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ALBANY – The New York State Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) and the New York State Museum will present weekly lectures in April focusing on recent biodiversity research, conservation and education initiatives in New York State.

All lectures are free and will be held on Wednesdays at noon in the Huxley Theater. Lecture topics and dates are:

April 1 – “Acid Rain, Mercury Deposition, Forest Birds, and Electricity: Are They Linked?” Coal burned to produce electricity releases not only greenhouse gases, but also ions responsible for acid rain and mercury deposition. Dr. Stefan Hames, research associate at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, presents research, from a network of sites across New York, into the relationships between declines in some nesting bird species, soil properties, and these pollutants.

• April 8 – “Emerging Ecology of the Worm Invasions: Predatory Planarians and Non-native Earthworms.” Dr. Peter K. Ducey, of the Department of Biological Sciences at the State University of New York College at Cortland, discusses how soil ecosystems are often dominated by many species of non-native invertebrates. The interactions of invasive predatory planarians (from Asia) and non-native earthworms (presumably from Europe and Asia) with each other, and with native species, have created new ecological dynamics. Study of these interactions may shed light on the role of evolution in the shaping of predator-prey interactions and on the potential impacts of the invasions.

   

• April 15 – “Predicting and Mitigating Hotspots of Herpetofauna Road Mortality.” Mortality of amphibians and reptiles is a serious problem on public roads in New York state. Dr. Tom Langen, associate professor of biology at Clarkson University, presents his research findings on how locations of road-kill hotspots can be accurately predicted using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He also discusses how this predictive tool can be used to develop a program of road network surveys and mitigation planning.

   

• April 22 – “Long-term Responses of Breeding Birds to Habitat Loss and Fragmentation.” As the first-ever resurveyed state bird atlas, the New York State Breeding Bird Atlas, provides a unique opportunity to study the long-term responses of breeding birds to changes in habitat availability. Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg, a post-doctoral associate at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, presents research on the responses of forest birds to patterns of forest cover throughout New York.

The New York State Legislature created the Biodiversity Research Institute in 1993 to help meet the challenges associated with preserving the state’s biodiversity. The BRI serves as a comprehensive source of information, which is used to advise both public and private agencies on matters relating to the status of New York’s biological resources. Housed within the New York State Museum, the BRI is funded through the Environmental Protection Fund. The BRI includes several collaborators, including the State Museum; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; State University of New York; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Audubon New York; New York Natural Heritage Program and The Nature Conservancy. Further information is available at: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/bri/ or by calling (518) 474-6531.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department. Founded in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the U.S. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website.

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