The mission of the Conservation Biology Laboratory is fourfold:

(a) to engage in scientific research to elucidate the principles of conservation biology;

(b) to apply these principles to the protection and restoration of biological integrity and ecological health;

(c) to participate in the development and review of public policies as they affect biological integrity and ecological health; and

(d) to participate in programs that educate the public about conservation, with respect to both its importance and the tools necessary to achieve it.

Although we recognize that all environmental issues are inherently global, we take particular interest in issues that relate to the Northern Appalachian/Acadian Ecoregion. We welcome inquiries from citizen groups, environmental organizations, private businesses, and government agencies for help in developing tools for conservation, reviewing conservation strategies, and participating in educational initiatives.

Staff

Director: Stephen C. Trombulak

Associates: Robert Baldwin

Students: Numerous students are involved in CBL projects from year to year.

Projects

The following are general descriptions of the major projects that the CBL is currently involved in.

Development of an ecological reserve system in the Greater Laurentian Region of northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada. The CBL works with numerous groups interested in developing an ecological reserve system for the eastern portion of northern hardwood forest ecoregion in North America. We are currently working with The Wildlands Project, the Nature Conservancy, the Adirondack-to-Algonquin Coalition, and numerous land trusts to (a) identify areas of primary ecological importance, (b) develop management plans for areas that have been identified as ecological reserves, and (c) refine the science associated with the design of an integrated system of reserves.

Amphibian monitoring in the Green Mountains of Vermont. The CBL has established monitoring sites in three locations within the Green Mountains of Vermont where the long-term health and size of amphibian populations is monitored. At these sites, paid field technicians use drift-fences, egg-mass counts, and stream surveys, to monitor changes in population size over time. Populations are also monitored for external deformities. This is part of an effort to address questions related to the conservation of this group of vertebrates. Much of this work is being carried out in conjunction with the US Forest Service and Vermont Forest Ecosystem Monitoring.

Development of a terrestrial index of biological integrity. The CBL is working to develop an Index of Biological Integrity that (a) can be used for forested ecosystems in the same way that the IBI currently in wide use is used for aquatic ecosystems, and (b) can be used by citizen's conservation advocacy groups.

Publications

The following are some of the published articles and reports produced in full or part by the Conservation Biology Laboratory.

Possingham, H.P., S.J. Andelman, B.R. Noon, S. Trombulak, and H.R. Pulliam. In press. Making smart conservation decisions. In New Priorities for Conservation Biology (G.H. Orians and M.E. Soulé, eds.). Island Press, Washington, D.C.

Trombulak, S.C., P.E. Higuera, and M. DesMeules. In press. Population trends of wintering bats in Vermont. Northeastern Naturalist.

Trombulak, S.C. In press. Ecological reserve design in the northeast. In Rewilding the Northeast: A New Wilderness Paradigm (C. McGrory Klyza, ed.). Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.

Trombulak, S.C., and K.J. Royar. In press. Restoring the wild: species recovery and reintroduction. In Rewilding the Northeast: A New Wilderness Paradigm (C. McGrory Klyza, ed.). Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.

Trombulak, S.C. 2000. Misunderstanding Neo-Darwinism: a reply to Daly. Conservation Biology 14: 1202-1203.

Trombulak, S.C., and C. Frissell. 2000. A review of the ecological effects of roads on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Conservation Biology 14: 18-30.

Trombulak, S.C., and C. McGrory Klyza. 2000. The new natural history. Natural Areas Journal 20: 267-272.

Elder, J., C. McGrory Klyza, J. Northup, and S.C. Trombulak. 1999. Connecting with Human and Natural Communities at Middlebury College. Pp. 111-119 in Acting Locally: concepts and models for service-learning in Environmental Studies (H. Ward, ed.). Washington: American Association for Higher Education.

Trombulak, S.C. 1999. Cascade Golden-mantled ground squirrel / Spermophilus saturatus. Pp. 431-432 in The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals (D.E. Wilson and S. Ruff, eds.). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 750 pp.

Trombulak, S.C. 1997. Small mammals on Mount Mansfield. Pp. 247-258 in Vermont Forest Ecosystem Monitoring: Annual Report for 1995 (S.H. Wilmot and T.D. Sherbatskoy, eds.). VMC Ann. Rep No. 5. Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 103 S. Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671.

Trombulak, S.C. 1996. The restoration of old growth: why and how. Pp. 305-320 in Eastern Old Growth Forests: prospects for rediscovery and recovery (M.B. Davis, ed.), Island Press, Washington, D.C.

Trombulak, S.C. 1996. How to design an ecological reserve system. Wild Earth Special Paper 1: 1-19.

Trombulak, S.C. 1996. Biological integrity and the management of forest ecosystems. Northern Forest Forum 4 (3): 19-23.

Trombulak, S.C. 1996. What's all this talk about a crisis in biodiversity? Exchange: the journal of the Land Trust Alliance 15(2): 5-9.

Trombulak, S.C., and J.S. Andrews. 1996. Amphibian monitoring on Mount Mansfield. Pp. 86-98 in Vermont Monitoring Cooperative: Annual Report for 1994 (S.H. Wilmot and T.D. Sherbatskoy, eds.). VMC Ann. Rep No. 4. Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 103 S. Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671.

Trombulak, S.C. 1996. Small mammals on Mount Mansfield. Pp. 134-144 in Vermont Monitoring Cooperative: Annual Report for 1994 (S.H. Wilmot and T.D. Sherbatskoy, eds.). VMC Ann. Rep No. 4. Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 103 S. Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671.

Trombulak, S.C. 1996. An index of biological integrity for forested ecosystems. Report for the Vermont Natural Resources Council. 9 Bailey Avenue, Montpelier, VT 05602.

Trombulak, S.C., and J.S. Andrews. 1996. Amphibian monitoring on Mount Mansfield. Pp. 125-139 in Vermont Forest Ecosystem Monitoring: Annual Report for 1995 (S.H. Wilmot and T.D. Sherbatskoy, eds.). VMC Ann. Rep No. 5. Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 103 S. Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671.

Trombulak, S.C., and J.S. Andrews. 1995. Amphibian monitoring on Mt. Mansfield, Vermont. In S.H. Wilmot and T.D. Scherbatskoy (Eds.),Vermont Monitoring Cooperative: Faunal Studies on Mt. Mansfield. Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, 103 St. Main St., Waterbury, Vermont 05671.

Trombulak, S.C. 1995. Ecological health and the Northern Forest. Vermont Law Review 19: 283-333.

Trombulak, S.C., R.F. Noss, and J.A. Strittholt. 1995. Obstacles to implementing the Wildlands Project Vision. Wild Earth Winter 1995/96: 84-89.

Trombulak, S.C. 1994. The promise and pitfalls of sustainable development. Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies 1: 8-11.

Trombulak, S.C. 1994. Undergraduate education and the next generation of conservation biologists. Conservation Biology 8: 589-591.

Trombulak, S.C. 1994. The natural history of the Northern Forest. Pp. 11-25 in The Future of the Northern Forest (C. M. Klyza and S.C. Trombulak, eds.) University Press of New England.

Trombulak, S.C, and C.M. Klyza. 1994. The future of the Northern Forest: putting all the pieces together. Pp. 225-237 in The Future of the Northern Forest (C. M. Klyza and S.C. Trombulak, eds.) University Press of New England.

Trombulak, S.C. 1994. The Northern Forest: conservation biology, public policy, and the failure of democracy. Endangered Species UPDATE 11(12): 7-16.

Trombulak, S.C., and J.S. Andrews. 1994. Amphibian monitoring on Mount Mansfield. Pp. 110-127 in Vermont Monitoring Cooperative: Annual Report for 1993 (S.H. Wilmot and T.D. Sherbatskoy, eds.). VMC Ann. Rep No. 3, 193 pp. Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 103 S. Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671.

Trombulak, S.C. 1994. Let not the night be silent: a natural history of bats. Wild Earth Winter 1993/94: 47-50.

Trombulak, S.C. 1994. A plea for biological honesty. Wild Earth Winter 1993/94: 6-7.

Trombulak, S.C. 1994. Political tradition must reflect scientific reality. Northern Forest Forum 2(6): 4.

Trombulak, S.C. 1994. The Northern Forest: ecological health and social well-being are intimately linked. Vermont Environmental Report, Fall 1994: 23-26.

Trombulak, S.C., editor. 1994. Proceedings of the First Conference on The Ecology of the Northern Forest. 17-19 August 1993, Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, Vermont; sponsored and published by the National Wildlife Federation.

Andrews, J.S. 1993. Preliminary results of the reptile and amphibian inventory of the Abbey Pond and Beaver Meadow Region of the Green Mountain National Forest, March-November 1993. A report for the Green Mountain National Forest.

Trombulak, S.C. 1993. Biotic integrity in the Northern Forest. Proceedings of the Biological Resources Diversity Forum, Northern Forest Lands Council: 12 December 1992, Manchester, New Hampshire.

Trombulak, S.C., and J.S. Andrews. 1993. Amphibian monitoring on Mount Mansfield. Pp. 55-67 in Vermont Monitoring Cooperative: Annual Report for 1992 (S.H. Wilmot and T.D. Sherbatskoy, eds.). VMC Ann. Rep No. 2, 138 pp. Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 103 S. Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671.

Trombulak, S.C. 1993. Ecological issues for the reintroduction of the timber wolf. Northern Forest Forum 1(5): 8-9.

Trombulak, S.C. 1993. Response to the Findings and Options of the Biological Resources Subcommittee. Northern Forest Forum 2(1): 4-5

Trombulak, S.C. 1992. Inventory and monitoring of amphibians on the west slope of Mount Mansfield, Vermont. Pp. 64-71 in Vermont Monitoring Cooperative: Annual Report for 1991 (S.H. Wilmot and T.D. Sherbatskoy, eds.). VMC Ann. Rep No. 1, 103 pp. Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 103 S. Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671.

Trombulak, S.C. 1992. Amphibians of the Northern Forests. Northern Forest Forum 1(1): 4-5.