Faculty Exploratory Research Grants

Developing an Urban Ecosystem Research Program in Tucson, AZ: Monitoring N-deposition and Ecosystem Health

Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman, Research Associate, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Grant: $10,000

Urbanization is arguably one of the most dramatic forms of landscape change, and an important anthropogenic influence on the structure and function of ecosystems. It is projected that the percentage of the U.S. population living in urban areas will increase from 74 percent in 1986 to greater than 80 percent in 2025. Urbanization within Arizona is increasing rapidly. While there is a growing understanding of the nature of urban ecosystems, there is a dearth of information on the status of urbanized soils, especially in cities in arid environments. Cities have obvious impacts on local ecologies and environments, such as shifts in species diversity and alteration of local microclimates. As cities continue to expand and replace neighboring adjacent natural areas with development, urban ecologists are placing more emphasis understanding the responses of ecosystems, and the implications for habitat, air, and water quality. The objectives of this project are the quantification and mapping of N (nitrogen)-deposition in Tucson and surrounding areas, and the development of indicators of ecosystem health for urban ecosystems, with specific interest in relating these indicators to the sustainability of ecosystem services in urban areas.

Institute for the Study of Planet Earth, Arizona Research Laboratories

The University of Arizona

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