A CEES project
An expanding population, with expanding resource use per capita, is resulting in an alarming loss and degradation of ecosystems. In order to balance the need for increased food, timber and textiles production, with industrial use of natural resources, with the healthy functioning of natural, semi-natural and artificial ecosystems, we require predictive, global models of the response of ecosystems to various human activities.
CEES is working with the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre ( UNEP-WCMC ), to develop just such a model. By combing different strands of ecological theory – from the behaviour of individual animals and plants, through communities and foodwebs, to ecosystem function and biogeochemistry – with a large number of heterogeneous global data sets made available by governments, NGOs and universities, we aim to produce a novel model that is useful both for guiding policy in the near term, and for guiding environmental research in the longer term. Moreover, we aim to provide others with the software tools needed to build such models. In this way, we hope to trigger the development of a number of (healthily) competing models of global ecosystem function.
People associated with this project
Dr Drew Purves (Head of CEES)
Dr Rich Williams (CEES, Senior Scientist)
Dr Tim Newbold (Joint postdoc with UNEP-WCMC)
Dr Mike Harfoot (Joint postdoc with UNEP-WCMC)
Dr Derek Tittensor (Joint postdoc with UNEP-WCMC)
Dr Lucas Joppa
Dr Mark Vanderwel
Dr Greg McInerny
Dr Robin Freeman (Joint postdoc with the Oxford University)
Dr Matt Smith
