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| May 22, 2006 New Ecology Doctorate Explores Human-Altered Ecosystems Rain forests and nature preserves naturally come to mind as the best places for studying ecology. Metropolitan Chicago probably does not. But a new doctoral program called LEAP -- Landscape Ecological and Anthropogenic Processes -- may change that after it unleashes a new breed of Ph.D. that is set on promoting and preserving biodiversity in cities, suburbs and other areas dominated by humans. The interdisciplinary
program begins this fall at the University of Illinois at Chicago and
the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Ill. with four doctoral students.
Five will be added each of the next four years under a $2.75 million
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training award from the
National Science Foundation presented jointly This is the first NSF IGERT award to the University of Illinois system. "The premise for the program is that we need more research on ecological processes occurring amid human activities and better trained students for careers that integrate biodiversity and human activities," said Mary Ashley, UIC professor of biological sciences and principal investigator for the program. Ashley thinks the urban ecology of Chicago, with its patchwork of parks, forest preserves and gardens, offers an excellent laboratory -- one that's more diverse than many would imagine. "We're surrounded by a corn and soybeans desert," said Ashley. "There's very low biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. If we're going to integrate human activity and nature in Illinois, it's going to be here in the metropolitan area." Ashley noted that humans are unavoidably dominant in many ecosystems. "Humans, plants and animals coexist," she said. "Rabbits, squirrels and deer are more abundant today than 200 years ago. Other species have disappeared, but we don't exactly know why some species can thrive amidst human activity while others don't." Doctoral students from a variety of fields including biology, civil engineering, urban planning and earth and environmental sciences will be invited to apply. Those selected will participate for two years, receiving full tuition and a stipend for travel and related research expenses. Each student will
work with a program partner institution in a restoration or conservation
activity. Other partner institutions include UIC's Institute of Environmental
Science and Policy, the U.S. Forest Service, the Chicago Division of
the Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago Wilderness, the Field Museum, Morton
Arboretum, and Midewin Kayri Havens, director of the Institute for Plant Conservation at the Chicago Botanic Garden is a co-principal investigator. Other co-principal investigators from UIC include Steven Forman, professor of earth and environmental sciences, and Karl Rockne, associate professor of civil engineering. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - |