Print PageUnmanaged development of natural and agricultural lands threatens ecological sustainability in evolving urban ecosystems. The rapidly growing “Charlanta” megalopolis, the 3rd largest mega-region in the U.S., is an example where demand for development continues to compromise delivery of ecosystem services. Despite the anthropocentric doctrine of “highest and best use” which suggests the impossibility of coexistence between disparate land uses, significant forests and farmlands persist behind the frontier of development in the Charlotte region. We test the hypothesis that forests in urbanizing regions can persist when the combination of human and ecological intrinsic values plus the extrinsic values of a landscape exceed development value. We approach this complex socio-ecological question through a novel multi-layered research design grounded in hierarchy theory (ecology) and structuration theory (social science). In the first phase we established a long-term, broad-based network of regional stakeholders from government, industry, and non-profits engaged in land management, preservation, and economic development. This network is instrumental to conducting a pilot survey that uniquely articulates revealed and stated preferences toward land conversion, field-based measurements of ecosystem services, and cutting-edge computer visualization of alternative futures.
Results/Conclusions
Using a policy-oriented analytical framework, a contextual model of land conversion decisions is estimated. Our results parameterize a spatially-explicit agent-based model designed to explore response feedbacks between changes in policy, cultural and ecological values, and economic drivers, at multiple scales. Our research will inform the debate on ecological resiliency in evolving urban ecosystems and guide policy, especially regarding the efficacy of market-driven strategies and grassroot urban sustainable practices.
