Poster Abstract
UPDATE (from Madhu, 03/14/07): Karl has revised the abstract, and you can see his new edit below the fold. And you know where to get the version open for collaborative editing, right?
While thanking Karl for the revision (which he had posted as a separate blog post, but I have incorporated it within this one), let me also offer some suggestions for making the collaboration more efficient, and keeping things better organized. First, let's limit the collaborative editing and revising to that document, and not create a new blog post every time it is revised. If you want to carry on an online discussion, let's use the comments thread for this post for that purpose. For example, if you make substantial changes to the abstract/paper, and want to let everyone know, you could leave a short comment to that effect here. Unless you want me to start a google group for this class as well. But I don't think it is necessary, and keeping discussion for this class limited to the blog will help minimize potential confusion with the other class paper some of us are working on this semester. Does that sound good?
Karl's original post (03/11/07): I have started the abstract. Please provide comments and recommendations. We also need to present some preliminary results and a conclusion. Also if anyone knows how to post a word document on the Blog then we can all start writing it online.
Reconciliation Ecology. Changing Landscapes and Sustainability: Fresno’s (city & county?) ecological footprint and the affects of urbanization. Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, USA.Urbanization is currently a common trend seen in California, which transforms natural landscapes and can significantly affect biodiversity and ecosystem services. Located in the heart of California, Fresno County stretches from the Sierra Nevada to the Costal Range and contains the sixth largest city in California and some of the most fertile agricultural lands in the world. The growth rate in Fresno County is currently 1.9% and it is estimated that the county’s population will increase by 479,407 people (58%) from a population of 821,797 in 2000 to a population of 1,301,204 by 2025. To meet the demands of an increasing population the Fresno County General Plan allows for new development on 37,737 acres of land which will result in a loss of 2.9% of agricultural lands. Here we examine Fresno’s ecological footprint and the ecological impact of urbanization. The ecological footprint is a measure of how much biologically productive land and water an individual, a city, a county or a region uses to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates, using prevailing technology and resource management.
Revised text from Karl, on 03/14/07:
Provided below is a new draft of our abstract. I removed the section that describes an Ecological footprint and I think that we should end the abstract describing our investigation and include preliminary results. What do you think?
Urbanization is currently a common trend seen in California, which transforms natural landscapes significantly affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services. This trend has been well documented and analyzed in large metropolitan areas such as the San Francisco Bay region and Phoenix, Arizona. However, in the Central Valley of California, areas such as Fresno County only brief amount of information are known about the ecological effects of urbanization. Fresno County is located in the heart of California, stretching from the Sierra Nevada to the Coastal Range. It contains the sixth largest city in California and some of the most fertile agricultural lands in the world. The growth rate in Fresno County is currently an annual 1.9% and it is estimated that the county’s population will increase 58% from a population of 821,797 in 2000 to a population of 1,301,204 by 2025. Such an increase would certainly place more stress on the environment. To meet the demands of an increasing population the Fresno County Office of General Planning allows for new development to occur on 37,737 acres of land, which will result in a loss of approximately 2.9% of agricultural land. This set projection raises the question: What will be the effect(s) of losing agricultural land? In this investigation we examine Fresno County's ecological footprint and the impact of urbanization upon agricultural land.
7 comments:
This is looking good - nice start, Karl. I hope everyone else weighs in on this abstract soon.
I think you need a bit more on what the footprint approach can bring to the process of urban planning and conservation. I know you don't have any results yet to put in, but you could at least make some projection of what the results might be. So something about why you estimate the current footprint, and how you can use it to address future growth in the region. And a stronger concluding line about implications of the study.
So far, it looks good Karl. Great job.
Hello! I found your blog while trying to find the handfull of people in Fresno who might care about the environment! Thought you all might like to know that Dave Wann, co-author of Affluenza! and Superbia will be giving a free talk with slide show, humerous songs and wine and cheese on Sunday March 18, 2 to 4PM at Arte Americas 1630 Van Ness in Fresno. He puts on a great show with good information. You can check out more info at www.fresnocohousing.org and reserve a seat if you want to come.
Kate, MA Environmental Leadership, Naropa University, Boulder.
Hey everyone, I was just checking to see if everyone has checked in with the abstract. I have made a few additions but see some room for some of your areas of research to still be added in. Good luck.
Kate deLaGrange said...
Hello! I found your blog while trying to find the handfull of people in Fresno who might care about the environment!
Thank you for popping in here, Ms. DeLaGrange and informing us about the event. It sounds interesting, and I think the co-housing concept may generate some class discussion as well.
Do you happen to be in the Fresno area as well? Part of the Fresno Cohousing group, perhaps?
I don't know where to get the version for colloborative editing. Can someone tell me again?
Click here for the abstract on google docs
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