PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 6: Urban Ecology.
Monday, August 4 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.
Ecological and socioeconomic influences of urban development on forested landscapes in Georgia, USA: The West Georgia project.
Lockaby, B.*,1, Zhang, Daowei1, Chaney, Philip2, 1 School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences, Auburn, AL, USA2 Department of Geology & Geography, Auburn, AL, USA
ABSTRACT- An interdisciplinary investigation of urban development impacts was installed in 2001 on a forested landscape near Columbus, Georgia, USA. The study area extends approximately 100 km to the northeast of Columbus and reflects a gradient in human population density, rate of growth, and land use / cover. Major land uses include urban, developing (residential), forested (pine), forested (mixed), and rural (pasture). Field sampling is watershed-based and encompasses approximately 22 catchments (1000 - 5000 ha). Feedback relationships between landscape development and economics, culture, biodiversity, water quality, vegetation patterns, habitat dynamics of large mammals, and aesthetics are being studied. Water quality results indicate a strong influence of land use on fecal coliform, nitrate, and sediment concentrations in surface water although no differentiation was apparent between pine vs. mixed pine-hardwood watersheds. Econometric models have been developed to predict land use / cover changes in 5-20 years under different economic, policy, and demographic scenarios. Regression relationships between land use descriptors and environmental responses are being used to anticipate impacts of future land use changes on water quality, biodiversity, and other response factors.
Key words: urban development