Symposium 11. Digging Deeper or Scratching the Surface? Exploring Ecological Theories in Urban Soils - Endorsed by the ESA Urban Ecology and Soil Ecology Sections
Organizers:
Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
T: (520) 325-4026
E: mzucker@email.arizona.edu

Loren Byrne
Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology
Penn State University
T: (814) 865-4082
E: lbb130@psu.edu

Description:
The structure and function of ecosystems are in large part determined by resources and disturbance regimes. Disturbance also acts to generate heterogeneity of resource availability through space and time. This year's meeting theme of "Inhabited Landscapes" brings attention to the role of humans in determining the patterns and processes of ecological systems; urban ecosystems are the ultimate expression of this theme. Global demographic trends suggest that urbanization will continue over the next century, with a greater percentage of people living in cites, and a corresponding increase in the population of the world's cities. A major area of focus for ecologists in urban ecosystems is the soil. Soils are the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems, supporting both above- and below-ground life. Soils are key sites of ecosystem processes in terrestrial ecosystems, as most organic material passes into detrital food webs, where a suite of diverse soil fauna decompose substrates and transform nutrients. The increasing interest in urban ecosystems provides a new opportunity for ecologists to conduct basic research and investigate ecological theories using urban soils. One of the key questions to be addressed is, "What characteristics of urban ecosystems and urban soils are similar to and different from other ecosystems?" The collection of talks will discuss how the characteristics of urban environments influence soil biodiversity, trophic and functional groups, and ecosystem functions. By addressing what we know about how different urban places influence the pattern and process of ecosystems, this symposium will provide an introduction and overview of urban soil ecology, and help map out future research opportunities and priorities for urban ecology and soil ecology.


Speakers in this symposium are leading urban soil ecologists, representing a variety of research projects conducted in a diversity of urban places. The objective of this symposium is to highlight the contributions that an understanding of urban soil ecology can make to general ecological theory. One of the key questions to be addressed is, "What characteristics of urban ecosystems and urban soils are similar to and different from other ecosystems?" The theoretical framework guiding this symposium is centered on the roles of resource availability, disturbance and heterogeneity as they directly and indirectly mediate ecological patterns and processes. Speakers will address these issues from a variety of scales and habitats within urban ecosystems. The collection of talks will discuss how the characteristics of urban environments influence soil biodiversity, trophic and functional groups, and ecosystem functions. Introductory talks will provide conceptual overviews of urban ecology and soil ecology, and will define the types of resources, disturbances, and levels of heterogeneity common to human dominated ecosystems. Subsequent presentations will delve more deeply into research conducted in urban soils to provide insight about how such studies can contribute to the development and understanding of contemporary ecological theory. In addition, the influence of resource availability, disturbance and heterogeneity on the biodiversity of urban soils will be discussed in terms as focal points for environmental and sustainability education programs. By addressing what we know about how different urban places influence the pattern and process of ecosystems, this symposium will provide an introduction and overview of urban soil ecology, and help map out future research opportunities and priorities for urban ecology and soil ecology.


Speaker List:
1. Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman, University of Arizona, Introduction
2. Steward Pickett, Institute of Ecosystem Studies 'Urban ecosystems: influences of disturbance, altered resources, and heterogeneity'
3. Diana Wall, Colorado State University 'Diversity and function in disturbed and un-disturbed habitats: a perspective from soil ecology'
4. Kathy Szlávecz, The Johns Hopkins University 'Disturbance and soil faunal community dynamics: lessons from American and European Cities'
5. Richard Pouyat, USDA Forest Service 'Anthro-soils: Urban Effects on Soil Carbon Pools and Fluxes'
6. Margaret Carreiro, University of Louisville 'The influence of disturbance and shifting resources on nutrient cycling in remnant forest patches'
7. Loren Byrne, Penn State University 'City collembolan, country collembolan: a tale of lawn and garden landscape ecology'
8. Liam Heneghan, DePaul University 'Restoration ecology and invasive species in urban forest and grassland ecosystems'
9. Liz Johnson, American Museum of Natural History 'Towards an urban land ethic: Urban soil ecology as a focal point for environmental and sustainability education'

2004 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nematologists
Information about the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nematologists, August 7-11, is now available online here. Links currently provide information about the YMCA of the Rockies facility in Estes Park, Colorado, recreation opportunities, our banquet site, travel arrangements, a list of symposia, and the abstract submission form. Meeting registration information will be available soon.

This year’s location is especially well suited for family vacations. The special children’s rate (15 years old and under) is only $14 and includes accommodations and three meals a day. Recreation activities range from arts and crafts to whitewater rafting. The facility is located adjacent to the Rocky Mountain National Park.

This year’s program includes symposia on Sentinel Taxa, Molecular Approaches to Nematode Biocontrol, Perspectives on the Current State of Knowledge on Crop Damage by Nematodes, Nematode-Bacterial Interactions, and Molecular Aspects of Resistance/Virulence. A hands-on workshop will be offered on Computation of Nematode Community Analyses, and a discussion session on Infraspecific Designations for Plant Parasitic Nematodes is scheduled. Additional discussion sessions are planned. Keep checking the web site for updates.

Eurosoil 2004 , September 4-12, 2004, in Freiburg, Germany. http://www.forst.uni-freiburg.de/eurosoil.

GLOBAL SOIL CHANGE: TIME-SCALES AND RATES OF PEDOGENIC PROCESSES
presented by the International Union of Soil Science and others.
GLOBAL SOIL CHANGE: TIME-SCALES AND RATES OF PEDOGENIC PROCESSES
With pre-and post-conference field trips Montecello, Mexico.
March 29-April 06, 2005

18th World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS) , July 9-15, 2006, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “Frontiers of Soil Science: Technology and the Information Age” www.18wcss.org.

send appropriate meeting announcements to G. Rachel for posting.