Highlight
Socio-Ecological Research Program
Achievement/Results
Contribution to the Luquillo Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) socio-ecological research program.
1.) As part of her IGERT experience trainee Tischa Munoz has been involved with the Luquillo LTER (San juan Puerto Rico) in developing a socio-ecological research program. She has been involved in the Luquillo LTER’s annual meetings, presented talks and posters on the potential for integrating existing and new social science into their existing ecological program, and contributed to the Luquillo LTER Social Sciences meeting to develop an intersdisciplinary conceptual model for socio-ecological research. Tischa collaborated with Luquillo LTER scientists on a book chapter and paper presentation on integrating social sciences in the Luquillo LTER. She also helped coordinate the visit of LTER Co-PI Jess Zimmerman to ASU’s CAP LTER to share experiences in conducting urban ecology in an LTER. These collaborations also contributed to her involvement with the ULTRA site efforts to establish an urban ecology site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, along with additional work she has conducted on the linkages of science and policy for sustainable water management in the Luquillo region in Puerto Rico.
2.) Development of an Urban Long Term Research Area (ULTRA) site in San Juan, Puerto Rico: For the IGERT required course on Urban Ecological System, Tischa wrote a paper on establishing and Urban Long Term Area (ULTRA) site in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tischa was approached by Morgan Grove and Ariel Lugo of the US Forest Service and the NSF Long Term Ecological Research Project (LTER), connections made through her participation in LTER events and that were made possible through IGERT funding and involvement with the CAP LTER and the Luquillo LTER. This paper is now under review in the Cities and the Environment Journal (CATE), and by key ecologists and social scientists in Puerto Rico. This paper will become the basis of a grant proposal to the USFS to establish the urban ecology site in San Juan. Tischa drew the major concepts and design principles for this new urban site from her experience with her IGERT in Urban Ecology Fellowship and her interaction with CAP LTER and other LTER sites. This collaboration has the potential to develop into a post-dissertation long-term research program for in urban ecology for Tischa.
Address Goals
The collaborative efforts and contributions to the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network build on the promotion, synthesis, and comparative research of the LTER in general and more specifically addresses core research questions within the context of local research.
