SUSTAINING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, BIODIVERSITY AND HUMAN WELL-BEING IN CHANGING LANDSCAPES

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1013761
• Project Start Date: Aug 22, 2017
• Project End Date: Jul 31, 2022
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611

Performing Department
Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center

Non Technical Summary
People rely on benefits from our ecosystems (termed as 'ecosystem services'), such as food, fiber and clean water, for their livelihood. These ecosystem services have substantial social, ecological, and economic values. However, the sustainability of these vital benefits is challenged by changes in climate, land use/cover, population, management, biodiversity loss and invasive species. These challenges are especially pronounced in agriculture-dominated landscapes with intensive human influences but also interspersed with urban and natural covers. It is thus critical to understand how multiple anthropogenic environmental changes will alter biodiversity and ecosystem services, and how changes in human actions would reverse the negative trends and lead to future landscape sustainability.I will use interdisciplinary approaches to address these overarching research questions, by specifically integrating methods ranging from biophysical simulation modeling, statistical modeling, remote sensing, field observation and experiment, landscape analysis, data synthesis, human-dimensions and social sciences. Anticipated results from this project will inform conservation, management and policy efforts in agricultural and other human-dominated landscapes for balancing human needs and sustaining natural resources in the future.

Animal Health Component

30%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

60%

Applied

30%

Developmental

10%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
121	0199	1070	30%
131	0199	1070	15%
136	2499	1070	15%
124	0199	1070	20%
112	0210	1070	20%

Knowledge Area
136 - Conservation of Biological Diversity; 112 - Watershed Protection and Management; 124 - Urban Forestry; 121 - Management of Range Resources; 131 - Alternative Uses of Land;

Subject Of Investigation
0210 - Water resources; 0199 - Soil and land, general; 2499 - Plant research, general;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;

Keywords

landscape ecology

ecosystem service

climate and land use change

biodiversity

biological invasions

human well-being

sustainability

social-ecological systems

interdisciplinary science

Goals / Objectives
ObjectivesDevelop spatially explicit assessments of diverse terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem services across a range of spatial and temporal scalesAnalyze the consequences of multiple drivers of global environmental changes for the dynamics, interactions and resilience of ecosystem servicesExamine the role of biodiversity in providing ecosystem services at landscape scalesInvestigate the effects of human interventions and social perceptions in maintaining ecosystem services, and the role of ecosystem services in supporting human well-beingImprove landscape management and develop innovative solutions for real-world conservation, management and policy challenges in a changing and uncertain future

Project Methods
I will take an interdisciplinary approach integrating biophysical simulation modeling, statistical modeling, remote sensing, field observation and experiment, landscape analysis, data synthesis, human-dimensions and social sciences. I will focus on research across a range of spatial scales ranging from urban (e.g., Orlando, and southeast Florida including Fort Lauderdale and Miami metropolitan areas), regional watersheds (e.g., South Florida integrated terrestrial and coastal landscapes, south-central Florida agricultural landscapes), to continental and global scales.Specifically, to address objectives (1) and (2), I will combine biophysical modeling (calibrated and validated with field-based measurements), statistical modeling and remote sensing to quantify and map the provision of multiple ecosystem services (e.g., food production, climate and flood regulation, soil retention, freshwater supply, water quality, recreation) that are contingent upon the focal studied system. Potential candidate biophysical models include Agro-IBIS (Kucharik and Brye 2003, Kucharik 2003, Motew et al. 2017), coupled ParFlow and Common Land Model (CLM) (Maxwell and Miller 2005, Kollet and Maxwell 2008), DAYCENT (Parton et al. 1998, Del Grosso et al. 2001), and system dynamic model. Primary inputs of biophysical models include climate (e.g., PRISM climate data), land use/cover (e.g., National Land Cover Database), and management practices (e.g., conservation tillage, irrigation method), and specific model inputs will be determined based on selected model and the study system. Landscape analysis will be further performed to explore spatial patterns, flows and distributions of ecosystem services (Turner and Gardner 2015). Moreover, alternative scenarios will be developed and integrated with modeling to investigate the consequences of multiple global change drivers for ecosystem services, and evaluate the effects of different landscape management and restoration options for balancing diverse ecosystem services. .To accomplish objective (3), I will take two complementary approaches - data synthesis and field-based methods (Qiu 2015, Qiu and Turner 2017). Specifically, data collated from published studies and large-scale survey and monitoring (e.g., National Ecological Observatory Network, Long-Term Ecological Research, Forest Inventory and Analysis, National Lakes Assessment) will be the backbone for synthesizing effects of biodiversity on the provision of a portfolio of ecosystem services. Besides, field studies and experiments will be conducted to understand the mechanisms and effects of biodiversity in real-world landscapes, and test whether effects revealed from small-scale manipulative experiments are under- or over-estimating the actual effects of biodiversity on ecosystem services at the landscape scale.Moreover, to address objective (4), analyses of census data (e.g., U.S. census data, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) and social surveys will be conducted to examine the relationships of social perceptions with the biophysical provision of ecosystem services, and the functional role of ecosystem services in supporting human well-being.Finally, research findings from different lines of research will altogether contribute to objective (5) and integrated into products including but not limited to decision-support tools, research briefs, workshops and extension programs to inform landscape management and decisions that aims to sustain ecosystem services, protect biodiversity, and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (Griggs et al. 2013).

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include natural resource managers, land managers, practitioners, and decision-makers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided training opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students who have assisted in this project. In addition, I provided professional development such as professional development trainings (e.g., manuscript writing, time management, manuscript review, statistical analysis etc.), as well as opportunities for the trainee to attend conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Yes, the results were disseminated to the broader communities, for example through press releases, and interviews with reporters, as well as publications for broader readership and general audience. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, I will continue to implement research and achieve the desirable goals as outlined in the proposal.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Research over the past reporting period has fulfilled the above stated research objectives 1, 2 and 3. Specifically, I have developed an innovative approach to analyzing ecosystem service tradeoffs and synergies (Qiu et al. 2018 Ecological Applications). I also developed a framework to analyze scale-dependent relationships among services (Qiu et al. 2018 Environmental Research Letters) and spatial and temporal variability of multiple ecosystem services (Qiu et al. 2020. Landscape Ecology). This work is among the first to address mechanisms of how scale alters ecosystem service tradeoffs/synergies. Results show that management at one scale do not translate to similar outcomes at other scales. I also examined effects ofabove- (i.e., land-use pattern) and below-ground (i.e., groundwater) factors in enhancing supply, resilience, and nonlinearities of ecosystem services (Qiu et al. 2019 Nature Sustainability). More recent work also revealed the intricate relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services across different spatial scales (Qiu and Cardinale 2020. Ecology). Finally, I developed a framework and principles of evidencebased causal chains for linking decisions to impacts on ecosystem services that affect human wellbeing with feedback to ecosystems (Qiu et al. 2018, BioScience), and also pointed out major directions for linking principles of landscape sustainability to practical management (Liao et al. 2020 Landscape Ecology). Thesework presents a transformative approach for uniting actors (e.g., researchers, industry, decision makers) across sectors and disciplines to tackle complex sustainability issues like climate change, planetary health, and biodiversity loss. Research is also underway to address Obj.3 and 4 in regards to biodiversity effects on ecosystem services, and the critical role of human interventions and social perceptions.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Qiu, J., Cardinale, B.J. 2020. Scaling up biodiversityecosystem function relationships across space and over time. Ecology 101(11): e03166.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Qiu, J., Carpenter, S.R., Booth, E.G., Motew, M., Kucharik, C.J. 2020. Spatial and temporal variability of future ecosystem services in an agricultural landscape. Landscape Ecology 35(11): 2569-2586.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Wardropper, C.B., Mase, A.S., Qiu, J., Kohl, P., Booth, E.G., Rissman, A.R. 2020. Ecological worldview, agricultural or natural resource-based activities, and geography affect perceived importance of ecosystem services. Landscape and Urban Planning 197: 103768.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Liao, C., Qiu, J., Chen, B., Chen, D., Fu, B., Georgescu, M., He, C., Jenerette, G.D., Li, X., Li, X., Li, X., Qiuying, B., Shi, P., Wu, J. 2020. Advancing landscape sustainability science: Theoretical foundation and synergies with innovations in the methodology, design, and application. Landscape Ecology 35(1): 1-9.

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audience include natural resource managers, land managers, practitioners, and decision-makers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided training opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students who have assisted in this project. In addition, I provided professionaldevelopment such as professionaldevelopment trainings (e.g., manuscript writing, time management, manuscript review, statistical analysis etc.), as well as opportunities for the traineeto attend conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Yes, the results were disseminated to the broader communities, for example through press releases, and interviews with reporters. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, I will continue to implement research and achieve the desirable goals as outlined in the proposal.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Research over the past reporting period has fulfilled the objectives 1, 2 and 3. Specifically, I have developed an innovativeapproach to analyzing ecosystem service tradeoffs and synergies (Qiu et al. 2018 Ecological Applications). I also developed a framework to analyze scale-dependent relationships among services (Qiu et al. 2018 Environmental Research Letters). This work is among the first to address mechanisms of how scale alters ecosystem service tradeoffs/synergies. Results show that management at one scale do not translate to similar outcomes at other scales. I alsoexamined effects of above- (i.e., land-use pattern) and below-ground (i.e., groundwater) factors in enhancing supply, resilience, and nonlinearities of ecosystem services (Qiu et al. 2019 Nature Sustainability).Finally, I developed a framework and principles of evidence-based causal chains for linking decisions to impacts on ecosystem services that affect human wellbeing with feedback to ecosystems (Qiu et al. 2018, BioScience). This work presents a transformative approach for uniting actors (e.g., researchers, industry, decision makers) across sectors and disciplines to tackle complex sustainability issues like climate change, planetary health, and biodiversity loss. Research is also underway to address Obj.3 and 4 in regards to biodiversity effects on ecosystem services, and the critical role of human interventions and social perceptions.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Qiu, J., Zipper, S.C., Motew, M., Booth, E.G., Kucharik, C.J., Loheide II, S.P. 2019. Nonlinear ecosystem services response to groundwater under climate extremes. Nature Sustainability 2: 475-483
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Qiu, J. 2019. Effects of landscape pattern on pollination, pest control, water quality, flood regulation, and cultural ecosystem services: A literature review and future research prospects. Current Landscape Ecology Reports. DOI:10.1007/s40823-019-00045-5
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Qiu, J., Game, E., Tallis, H., Olander, L., Glew, L., Kagan, J.S., Kalies, E.L., Michanowicz, D., Phelan, J., Polasky, S., Reed, J., Sills, E.O., Urban, D., Weaver, S.K. 2018. Evidence-based causal chains for linking health, development and conservation actions. BioScience 68(3): 182-193.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Qiu, J., Carpenter, S.R., Booth, E.G., Motew, M., Zipper, S.C., Kucharik, C.J., Chen, X., Loheide II, S.P., Seifert, J., Turner, M.G. 2018. Scenarios reveal pathways to sustain future ecosystem services in an agricultural landscape. Ecological Applications 28(1): 119-134.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Qiu, J., Carpenter, S.R., Booth, E.G., Motew, M., Zipper, S.C., Kucharik, C.J., Loheide II, S.P., Turner, M.G. 2018. Understanding relationships among ecosystem services across spatial scales and over time. Environmental Research Letters 13: e054020.

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:My target audiences include natural resource managers, farmers and growers, planners, homeowners, educators and youth, extension agents, and regulatory personnel at different levels. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided trainings to two undergraduate students to gain important research experiences and skills, and also professional development opportunities for one technician, two graduate students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated to communitiesprimarily through peer-reviewed publications, extension publications, conference presentations, extension meetings and workshops, as well as social media, and research press releases. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting, I am planning to continue the assessment of ecosystem services in central Florida urban and agricultural landscapes, and analyze their responses due to environmental changes. I will further investigate how human interventions will affect the sustainability of ecosystem services, and strive to use the knowledge to improve landscape management to achieve sustainability. ?

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project has achieved objective 1 and 2 by developing spatial explicit assessment of multiple ecosystem services in an agricultural watershed, and also analyzing their response to environmental drivers such as climate and land uses. In addition, I have worked on objective 3 to examine the effects of biodiveristy on ecosystem services in central Florida grasslands (manuscript in prep), and also analyzed how biodiversity effects on ecosystem services vary across a range of spatial and temporal scales.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: 1. Qiu, J., Game, E., Tallis, H., Olander, L., Glew, L., Kagan, J.S., Kalies, E.L., Michanowicz, D., Phelan, J., Polasky, S., Reed, J., Sills, E.O., Urban, D., Weaver, S.K. 2018. Evidence-based causal chains for linking health, development and conservation actions. BioScience 68(3): 182-193. (Selected as the Editors Choice) 2. Qiu, J., Carpenter, S.R., Booth, E.G., Motew, M., Zipper, S.C., Kucharik, C.J., Chen, X., Loheide II, S.P., Seifert, J., Turner, M.G. 2018. Scenarios reveal pathways to sustain future ecosystem services in an agricultural landscape. Ecological Applications 28(1): 119-134. 3. Qiu, J., Carpenter, S.R., Booth, E.G., Motew, M., Zipper, S.C., Kucharik, C.J., Loheide II, S.P., Turner, M.G. 2018. Understanding relationships among ecosystem services across spatial scales and over time. Environmental Research Letters 13: e054020.

Progress 08/22/17 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Project is only being setting up during this reporting period, and because ofthe short duration (i.e., one week)of this reporting period, no audience was reached. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, I will implement research and achieve the desirable goals as outlined in the proposal.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Project is only being setting up during this reporting period, and because ofthe short duration (i.e., one week)of this reporting period, no accomplishments can be reported.

Publications