Monday, August 3, 2009: 10:15 AM-11:30 AM
Blrm B, Albuquerque Convention Center
SS 2 - Warfare Ecology: Agenda for an Emerging Sub-Field
Warfare – including preparation and training of military forces, active conflict, and postwar activities – is a dominant feature of the human landscape. In the past 17 years, there have been 122 armed conflicts, and war preparations utilize up to 15 million square kilometers of land (Machlis and Hanson 2008, BioScience 58: 729-736). The interactions between warfare and ecosystems are complex, with conflicts over access to natural resources contributing to war, which in turn leads to widespread environmental damage, with further adverse impacts on human demands for ecological services. As a critical element in constructing a truly globally sustainable society, it is imperative that the scientific community develop a well-organized understanding of the environmental origins and consequences of armed conflict, and apply this knowledge in ways that support peace, security, and sustainability. This special session will respond to this need by outlining an emerging sub-field of study called “warfare ecology” (Machlis and Hanson 2008). Speakers will discuss the need for this new sub-field, present a taxonomy of warfare for organizing and synthesizing the field, and discuss critical research needs and policy implications. During an open discussion period, attendees will have the opportunity to respond to speakers, offer their own ideas, and discuss potential future ESA activities in this important area of research. A follow-up session at 8 pm Monday evening will feature a screening of the film "Scarred Lands and Wounded Lives: The Environmental Footprint of War," a documentary by Alice and Lincoln Day. See the meeting program for location.
Organizer:	Clifford Duke, Ecological Society of America
Co-organizer:	Gary Machlis, University of Idaho

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See more of The 94th ESA Annual Meeting (August 2 -- 7, 2009)