Naturalizing the Built Environment

Justin BorevitzEcology & Evolution

University of Chicagohttp://naturalvariation.org/

Primary, heavily disturbed

Secondary, tree stabilized dunesWetland/Freshwater

Forest, Canopy/Understory Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Naturalizing the Built Environment

Justin BorevitzEcology & Evolution

University of Chicagohttp://naturalvariation.org/

Talk OutlineTalk Outline• Prairie Ecosystems

• Succession (Ecosystem Evolution/Maturation) – Henry Chandler Cowels

• EcoFootprint

• Working with the Nature– Ecological Design

• Seasonal Variation

• Passive Solar

– Optimizing Systems• Food, water, energy

• Center for Ecological Conservation Genomics

The Urban Savannah

• Frontiers of the Prairie• Frank Lloyd Wright’s

Prairie Skyscraper, Price Tower Arts center

• Chicago is as it was

on the Ecotone– coined from a combination of eco(logy) plus –tone

– from the Greek tonos or tension – in other words,

– a place where ecologies are in tension

Chicago Architecture Foundation

EcoZones/ Biomes/ Realms

• Australasia | Antarctic | Afrotropic | Indo-Malayan Nearctic | Neotropic | Oceania | Palearctic

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, & Shrublands

NA0801NA0802NA0803NA0804NA0805NA0806NA0807NA0808NA0809NA0810NA0811NA0812NA0813NA0814NA0815

California Central Valley grasslandsCanadian Aspen forests and parklandsCentral and Southern mixed grasslandsCentral forest-grasslands transitionCentral tall grasslandsEdwards Plateau savannaFlint Hills tall grasslandsMontana Valley and Foothill grasslandsNebraska Sand Hills mixed grasslandsNorthern mixed grasslandsNorthern short grasslandsNorthern tall grasslandsPalouse grasslandsTexas blackland prairiesWestern short grasslands

http://climate.konza.ksu.edu/

Short, mixed, and Tall grass prairie

EcoRegions• An ecoregion (ecological

region), sometimes called a bioregion, is the next smallest ecologically and geographically defined area beneath "realm" or "ecozone".

• The WWF has identified 825 terrestrial ecoregions, and approximately 450 freshwater ecoregions across the Earth.

• Biodiversity is also an important aspect of the study of ecoregions. The biodiversity of flora, fauna and ecosystems that characterise an ecoregion tend to be distinct from that of other ecoregions

• Great Plains has 15 EcoRegions,• Chicago, “Central Tall

Grasslands -> Prairie Oak Transition”

Upper Midwest forest-savanna transition (NA0415)

• One of the three ecotonal units separating the vast Great Plains grasslands from the forests of the eastern U.S. is the Upper Midwest Forest/Savanna Transition Zone

• The predominance of trees in a mosaic of forests, savannas, and woodlands, and by differences in dominance of major tree species.

• oak, maple, basswood woodland, forest, and savanna ecosystem (Küchler 1985). The boundaries of this ecoregion were heavily influenced by fire and drought

Rizhomes - Stem or root?

Protecting Meristems• Plants need active shoot apices and other

meristems to provide new growth or re-growth after harvest.

• Critical management period for grasses occurs during reproductive growth (after transition) when internode elongation elevates the shoot apex to a vulnerable height.

• Timothy, smooth bromegrass, and prairie grass are examples of grasses susceptible to mismanagement (untimely defoliation).

• Defer grazing or clipping until crown buds are ready for growth (boot stage or later).

To overcome the lack of timber to build their houses the To overcome the lack of timber to build their houses the Homesteaders used sods of earth cut from the Plains as bricks. Homesteaders used sods of earth cut from the Plains as bricks. They built their houses out of this earth and called them sod They built their houses out of this earth and called them sod houses.houses.

Many sod houses were huge affairs, with many rooms, but they all Many sod houses were huge affairs, with many rooms, but they all suffered from the same problems. They were dirty, drafty and suffered from the same problems. They were dirty, drafty and leaked whenever it rained. The walls and floor were infested with leaked whenever it rained. The walls and floor were infested with lice, which crawled over the Homesteaders as they slept. Mud fell lice, which crawled over the Homesteaders as they slept. Mud fell off the ceiling into the Homesteaders’ cooking pots, and germs were off the ceiling into the Homesteaders’ cooking pots, and germs were rife. Despite this, many Homesteaders were proud of their first rife. Despite this, many Homesteaders were proud of their first ‘soddy’ and often lived in them for decades.‘soddy’ and often lived in them for decades.

Soil is more than dirt• We covered the biotic part

– food web of a healthy soil

• But what about the abiotic part?– Mineral, rock, clay, sand, loam, loess, humus

“mollisols” prairie soil• C deep grass roots• Black and rich• in warm moist • tall grass prairies

Root system of the prairie grassesRoot system of the prairie grasses

Picture Courtesy of Chicago Wilderness

Midwest rich in mollisols

Nielsen and Hole, 1963

Benefits of prairie grazing

• Promotes species diversity

• Increases light availability to plants, promoting photosynthesis and growth

• Can change species composition

• Decreases woody plant

growth while promoting

grazing-tolerant plants.

Buffalo or Bison?

http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Cetartiodactyla/Bovinae.html

Americanbison

European bison

The dry Plains were provided the perfect conditions for fires to start. The long hot summers left the Prairie Grass and the homesteaders’ crops bone dry. Accidental fires started by a spark or a bit of broken glass lying on the ground and reflecting the sun were a disaster for the homesteaders.

Unless the fire could be stopped quickly by beating, it soon spread. Without any water to put out the fire, the homesteaders were forced to hide in their sod houses until their crops were destroyed and the fire died.

Healthy burns in the arboretum

• Burns over large areas

• Rotation of a 4-year burn schedule

• Adjacent to areas not burned in the last 2 years

• Seasonal rotation of burns

Ecological Relations of the vegetation on the sand dunes of Lake Michigan (1899)

• Plant Formations should be found that are rapidly changing to another type by means of changing environment.

• Can be seen in no better place than Sand Dunes due to instability..

• Plant Society – product of past and present environmental conditions

• Plant Formations are investigated– species composition

• The progressive changes that take place and the factors in the environment which caused these changes.

Ecological Factors

• Light and Heat– Open exposed to extremes

• Wind– From the North west, Michigan City dunes most affected

• Soil– Quartz sand, deplete of organic material

• Water– Holding capacity of sand

• Other factors– Fire, topography, other animals and plants

Plant Societies

• Beach– Lower, middle, upper

• Embroyonic or Stationary Beach Dunes– Rapid growth, slow growth

• Active or Wandering Dune Complex– Transformation– Physical and Biological features– Encroachment– Capture (by vegetation)

Lake Michigan sand dunes

Plant Succession: An analysis of the development of Vegetation (1916)

• “Treats the formation as an organism with structures and functions like an individual plant…. The formation is defined as the climax community of a natural area where the essential climatic [habitat] relations are similar or identical”

• “sere” - term used to describe the entire successional series, eg developmental process

• [Thus succession is development of a formation with infant, child, juvenile, and adult phases. But that can revert to earlier phases and start again.]– Clements 1919 comprehensive review

Footprint

Reducing Risks by Setting Measurable

TargetsDr. Mathis Wackernagel

www.FootprintNetwork.org

House

Are we getting to big for our house?

Global equity

Who is getting what?

People vs. nature

?

What about land for other species?

Metabolism like a cow

Bioproductive segments

18% Biologically Productive Land

11%Deserts, Ice Caps and Barren Land

67% Low-ProductivityOcean

4%BiologicallyProductive Ocean

Bioproductive Segments

22%

Footprint components

Fossil Fuel Built-up Waste Food Fibres absorption

Ecological Demand (Ecological Footprint) Ecological Supply (Biocapacity)

Footprint Areas for: Biocapacity Areas:

Growing Crops 0.53 Crop land 0.53

Grazing Animals 0.12 Grazing land 0.27

Settlements & infrastructure0.10 Built-up area 0.10

Producing timber & fuelwood 0.33Forest 0.86

Absorbing excess CO2 1.07

Harvesting Fish 0.14 Fishing Grounds 0.14

Total Global Demand2.29 Total Global Supply1.90

Global Footprint Accounts

(in global hectares/person, 1999 data)Deman

d

Exceeds

Supply

By

20%

>

Global Footprint

Footprint data for 8 countries

Footprint data for 8 countries

Data for 1999 Eco-Footprint Biocapacity [global ha /cap] [global ha/cap]

Australia 7.6 14.6 China 1.6 1.1 Germany 4.7 1.8 Italy 3.8 1.3 Japan 4.6 0.8 Russia 4.2 5.1 South Africa 4.0 2.5 US 9.6 5.8 WORLD 2.3 1.9

The Energy Problem

• How will society meet growing energy demands in a sustainable manner?

• Fossil-fuels currently supply ~80% of world energy demand.

Are Biofuels the Answer?...

Biofuels as an Alternative

• Biofuels are not THE answer to sustainable energy, but biofuels may be part of the answer

• Biofuels may offer advantages over fossil fuels, but the magnitude of these advantages depends on how a biofuel crop is grown and converted into a usable fuel

Analysis of Alternative Biofuels

• “First generation” biofuels: food-based biofuels that are currently commercially available:– Corn-grain ethanol– Soy Biodiesel

• “Second generation” biofuels: cellulosic biofuels of the future– Diverse prairie biomass

Biofuels.. Renewable/sustainable?

• Fossil fuel subsidy?

• Soil fertility subsidy?

• Water subsidy?

• Land use subsidy?

• Biodiversity/ecological subsidy?

• Farmer subsidy?

• Civil/ social subsidy?

How Much Do They Supply?

• Corn grain ethanol (2005):– 14.3% of the US corn harvest was used to produce

1.48x1010 L of ethanol annually– Energetically equivalent to 1.72% of US gasoline

use

• Soy biodiesel (2005)– 1.5% of the US soybean harvest produced 2.56x108

L of biodiesel annually– 0.09% of US diesel use

But How Much Could They Supply?

• Devoting all US corn and soybean production to biodiesel and ethanol would generate:– 12% of US gasoline consumption– 6% of US diesel consumption

• In terms of net energy gain: – 2.4% of US gasoline consumption– 2.9% of US diesel consumption

Food vs. Fuel: Impact on Corn Prices

Second Generation Biofuels: Cellulosic Feedstock…

Switchgrass Wheat Straw Hybrid Poplar Corn StalksSwitchgrass Wheat Straw Hybrid Poplar Corn Stalks

The Next Generation of Biofuels:The Next Generation of Biofuels:Greenhouse-Neutral Biofuels from Greenhouse-Neutral Biofuels from

High-Diversity Low-Input High-Diversity Low-Input Prairie EcosystemsPrairie Ecosystems

bybyDavid TilmanDavid Tilman

University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota

The Cedar Creek Biodiversity Experiment

Established to study the fundamental impacts of biological diversity on ecosystem

functioning

352 Plots9 m x 9 m

Random Compositions1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 SpeciesPlus, 70 Plots with 32

Species(1994-Present)

High Diversity Grasslands Produce 238% More Biofuel Each Year Than Monocultures

Switchgrass

Current and future biofuels

Diverse Prairies Remove & Store Carbon

Burgeoning real estate market in Greenland

So, why do we keep prairie ecosystems healthy?

• Plant/habitat type diversity

• Max. production - biomass

• Wildlife habitat• Agricultural values• Water quality• Soil erosion• Noxious weeds• Open space• Rural lifestyle

the last place you’d want to be?

Or, The Last Best Place?

Ecological Design – Beyond Sustainable

• Passive Solar (happy Fall Equinox)– Thermal mass, convection

• Smart windows, lighting, ventilation

• Geothermal, solar (PV,water)

• Water collection, microhydro

• Compost/grey water, living machines

• Biogas, micro recycle/trash to energy

• Green chemistry

• Live/work/play – garden/art/cook/teach

SkyFarm Toronto70kg/sqm

Books

• Prairie: A Natural History• Biomimicry• Cradle to Cradle• Ecology of Commerce• Natural Capitalism/ Natural Advantage of Nations• Small is Beautiful• Deep Economy• Blessed Unrest• Collapse• End of Growth

Our Future on a Warming Planet, Wednesday, Oct. 10

Chair: Peter Kareiva, Chief Scientist, The Nature Conservancy; Stephen Pacala, Petrie Professor of Biology and Director, Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University; Jonathan Overpeck, Professor of Geosciences and Atmospheric Sciences and Director, Institute for the Study of Planet Earth, University of Arizona.

Panelists will analyze the impacts of abrupt climate change on vulnerable ecosystems and outline practical responses to emerging climate disruptions. The crucial role of effective policy development and technological advances will be a central theme.

Making Economic Growth Sustainable, Thursday, Oct. 25

Chair: Don Coursey, Ameritech Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago;

Gretchen Daily, Professor of Biological Sciences, Stanford University; Center for Conservation Biology Director; Senior Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment, and Chair, The Natural Capital Project;

V. Kerry Smith, W.P. Carey Professor of Economics, W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University;

David Brookshire, Professor of Economics and Director of Science Impact Laboratory for Policy and Economics, University of New Mexico.

Focusing on the importance of everyday economics in conservation, the panel will describe how market mechanisms can be used to protect the land and waters of the planet. The panelists will consider how economists assign a value to environmental resources and why habitat conservation is a wise investment for the future.

The Future of ConservationTuesday, Nov. 6

Chair: Sir Peter Crane, the John and Marion Sullivan Professor in Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago;

M. Sanjayan, Lead Scientist, The Nature Conservancy;

Stuart Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology, Duke University;

Richard Sparks, Director of Research, National Great Rivers Research and Education Center.

The final session will examine issues affecting freshwater, current approaches to conservation in the face of growing threats to biodiversity and the integrity of ecosystems around the world. The panel will also address the impact of population growth and increasing global consumption. Finally, the focus will shift to the responsibility of the United States in leading the world toward lasting beneficial changes.

Wangari MaathaiSunday 5pm

• Event: Chicago, Sustainability, and the Work of Wangari MaathaiDate: 9/23/2007Time: 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM Location: Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. WoodlawnContact Name: Bart SchultzPhone: 773/834-3929Email: rschultz@uchicago.eduCategories: TalksDescription:All are welcome to attend this informal discussion of the significance of Wangari Maathai's work and of the current initiatives being taken by the University of Chicago and other area groups to help advance her vision. This discussion will take place immediately in advance of Wangari Maathai's lecture at Rockefeller Chapel. Sponsored by the University of Chicago Civic Knowledge Project, Religion and the Environment Initiative, and Graham School of General Studies.

Chicago Humanities FestivalClimate of Concern

Oct 27th – Nov 11th 120 events around Chicago

InterconnectednessStephanie SmithJustin Borevitz Dan Peterman Lucy Lippard

Sunday, Oct 28 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Experimental Station 6100 S. Blackstone Ave.

proposed Center forEcological Conservation Genomics

University of Chicago

Field Museum

Global and Local Population Structure

Olivier Loudet

Local adaptation

under strong

selection

Seasonal Variation

Matt Horton

Megan Dunning

80 Major Haplotypes

Diversity within and between populations

Variation within a field http://naturalvariation.org/hapmapVariation within a field http://naturalvariation.org/hapmap

Seasons in the Growth Chamber

• Changing Day length• Cycle Light Intensity• Cycle Light Colors• Cycle Temperature

Sweden Spain

Seasons in the Growth Chamber

• Changing Day length

• Cycle Light Intensity

• Cycle Light Colors

• Cycle Temperature

GenevaScientific/ Percival

Day Length

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Sweden

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standard

standard

Light Intensity

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standard

Flowering time QTL, Kas/Col RILsFlowering time QTL, Kas/Col RILs

Aquilegia (Columbines)

Recent adaptive radiation, 350Mb genome

Genetics of Speciationalong a Hybrid Zone

Aquilegia (Columbine) NSF Genome Complexity

• Microarray floral development – QTL candidates

• Physical Map (BAC tiling path)– Physical assignment of ESTs

• QTL for pollinator preference – ~400 RILs, map abiotic stress

– QTL fine mapping/ LD mapping

• Develop transformation techniques– VIGS

• Whole Genome Sequencing (JGI 2007)

Scott Hodges (UCSB)

Elena Kramer (Harvard)

Magnus Nordborg (USC)

Justin Borevitz (U Chicago)

Jeff Tompkins (Clemson)

http://www.plosone.org/

NaturalVariation.orgNaturalVariation.orgUSC

Magnus NordborgPaul Marjoram

Max Planck

Detlef Weigel

Scripps

Sam Hazen

University of Michigan

Sebastian Zoellner

USC

Magnus NordborgPaul Marjoram

Max Planck

Detlef Weigel

Scripps

Sam Hazen

University of Michigan

Sebastian Zoellner

University of Chicago

Xu ZhangYan Li

Peter RoycewiczEvadne Smith

Megan DunningJoy Bergelson

Michigan State

Shinhan Shiu

PurdueIvan Baxter

University of Chicago

Xu ZhangYan Li

Peter RoycewiczEvadne Smith

Megan DunningJoy Bergelson

Michigan State

Shinhan Shiu

PurdueIvan Baxter

Talking points

• China’s pollution?

• Social Justice == Environmental Issue

• Eco Apartheid (Van Jones)

• Can we all just do our little part in our sector?

• To every complex problem, there is a simple elegant solution, that is wrong

• Commerce and culture were powerfully regulated by natural energy flows, mainly solar energy captured by food, wood, and wind.

• Monoculture of corporate capitolism. Mature ecosystem..

• Sustainabiliy can be defined as carring capacity of the ecosystem/biosphere

• Need to develop not grow to a more mature ecological status, increased local connections/complexity

• Share resources/ energy nitch exploitation (space and time)/ local specialization/ community interactions

• Global warming is a fever on the planet a symptom of sickness and breakdown of systems. We must bring the virus down to suitable levels and curb its pathogeniticy

• The ecomony has obesity, can stop eating, out of metabolic shape, some tissue/ensory damage.

• Do we treat the symptoms one by one? Get sick to get well

• Preventive medicine in energy market? Insulation passive solar. Smart lights windows

• Develop living services/machines not house manufactures

• Negawatts are locally owned.. Prefer to earn than save..

• Ecology is moving from a religion to science. The meniminee indians would no more separate a foundation tree from the forest than a finger from their hand..