Niche construction theory can link bark beetle-fungus symbiosis type and colonization behavior to large scale causal chain-effects

AbstractOver the past decade, niche construction theory (NCT) has been one of the fastest-growing theories or scholarly approaches in the social sciences, especially within archaeology. It was proposed in the biological sciences 25 years ago and is often referred to as a neglected evolutionary mechanism. Given its rapid acceptance by the archaeological community, it is important that scholars consider how it is being applied and look for discrepancies between applications of the concept. Many critical discussions of NCT have already been published, but most of them are in biology journals and may be overlooked by scholars in the social sciences. In this manuscript, my goal is to synthesis the criticisms of NCT, better allowing archaeologists to independently evaluate its usefulness. I focus on the claims of novelty and differences between NCT and other approaches to conceptualizing anthropogenic ecosystem impacts and culture-evolution feedbacks. I argue that the diverse concepts currently included in the wide-reaching purview of NCT are not new, but the terminology is and may be useful to some scholars. If proponents of the concept are able to unify their ideas, it may serve a descriptive function, but given that lack of a testable explanatory mechanism, it does not have a clear heuristic function.

Download Full-text

Modelling bark beetle disturbances in a large scale forest scenario model to assess climate change impacts and evaluate adaptive management strategies

Regional Environmental Change ◽

10.1007/s10113-008-0068-2 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 101-119 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

Rupert Seidl ◽

Mart-Jan Schelhaas ◽

Marcus Lindner ◽

Manfred J. Lexer

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Adaptive Management ◽

Bark Beetle ◽

Large Scale ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Assess Climate Change ◽

Scenario Model

Download Full-text

Niche Construction Theory and Human Architecture

Biological Theory ◽

10.1007/s13752-012-0029-3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 283-289 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

John Odling-Smee ◽

J. Scott Turner

Keyword(s):

Niche Construction ◽

Niche Construction Theory

Download Full-text

Bark Beetle Population Dynamics in the Anthropocene: Challenges and Solutions

10.20944/preprints201810.0640.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Peter H. W. Biedermann ◽

Jean-Claude Grégoire ◽

Axel Gruppe ◽

Jonas Hagge ◽

Almuth Hammerbacher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Population Dynamics ◽

Bark Beetle ◽

Collaborative Research ◽

Bark Beetles ◽

Large Scale ◽

Ips Typographus ◽

Ecological Framework ◽

Beetle Population ◽

Spruce Bark ◽

Important Pest

Tree-killing bark beetles are the most economically important insects in conifer forests worldwide. Yet  despite >200 years of research, the drivers of population eruptions or crashes are still not fully understood, precluding reliable predictions of the effects of global change on beetle population dynamics and impacts on ecosystems and humans.  We critically analyze potential biotic and abiotic drivers of population dynamics of the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) and present a novel ecological framework that integrates the multiple drivers governing this bark beetle system. We call for large-scale collaborative research efforts to improve our understanding of the population dynamics of this important pest; an approach that might serve as a blueprint for other eruptive forest insects.

Download Full-text

Does Teacher Training Actually Work? Evidence from a Large-Scale Randomized Evaluation of a National Teacher Training Program

American Economic Journal Applied Economics ◽

10.1257/app.20170226 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 128-154 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Prashant Loyalka ◽

Anna Popova ◽

Guirong Li ◽

Zhaolei Shi

Keyword(s):

Teacher Training ◽

Teacher Professional Development ◽

Student Outcomes ◽

Large Scale ◽

Causal Chain ◽

Randomized Evaluation ◽

Teacher Professional ◽

One Year ◽

To Receive

Despite massive investments in teacher professional development (PD) programs in developing countries, there is little evidence on their effectiveness. We present results of a large-scale, randomized evaluation of a national PD program in China in which teachers were randomized to receive PD; PD plus follow-up; PD plus evaluation of the command of PD content; or no PD. Precise estimates indicate PD and associated interventions failed to improve teacher and student outcomes after one year. A detailed analysis of the causal chain shows teachers find PD content to be overly theoretical, and PD delivery too rote and passive, to be useful. (JEL I21, I28, J24, J45, O15, P36)

Download Full-text