Ecologists at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) are well positioned to form collaborative networks and make transformative contributions to the study and teaching of ecology. The spatial and temporal complexity of ecological phenomena rewards a collaborative research approach. A network of PUI ecologists can incorporate closely supervised data collection into undergraduate courses, thereby generating data across spatial gradients to answer crucial questions. These data can offer unprecedented insight into fine- and large-scale spatial processes for publications, resource management, and policy decisions. Undergraduate students benefit from the collaborative research experience as they gain experiential learning in team building, project design, implementation, data collection, and analysis. With appropriate funding, collaborative networks make excellent use of the intellectual and experiential capital of PUI faculty for the benefit of science, pedagogy, and society.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 May 2011
Transforming Ecological Science at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions through Collaborative Networks
David R. Bowne,
Amy L. Downing,
Martha F. Hoopes,
Kathleen LoGiudice,
Carolyn L. Thomas,
Laurel J. Anderson,
Tracy B. Gartner,
Daniel J. Hornbach,
Karen Kuers,
Jose-Luis Machado,
Bob R. Pohlad,
Kathleen L. Shea
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
It is not available for individual sale.
This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
It is not available for individual sale.
BioScience
Vol. 61 • No. 5
May 2011
Vol. 61 • No. 5
May 2011
collaborative research networks
primarily undergraduate institutions
research efficiency
spatiotemporal dynamics
transformative research