U.S.-Germany Workshop: An Integrated Assessment of the Ecological, Meteorological, and Human Dimensions of Global Desertification

[107875]雷诺兹该奖项支持杜克大学的詹姆斯·雷诺兹和来自美国多所大学的初级和高级研究人员参加一个关于评估全球荒漠化的生态、气象和人类层面的研讨会。荒漠化是多种原因综合作用的结果，包括过度种植、过度放牧、燃料收集和气候变化。在受影响的地区，许多人认为土地支持人口、牲畜和野生食草动物的能力因此大大降低。尽管国际社会为解决这一问题作出了许多努力，但仍然存在许多不确定因素和误解。一项重大挑战是提出一个综合评估框架，以确定什么在何时何地重要，以便将一个地区的研究结果推断到其他地区。为了迎接这一挑战，本次研讨会将直接侧重于综合框架和与来自不同学科的国际研究人员建立工作合作。特别重要的是，科学家认识到需要新的跨学科方法来处理紧迫的全球荒漠化问题，并寻求探索一种超越区域问题的综合框架的新范例。

0107875ReynoldsThis award supports James Reynolds of Duke University and junior and senior researchers from various U.S. universities to participate in a workshop on assessment of the ecological, meteorological, and human dimensions of global desertification. Desertification is the result of a complex mixture of causes, including over-cultivation, overgrazing, fuel gathering, and climate variability. In areas affected, many perceive that the capacity of the land to support human populations, livestock, and wild herbivores has thereby been substantially reduced. Although much international effort has addressed this problem, many uncertainties and misconceptions still exist. A major challenge is to come up with a synthetic assessment framework for identifying what matters where and when in order to extrapolate results from studies in one area to other regions. To meet that challenge, the present workshop will focus directly on the synthetic framework and on forging working collaborations with international researchers from different disciplines. Especially important is that scientists recognize the need for new interdisciplinary approaches for addressing the pressing global problem of desertification and seek to explore a new paradigm for a synthetic framework that goes beyond regional concerns.