Human Ecology
Recent Advances and Opportunities for Urban Long Term Ecological Research: Theory, Data, and Methods
The prospect for long term, interdisciplinary research continues to grow since the "regionalizing" of the Coweeta and North Temperate Lakes LTER sites and the initiation of the two urban LTER sites: Baltimore and Central-Arizona-Phoenix. Additional sites have recruited social scientists and expanded both the questions asked and the geographic extent of their interests. Thus, there is growing opportunities for collaboration among sites that might not identify themselves as "urban," in conjunction with the existing regional and urban sites.
A Cross-site Comparative Analysis of Land Fragmentation, Part 2 - Planning
This working group is a continuation of the previous day's meeting, here to plan the future course of actions.
Socioecological Gradients and Land Fragmentation: A Cross-site Comparative Analysis
Increasing land fragmentation, mostly caused by urban sprawl and “leap-frog’ developments, is a major concern in many rapidly growing metropolitan cities of the US. Land fragmentation affects biodiversity and ecosystem processes, as portions of the landscape become isolated without connecting corridors and this, in turn, can change ecological structure and function. This cross-site comparative study, a joint-collaboration of several LTER sites (i.e.
A Cross-site Comparative Analysis of Land Fragmentation, Part 1
Land fragmentation caused by urban sprawl and “leap frog” development patterns has important consequences on ecological structure and function. A group of researchers from several LTER sites--Central Arizona-Phoenix, Konza Prairie, Jornada Basin, Sevilleta, and Shortgrass Steppe—is collaborating in a cross-site comparison study to analyze the land fragmentation patterns and processes in some of the fast growing cities in the Southwest and Midwest regions.
“Time, Space & Causality of Trans-Atlantic Mountain Landscapes”: how to compare interdisciplinary sustainable landscapes and research programs in Southern Appalachia and North-facing Western Pyrenees (France)
Most aspects of the structure and function of Earth’s ecosystems can no longer be understood without accounting for the strong, and often dominant influence of humanity across space and time. Human land-use practices in particular are fundamental determinants of local, regional, and global ecological processes. The consequences of such practices are evident across diverse scales influencing the sustainability of landscapes and ultimately the quality of human life.
Evaluation of four ecosystem services provided by experimental residential neighborhood landscapes in Mesa, Arizona
Holistic knowledge of the impact of landscape design and management practices on overall urban ecosystem function is essential to ensure that urban landscapes, particularly the vast portion of landscapes in urban residential areas, are conceived and managed in a sustainable manner. Research was conducted over 4 years (2004-2008) to ascertain effects of four residential landscape treatments on four ecosystem services of regional importance to urban sustainability; water conservation, microclimate regulation, carbon sequestration, and resident satisfaction.