OOS 63
Solving Complex Problems in Coupled Natural and Human Systems: Socio-Ecological Research at the Frontier of Global Change

Thursday, August 13, 2015: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM
327, Baltimore Convention Center
Organizer:
Krista A. Capps
Co-organizer:
Arianne Cease
Moderator:
Carla Atkinson
Anthropogenic influences on community structure and ecosystem function are well recognized; however, the interactions within coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) influencing the structural and functional characteristics of ecosystems are complex and are not well understood. The CHANS perspective emphasizes the novel and multifaceted social-ecological relationships and feedbacks that are revealed when environmental problems are simultaneously studied using biophysical and social-science perspectives. To promote global economic and ecological sustainability, policies that reflect the complexity of coupled human and natural systems must be developed, tested, and employed. The goal of this session is to bring together pairs of biophysical and social scientists who are actively involved in interdisciplinary research in CHANS to feature innovative approaches to address ecological problems throughout the globe. The session will feature talks from researchers studying ephemeral wetlands and forests in the northeastern United States, agroecosystems in Africa, Asia, and Australia, and watersheds in the United States and China. Researchers from a variety of social and biophysical sub-disciplines, including agroecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, landscape ecology, physiological ecology, environmental geography, and economics will present their work in a CHANS perspective. As part of their presentations, the speakers in this session will be asked to highlight how integrating biophysical and social science in their research has created unique opportunities to address ecological problems, integrate stakeholders into their research, and advance their understanding of CHANS. Moreover, we will ask each speaker to briefly outline effective strategies to create interdisciplinary teams to address environmental problems at the frontier of ecological research.
8:00 AM
Ephemeral wetlands and municipal decision-making: Linking ecology and conservation with economic development through interdisciplinary research in forested landscapes
Krista A. Capps, University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; Jessica Balukas, University of Maine; Carly J. Eakin, University of Maine; Jared J. Homola, University of Maine; Mitchell A. Jones, University of Maine
8:40 AM
Socio-ecological mechanisms structuring mosquito communities in a temperate urban landscape
Shannon L. LaDeau, Cary Insitute of Ecosystem Studies; Paul T. Leisnham, University of Maryland; Dawn Biehler, University of Maryland Baltimore County; Danielle Bodner, University of Maryland; Heather Goodman, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
9:00 AM
An ecosystem services framework to sustain biodiversity in a watershed in conflict: Supply of consumer-provided services
Kiza K. Gates, Oklahoma Biological Survey, Zoology Dept. & Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program; Caryn C. Vaughn, Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma; Carla L. Atkinson, University of Alabama; Jason P. Julian, Texas State University
9:20 AM
An ecosystem service framework to sustain biodiversity in a watershed in conflict: Socio-cultural and monetary valuation
Antonio J. Castro, University of Oklahoma; Caryn C. Vaughn, University of Oklahoma; Jason P. Julian, Texas State University
9:40 AM
9:50 AM
Living with locusts: Connecting soil nitrogen, locust outbreaks, livelihoods, and livestock markets using empirical and modeling approaches
Arianne Cease, Arizona State University; James Elser, Arizona State University; Joleen Hadrich, Colorado State University; Jon Harrison, Arizona State University; Brian Robinson, McGill University; Eli Fenichel, Yale University
10:10 AM
Individual and community decision-making for livestock farmers affected by locusts
Anne Byrne, Colorado State University; Joleen Hadrich, Colorado State University
10:30 AM
Quantitative evaluation of conservation strategies in Tanzania: Household livelihoods and wildlife conflict in community-based management areas
Jonathan Salerno, University of California, Davis; Monique Borgerhoff Mulder, University of California, Davis
10:50 AM
Multiple scale delivery of ecosystem services and management in Southern Shaanxi Province and the Haihe River Basin
Hua Zheng, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Huashan Xu, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Cong Li, Xi’an Jiaotong University; Xiaoshu Chen, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
11:10 AM
Measuring livelihood dependence and vulnerability to ecosystem service change in the Miyun Watershed
Brian Robinson, McGill University; Hua Zheng, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Zhiyun Ouyang, Chinese Academy of Sciences