OOS 16 - Growing Our Understanding of Life On Earth: Reflections On the Scientific and Training Legacies of Terry Chapin, From Physiological Ecology to Earth Stewardship

Tuesday, August 7, 2012: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
A107, Oregon Convention Center
Organizer:
Jill F. Johnstone, University of Saskatchewan
Co-organizer:
Michelle C. Mack, University of Florida
Moderator:
Michelle C. Mack, University of Florida
This session honors and reflects on the legacies of one of ESA’s pre-eminent scientists, F. Stuart (Terry) Chapin, III, in building our understanding of life on earth. Over the past five decades, Chapin has made diverse and influential contributions to many key areas of ecosystem ecology, ranging from physiological plant ecology and biogeochemical cycling to socio-ecological resilience and Earth stewardship. At the same time, he has provided a powerful example to colleagues and students of how one person can inspire, mentor, or engage an astounding range of people. As such, Terry Chapin’s legacies lie both in the realms of advancing our scientific understanding and also teaching us as scientists about the possibilities of who and what we might be. Here we bring together an array of scientists who have worked closely with Chapin to reflect on his contributions in growing our understanding of life on earth. Rather than simply a celebration of Chapin’s accomplishments, these talks aim to bring to the forefront lessons from a skilled practitioner that we could all consider to enhance our research, collaboration, and training efforts. These talks will provide both inspiration and vision for a new generation of ecologists to follow in Terry Chapin’s footsteps in developing both the scientific and human resources to help “Sustain Life on Earth”.
1:30 PM
 Hot springs, bulldozers and tussocks: Terry Chapin’s early career contributions to plant physiological ecology, and the legacy of “the mineral nutrition of wild plants”
Gaius R. Shaver, Marine Biological Laboratory; M. Syndonia Bret-Harte, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Joseph M. Craine, Kansas State University
1:50 PM
 New paradigms in nitrogen cycling
Joshua P. Schimel, University of California, Santa Barbara; Mary Firestone, University of California Berkeley
2:10 PM
 The influence of a changing disturbance regime on regional and global climate: Terry Chapin’s contributions to Earth System science
James T. Randerson, University of California, Irvine; Brendan Rogers, University of California, Irvine; Jason Beringer, Monash University; Scott Chambers, ANSTO, Australia; Joseph P. McFadden, University of California, Santa Barbara; Werner Eugster, ETH Zurich
2:30 PM
 International collaborations: Understanding arctic ecosystem feedbacks
Melissa Chapin, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Katey Walter Anthony, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Sergey Zimov, Northeast Science Station, Russia; James F. Reynolds, Lanzhou University; E.A.G. (Ted) Schuur, University of Florida
2:50 PM
 Fostering resilience while driving transformative change – Terry Chapin’s contributions to sustainability science in the Arctic and beyond
Colin M. Beier, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York; Todd J. Brinkman, University of Alaska; Shannon McNeeley, Colorado State University; Winslow D. Hansen, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Katie Villano Spellman, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Corrie Knapp, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
3:10 PM
3:20 PM
 Linking deterministic and stochastic processes of succession to understand drivers of ecological resilience
Jill F. Johnstone, University of Saskatchewan; Lawrence R. Walker, University of Nevada Las Vegas; Christopher L. Fastie, Middlebury College
3:40 PM
 The mechanisms driving ecosystems: Insight and synthesis in Chapin, Matson, and Mooney
David U. Hooper, Western Washington University; Michelle C. Mack, University of Florida
4:00 PM
 The qualities and impacts of a great mentor
Paul Grogan, Queen's University; Valerie T. Eviner, University of California Davis; Sarah E. Hobbie, University of Minnesota
4:20 PM
 Earth Stewardship – Following in the footsteps of Terry Chapin
Mary E. Power, University of California Berkeley; Pamela Matson, Stanford University; Monica G. Turner, University of Wisconsin, Madison
See more of: Organized Oral Session