BE/CNH: Predicting the Dynamics of Human-Dominated Landscapes: Metapopulation Models for Ecosystems with Sharp Edges

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

Landscapes increasingly are altered by human activity worldwide, and predicting the response of native organisms to human-dominated landscapes requires an understanding of how ecological and socio-economic processes are influenced by land use, habitat fragmentation, and the sharp boundaries formed between native and human-altered areas. The purpose of the project is to build an international, interdisciplinary research team devoted to constructing models that link social and ecological systems in human-dominated landscapes. The research team will extend the practical value of metapopulation models by incorporating the hierarchical nature of ecological and human systems. Specifically, research will focus on metapopulation processes operating at multiple spatial scales, heterogeneity of patch and matrix types, and temporal dynamics of landscapes. Humans dramatically alter the physical and biological characteristics of ecological landscapes, often with adverse consequences for native species. Predicting the impacts of human activities on native fauna and flora will enable more informed decisions to be made regarding land-use planning and conservation efforts. Traditionally, ecological models designed to predict the responses of organisms to disturbance have been incomplete because they have ignored the socio-economic processes that lead to landscape change. This project will focus on explicitly linking the dynamics of ecological systems with the social and economic systems that determine the type and magnitude of change in human-dominated landscapes. As a result of this research, models will be formulated that can lead to an enhanced ability to predict species responses and prescribe appropriate strategies to minimize negative consequences of human activity. This project is an award emanating from the FY2001 special competition in Biocomplexity in the Environment focusing on the Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems.