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Dickinson, Janis Lou
Cornell Faculty Member
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Positions
- Professor, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (CLO)
- Professor, Natural Resources (NTRES/DNR), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
Janis Dickinson is a Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Arthur A. Allen Director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Her research spans the fields of behavioral ecology, evolutionary ecology, and molecular ecology of birds and insects. She is interested in citizen science as an ecological tool, a model of collective action, and an arena where social learning can take place. Her work involves development of research models that blend exploratory research with citizen participation.
Research Areas
- adult and extension education
- biodiversity
- community development
- conservation biology
- ecology
- education
- entomology
- environmental sciences
- evolution
- genetics
- landscape ecology
- molecular genetics
- ornithology
- science education
- sustainable agriculture
- teacher education
- urban environment
Websites
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- Publications
- Teaching
- Service
- Background
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Affiliations
member of graduate field
other Cornell affiliations
member of
- David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) Faculty Fellow
Extension
has primary specialization area
Research
research overview
- Dickinson`s research encompasses basic and applied behavioral ecology as well as citizen science. Her basic research program focuses on the costs and benefits of delayed dispersal, cooperation, conflict, and reproductive decisions in birds and insects. She also collaborates on studies of spatial ecology of birds using citizen science data, and conducts research on how Web-based social networks can support human cooperation within the contexts of public goods and earth-stewardship.
research activities
principal investigator on
- CELEBRATE URBAN BIRDS: LATINO OUTREACH INITIATIVE awarded by WALLACE GENETIC FOUNDATION 2011 - 2012
- DELAYED DISPERSAL: TEASING APART THE EFFECTS OF RESOURCES AND PARENTS awarded by NATL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 2007 - 2013
- THE IMPACT OF WHITEBARK PINE (PINUS ALBICAULI) MORTALITY ON CLARK'S NUTCRACKER (NUCIFRAGA COLUMBIANA) DEMOGRAPHY AND HABITAT USE awarded by WYOMING COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 2011 - 2012
- THE IMPACT OF WHITEBARK PINE MORTALITY ON CLARK'S NUTCRACKER DEMOGRAPHY &HABITAT USE awarded by CONSERVATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION 2012 - 2013
- THE YARD MAP NETWORK: SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR COMMUNITY SCIENCE awarded by DIRECTORATE FOR EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES NSF 2009 - 2013
area(s) of concentration/expertise
keywords
- animal behavior
- behavior
- behavioral ecology
- citizen science
- cooperation
- ecology
- entomology
- molecular ecology
- population biology
- population ecology
- proenvironmental behaior
- zoology
submitted impact statement
- Project NestWatch|
- Project NestWatch: A National Citizen Science Participation Project
- NestWatch
- Impacts of acid rain and mercury on forest breeding birds
- Impacts of acid rain and mercury on forest breeding birds
- Delayed dispersal: teasing apart the importance of resources versus parents
- Celebrate Urban Birds New York State
- Celebrate Urban Birds NYS!
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- Overlapping landscapes: a persistent, but misdirected concern when collecting and analyzing ecological data. Journal of Wildlife Management. 76:1072-1080. 2012
- The current state of citizen science as a tool for ecological research and public engagement. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 10:291-297. 2012
- Benefits, motivations, and barriers related to environmental volunteerism for older adults: Developing a research agenda. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 72:189-206. 2011
- Climatic constraints on wintering bird distributions are modified by urbanization and weather. Journal of Animal Ecology. 80:403-413. 2011
- Natural extra-pair paternity matches receptivity patterns in unguarded females: Evidence for importance of female choice. Animal Behaviour. 83:1167-1173. 2011
- Nesting density is an important factor affecting chick growth and survival in the Herring Gull. The Condor - An international Journal of Avian Biology. 113:565-571. 2011
- Citizen science as an ecological research tool: challenges and benefits. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 41:112-149. 2010
- Ecological determinants of American crow mortality due to West Nile virus during its North American sweep. Oecologia. 163:903-909. 2010
- Invasive birds in a novel landscape: habitat associations and effects on established species. Ecography. 33:494-502. 2010
- Cooperation and competition: nepotistic tolerance and intra-sexual aggression in western bluebird winter groups. Animal Behaviour. 77:867-872. 2009
- Latitudinal decrease in acorn size in bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is due to environmental constraints, not avian dispersal. Botany. 87:349-356. 2009
- Signals of quality and age: the information content of multiple plumage ornaments in male western bluebirds, Sialia mexicana. Journal of Avian Biology. 40:18-27. 2009
- The people paradox: self-esteem striving, immortality ideologies, and human response to climate change. Ecology and Society. 14. 2009
- Development and cross-species testing of western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) microsatellite primers. Molecular Ecology Resources. 8:1248-1350. 2008
- Science Explicitly for Nonscientists. . Ecology and Society. 13. 2008
- Citizen Science as a Tool for Conservation in Residential Ecosystems. Ecology and Society. 12. 2007
- Sexual competition explains patterns of individual investment in territorial aggression in western bluebird winter groups. Animal Behaviour. 73:763-770. 2007
- West Nile Virus and breeding bird declines. Ecohealth. 4:18-24. 2007
- Resource wealth drives family group living in western bluebirds. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London B. 272:2423-2428. 2005
- Using molt limits to age western bluebirds. Journal of Field Ornithology. 76:913-195. 2005
- A test of the importance of direct and indirect fitness benefits for helping decisions in western bluebirds. Behavioral Ecology. 15:233-238. 2004
- Local breeding competition and a female shortage explain helping behavior and facultative sex ratio adjustment in western bluebird. Animal Behaviour. 68:373-380. 2004
- Desperately seeking similarity. Science. 300:1887-1889. 2003
- Male share of provisioning is not influenced by actual or apparent loss of paternity in western bluebirds. Behavioral Ecology. 14:360-366. 2003
- Serial polyandry and alloparenting in Long-eared Owls. Condor. 104:202-204. 2002
- Extrapair copulations in western bluebirds: female receptivity depends on male age. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 50:423-429. 2001
- Family-based winter territoriality in western bluebirds: the structure and dynamics of winter groups. Animal Behaviour. 61:109-117. 2001
- Specialized extra-pair mating display in western bluebirds. The Auk. 117:1078-1080. 2000
- Genetic monogamy in semi-colonial Long-eared Owls. Condor. 101:854-859. 1999
- Multilocus minisatellite DNA fingerprinting and cooperative breeding. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 47:108-111. 1999
- Replacement males in the western bluebird: opportunity for paternity, chick-feeding rules, and fitness consequences of male parental care. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 45:201-209. 1999
- Extrapair paternity, annual inclusive fitness, and within-group benefits of helping in the western bluebird. Molecular Ecology. 7:95-105. 1998
- Male detention affects extra-pair copulation frequency and pair behaviour in western bluebirds. Animal Behaviour. 53:561-571. 1997
- Mate attendance and copulatory behaviour in western bluebirds: evidence of mate guarding. Animal Behaviour. 52:981-992. 1996
- Nestling sex-ratio variation in western bluebirds. The Auk. 113:902-910. 1996
- The fitness consequences of helping behavior in the western bluebird. Behavioral Ecology. 7:168-177. 1996
- An experimental test of offspring recognition in western bluebirds. The Auk. 112:1062-1064. 1995
- Genetic monogamy in single-male groups of acorn woodpeckers. Molecular Ecology. 4:765-770. 1995
- Tradeoffs between postcopulatory riding and mate location in the blue milkweed beetle. Behavioral Ecology. 6:280-286. 1995
- Provisioning in western bluebirds is not related to offspring sex. Behavioral Ecology. 5:455-459. 1994
- Boxes, barns, and bridges: confounding factors or exceptional opportunities in ecological studies?. Oikos: A Journal of Ecology. 63:305-308. 1992
- Dispelling the skinny well myth. Fingerprint News. 4:3-4. 1992
- Egg cannibalism by larvae and adults of the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Ecological Entomology. 17:209-218. 1992
- Scramble competition polygyny in the milkweed leaf beetle: combat, mobility, and the importance of being there. Behavioral Ecology. 3:32-41. 1992
- The function of the mating plug in the chalcedon checkerspot butterfly. Animal Behaviour. 38:154-162. 1989
- The structure of the mating plug of the chalcedon checkerspot butterfly. Psyche. 96:279-285. 1989
- Use of maximum likelihood estimation to apportion broods among potential sires. Animal Behaviour. 38:719-721. 1989
- Determinants of paternity in the milkweed leaf beetle. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 23:9-19. 1988
- Prolonged mating in the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis): a test of the "sperm-loading" hypothesis. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 18:331-338. 1986
- Eunuchs: the role of apyrene sperm in Lepidoptera?. American Naturalist. 123:255-265. 1984
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article
- Common Nighthawks No Longer Common: Can corporate partnerships bring them back? 2008
- Animal Funerals 2007
- Dickinson, J.L., Cooper, C., and T. Phillips. 2006. Cautious or courageous: How bold are your birds? Birdscope, 19 (4): 7. 2006
- Personality profiles: when is boldness best? 2006
- Your backyard birds count: so get out there and bring a buddy too! 2006
- Animal funerals: how much do animals feel? 2005
- Hastings Natural History News 2005
- Old growth oak forest or vineyard clearcuts? Our choice 2005
- Return of the natives: a “grass roots” conservation project 2005
- What local folks should know about oaks 2005
- Oak mistletoe: a keystone species with a fascinating history 2004
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book
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booksection
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chapter
- Celebrate Urban Birds! - a gateway to science for all. Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research. 191-200. 2012
- Internet-based social networking and collective action models of citizen science: theory meets possibility. Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research. 226-233. 2012
- Cooperative breeding as an alternative reproductive tactic. Alternative Reproductive Tactics: an Integrative Approach. 451-470. 2008
- Delayed dispersal. Evolution and Ecology of Cooperative Breeding in Birds. 48-66. 2004
- Fitness conseqeuences of helping behavior. Evolution and Ecology of Cooperative Breeding in Birds. 48-66. 2004
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conference paper
- Tracking the nesting success of North America’s breeding birds through public participation in NestWatch. Proceedings of the Fourth International Partners in Flight Conference: Tundra to topics.. Tundra to Tropics: Birds, Habitats, and People. 633-640. 2009
- Introduction 2004
featured in archived article
Teaching
teaching overview
- Dickinson guides graduate students in the fields of behavioral ecology and conservation biology, focusing on question-driven research and field experiments. She teaches graduate courses in animal behavior and ornithology. My primary focus in animal behavior ecology, although my interest in animal cooperation transfers to understanding human cooperation within the context of citizen science. I co-teach an annual graduate course on a special topic in behavioral ecology with Walt Koenig; I am one of five faculty who jointly hold a graduate seminar in Ornithology. I also teach one session in the graduate seminar associated with the course, Intro to Animal Behavior.
teaching activities
- NTRES-4980: Undergraduate Teaching in Natural Resources - Spring 2013
- NTRES-7900: Graduate-Level Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- NTRES-8900: Master's Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- NTRES-9900: Doctoral-Level Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- BIONB-6702: Special Topics in Behavioral Ecology - Fall 2012
- NTRES-4991: Honors Research in Natural Resources - Fall 2012
- NTRES-6702: Special Topics in Behavioral Ecology - Fall 2012
- NTRES-7900: Graduate-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2012
- NTRES-8900: Master's Thesis Research - Fall 2012
- NTRES-9900: Doctoral-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2012
- NTRES-4980: Undergraduate Teaching in Natural Resources - Spring 2012
- NTRES-7900: Graduate-Level Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- NTRES-8900: Master's Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- NTRES-9900: Doctoral-Level Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- NTRES-4991: Honors Research in Natural Resources - Fall 2011
- NTRES-7900: Graduate-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2011
- NTRES-8900: Master's Thesis Research - Fall 2011
- NTRES-9900: Doctoral-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2011
Service
service to the profession
- Cooper Ornithological Society Board Member 2008 -
- Encyclopedia of Life Board Member 2008 -
- National Phenology Network Committee Member 2007 -
- American Ornithologists' Union Faculty Fellow 2004 -
- American Association for the Advancement of Science Member 1990 -
- International Society for Behavioral Ecology Member 1988 -
- Animal Behavior Society Member 1984 -
- American Ornithologists's Union Member 2007
- AI-SPER-0203DF692AB00010890 Attendee, Meeting 2002
- International Society for Behavioral Ecology Conference Scientific Committee Chair 1998
reviewer or editor for
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Entomology, Cornell University 1987
- B.S. in, Binghamton University 1981
awards and honors
Other
alternate name
- Janis Dickinson
college
- CALS
research keyword
- animal behavior
- behavior
- behavioral ecology
- citizen science
- cooperation
- ecology
- entomology
- molecular ecology
- population biology
- population ecology
- proenvironmental behaior
- zoology
name prefix
- Professor