Decisions to relocate while negotiating work and family desires are complex. Below I reflect on my own experience and reactions from peers: “Are you sure you are not relocating for work just because of your partner?”. What?! Deciding whether or not to emigrate It is summer 2021. My grants have come to an end and…
Author: Isabel Smallegange
I am an associate professor of population biology at the University of Amsterdam, at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics.
Behind the paper: Integrating developmental plasticity into eco-evolutionary population dynamics *
A story that starts out claiming that alternative phenotypes are excellent to study eco-evolutionary feedbacks, but ditches this idea to end on the notion that eco-evolutionary change is centred around evolving developmental systems. It is a personal journey of stepping out of the comfort zone of mainstream eco-evolutionary thinking, and of formulating arguments to convince…
How do we predict marine megafauna populations to respond to environmental change?
A 15 min talk can be found here that explains why unusually paced life history strategies of marine megafauna drive atypical sensitivities to environmental change. The talk accompanies the following paper: Smallegange IM, Flotats Avilés M, Eustache K. 2020. Unusually paced life history strategies of marine megafauna drive atypical sensitivities to environmental variability. Frontiers in…
A slow pace of life makes an estuarine and marine animal more sensitive to unpredictable climate variations
By Isabel Smallegange & Matty Berg. Originally published in Amsterdam Science 11(3). Climate variability is increasing. How will this affect different plant and animal species? The answer to this question is important to inform conservation strategies. Our research shows that we should not rely solely on big-data research to find the answer. Instead we should…
A podcast on mites, mantas and eco-evolutionary dynamics – with The Human Odyssey
Jamie and Skander from The Human Odyssey interviewed me to discuss population dynamics around bulb mites, beach hoppers and manta rays, as well as what it means for certain individuals to evolve certain traits. A very enjoyable chat! You can listen to it here.
Annual consultations: the good, the bad, and … strategic personnel planning?
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is implementing a revised annual consultation system that has shifted focus from performance assessment to staff development. Yet, it will also take centre stage in strategic personnel planning. Below I reflect on the opportunities it offers employees, but wonder how it can be used in strategic personnel planning without shifting…
Big data also need big concepts
Big data In biology, data on species abundance, diversity and traits are collected within large, international collaborative projects, citizen science projects, and permanent monitoring stations. These data are made openly available in big biodiversity databases: big data. Below I highlight some problems that big data approaches can have, which is particularly worrying if analysis outcomes are…
Resolving the conflict between conferences and care duties
[originally posted on the official blog of Functional Ecology, a British Ecological Society journal] Conference season is about to start again. For many this is a chance to present latest research results, connect with peers, and establish new contacts and networks. But what if your resource of time is poor? What if you have care…
What is a Works Council?
A Works Council in the Netherlands is: an internal body of a company representing employees, has consultation rights in respect of certain significant proposed management decisions, and has approval rights in respects of intended decisions regarding certain employment policies. The Works Council of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam has 15 seats….
Lovers and fighters, and the difficulties of understanding their coexistence
Myriad species exist where males within the same population display alternative morphologies, often referred to as minors and majors (“lovers and fighters”), that are associated with different ways of gaining access to mates. Their coexistence is typically explained using sexual selection theory. However, other explanations exist, but they have not been explored in great depth…
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