Modelling the sustainability of forest-grassland mosaics

Abstract: Natural forest-grassland mosaics are unique ecosystems found in many places in the world. They represent particular challenges to sustainability science due to the need to understand coupled dynamics, alternative stable states, and very grave conservation concerns for both of these endangered ecosystems. Here I will present in detail our recent work in modeling the complexity of forest-grassland mosaics in southern Brazil (Innes et al. 2013, Scientific Reports 3:2689) with updates on work in progress (work done jointly with Chris Bauch). The main goal of my presentation is to initiate discussions with colleagues to extend these and other ideas to the shola-grassland mosaic ecosystems in the Western Ghats.

Bio: Professor Madhur Anand is University Research Chair in the School of Environmental Sciences at The University of Guelph in Canada. Her research interests include forests and global ecological change, sustainability science, and ecological modeling. The work of her group has been supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, the Canada Research Chairs program, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and, most recently, by a James S. McDonnell Foundation Complex Systems Scholar Award.