PARENT SESSION Organized Orals Thursday, August 10, 8:00-11:30 am OOS 11 - The devil is in the detail: theory for empirical model systems Ballroom C, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: ON Bjornstad (onb1@psu.edu) and P Amarasekare This session explores how many recent advances in theoretical ecology have come through modifications of classical models to be applicable to detailed experimental or observational data. Thursday, August 10, 1:30-5:00 pm OOS 13 - Bottomland hardwood forest restoration and management for wildlife Ballroom C, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: R Wilson (randy_wilson@fws.gov) and DJ Twedt In this session, we present an assessment of wildlife responses to the restoration methods employed for >200,000 ha of bottomland hardwood restoration in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and present recommendations for silvicultural management of mature bottomland forests to promote sustainable forest conditions for priority wildlife species. Wednesday, August 9, 1:30-5:00 pm OOS 9 - Niche verses neutral: a look at an iconic idea in community ecology, its challenger, and the middle ground, Part II Ballroom C, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: A Ostling (nsanders@utk.edu), NJ Sanders, and J Lake In this organized oral session we will explore the latest advances in our understanding of how communities assemble, focusing on the ongoing debate over niches versus neutrality and keeping an eye towards finding the middle ground. Monday, August 7, 8:00-11:30 am OOS 2 - Alteration of North American forest communities by invasive invertebrates Ballroom D, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: LE Frelich (freli001@umn.edu) and D Foster This session will provide a survey of invasive insects, earthworms, and slugs that threaten to remove tree species from forests of North America, change community composition by selective herbivory, and re-engineer ecosystems by changing nutrient cycles and seedbed properties, as well as potential policy and management responses. Wednesday, August 9, 8:00-11:50 am OOS 8 - When does fear matter? A road map to the implications of trait-mediated effects to ecology Ballroom D, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: EL Preisser (preisser@psis.umass.edu), G Trussell, and E Werner This session synthesizes mathematical theory, conceptual work, and empirical research to explore the factors influencing the relative importance of trait- and density-mediated effects in ecological communities. Tuesday, August 8, 8:00-11:30 am OOS 3 - Functional roles of fine roots and mycorrhizal fungi in carbon and nutrient cycling Ballroom C, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: EA Hobbie (erik.hobbie@unh.edu) and JE Hobbie This session will address techniques for quantifying the roles of fine roots and mycorrhizal fungi in carbon/nutrient cycling. Thursday, August 10, 1:30-5:00 pm OOS 14 - Ecological stoichiometry of terrestrial animals Ballroom D, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: AD Kay (adkay@stthomas.edu), S Bertram, and J Schade This session will examine the degree, causes, and ecological consequences of differences in elemental composition among terrestrial animals. Tuesday, August 8, 8:00-11:30 am OOS 4 - The modern paradigm in population ecology: stochastic, statistical, and inferential Ballroom D, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: EE Holmes (eli.holmes@noaa.gov), C Jordan, and B Dennis This session features contemporary research on stochastic ecological dynamics and estimation that is fundamentally changing the way we think about and make inferences about ecological processes. Tuesday, August 8, 1:30-5:00 pm OOS 5 - Climate change and timing in ecological communities Ballroom C, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: AJ Miller-Rushing (ajmr@bu.edu), RB Primack, and DW Inouye This session will present research designed to document, evaluate, and predict how phenological changes caused by climate change will impact biological communities. Tuesday, August 8, 1:30-5:00 pm OOS 6 - Ecology and poverty alleviation: bringing ecological knowledge to the forefront of development goals Ballroom D, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: FA De Clerck (fd2119@columbia.edu), CM Rumbaitis del Rio, and JC Ingram Poverty and ecological degradation are often highly correlated in the world's poorest regions; here we consider how ecological tools and ecological knowledge form an essential component of integrated poverty alleviation strategies, which address both critical development concerns and maintain ecological sustainability. Friday, August 11, 8:00-11:30 am OOS 15 - Phenology and ecosystem processes Ballroom C, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: A Noormets (asko.noormets@utoledo.edu) This session discusses the connections between ecosystem phenology and the processes of water, carbon, and energy exchange, and the use of remote sensing technology to quantify these processes over large spatial scales. Friday, August 11, 8:00-11:30 am OOS 16 - Application of behavioral principles for ecosystem stewardship Ballroom D, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: MW Brunson (Mark.Brunson@usu.edu) and F Provenza This session describes research on animal behavior in an ecological context, focusing on how behavioral principles can be used to design strategies for improved conservation and restoration of managed ecosystems. Thursday, August 10, 8:00-11:30 am OOS 12 - Rhizosphere functioning in carbon and nitrogen cycles Ballroom D, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: WK Silk (wksilk@ucdavis.edu) and GB North We will address spatial and temporal organization of the rhizosphere and consider on several size scales interactions among water, carbon and nitrogen fluxes, microbial activity, and root development. Monday, August 7, 8:00-11:30 am OOS 1 - Designing, restoring, and managing ecosystems Ballroom C, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center Organized by: MD Matlock (mmatllock@uark.edu) and WC Hession The need for competent ecosystem design, restoration, and management criteria and methods is great. This session will explore the breadth and depth of ecosystem design, restoration, and management practices.

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