Karin's other research interests: watershed ecosystems and ecological economics

I am interested in the conceptual merging of ecosystem science, population ecology, and natural resources management.  These fields have periodically been disparate, but currently there is a need for transdisciplinary synthesis, that is, using the tools in these various disciplines to solve practical, novel problems.  We cannot lose track of the fact that we are quickly moving into a world dominated by perhaps 10 billion people, and will be facing some unprecedented losses of species, ecosystems, and attendant ecological functions. Doesn’t it seem as if we’re entering that world now ?

Watersheds are increasingly recognized as natural units of study and management.  The classic, ongoing studies at Hubbard Brook in New Hampshire are an inspiration to us all.  Now, more than ever, we need to develop knowledge about how watersheds function, and how we can protect their integrity.  Thus, another important direction in my research and teaching concerns watersheds.  Click here to check out a cool project that we did in the Hudson Valley.

There is also a pressing need for natural and social scientists to work on these problems together.  One of the arenas where this is taking place is in the relatively new field of ecological economics.  A while ago, I was involved in one such project, which caused more stir than one could have imagined at the time.  In addition, I've collaborated with Carl Folke when we were both at the Department of Systems Ecology in Stockholm, Sweden, to produce a special issue of the journal, Ecological Economics, on "The Ecology of Ecosystem Services."  Our Hudson Valley project (above) is also practical ecological economics.

Some good links:
International Society for Ecological Economics (return to KL's main page)
U.S. Society for Ecological Economics

Professor Charlie Hall's website (one of my colleagues at ESF)
The Stockholm Resilience Centre

The Encyclopedia of Earth