Seminar 18th February 2011 3:30 p.m. University of Southampton, Building 58, Room 1007
Mapping ecosystem services across space and time in a world of (very!) imperfect data
Dr Felix Eigenbrod
University of Southampton, School of Biological Sciences
- Web page
- http://www.southampton.ac.uk/biosci/about/staff/fe1y09.page
- Categories
- Complex Systems, Ecology
- Submitter
- Petrina Butler
Complex Systems Simulation Seminar Series
Complex Systems Simulation Seminar Series (CS^4)
from the Institute for Complex Systems Simulation, the Complexity in Real-World Contexts USRG and the Computational Modelling Group.
Abstract
The importance of ecosystem services - the benefits humans derive from ecosystems - is now widely recognized by NGOs, governments and academics. However, a lack of data for most services in most places means that mapping the distribution of ecosystem services - a vital first step to successfully managing them - is actually very difficult. I will present results from my research showing the problems that arise when using poor-quality proxy data for mapping ecosystem services.
I will then discuss the dilemma that these results raise:
How do we
- provide the maps of ecosystem services that are being demanded by policy makers today, while
- avoiding the potentially catastrophic consequences of the enormous errors associated with the datasets on ecosystem services that are currently available?
I conclude the talk by outlining some novel approaches that may be able to help us overcome this dilemma, including some discussion of how complexity science approaches can help with these sorts of analyses.
Speaker
Dr Felix Eigenbrod, University of Southampton, School of Biological Sciences, Lecturer in Ecology
Complex Systems Simulation Seminar Series
For the complete CS^4 schedule please click here: http://www.multidisciplinary.soton.ac.uk/cs4.html
Contact
Multidisciplinary Research Co-ordinator
University Strategic Research Groups
Research and Innovation Services
02380 593244