relapsing Fever in the United States (US). This disease has significant public health concern as it can c...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
Congratulations, Dr. An-Chi Cheng for her important contribution to understanding deer health! 🧪🌏👩🏻‍🔬BVDV is a pathogen mainly of cattle that causes abortions in white-tailed deer. Dr. Cheng is a critical member of our pathogen diagnostics team. Go An-Chi!
mdpi.com
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
Here is another faculty position that looks cool
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
Here is an interesting permanent lectureship opportunity
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Just published today! Our group used mosquitoes as flying syringes to conduct surveillance on pathogens of turkeys, white-tailed deer and invasive wild pigs. Not only could we detect DNA and RNA viruses, we could estimate prevalence! 🌎🧪👩‍🔬 doi.org/10.3390/path...
Exogenous xenosurveillance allows us to sample peripheral blood of wildlife hosts using mosquitoes. We can then identify hosts using barcodes and screen for host pathogens.
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
I recently partnered with the Gene Drive Network to create a blog about how biotechnology helps conservation of the black-footed ferret. Here it is: 👩🏻‍🔬🌏🧪 genedrivenetwork.org/blog/science...
genedrivenetwork.org
Science in action: bringing the black-footed ferret back from the brink - Gene Drive Network
When I first began working on black-footed ferrets over twenty years ago, the species was beginning to recover from what was once thought to be its final chapter.
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Great post about PhD candidate, @emderuyter-ramirez.bsky.social She is an essential team member of the UF Cervidae Health Research Initiative phhp.ufl.edu/2025/05/28/c... 👩🏻‍🔬🌏🧪
phhp.ufl.edu
Catching up with Emily DeRuyter, virus investigator and One Health Ph.D. student » College of Public Health & Health Professions » University of Florida
She is the first author on two recent papers describing the discovery of previously undocumented viruses.
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
I've always had a soft spot for songs that celebrate women being messy and complicated and not always nice. Here's my latest fav! open.spotify.com/track/35ISBk...
open.spotify.com
Messy
Lola Young · This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway · Song · 2024
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
I'm attending a conference in Budapest on global energy challenges sponsored by Hungarian Fulbright associations. The topic was interesting but the star was the Roccoco crown molding and chandeliers!
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Dr. K. Lotterhos @drk-lo.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
I'm hiring! Postdoc available in my lab in Ecological Genomics. northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/... I will start reviewing applications mid-July. 🧪🧑‍🔬🖥️🧬🦑. Please share widely, thanks!
northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Ecological Genomics
About the Opportunity Job Summary A postdoctoral research associate is available at the Lotterhos Lab at Northeastern University. The postdoc will be based at Northeastern University’s Marine Science ...
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Ben Spies-Butcher @bspiesbutcher.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
The Macquarie PhD scholarship on our new Climate Economy project is now open - working with me, @garethbryant.bsky.social Sophie Weber, @clairerhiannon.bsky.social & Svenja Keele. We'll explore how climate change remakes our political economy. Topic negotiable. www.mq.edu.au/research/phd...
mq.edu.au
The climate economy: Emerging strategies for Australia
Join a PhD project on Australia's climate economy, exploring how transport, policy, and finance adapt to climate change.
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Robert Fletcher @fletcherecology.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Wonderful new 5-year postdoctoral fellowship opportunity at the University of Cambridge on #Biodiversity: www.christs.cam.ac.uk/darwin-hamie...
christs.cam.ac.uk
Darwin-Hamied Senior Research Fellowship (stipendiary) in Biodiversity | Christs College Cambridge
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Greetings from my office at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, where I am currently on a Fulbright Fellowhip studying red deer health 🧪🌏👩🏻‍🔬🦌🦌🦌
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Molly Simonis @mollysimonis.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
I am recruiting graduate students for Spring 2026 in my Lab at Auburn University. Please share broadly🦇 simonislab.weebly.com/opportunitie... linking to 🧪 and 🦊
simonislab.weebly.com
Opportunities
We are currently recruiting graduate student(s) interested in seasonal pathogen dynamics and bat health throughout various field sites and/or highway culverts throughout Alabama. You can find out...
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Pedro Vale @pfvale.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
This primer on infection avoidance was incredibly fun to write with @cr-amo.bsky.social and Mandy Gibson. We cover its taxonomic breadth, mechanisms and evolution, and its importance across fields as diverse as public health, conservation, and agriculture. 🧪 www.cell.com/current-biol... #SymbioSky
This figure highlights the diversity of avoidance across different species in response to pathogens and parasites. (A) Rainbow trout avoid waters with high concentrations of trematode cercariae, reducing exposure to these parasites. (B) Healthy Caribbean spiny lobsters avoid sharing dens with those infected by viruses, preventing the spread of infection within their communities. (C,D) Avoidance underlies many human public health measures such as social distancing, to minimize the risk of infectious disease contagion. (E) Oystercatchers avoid eating the largest cockles, which are likely to be infested with parasitic helminths. (F,G) Bees and ants (eusocial insects) exhibit complex social behaviours to minimize infection risks. Bees isolate or remove infected individuals from the colony, while ants restructure their social networks to reduce contact with fungal-infected foragers. (H) Sheep avoid food and water sources contaminated with feces, reducing the risk of ingesting parasites that may be present in such environments. (I,J) Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. These model organisms illustrate how detected pathogenic cues can modify behaviour and provide insights into the neurological integration of sensory perception and behavioural response to pathogens. Plants, like Saline latifolia (K), can avoid infection too, for example by flowering for shorter periods to reduce contact with fungal spores transmitted by pollinators. Root compounds of some sorghum (L) lines are associated with reduced germination of parasitic Striga seeds, demonstrating chemical avoidance strategies. (M) Crickets avoid detection by parasitic flies through the selection of variants that cannot sing, disrupting the ability of parasites to locate hosts acoustically. (N) Spongy moths show variability in larval behaviour to avoid virus-contaminated foliage. (O) Lemurs avoid water sources that have an elevated risk of fecal contamination.
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botero-canola.bsky.social @botero-canola.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Check out this cool note from @profwisely.bsky.social Lab reporting that soft ticks feed on feral swine in Florida link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Contact between soft tick vectors of African swine fever virus and invasive wild pigs in the southeastern USA - Parasites & Vectors
Background African swine fever virus is a transboundary pathogen of high economic impact to the global pork industry. Florida has multiple factors that contribute to the high risk of introduction of A...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
First day at the European Vertebrate Management Conference. Excellent talks, great conversations! 🌏🧪👩🏻‍🔬 www.evmc.online
evmc.online
EVMC 2025 – European Vertebrate Management Conference – European Vertebrate Management Conference
European Vertebrate Management Conference Welcome Dear Friends, dear Colleagues, we would like to warmly invite you to attend the 14th European Vertebrate Management Conference (EVMC 2025...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Today my lab published a manuscript that provides insights about Torqu teno sus virus, a cute little 2800bp virus of pigs! THM: this virus can be used in wildlife ecoepideiology and biosecurity 🧪🌏👩🏻‍🔬 doi.org/10.3389/fmic...
doi.org
Frontiers | Whole genome characterization of Torque teno sus virus 1 (TTSuV1) in wild and domestic pigs: insights into genetic classification, host differentiation, and intra-host variation
BackgroundTorque teno sus virus 1 (TTSuV1), a member of the Anelloviridae family, is highly prevalent in swine populations and exhibits substantial genetic d...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Post a photo you took with no context to bring some Zen to the timeline.
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
www.instagram.com/reel/DG8NZk1... Happy International Women's Day! Here's to women in science!🧪🌎👩🏻‍🔬
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Pussy Riot g.co/kgs/UXRscPR pussyriot.love Perhaps my favorite grrl band of all time. They are feminist heroes who truly live by their words. A Russian collective of punk musicians, members have been imprisoned, beat, and exiled. They continue, undeterred. Rock on, sisters!💀💓💪
pussyriot.love
Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot is a feminist conceptual art group
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
An alternative to ggplot? Hurray!👯‍♀️
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
doi.org/10.1038/s415... Single large or several small patches? A 43 year dataset demonstrates that land sparing decreased rodent diversity locally while increasing the vector for and prevalence of Hanta virus. THM: the scale of conservation actions (both in time and space) matter! 🌎🧪🐀🐀🐀
doi.org
Anthropogenic land consolidation intensifies zoonotic host diversity loss and disease transmission in human habitats - Nature Ecology & Evolution
A 43-year dataset of rodents in the Hu region of China reveals how urbanization-induced changes to land-use configuration affect rodent community composition, including benefitting striped field mice,...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
wec.ifas.ufl.edu/cheri/ The UF Cervidae Health Research Initiative held its annual symposium yesterday. We are ecologists, veterinarians, geographers, virologists, and entomologists who use a One Health approach to study deer! 🌎🧪👩🏻‍🔬
22 members of the UF Cervidae Health Research Initiative pose for a group photo
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
UF Research sent this memo today. It came from the White House Office of Management and Budget and was sent to all federal agency executives yesterday. 🧪🌎👩‍🔬
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
open.spotify.com/track/4KfSds... Grrl rock Tues: Sisters Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart deliver heavy metal vocals, galloping riffs and in your face lyrics. Barracuda is a #metoo anthem aimed at all the producers and promoters who treated them as less than because they were women rockers. Go get em!
open.spotify.com
Barracuda
Heart · Little Queen · Song · 1977
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... This study compared two approaches to mapping pathogen hotspots: 1) a top-down global predictive model, 2) a bottom-up expert panel with local knowledge. Most instructive were the mismatches between methods. THM: both approaches have additive value 👩🏻‍🔬🧪🌎
sciencedirect.com
Mapping hotspots of zoonotic pathogen emergence: an integrated model-based and participatory-based approach
An increase in pandemics of zoonotic origin has led to a growing interest in using statistical prediction to identify hotspots of zoonotic emergence. …
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Rhiannon Kirton @rhikirton.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Okay I started a wildlife health starter pack! Please share and let me know if you want to be added! go.bsky.app/MFMtaMw
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
doi.org/10.1111/btp.... Dr. Matt Hallett and colleagues published a study showing that Indigenous fire management in a Neotropical ecosystem is an important tool for managing wildlife in Guyana. Community led efforts are critical for long term conservation 🌎🧪👩🏻‍🔬
doi.org
Medium and large mammal responses to fire in a neotropical savanna system in Guyana
Mammal responses to fire—both natural and man-made—in an Indigenous savanna landscape in Guyana were researched with transects for animal signs and live sightings. Species richness showed a non-linea...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
open.spotify.com/track/02Rkun... Debora Kay Iyall was the lead singer of Romeo Void, one of my favorite New Wave bands of the early 80's. Never Say Never was such a raw, naughty song for its time, and Debora was a misfit inspiration. She is a member of the Cowlitz Native American tribe.
open.spotify.com
Never Say Never
Romeo Void · Warm, In Your Coat · Song · 1981
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
doi.org/10.1007/s112... @coreytcallaghan.bsky.social, and his collaborators synthesized studies on the impact of urban green space on insect diversity. Results are instructive for urban planning. E.g. green roofs should not replace green park space because they do not support as high diversity. 🧪🌎
doi.org
Evidence-base for urban green-blue infrastructure to support insect diversity - Urban Ecosystems
Green-blue urban infrastructures potentially offer win-win benefits for people and nature in urban areas. Given increasing evidence of widespread declines of insects, as well as their ecological impor...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
doi.org/10.1007/s112... Many One Health frameworks exist. This study stands out because the framework identifies risks specific to the region and the diversity of socio-economic groups that live there. Indigenous and local groups were consulted and coauthored the manuscript. 🙌🌎🧪👩🏻‍🔬
doi.org
One Health tropical wetlands: a transdisciplinary framework for assessing the risks of emerging zoonotic diseases in the Brazilian Pantanal - Wetlands Ecology and Management
The Pantanal wetland ecosystem of Brazil is experiencing unprecedented local challenges from anthropogenic pressures, as well as from global climate change. These pressures escalate the zoonotic risks...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
doi.org/10.1038/s443... There are some pretty stark statistics in this new perspectives piece on the impact of H5N1 on wildlife. >6% of the world's population of California Condors have died. Apex predators like sea lions have also been hit hard which has the potential to alter ecosystem function.
doi.org
The threat of avian influenza H5N1 looms over global biodiversity - Nature Reviews Biodiversity
The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 is an emerging and unexpected threat to many wild animal species, which has implications for ecological processes, ecosystem services and conservation of thr...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
reviverestore.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?... Revive and Restore has a call for proposals that use stem cell technology to aid in the management of endangered species. Applications due Feb 14th 🌎🧪👩🏻‍🔬
reviverestore.us7.list-manage.com
Stem Cell Technologies for Genetic Rescue
This program leverages stem cell technology to restore fertility, engineer disease resistance, and accelerate adaptation in wildlife.
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Hailey Robertson @haileyrobertson.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Couldn't ask for a better first Bluesky post! Our new paper, "Pathogens and planetary change," is out now in @natrevbiodiv.bsky.social. We discuss the linkages between biodiversity loss + pandemics and how we can address these interconnected crises 🧪😷 Give it a read: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Pathogens and planetary change - Nature Reviews Biodiversity
This Review explores the relationship between emerging infectious diseases and biodiversity loss, and how both are connected to global environmental changes in the Anthropocene.
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
doi.org/10.1016/j.pt... This new review emphasizes the importance of tree canopies as habitat for mosquitos, yet we very rarely look there during vector-borne pathogen surveillance. Are we missing important zoonotic reservoir links in sylvatic disease systems? 🌎🧪👩‍🔬
doi.org
Redirecting
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
open.spotify.com/track/7cdnq4... My love of science is second only to my love of female rockers. The Runaways were a 70's LA rock band. Joan Jett, their guitarist, went on to be one of the most influencial female rockers of all time. I love you, Joan! 👩‍🔬🎸🤟 Play this song on volume 11!
open.spotify.com
Cherry Bomb
The Runaways · The Runaways · Song · 1976
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
doi.org/10.1098/rstb... This new paper asks us to alter the paradigm of disease ecology to integrate ecological with socio-economic data. Humans are not separate from the ecosystem, yet most research treats humans as the endpoint. This perspective shift can create more equitable outcomes. 👩🏻‍🔬🧪🌎
doi.org
Towards a ‘people and nature’ paradigm for biodiversity and infectious disease | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Zoonotic and vector-borne infectious diseases are among the most direct human health consequences of biodiversity change. The COVID-19 pandemic increased health policymakers’ attention on the links be...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
I spent an amazing 2 days at San Diego Zoo Global for the annual meeting of the black-footed ferret conservation genomic working group. During a break, we got to visit Ollie, the 2nd of 3 cloned Przewalski's horses, who will aid in genetic restoration of the species. 🌎🧪👩🏻‍🔬
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/53... 🧪🌎👩🏻‍🔬 My department is advertising for a new leader. We are a diverse and talented group of academics with a broad range of research and Extension interests. And we get along! 👯‍♂️
explore.jobs.ufl.edu
University of Florida - Details - Professor and Chair - Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC)
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
1 A close encounter with a pygmy spotted skunk in Mexico 2 Untangling a Sandhill Crane from a fence (it was ok) 3 Capturing a sounder of white-lipped peccaries in Paraguay 4 American marten on a hike in Wyoming 5 A Bald Eagle slamming into an Osprey who then dropped a fish right at my feet. 🌎🧪🐗🦨🦅
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
doi.org/10.1186/s404... A new study increases the utility of remotely sensed data to estimate forage quality and quantity for grazers like red deer. As summers get warmer and drier in Central Europe, understanding changes to summer resources for deer will be imperative for their management. 🧪🌎
doi.org
Remote sensing reveals the role of forage quality and quantity for summer habitat use in red deer - Movement Ecology
Background The habitat use of wild ungulates is determined by forage availability, but also the avoidance of predation and human disturbance. They should apply foraging strategies that provide the mos...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
doi.org/10.1002/ece3... SDM models can be biased by poor data. Our research group combined extensive surveys with presence/absence modeling to create a habitat suitability model for a soft tick that is capable for vectoring African Swine Fever Virus. 🌎🧪👩‍🔬 Florida has lots of suitable habitat!
doi.org
Integrating Systematic Surveys With Historical Data to Model the Distribution of Ornithodoros turicata americanus, a Vector of Epidemiological Concern in North America
We conducted systematic surveys and modeled the distribution of Ornithodoros turicata, a soft tick of medical and veterinary importance. These ticks are ubiquitous in Florida and represent a risk to ...
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Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
Fire regimes in Mediterranean climates are shifting towards more frequent/severe events. Study shows strong links between fire, #plant traits & community response.🔥impacts traits like #seed mass, #leaf area, & wood density at the community level besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Functional responses of Mediterranean flora to fire: A community‐scale perspective
Fire influences plant traits differently at community versus species levels. Communities with low leaf nitrogen content. (LNC) and specific leaf area (SLA, not shown) are more fire-adapted, while lar...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/53... 🌎🧪 Our department is accepting applications until Feb 1 for a new department chair. We have a vibrant, fun faculty!
explore.jobs.ufl.edu
University of Florida - Details - Professor and Chair - Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC)
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Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 23/12/2024
🦅⚠️ Vultures save lives & billions The collapse of vultures in India led to a 4% rise in human mortality due to sanitation impacts, costing $69.4 billion annually. Clearly conserving keystone species has immense social & economic value 🔗 www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=... #Conservation #SciComm 🧪
aeaweb.org
The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse: Evidence from the Decline of Vultures in India
(October 2024) - Scientific evidence has documented we are undergoing a mass extinction of species, caused by human activity. However, allocating conservation resources is difficult due to scarce evid...
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
doi.org/10.3201/eid3... 🌎🧪Leprosy has become endemic in Florida. A new case report adds evidence that common routes of transmission (contact with infected people or wildlife) do not explain many new infections in Floridians. Another zoonotic disease mystery to solve! #OneHealth #WildlifeDisease
doi.org
Case Report of Leprosy in Central Florida, USA, 2022
Case Report of Leprosy in Central Florida, USA, 2022
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Samantha M. Wisely @profwisely.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
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Johanna Joyce @johannajoyce.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Women are under-represented at senior levels in #academia globally, & across all #science 🧪 disciplines, as shown by these "scissor-shaped curves" ✂️ So how can we ever achieve #gender #equality? We discuss various strategies in this #Cell Commentary #WomeninSTEM www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... 🧵 1/
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