2018 ARCHIVES: Special Symposia
The following organized symposia will be offered as part of the technical program at the 2018 US-IALE Annual Meeting.
S-01. CONSERVATION AND COLLABORATION WITHIN THE URBAN MATRIX: LESSONS FROM CHICAGO WILDERNESS AND BEYOND
MONDAY, APRIL 9 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Organizers: Primary: Daniel Suarez, Stewardship Program Associate, Audubon Great Lakes ([email protected]); Nat Miller, Director of Conservation, Audubon Great Lakes; Stephanie Beilke, Conservation Science Associate, Audubon Great Lakes
Overview: This symposium will focus on the diverse conservation and restoration work happening across the urban grasslands of the Chicago Wilderness region and beyond. We will strive to show the importance, often overlooked, of urban habitats and the role they can play in the conservation of declining species of flora and fauna. Examples will be given through the lens of the Chicago Wilderness Priority Species initiative, an ambitious, collaborative effort involving many public and private landowners, NGOs, and volunteers. In an effort to streamline and focus conservation efforts, Chicago Wilderness partners have selected twelve species representing various habitat types to focus conservation efforts and public outreach efforts on. These species are: Monarch Butterfly Blanding's Turtle Red-headed Woodpecker Little Brown Bat Rusty-Patched Bumblebee Mottled Sculpin Blue-spotted Salamander Smooth Green Snake Regal Fritillary Ellipse Henslow's Sparrow Bobolink This symposium will touch on the efforts surrounding several of these species, and will provide novel examples of ways that urban areas can prioritize conservation action within fragmented, urbanized landscapes. As urban areas will continue to grow in size and population throughout the 21st century, finding ways to maximize conservation impacts will become critical.
Organizers: Primary: Daniel Suarez, Stewardship Program Associate, Audubon Great Lakes ([email protected]); Nat Miller, Director of Conservation, Audubon Great Lakes; Stephanie Beilke, Conservation Science Associate, Audubon Great Lakes
Overview: This symposium will focus on the diverse conservation and restoration work happening across the urban grasslands of the Chicago Wilderness region and beyond. We will strive to show the importance, often overlooked, of urban habitats and the role they can play in the conservation of declining species of flora and fauna. Examples will be given through the lens of the Chicago Wilderness Priority Species initiative, an ambitious, collaborative effort involving many public and private landowners, NGOs, and volunteers. In an effort to streamline and focus conservation efforts, Chicago Wilderness partners have selected twelve species representing various habitat types to focus conservation efforts and public outreach efforts on. These species are: Monarch Butterfly Blanding's Turtle Red-headed Woodpecker Little Brown Bat Rusty-Patched Bumblebee Mottled Sculpin Blue-spotted Salamander Smooth Green Snake Regal Fritillary Ellipse Henslow's Sparrow Bobolink This symposium will touch on the efforts surrounding several of these species, and will provide novel examples of ways that urban areas can prioritize conservation action within fragmented, urbanized landscapes. As urban areas will continue to grow in size and population throughout the 21st century, finding ways to maximize conservation impacts will become critical.
S-02. TELECOUPLING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION ACROSS LOCAL TO GLOBAL SCALES
MONDAY, APRIL 9 | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Organizers: Jianguo (Jack) Liu, Michigan State University ([email protected]); Yue Dou, Michigan State University; Kelly Kapsar, Michigan State University; Hongbo Yang, Michigan State University
Overview: The world is increasingly telecoupled through distant flows of information, matter, energy, organisms, people, money, and technology. Such telecouplings (socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances) can drastically influence sustainable development and conservation across local to global scales. The integrated telecoupling framework offers novel perspectives on how human-nature interactions in one place can have enormous effects on those far away, and on how distant feedbacks affect people and landscapes. It treats landscapes and people in each place as a coupled human and natural system, and those in different places jointly as telecoupled human and natural systems. It also provides a systematic analytic lens to uncover and understand invisible mechanisms behind landscape dynamics and socioeconomic changes. The goal of this symposium is to showcase applications of the telecoupling framework to address important issues relevant to sustainable development and conservation, such as distant supply of and demand for ecosystem services and natural resources, international trade, and tourism. The presenters from around the world highlight a wide range of topics, such as water, food, energy, biodiversity, soil, fisheries, forests, microorganisms, and large mammals. The presentations enhance fundamental understanding of landscape sustainability and human well-being, and provide useful information for effective governance in the Anthropocene.
Organizers: Jianguo (Jack) Liu, Michigan State University ([email protected]); Yue Dou, Michigan State University; Kelly Kapsar, Michigan State University; Hongbo Yang, Michigan State University
Overview: The world is increasingly telecoupled through distant flows of information, matter, energy, organisms, people, money, and technology. Such telecouplings (socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances) can drastically influence sustainable development and conservation across local to global scales. The integrated telecoupling framework offers novel perspectives on how human-nature interactions in one place can have enormous effects on those far away, and on how distant feedbacks affect people and landscapes. It treats landscapes and people in each place as a coupled human and natural system, and those in different places jointly as telecoupled human and natural systems. It also provides a systematic analytic lens to uncover and understand invisible mechanisms behind landscape dynamics and socioeconomic changes. The goal of this symposium is to showcase applications of the telecoupling framework to address important issues relevant to sustainable development and conservation, such as distant supply of and demand for ecosystem services and natural resources, international trade, and tourism. The presenters from around the world highlight a wide range of topics, such as water, food, energy, biodiversity, soil, fisheries, forests, microorganisms, and large mammals. The presentations enhance fundamental understanding of landscape sustainability and human well-being, and provide useful information for effective governance in the Anthropocene.
S-03. DESCRIBING AND ANALYZING LANDSCAPE PATTERNS: WHERE ARE WE NOW, AND WHERE ARE WE GOING?
MONDAY, APRIL 9 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Organizers: Kurt Riitters, USDA Forest Service, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina ([email protected]); Peter Vogt, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy; Jim Wickham, US Environmental Protection Agency; Jennifer Costanza, North Carolina State University
Overview: This symposium is motivated by the continuing lack of agreement on the meaning of pattern and how to measure it. Much of landscape ecology is concerned with the reciprocal relationships between pattern and process (Turner 2005, doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.36.102003.152614). Unambiguous measures of pattern are pre-requisite not only for robust analyses of pattern/process relationships (Bogaert 2003, url: www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol7/iss1/resp6/) but also for meaningful assessments of patterns per se. Hypothesis testing assumes that independent variables (e.g., patterns) are measured without error; are we really measuring what we think we are? Despite a plethora of available metrics, new ones are invented every year, and many questionable metrics remain in general usage. This symposium has two distinct but related goals – first, to achieve a vibrant discussion of the essential elements and descriptors of pattern per se, and second, to provide a venue for “pattern-oriented” ecologists (sensu Fisher & Lindenmayer 2007, doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00287.x) to present new concepts and methods for measuring pattern without having to “prove” their contribution in a specific pattern/process context. It is anticipated that this symposium will draw many contributed presentations from pattern-oriented landscape ecologists who are interested in patterns per se.
Organizers: Kurt Riitters, USDA Forest Service, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina ([email protected]); Peter Vogt, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy; Jim Wickham, US Environmental Protection Agency; Jennifer Costanza, North Carolina State University
Overview: This symposium is motivated by the continuing lack of agreement on the meaning of pattern and how to measure it. Much of landscape ecology is concerned with the reciprocal relationships between pattern and process (Turner 2005, doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.36.102003.152614). Unambiguous measures of pattern are pre-requisite not only for robust analyses of pattern/process relationships (Bogaert 2003, url: www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol7/iss1/resp6/) but also for meaningful assessments of patterns per se. Hypothesis testing assumes that independent variables (e.g., patterns) are measured without error; are we really measuring what we think we are? Despite a plethora of available metrics, new ones are invented every year, and many questionable metrics remain in general usage. This symposium has two distinct but related goals – first, to achieve a vibrant discussion of the essential elements and descriptors of pattern per se, and second, to provide a venue for “pattern-oriented” ecologists (sensu Fisher & Lindenmayer 2007, doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00287.x) to present new concepts and methods for measuring pattern without having to “prove” their contribution in a specific pattern/process context. It is anticipated that this symposium will draw many contributed presentations from pattern-oriented landscape ecologists who are interested in patterns per se.
S-04. BEHAVIORAL LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY: UNDERSTANDING HOW ANIMAL BEHAVIOR IS INFLUENCED BY THE LANDSCAPE
MONDAY, APRIL 9 | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Organizers: Laura E. D’Acunto, Purdue University ([email protected]); Daniel Bampoh, Purdue University; Patrick A. Zollner, Purdue University
Overview: Behavioral landscape ecology explores theoretical and applied questions of how the behavior of species including their movement patterns, habitat selection, perception, and decisions interact with ecological landscapes. Over the past 20 years, the analytical (e.g. Bayesian analysis, spatial capture-recapture, individual-based modeling, genetics) and field technology advances (e.g. GPS collar and radio-transmitter size & longevity, remote sensing, and landscape-scale experiments) have allowed the study of behavioral landscape ecology to answer previously unresolvable questions, but has also led to the development of new and interesting ecological questions. This symposium will feature theoretical and applied talks across a wide range of taxa, environments, localities, and methodologies to provide an overview of the field of behavioral landscape ecology and to pose new avenues of investigation going forward.
Organizers: Laura E. D’Acunto, Purdue University ([email protected]); Daniel Bampoh, Purdue University; Patrick A. Zollner, Purdue University
Overview: Behavioral landscape ecology explores theoretical and applied questions of how the behavior of species including their movement patterns, habitat selection, perception, and decisions interact with ecological landscapes. Over the past 20 years, the analytical (e.g. Bayesian analysis, spatial capture-recapture, individual-based modeling, genetics) and field technology advances (e.g. GPS collar and radio-transmitter size & longevity, remote sensing, and landscape-scale experiments) have allowed the study of behavioral landscape ecology to answer previously unresolvable questions, but has also led to the development of new and interesting ecological questions. This symposium will feature theoretical and applied talks across a wide range of taxa, environments, localities, and methodologies to provide an overview of the field of behavioral landscape ecology and to pose new avenues of investigation going forward.
S-05. RIPARIAN LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY: PATTERNS, PROCESSES, AND MANAGEMENT OF DYNAMIC ECOSYSTEMS
MONDAY, APRIL 9 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Organizer: Jessica Salo, University of Northern Colorado ([email protected])
Overview: Riparian ecosystems are valued natural resources that provide critical ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat, water quality enhancement, flood mitigation, and recreation opportunities. Riparian ecosystems are naturally dynamic, experiencing ecological disturbances typical of uplands as well as those associated with the river flow regime (e.g., erosion, sedimentation, and inundation). Thus, riparian ecosystems are complex ecosystems to understand, evaluate, and manage.In this symposium, presentations will address the challenges and advancements in characterizing patterns and processes in riparian ecosystems, drawing from research conducted in a variety of river systems spanning gradients of basin size, physiography, hydrology, climatology, and anthropogenic influence. Topics will include ecological applications of hydrologic and hydraulic models, vegetation response and recovery following flood disturbances, quantifying vegetation and channel change in relation to management and disturbance events, characterizing biophysical and ecological dynamics, and linkages to conservation and restoration planning at and across multiple spatio-temporal scales. This session highlights ongoing research and developments in riparian ecosystems across spatio-temporal scales, with a specific emphasis on understanding patterns, processes, and implications for management decisions.
Organizer: Jessica Salo, University of Northern Colorado ([email protected])
Overview: Riparian ecosystems are valued natural resources that provide critical ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat, water quality enhancement, flood mitigation, and recreation opportunities. Riparian ecosystems are naturally dynamic, experiencing ecological disturbances typical of uplands as well as those associated with the river flow regime (e.g., erosion, sedimentation, and inundation). Thus, riparian ecosystems are complex ecosystems to understand, evaluate, and manage.In this symposium, presentations will address the challenges and advancements in characterizing patterns and processes in riparian ecosystems, drawing from research conducted in a variety of river systems spanning gradients of basin size, physiography, hydrology, climatology, and anthropogenic influence. Topics will include ecological applications of hydrologic and hydraulic models, vegetation response and recovery following flood disturbances, quantifying vegetation and channel change in relation to management and disturbance events, characterizing biophysical and ecological dynamics, and linkages to conservation and restoration planning at and across multiple spatio-temporal scales. This session highlights ongoing research and developments in riparian ecosystems across spatio-temporal scales, with a specific emphasis on understanding patterns, processes, and implications for management decisions.
S-06. GEOSPATIAL CITIZEN SCIENCE INITIATIVES FOR UNDERSTANDING LANDSCAPE CHANGE AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
MONDAY, APRIL 9 | 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Organizers: Stephanie Tomscha, Department of Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington New Zealand ([email protected]); Sarah Gergel, Department of Conservation and Forest Science, University of British Columbia, Canada
Overview: Drawing on this rich and varied spatial knowledge of people, participatory mapping is a powerful tool for examining the spatial patterns of human-environment interactions. Participatory mapping is increasingly used to understand both biophysical locations and human values for ecosystem services. Key benefits of participatory mapping is that it can be used in locations where data are scarce, as well as to create congruent social and ecological datasets. Additionally, participatory mapping can encourage communal negotiation of land stewardship, foster connections among participants, and document long-term ecological knowledge held by community members. This symposium explores the diverse ways participatory mapping has been used to understand the spatial patterns of ecosystems and landscape values. We connect researchers who work in the interdisciplinary space of social-ecological systems with a focus on participatory mapping approaches for understanding the spatial locations of ecosystems, human values, and their interactions.
Organizers: Stephanie Tomscha, Department of Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington New Zealand ([email protected]); Sarah Gergel, Department of Conservation and Forest Science, University of British Columbia, Canada
Overview: Drawing on this rich and varied spatial knowledge of people, participatory mapping is a powerful tool for examining the spatial patterns of human-environment interactions. Participatory mapping is increasingly used to understand both biophysical locations and human values for ecosystem services. Key benefits of participatory mapping is that it can be used in locations where data are scarce, as well as to create congruent social and ecological datasets. Additionally, participatory mapping can encourage communal negotiation of land stewardship, foster connections among participants, and document long-term ecological knowledge held by community members. This symposium explores the diverse ways participatory mapping has been used to understand the spatial patterns of ecosystems and landscape values. We connect researchers who work in the interdisciplinary space of social-ecological systems with a focus on participatory mapping approaches for understanding the spatial locations of ecosystems, human values, and their interactions.
S-07. VISUALIZING ECOSYSTEM FUTURES – LIVE!
MONDAY, APRIL 9 | 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Organizers: Robert Scheller, Erica Smithwick, Ross Meentemeyer, Melissa Lucash, Alex Klippel
Overview: Ecosystem management increasingly depends on management decisions that sustain human well-being and embrace ecological change. We often advocate sophisticated model approaches to mediate the requisite choices yet the tools we use produce forecasts that are difficult for stakeholders to engage. Similarly, we expect our students to engage with sophisticated models and concepts and yet teach using outmoded delivery styles. Visualization tools have emerged that enable more a direct interface between our audience (decision-makers such as tribes, agencies, etc. and students) and necessary forecasting tools. Qualitative and quantitative data (interviews, focus groups, ecological models, climate scenarios, and decision analytics) can be bundled into virtual reality representations of ecosystems that aid decision-making and that also assist with deep understanding of coupled-natural human system dynamics. For our symposium, we invite visualization demonstrations that demonstrate how immersive experiences can engage participants, quantify human values, and aid in learning about landscape futures. We particularly emphasize a ‘live’ component that show cases the latest technologies and with optional audience participation. A prize to the team that can really wows the audience! Collectively, visualization offers both a means of understanding and communicating values, knowledge, uncertainties, and trade-offs in human well-being and ecological change. As an emerging sub-discipline in landscape ecology, we will offer a venue for broad sampling by attendees.
Organizers: Robert Scheller, Erica Smithwick, Ross Meentemeyer, Melissa Lucash, Alex Klippel
Overview: Ecosystem management increasingly depends on management decisions that sustain human well-being and embrace ecological change. We often advocate sophisticated model approaches to mediate the requisite choices yet the tools we use produce forecasts that are difficult for stakeholders to engage. Similarly, we expect our students to engage with sophisticated models and concepts and yet teach using outmoded delivery styles. Visualization tools have emerged that enable more a direct interface between our audience (decision-makers such as tribes, agencies, etc. and students) and necessary forecasting tools. Qualitative and quantitative data (interviews, focus groups, ecological models, climate scenarios, and decision analytics) can be bundled into virtual reality representations of ecosystems that aid decision-making and that also assist with deep understanding of coupled-natural human system dynamics. For our symposium, we invite visualization demonstrations that demonstrate how immersive experiences can engage participants, quantify human values, and aid in learning about landscape futures. We particularly emphasize a ‘live’ component that show cases the latest technologies and with optional audience participation. A prize to the team that can really wows the audience! Collectively, visualization offers both a means of understanding and communicating values, knowledge, uncertainties, and trade-offs in human well-being and ecological change. As an emerging sub-discipline in landscape ecology, we will offer a venue for broad sampling by attendees.
S-08. MONITORING & RESTORATION OF THE NATION’S LARGEST URBAN NATURAL AREA: LESSONS FROM LANDSCAPE AND LONG-TERM VEGETATION STUDIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
MONDAY, APRIL 9 | 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Organizer: Greg Spyreas, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois ([email protected])
Overview: Cook County, Illinois harbors perhaps the largest urban natural areas system in the United States. Recently it has planned an ambitious habitat restoration program over its 70,000 acres. Restoration and management is ramping up and being implemented up over these natural areas that will coincide with a massive vegetation-monitoring program to inform and guide this work. Ecologists with accomplished research programs, overseeing unique datasets, and with expertise in either long-term and/or landscape scale plant ecology, will be given the Cook County vegetation sampling design and monitoring protocols and asked several questions. While the Cook Co. sampling/monitoring is primarily intended to guide/the habitat restoration and management, these researchers will be asked to weigh in broadly on what their experience and expertise has taught regarding fundamental and applied ecology that could inform the Cook County project. Questions speakers will address include: What is one question your research program/dataset has tried to, but never sufficiently answered, that the Cook Co. project could address? What is one newer or emerging question/issue the Cook Co. project should address? What is one sampling/design/data issue you have addressed/changed in your project of relevance? What might you change about Cook Co.’s proposed project?
Organizer: Greg Spyreas, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois ([email protected])
Overview: Cook County, Illinois harbors perhaps the largest urban natural areas system in the United States. Recently it has planned an ambitious habitat restoration program over its 70,000 acres. Restoration and management is ramping up and being implemented up over these natural areas that will coincide with a massive vegetation-monitoring program to inform and guide this work. Ecologists with accomplished research programs, overseeing unique datasets, and with expertise in either long-term and/or landscape scale plant ecology, will be given the Cook County vegetation sampling design and monitoring protocols and asked several questions. While the Cook Co. sampling/monitoring is primarily intended to guide/the habitat restoration and management, these researchers will be asked to weigh in broadly on what their experience and expertise has taught regarding fundamental and applied ecology that could inform the Cook County project. Questions speakers will address include: What is one question your research program/dataset has tried to, but never sufficiently answered, that the Cook Co. project could address? What is one newer or emerging question/issue the Cook Co. project should address? What is one sampling/design/data issue you have addressed/changed in your project of relevance? What might you change about Cook Co.’s proposed project?
S-09. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF CROWD-SOURCED AND SOCIAL MEDIA DATA FOR SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH
TUESDAY, APRIL 10 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Organizers: Bianca Lopez, SESYNC ([email protected]); Ginger Allington, SESYNC
Overview: Many questions in landscape ecology involve interactions and feedbacks between humans and their environment. Considering both of these key factors in socio-environmental research is challenging, in part because environmental and social data are often collected at very different spatial grains and extents. However, data from non-authoritative sources (i.e., citizens) also provide information on what’s happening in the world, often with precise geo-locations and broad extents that more closely match the scale of remotely sensed environmental and land cover data. Spatially referenced non-authoritative data includes crowd-sourced data to address particular goals, such as adding photos to maps, identifying land use features, or recording observations of species; in addition, with the widespread adoption of social media platforms, there is a new source of publicly available geo-referenced data on people’s attitudes, interests, and behavior. This symposium brings together researchers who are using social media and other crowd-sourced data to study socio-environmental systems in a spatial context. The participating researchers study topics ranging from people’s responses to environmental hazards to cultural ecosystem services provided by parks.
Organizers: Bianca Lopez, SESYNC ([email protected]); Ginger Allington, SESYNC
Overview: Many questions in landscape ecology involve interactions and feedbacks between humans and their environment. Considering both of these key factors in socio-environmental research is challenging, in part because environmental and social data are often collected at very different spatial grains and extents. However, data from non-authoritative sources (i.e., citizens) also provide information on what’s happening in the world, often with precise geo-locations and broad extents that more closely match the scale of remotely sensed environmental and land cover data. Spatially referenced non-authoritative data includes crowd-sourced data to address particular goals, such as adding photos to maps, identifying land use features, or recording observations of species; in addition, with the widespread adoption of social media platforms, there is a new source of publicly available geo-referenced data on people’s attitudes, interests, and behavior. This symposium brings together researchers who are using social media and other crowd-sourced data to study socio-environmental systems in a spatial context. The participating researchers study topics ranging from people’s responses to environmental hazards to cultural ecosystem services provided by parks.
S-10. ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES ON URBAN VACANT LOTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 10 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Organizers: Elsa Anderson, University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Biological Sciences ([email protected]); Paul Gobster, US Forest Service; William Stewart, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Recreation, Sports, and Tourism
Overview: Vacant land has become a significant part of the urban landscape in many cities across the US and globally, and is often a result of disinvestment in low-income neighborhoods. Recently, there have been various efforts to revitalize this land, with the goals of promoting urban greening and reducing the burden of land blight on neighborhoods. These programs take many forms. For example, the Large Lot Program in Chicago sells vacant lots to block residents for $1, and the Parks and People mission in Baltimore restreams demolition of vacant row houses to create large, public greenspaces. These programs, along with others like them and independent empirical research, have generated rich social and ecological data, but the interdisciplinary cross-talk is still preliminary. This session will bring together social and natural scientists to present their work and findings on the ecology and dynamic social context of vacant lots in cities. We will culminate the session with a discussion geared at synthesizing data across cities and disciplines with the goal of generalizing our knowledge on this socio-environmental system to-date.
Organizers: Elsa Anderson, University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Biological Sciences ([email protected]); Paul Gobster, US Forest Service; William Stewart, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Recreation, Sports, and Tourism
Overview: Vacant land has become a significant part of the urban landscape in many cities across the US and globally, and is often a result of disinvestment in low-income neighborhoods. Recently, there have been various efforts to revitalize this land, with the goals of promoting urban greening and reducing the burden of land blight on neighborhoods. These programs take many forms. For example, the Large Lot Program in Chicago sells vacant lots to block residents for $1, and the Parks and People mission in Baltimore restreams demolition of vacant row houses to create large, public greenspaces. These programs, along with others like them and independent empirical research, have generated rich social and ecological data, but the interdisciplinary cross-talk is still preliminary. This session will bring together social and natural scientists to present their work and findings on the ecology and dynamic social context of vacant lots in cities. We will culminate the session with a discussion geared at synthesizing data across cities and disciplines with the goal of generalizing our knowledge on this socio-environmental system to-date.
S-11. HOW ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL INFLUENCES ON THE URBAN LANDSCAPE AFFECT POLLINATOR HABITAT AND SPECIES DIVERSITY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Organizers: Abigail Derby Lewis, The Field Museum ([email protected]); Emily Minor, University of Illinois at Chicago
Overview: The role cities can play in providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife is more important than previously recognized. Recent studies suggest that urban landscapes can provide meaningful biological and ecological value with respect to pollinators, and this has implications for biodiversity conservation. Cities are diverse and complex landscapes, filled with many social groups, widely varying land uses, and differing interest groups. As such, opportunities abound in urban areas to put nectar and host plants on the ground, from schoolyards, churchyards and parkways to cultural institutions, corporate campuses and vacant lots. In order to be strategic in where and how we create urban habitat, we need to focus on the different factors and actions that go into creating pollinator habitat at the local urban scale and gain a better understanding of the best practices for habitat design and engagement strategies for different stakeholder groups in these efforts. This symposium will explore how the complexity of the urban landscape can contribute to pollinator diversity, where opportunities exist to create pollinator habitat and how effective these may be, and how community interests can align with conservation goals of creating habitat.
Organizers: Abigail Derby Lewis, The Field Museum ([email protected]); Emily Minor, University of Illinois at Chicago
Overview: The role cities can play in providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife is more important than previously recognized. Recent studies suggest that urban landscapes can provide meaningful biological and ecological value with respect to pollinators, and this has implications for biodiversity conservation. Cities are diverse and complex landscapes, filled with many social groups, widely varying land uses, and differing interest groups. As such, opportunities abound in urban areas to put nectar and host plants on the ground, from schoolyards, churchyards and parkways to cultural institutions, corporate campuses and vacant lots. In order to be strategic in where and how we create urban habitat, we need to focus on the different factors and actions that go into creating pollinator habitat at the local urban scale and gain a better understanding of the best practices for habitat design and engagement strategies for different stakeholder groups in these efforts. This symposium will explore how the complexity of the urban landscape can contribute to pollinator diversity, where opportunities exist to create pollinator habitat and how effective these may be, and how community interests can align with conservation goals of creating habitat.
S-12. THE LONG-TERM AGROECOLOGICAL RESEARCH NETWORK
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Organizers: Sarah Goslee, USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, PA ([email protected]); Alisa Coffin, USDA-ARS Southeast Watershed Research Lab, Tifton, GA
Overview: Providing a growing population with food, fuel, and fiber cannot come at the cost of environmental degradation. Given the finite area of agricultural land available, land use intensification is a currently-feasible way to advance agriculture that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. The Long-Term Agroecological Research Network (LTAR) currently comprises 18 ARS and university research sites across the United States with the mission to, “Enable understanding and forecasting of regional landscape capacities to provide agricultural commodities and ecosystem services under changing conditions.” Each site is conducting research on regionally-appropriate “business as usual” and “aspirational” scenarios, to better understand where US agriculture is today, and where sustainable intensification strategies could lead in the future. Landscape is an explicit part of the LTAR mission: the tools and techniques of landscape ecology are being applied to research questions linking ecosystem services to agricultural management options and opportunities at both regional and national scales. Integrated long-term agricultural research is critical to addressing the challenges presented by the century ahead. This symposium will present specific case studies of LTAR research as well as cross-cutting syntheses of research from multiple sites.
Organizers: Sarah Goslee, USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, PA ([email protected]); Alisa Coffin, USDA-ARS Southeast Watershed Research Lab, Tifton, GA
Overview: Providing a growing population with food, fuel, and fiber cannot come at the cost of environmental degradation. Given the finite area of agricultural land available, land use intensification is a currently-feasible way to advance agriculture that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. The Long-Term Agroecological Research Network (LTAR) currently comprises 18 ARS and university research sites across the United States with the mission to, “Enable understanding and forecasting of regional landscape capacities to provide agricultural commodities and ecosystem services under changing conditions.” Each site is conducting research on regionally-appropriate “business as usual” and “aspirational” scenarios, to better understand where US agriculture is today, and where sustainable intensification strategies could lead in the future. Landscape is an explicit part of the LTAR mission: the tools and techniques of landscape ecology are being applied to research questions linking ecosystem services to agricultural management options and opportunities at both regional and national scales. Integrated long-term agricultural research is critical to addressing the challenges presented by the century ahead. This symposium will present specific case studies of LTAR research as well as cross-cutting syntheses of research from multiple sites.
S-13. STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNIQUES FOR REMOTE SENSING OF DISTURBED LANDSCAPES
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Organizers: Steve Norman, US Forest Service ([email protected]); William Hargrove, US Forest Service; Jitendra Kumar, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Overview: Remote sensing offers a frequent and extensive method for observing, monitoring and assessing landscape disturbances, including mapping of potential extent and severity of disturbance effects, and rates of recovery from those disturbances. Landscape disturbances are diverse, and include deforestation, drought, wildfire, insects and diseases, frost, urbanization, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other wind storms, hail, and agriculture/fallow cycles. Remote observations can take the form of pre- and post-disturbance comparisons, comparisons of current observations to expected baselines, or simple post-disturbance observations, and may include sophisticated techniques to account for the trajectory of expected changes like seasonal phenology and/or succession. Ironically, the development of a defensible conceptual baseline which quantifies behavior that would have been expected in the absence of the disturbance may represent a greater challenge than obtaining the current post-disturbance view itself. Ensuring the most appropriate and commensurable comparison isolates, partitions and quantifies the effects of the disturbance. Remote Sensing efforts can be aimed at producing rapid, first-order or near-real-time immediate results, more intermediate effects, or full final accounting of outcomes from particular disturbances. This Symposium will review the breadth of remote sensing methods for assaying landscape disturbances of many types, using a broad array of conceptual approaches.
Organizers: Steve Norman, US Forest Service ([email protected]); William Hargrove, US Forest Service; Jitendra Kumar, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Overview: Remote sensing offers a frequent and extensive method for observing, monitoring and assessing landscape disturbances, including mapping of potential extent and severity of disturbance effects, and rates of recovery from those disturbances. Landscape disturbances are diverse, and include deforestation, drought, wildfire, insects and diseases, frost, urbanization, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other wind storms, hail, and agriculture/fallow cycles. Remote observations can take the form of pre- and post-disturbance comparisons, comparisons of current observations to expected baselines, or simple post-disturbance observations, and may include sophisticated techniques to account for the trajectory of expected changes like seasonal phenology and/or succession. Ironically, the development of a defensible conceptual baseline which quantifies behavior that would have been expected in the absence of the disturbance may represent a greater challenge than obtaining the current post-disturbance view itself. Ensuring the most appropriate and commensurable comparison isolates, partitions and quantifies the effects of the disturbance. Remote Sensing efforts can be aimed at producing rapid, first-order or near-real-time immediate results, more intermediate effects, or full final accounting of outcomes from particular disturbances. This Symposium will review the breadth of remote sensing methods for assaying landscape disturbances of many types, using a broad array of conceptual approaches.
S-14. WATERBIRD HABITAT MODELING AND CONSERVATION: SPATIAL DYNAMICS, MANAGEMENT, AND CITIZEN SCIENCE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Organizers: Janet Silbernagel, University of Wisconsin-Madison ([email protected]); Sulong Zhou
Overview: Cranes and other waterbirds, some of our most iconic species of concern, often have specialized roosting and foraging habitat requirements related to dynamics of water depth, food availability, and local aquacultural practices, which present unique challenges to map and model. These presentations feature studies that capture the spatial dynamics of waterbird habitat for conservation. We will hear of studies in the US and Asia that involve mapping wetland habitats and landscape change, modeling hydrological alterations, surveying local fishers, and engaging Earthwatch volunteers in crane habitat sampling. We propose a half-day symposium and have invited several speakers to participate, but also have room for 1-3 other speakers from the general pool of abstract submissions.
Organizers: Janet Silbernagel, University of Wisconsin-Madison ([email protected]); Sulong Zhou
Overview: Cranes and other waterbirds, some of our most iconic species of concern, often have specialized roosting and foraging habitat requirements related to dynamics of water depth, food availability, and local aquacultural practices, which present unique challenges to map and model. These presentations feature studies that capture the spatial dynamics of waterbird habitat for conservation. We will hear of studies in the US and Asia that involve mapping wetland habitats and landscape change, modeling hydrological alterations, surveying local fishers, and engaging Earthwatch volunteers in crane habitat sampling. We propose a half-day symposium and have invited several speakers to participate, but also have room for 1-3 other speakers from the general pool of abstract submissions.
S-15. UNDERSTANDING AND PROMOTING RESILIENCE OF METROPOLITAN-REGION FOREST SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 | 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Organizers: Robert T. Fahey, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut ([email protected]); Anita Morzillo, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut
Overview: Tree and forests are an important component of urbanized landscapes, providing a wide array of ecosystem services. Although forests everywhere are under threat from factors such as climate change and invasive pests, the vulnerability of forests is exacerbated in urbanized regions where these impacts may be more acute and additional stressors are present, such as development and fragmentation. Metropolitan region forests are a highly integrated socio-ecological system, where ecosystem structure and population dynamics are driven concurrently by ecological factors and human decisions. Promoting resilience in these systems will require a deep understanding of this complex adaptive socio-ecological system. This will necessarily include how changes to the spatially and temporally interconnected components of the system will affect the functioning of the system as a whole. This session will bring together researchers who are addressing topics that could inform our understanding of how to promote resilience in metropolitan region forests. The symposium includes presentations from across the socio-ecological spectrum and will include a panel discussion focused on next steps for better understanding the dynamics of metropolitan region forest socio-ecological system.
Organizers: Robert T. Fahey, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut ([email protected]); Anita Morzillo, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut
Overview: Tree and forests are an important component of urbanized landscapes, providing a wide array of ecosystem services. Although forests everywhere are under threat from factors such as climate change and invasive pests, the vulnerability of forests is exacerbated in urbanized regions where these impacts may be more acute and additional stressors are present, such as development and fragmentation. Metropolitan region forests are a highly integrated socio-ecological system, where ecosystem structure and population dynamics are driven concurrently by ecological factors and human decisions. Promoting resilience in these systems will require a deep understanding of this complex adaptive socio-ecological system. This will necessarily include how changes to the spatially and temporally interconnected components of the system will affect the functioning of the system as a whole. This session will bring together researchers who are addressing topics that could inform our understanding of how to promote resilience in metropolitan region forests. The symposium includes presentations from across the socio-ecological spectrum and will include a panel discussion focused on next steps for better understanding the dynamics of metropolitan region forest socio-ecological system.
S-16. GENETICISTS HAVE DROSOPHILA, BIOMEDICAL RESEARCHERS HAVE LAB RATS. CAN WE EXPERIMENT WITH LANDSCAPES?
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 | 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Organizer: Yolanda Wiersma, Department of Biology, Memorial University ([email protected])
Overview: Experimentation in landscape ecology has used various tools and strategies, including, but not limited to mesocosms, micro landscapes, cross-scale studies, and in silo experiments. However, a challenge can be robust replication of experimental units given that many of our studies are on real-world, kilometers-extent landscapes. One further tool includes model systems. These were defined by Peter Vitousek as “a system... that displays a general process or property of interest, in a way that makes it understandable”. Researchers in biomedical science and molecular biology have used model organisms extensively to understand physiological and genetic processes. In this symposium we will highlight talks from researchers who have used a variety of strategies to address the challenges of replication and manipulative experiments in landscape ecology. The may not have been designed explicitly with the concept of model systems in mind, however by presenting this diverse array of research tools, we hope to develop a productive discussion about the concept of model systems. Through synthesis across the papers, we hope to address questions of whether model systems are useful for landscape ecology, and if so, what might they look like and what might guidelines for their development be?
Organizer: Yolanda Wiersma, Department of Biology, Memorial University ([email protected])
Overview: Experimentation in landscape ecology has used various tools and strategies, including, but not limited to mesocosms, micro landscapes, cross-scale studies, and in silo experiments. However, a challenge can be robust replication of experimental units given that many of our studies are on real-world, kilometers-extent landscapes. One further tool includes model systems. These were defined by Peter Vitousek as “a system... that displays a general process or property of interest, in a way that makes it understandable”. Researchers in biomedical science and molecular biology have used model organisms extensively to understand physiological and genetic processes. In this symposium we will highlight talks from researchers who have used a variety of strategies to address the challenges of replication and manipulative experiments in landscape ecology. The may not have been designed explicitly with the concept of model systems in mind, however by presenting this diverse array of research tools, we hope to develop a productive discussion about the concept of model systems. Through synthesis across the papers, we hope to address questions of whether model systems are useful for landscape ecology, and if so, what might they look like and what might guidelines for their development be?
S-17. TAKING A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD OF EPA’S ENVIROATLAS: ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, DATA AND TOOLS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 | 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Organizers: Derek Van Berkel ([email protected]); Megan Mehaffey ([email protected]); Anne Neale ([email protected]) – US Environmental Protection Agency
Overview: Over recent decades the government has made a wealth of information publicly available as part of the Federal Open Data Policy. The research, web and mobile applications, data, and visualization tools are all aimed at helping decision makers such as businesses, non-profit organizations, and local and state agencies improve our environment, health, urban planning, and disaster preparedness across the United States. This session will showcase recent contributions that we believe are of high relevance for the landscape ecology community as well as practitioners and teachers. As an early adopter of the ecosystem goods and services framework, EPA researchers and partners have gained valuable insights into data development and display, spatio-temporal modelling and stakeholder outreach related to ecosystem services (ES) and human health at national and local scales. With our broad mandate we touch on various domains related to monitoring and securing the health of the environment and US citizens. Presentations in this session will cover themes related to ‘big data’, linking ecosystem services supply and demand, and developing relevant ES indicators related to human health and quality of life. Our presenters will showcase methodologies and results being produced under the umbrella of the EnviroAtlas project covering the national assessment of cultural ecosystem services, ecosystem markets, biodiversity and invasive species mapping, flood risk mapping, extreme weather and landscape change on erosion, ground water recharge, water budget, and temperature increase impacts on fish habitat.
Organizers: Derek Van Berkel ([email protected]); Megan Mehaffey ([email protected]); Anne Neale ([email protected]) – US Environmental Protection Agency
Overview: Over recent decades the government has made a wealth of information publicly available as part of the Federal Open Data Policy. The research, web and mobile applications, data, and visualization tools are all aimed at helping decision makers such as businesses, non-profit organizations, and local and state agencies improve our environment, health, urban planning, and disaster preparedness across the United States. This session will showcase recent contributions that we believe are of high relevance for the landscape ecology community as well as practitioners and teachers. As an early adopter of the ecosystem goods and services framework, EPA researchers and partners have gained valuable insights into data development and display, spatio-temporal modelling and stakeholder outreach related to ecosystem services (ES) and human health at national and local scales. With our broad mandate we touch on various domains related to monitoring and securing the health of the environment and US citizens. Presentations in this session will cover themes related to ‘big data’, linking ecosystem services supply and demand, and developing relevant ES indicators related to human health and quality of life. Our presenters will showcase methodologies and results being produced under the umbrella of the EnviroAtlas project covering the national assessment of cultural ecosystem services, ecosystem markets, biodiversity and invasive species mapping, flood risk mapping, extreme weather and landscape change on erosion, ground water recharge, water budget, and temperature increase impacts on fish habitat.
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