Lungs of the Planet: Tropical Forests Topic for Feb. 28 Talk at USU
Land change science is an emerging, interdisciplinary field that explores the dynamics of human land use and the environment. Utah State University welcomes Arizona State University professor B.L. Turner II, a leader in the nascent science, to campus Monday, Feb. 28.
Turner presents “Change in Tropical Forests: Challenges Addressing Its Complexity” as guest speaker for the USU College of Natural Resources’ second annual Distinguished Geographer Lecture. His talk, free and open to all, begins at 4 p.m. in Room 105 of the Natural Resources building.
Turner, the Gilbert F. White Chair in Environment and Society at ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences, has pioneered research efforts to assess land-use change. He established ecological project sites, such as a biosphere reserve in the Yucatán peninsula, which model forests’ vulnerability and resilience to climate change and human disturbance.
“Among the questions we’re exploring is how is the loss of tropical forests — the lungs of the planet — linked to urban dynamics?” he says. “The challenge we face in sustainability science is to understand more fully the ties between the socioeconomic factors affecting forest change and the environmental feedbacks from decisions we make.”
Turner’s visit is made possible by support from the Association of American Geographers Visiting Geographical Scientist Program and USU’s Department of Environment and Society.
“We offer the Distinguished Geographer Lecture to the USU and Cache Valley community to highlight our geography degree program,” says lecture coordinator Claudia Radel, assistant professor of human geography in USU’s ENVS Department.
A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Turner is a former Guggenheim Fellow and a Fellow of the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences. He is the recipient of Honors in Research from the Association of American Geographers and the Centennial Medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
The College of Natural Resources introduced a revised, interdepartmental undergraduate geography degree program at the start of the 2009-2010 academic year that allows students to choose between emphases in human-environment geography, physical geography or geographical analysis and bioregional planning.
Related links:
- USU Department of Environment and Society
- USU Department of Watershed Sciences
- USU College of Natural Resources
Contact: Claudia Radel, 435-797-0516, claudia.radel@usu.edu
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517, maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu
USU's College of Natural Resources welcomes renowned geographer B.L. Turner II to campus Monday, Feb. 28. Turner speaks at 4 p.m. in NR 105 and all are invited.
Turner, a leader in the emerging field of land use science, explores how socioeconomic factors affect change in tropical forests. Among his research sites is a biosphere reserve in the Yucatán peninsula. Satellite image courtesy of NASA.
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