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IGERT in Urban Ecology
Conference for Sustainability IGERTSUniversity of Alaska, FairbanksOctober 10-13, 2007
Charles L. Redman, School of Sustainability
Ann P. Kinzig, School of Life Sciences
Margaret C. Nelson, School of Human Evolution
& Social Change
Evolution of an Educational/Research Program
• Center for Environmental Studies (CES) and Central Arizona--Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP-LTER)
• IGERT 1
• Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS)
• IGERT 2
• School of Sustainability (SOS)
Participating Academic Units
•Core units –Life science (botany, biology), 12 fellows –Earth Science (geology, geography), 12 fellows–Social Science (anthropology, sociology), 9 fellows
•New core unit–School of Sustainability, 3 fellows
•Allied units–Engineering, 2 fellows–Public Affairs, 1 fellow–History, 1 fellow–Mathematics, 1 fellow
CAP LTER
land-use & land-cover change
altered biogeochemical cycles
altered hydrology
local climate change
CAP LTER Central Question
How do the patterns and processes of urbanization alter ecological conditions of the city and its
surrounding environment,
and
how do ecological consequences of development feed back to the social system to generate future
changes?
Urbanization: Focus for Developing Sustainable Futures
• More than 90% of future global population growth will occur in cities
• Cities occupy 2% of land, house 50% of the people and consume 75% of the world’s energy
• Fast and unbalanced growth accelerates division between rich and poor, environmental degradation and growing violence.
Unique Opportunity
Globally, we are now
engaged in by far the
largest city-building
experiment in the history
of the planet driven, in
part, by a rural to urban
transition that has been
occurring on a scale
never to be repeated.
CAP LTER Conceptual Framework
External driversClimate changeGlobalization
Ecosystem functionPrimary production
Organism interactions & behaviorNutrient cycling & retention
Fluvial processesGroundwater recharge
Ecosystem structureBuilt structure
Habitat structure & diversitySpecies abundance & diversity
Geomorphic structure Food-web structureHuman
behaviorInstitutional and Individual levelsPlanning & design
RegulationMigration
Ecosystem servicesRegulating: Air quality, pest control,
water quality, temperature controlSupporting: soil fertility, nutrient cycling
Cultural: recreation, aestheticsProvisioning: ag
Human outcomesExposure riskQuality of lifeHuman health
Perception & value
Press or pulse events
Land-use change & urbanization
Housing development
Landscape creation and management
Heat island dynamics
Atmospheric deposition
Hydrologic/geomorphic alteration
Natural eventsFlood
Drought
Socio-cultural-economic template
Geophysical template
After Collins et al. 2007 ISSE
Philosophical Tenets
1. An integrated view begins with established disciplines.
2. Experience in a collection of disciplines does not a multi disciplinary program make.
3. Solution of complex problems requires collaboration.
4. Effective collaborative groups have flexible participants (Flexible, invertible hierarchy).
5. Faculty members are also students.
Philosophical Tenets
6. IGERT Program is graduate-student centered.
7. There is more than a single track to understanding.
8. Our goal is to understand how we understand.
9. Our approach is experiential and empirical.
10.Research questions are motivated by both basic and applied objectives.
Components of IGERTin Urban Ecology Experience
Department Requirements
Technical Skills Course
Electives in ComplementaryField
Professional Meetings
•Urban Ecology Reading Group
•Intellectual Issues Seminar
•Collaborative Workshops
•Ethics and Values
•International Travel
•Mentoring Seminar w/ COURS and REU
•Colloquium Series
•Study Sessions with Visiting Scholars, Policymakers and Industry Reps
LTER Graduate Student Activities
LTER All Scientist Meetings
LTER Winter Symposium
Dissertation Research in Collaboration with LTERScientists
Disciplinary Activities CAP LTER Activities
Completion of Dissertation
IGERT Activities
IGERT Program Elements
• Synthesis Center
Dedicated space
• Senior Fellows
Organizers Facilitators Liaisons
Program Courses/Requirements
• Intellectual Issues
• Professionalism and Ethics
• Mentoring
• Workshops
• Individual research; collaborative chapter