Tuesday, August 3, 2010: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
Blrm BC, David L Lawrence Convention Center
SYMP 9 - Urban Ecosystems as Socio-Ecological Centers of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Climate change and urbanization are two of the most significant trends in the 21st century and they interact in key ways. Species must migrate through, or find refuge in, urban ecosystems in their efforts to track shifting climates. People are challenged to mitigate climate both locally and globally in their backyards. The flows of key ecosystem services, such as water, into and out of cities may be radically altered by climate change. Not surprisingly, then, in adaptation planning literature the need to manage the ecosystems where humans live and work is a primary recommendation. In fact, cities have emerged as important sites for climate-change mitigation and adaptation responses. Mayors across the U.S. have instituted greening projects to meet climate-mitigation commitments and to initiate adaptation. These include tree-planting projects, creating parks, fostering citizen science, giving incentives for green roofs and other strategies of sustainable urban eco-design. Yet, ecologists are rarely engaged in the design, implementation or analysis of these efforts. The aim of this symposium is to stimulate thinking and research to address this gap. It brings together ecologists, conservation biologists and landscape architects. Speakers were invited to share research that would help address the following questions. 1) To what extent does (or can) climate change action in urban ecosystems benefit biodiversity and ecosystem services at local and regional scales? 2) What kinds of ecological learning opportunities do urban greening efforts offer? 3) What role can and should ecologists play in these efforts to understand costs and benefits across multiple ecological and social domains? The symposium will begin with talks that set the stage by discussing: linkages between climate change, land-use and demographic change in the 21st century; landscape resilience; and opportunities for integrating the disciplines of landscape architecture and ecology. Next, speakers will present results from ecological research that tests the environmental impacts of various urban greening and re-design projects and interactions with climate change. The symposium will conclude with talks illustrating with case studies the ways in which restoration and reconciliation ecology impact climate change mitigation services, adaptation and biodiversity goals. Each talk will be 15 minutes with a 5-minute question-and-answer session. The last 30 minutes will be reserved for an open discussion.
Organizer:Nicole E. Heller, Climate Central
Moderator:Nicole E. Heller, Climate Central
Endorsement:ESA Urban Ecosystems Ecology Section
1:30 PM Introductory remarks
1:40 PMSYMP 9-1Linkages between human demography, land-use, and climate change
Christopher Lepczyk, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Marc Linderman, University of Iowa, Roger Hammer, Oregon State University
2:00 PMSYMP 9-2Urban ecosystems and landscape resilience theory
Ann Kinzig, Arizona State University
2:20 PMSYMP 9-3Promising ecology: The use of ecological theory in design education and professional practice of landscape architecture
Reid Coffman, University of Oklahoma College of Architecture
2:40 PMSYMP 9-4Tree function and ecosystem services in the semiarid Los Angeles Basin urban forest
Heather R. McCarthy, University of California, Diane E. Pataki, University of California, Lorraine T. Weller, University of California, G. Darrel Jenerette, University of California, Elizaveta Litvak, University of California
3:00 PM Break
3:10 PMSYMP 9-5Urban lawns in a warming world: temperature and management impacts on nitrous oxide emissions and water-use
Neeta Bijoor, University of California, Darren Haver, University of California Cooperative Extension, Diane E. Pataki, University of California
3:30 PMSYMP 9-6Green infrastructure installations: micro solutions generate macro effects
Timothy Carter, Butler University
3:50 PMSYMP 9-7Reconciliation ecology: The fun way to adapt to climate change
Michael L. Rosenzweig, University of Arizona
4:10 PMSYMP 9-8Improving city life - restoration as a component of urban renewal and adaptation to climate change
Rachel J. Standish, University of Western Australia, Richard J. Hobbs, University of Western Australia
4:30 PM Discussion

See more of Symposium

See more of The 95th ESA Annual Meeting (August 1 -- 6, 2010)