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

0107875奖项该奖项支持杜克大学的詹姆斯·雷诺兹和来自美国各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，包括过度耕作、过度放牧、燃料收集和气候多变。 在受影响的地区，许多人认为，土地供养人口、牲畜和野生食草动物的能力因此大大降低。 虽然国际社会已作出许多努力来处理这个问题，但仍然存在许多不确定因素和误解。 一个主要挑战是提出一个综合评估框架，以确定在何时何地什么是重要的，以便将一个领域的研究结果外推到其他区域。 为了迎接这一挑战，本次讲习班将直接侧重于综合框架，并与来自不同学科的国际研究人员开展工作合作。 尤其重要的是，科学家们认识到需要采取新的跨学科办法来解决紧迫的全球荒漠化问题，并寻求探索超越区域关切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.