I think we all share George sentiments on this one. I will see if we can
make a donation, too. However if someone who has ties to the MOS
pursestrings is looking at this, if we can help send teachers to Maine every
year, it seems to me we could, as an organization, dig in and help this
very, very worthy cause. What would it take to free up something from the
MOS to make sure that this trip happens for these kids?
    Reading their abstract gave me goosebumps. I  bet there are grad
students in ecology who aren't doing a study at this level.  Or this
important.
    Way to go girls!
    Jerry

> I will send a check for $100.00.  Shame on the Queen Anne's County Board
of
> Education.  We will get you there in spite of them.
>
> George Jett
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lisa Spears" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 7:06 AM
> Subject: [MDOSPREY] FW: [MDOSPREY] Centreville Middle School
>
>
> > To all,
> >
> > Sorry I did forget to mention one important fact... these students were
> > the
> > only Middle School in our country asked to attend this international
> > conference.  Kudos to these young adults!  Any kind words of support are
> > good enough too!!
> >
> > Thank you for your support,
> >
> > Lisa
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> > Behalf Of Lisa Spears
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 6:57 AM
> > To: 
> > Subject: [MDOSPREY] Centreville Middle School
> >
> > FYI...Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind these
are
> > Middle School girls who are interested in science, and are continuing to
> > pursue their finding on their own time. Arts and Sciences is not heavily
> > supported in the school system, but thanks to the help of wonderful
> > teachers
> > these kids have this opportunity to spread their wings. Again, any help
> > you
> > can provide is most appreciated Most Kindest Regards, Lisa Spears
> >  _____
> >
> >
> > Centreville Middle School - Ecology Corp.
> >
> > 231 Ruthsburg Road
> >
> > Centreville, MD 21617
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Dear  MOS Members,
> >
> >
> >
> > I am writing on behalf of four Centreville Middle School students who
have
> > been invited to participate in the 7th International Conference on
> > Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas in Caen, France, from
> > May
> > 5 - 13, 2006.  At the conference, the students will present their
> > findings,
> > attend seminars, participate in a study tour, interact with students
from
> > other countries, and visit historic sites in Paris and Normandy Beaches.
> > They are the only students from a United States middle school whose
> > project
> > was accepted for presentation.
> >
> >
> >
> > The students worked the majority of the summer and throughout the school
> > year to collect data, learn required technology such as Powerpoint and
> > ArcView software programs, Global Positioning Systems, GIS computer
> > mapping,
> > and college level statistics in order to prepare their research project
> > entitled "The Effects of Forest Fragmentation on Forest Interior Bird
> > Species Diversity on a Coastal Watershed Landscape".  (see attached)
> >
> >
> >
> > As you may have recently read in the newspaper, the trip was denied by
the
> > Queen Anne's County Board of Education.  However, the parents, teacher
and
> > students (with the support of the Superintendent and Centreville Middle
> > School) still plan on attending the conference, and are in the process
of
> > raising the thousands of dollars necessary for airfare, hotels and
> > transportation to make this highly educational endeavor become a
reality.
> >
> >
> >
> > All donations are tax deductible and you will be sent a receipt for your
> > tax
> > records once your donation has been received.  Please include your full
> > name
> > and address.  Additionally, a list of contributors' names will appear in
> > the
> > school newsletter.
> >
> >
> >
> > The students would greatly appreciate your donation made payable to
> > "Centreville Middle School - Ecology Corps." and sent to the attention
of
> >
> > Mr. George Radcliffe,
> >
> > Centreville Middle School,
> >
> > 231 Ruthsburg Road, Centreville, MD 21617.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> >
> >
> > Lisa Spears, Sharon Brinster, Ecology Corps Fund Raising Coordinator
> >
> > 443-496-4631
> >
> > 410-827-7898
> >
> > 
> >
> > 
> >
> >
> >
> > The Effects of Forest Fragmentation on Forest Interior Bird Species
> > Diversity on a Coastal Watershed Landscape
> >
> > Christina BRINSTER, AMANDA SPEARS, Charlotte Staver, AND JESSICA WHITE
> >
> > Centreville Middle School, Centreville, Maryland U.S.A.
> >
> >
> >
> > Abstract:
> >
> > Preston, Darlington, and others have shown a clear relationship between
> > the
> > area (A) of oceanic islands and the number of species (S) they contain.
> > The
> > relationship is expressed as S=CAz with studies involving birds showing
> > the
> > value of z to approximate 0.3. This has been clearly demonstrated in
> > research studies; as islands size increases, the number of species
> > increases. Wilson and MacArthur's Island Biogeography Theory further
> > predicts that the actual species on an island can change from year to
year
> > due to colonization and local extinction (turnover), but the number of
> > species remains at equilibrium. Forest fragmentation creates forest
> > islands
> > of different sizes on the mainland.  We investigated five different
> > forests
> > islands on the Maryland Eastern Shore to see if this oceanic
relationship
> > fits forest bird species' counts. We also examined how key individual
> > forest
> > species were affected by changing forest size by informally surveying 55
> > forests.
> >
> >            We used Global Positioning System (GPS) units to run a series
> > of
> > transects through each island, recording species at pre-identified
points.
> > We compiled a species count for each forest island. We found a
significant
> > correlation (r = .94, n = 11, P< .0001) between island area and the
number
> > of species found with a z value of 0.28. We found that the smallest
> > islands
> > had a smaller number of true interior forest-breeding bird species and
> > mostly had edge species. The data clearly show that larger forest
islands
> > have more species.
> >
> >            We estimated species turnover (T) for the two islands (Haint
> > Woods, 3.4 acres; Andelot Farms, 141.4 acres) which had been sampled the
> > previous year (2004).  Each island was sampled twice in 2005, and we
could
> > estimate the error in trying to replicate the study in the same year
(RE).
> > The annual turnover and replication error were almost identical for both
> > forest areas (Haint Woods, T = 59%, RE = 60%; Andelot Farms, T = 24%; RE
=
> > 17%). This indicates that we cannot conclude there is any turnover since
> > replication error could explain the differences. We can infer, however,
> > that
> > replication error does increase as forest size decreases. Possibly other
> > factors are at work as forest size decreases, and Wilson and MacArthur's
> > equilibrium theory may not fit.
> >
> > This can be tested by looking at actual species' composition. In the 55
> > forests informally surveyed, we found the minimum, mean, and median
areas
> > of
> > all forests in which each species was present.  We found that some
species
> > were rarely, if at all, found in small forest islands.  These area
> > sensitive
> > species included the Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) and
> > Worm-Eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorus). This clearly would impact
> > the
> > immigration needed to maintain equilibrium.
> >
> >            We have reached four conclusions. First, the island-species
> > relationship seems to apply to forest islands. Second, replication error
> > makes it impossible to see if turnover is occurring, but replication
error
> > clearly increases with decreasing forest size. Third, species' data
> > suggest
> > that the immigration that Wilson and MacArthur predict might be limited
by
> > the fact that certain species may not colonize a smaller island.  Area
> > sensitive species tend to drop out as forest size decreases, and the
> > smaller
> > forests are populated predominantly by species that require a more
> > generalized habitat.  Finally, our data suggest that management of land
in
> > coastal watersheds should focus on preserving large forest blocks.  One
> > large forest seems to be clearly better than several small in
maintaining
> > the highest species diversity.
> >
> >