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 Activities

• Urban Ecology Reading Group

• Brown Bag

• Field Trips

• Invited Speakers

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

Future Prospects

1. University-wide Graduate Faculty Initiative

2. Continuing interdisciplinary graduate training in Urban Ecology based out of departments

3. School of Sustainability