We use diverse research methods to inform transboundary natural resource and public lands policy.
Lopez-Hoffman & colleagues’ spatial subsidies project expands on the increasing recognition that environmental change in one location can have consequences for human well-being in other, sometimes very distant locations. We work on three North American migratory species that provide ecosystem services in specific locations during migration but have a greater dependence on habitat in other parts of their range. This dependency means habitat provides a spatial subsidy of ecosystem service benefits to people elsewhere. Knowledge of spatial subsidies can be used as a foundation for improving transboundary natural resource policy, creating more equitable governance systems.
Similarly, Lopez-Hoffman & colleagues’ ecoclimate teleconnections project is based on advanced climate modeling that shows loss of forest cover in one place can alter temperature, precipitation and gross primary production (GPP) in distant locations. Our work seeks to understand the consequent effects on agricultural yields and crop values in the US. This research will inform public lands policy, enhancing the resilience of coupled forest-agricultural systems facing disruption from climate change.
