Biocomplexity - Incubation Activity: Exploring Biocomplexity at the Interface of Social and Ecological Systems

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

0083992 Brown Projecting change in land use and land cover is often more art than science. This project will explore the intersection of social systems, land use, land cover, and the physical environment. The goal is to better understand how human behavior, policy choices, and economic forces affect land use, how land use relates to land cover, and how social and ecological systems interact in the context of changing landscapes in the Great Lakes region. The approach to exploring this complexity involves: forming interdisciplinary working groups; conducting pilot studies to help define and characterize drivers of landscape change; assessing existing spatial models that link social and biological processes; and formulating conceptual models that express relationships between social and biological systems.