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Research
Coupled Human-Natural Systems
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Research in the Urban Ecology Research Laboratory
Advancing the study of coupled human-natural systems in urbanizing regions requires moving beyond idiosyncratic studies towards cross-regional comparisons. In our NSF funded Biocomplexity projects, we are studying two fast growing metropolitan regions: Seattle, WA and Phoenix, AZ. Given biophysical and socio-economic influences on urbanization, urban patterns and ecosystem responses exhibit important regional differences that influence both the nature of the human-natural coupling and strength of feedbacks across a gradient of urbanization. Situated in the middle of the Puget Sound region, the greater Seattle area has spatially abrupt gradients of moisture, nutrients, and temperature that result in a spectacular diversity of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. For the last several decades, the Seattle region has experienced sustained population growth in excess of 1% yr-1, with most of the development occurring outside the urban core. The region is projected to grow another 31% by 2025. The “Valley of the Sun”, where the greater Phoenix metropolitan region is located, has distinct boundaries between developed land and areas of native Sonoran desert scrub vegetation. Phoenix has expanded across an extensive plain of sedimentary deposits derived from two rivers that converge on the western edge of the metropolis. Phoenix is the fifth largest U.S. city and is ranked as the most rapidly growing metropolitan region. Comparing the patterns of urbanization and sprawl and their ecosystem interactions in these two regions is also interesting for the differences in urban planning and policies especially given Seattle’s attempts at ‘smart growth’ regulations to balance economic, social, and environmental needs. Liu, J., Dietz, T., Carpenter S., Alberti, M., Folke, C, Redman, C., Schneider, S., Ostrom, E., Pell, A., Lubchenco, J., Taylor, W., Ouyang, Z., Deadman, P., Kratz, T., and W. Provencher. 2007. Complexity of coupled human and natural systems. Science 317(5844): 1513 – 1516.
Urban Ecology Research Framework >> |
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Emerging studies of coupled human-natural systems reveal new and complex patterns and processes not evident when studied by social or natural scientists separately (Liu et al. 2007). The implications of this research on coupled human-natural systems are significant for land use planning. Strategic decisions about investing in infrastructures or adopting control policies (e.g. growth management) can either mitigate or exacerbate impacts from urbanization—our work in the UERL is providing the scientific information required to make ecologically sensitive land-use planning and management decisions in urbanizing regions, and we are starting to empirically characterize the underlying processes and mechanisms linking urbanization patterns and ecosystem function.