Workshop: Abrupt grass-woodland transitions: Determinants and consequences for ecosystem services - December 15-17, 2012 in Maldonado, Uruguay

近年来，由于发现了新的数学工具和产生早期预警信号的生态系统特征，我们对生态系统突变的理解得到了极大的发展。虽然新的统计工具可能有助于预测临界点，但确定避免或面对它们采取的最佳行动需要对系统本身进行更详细的了解。水有限的生态系统包括各种草地、灌丛、具有一系列木本植被的开放和封闭树冠森林。在社会、经济以及环境和生态因素的驱动下，世界上许多草原和稀树草原正经历着从草本植物向木本植物主导地位的快速转变。本次研讨会由美国国家科学基金会生物科学理事会和国际科学与工程办公室共同资助，目的是综合目前对从草原到林地的转变，其耦合的社会和生态决定因素，以及提供生态系统服务的后果的理解。这次会议是由乌拉圭的国际研究机构南美恢复力和可持续性研究所主办的。讲习班的最后一天虽然主要关注科学状况，但将向公众开放，重点是乌拉圭、阿根廷和巴西的政策制定者、保护组织和来自私营和公共部门的行业代表。产品将包括一篇由所有参与者共同撰写的综合论文、多篇科学论文和公开会议。研讨会的所有报告和成果都将被存档，并在研究所的网页上免费提供。草原、灌丛和稀树草原覆盖了地球上约一半的土地，虽然其特点是降水少，但却占陆地生产力的约三分之一，并容纳了三分之一的人口。旱地系统产生一系列生态系统服务，这些服务预计会随着系统的转变而改变。为期一天的决策者会议已经引起了当地和区域的极大兴趣。该项目还将支持一名来自亚利桑那州立大学的研究生作为积极参与者和研讨会组织者。

Our understanding of abrupt transitions in ecological systems has grown dramatically in recent years as a result of the discovery of new mathematical tools and characteristics of ecosystems that yield early warning signals. While new statistical tools may help predict tipping points, identifying best actions to avoid or to take in the face of them requires more detailed understanding of the systems themselves. Water limited ecosystems include a variety of grasslands, shrublands, and open and closed-canopy forests with a range of woody vegetation. Many grasslands and savannas worldwide are undergoing rapid shifts in dominance from herbaceous to woody plants driven by social and economic, as well as environmental and ecological factors. The objective of this workshop, cofunded by NSF's Biological Sciences Directorate and Office of International Science and Engineering, is to synthesize current understanding of the transition from grasslands to woodlands, its coupled social and ecological determinants, and the consequences for the provisioning of ecosystem services. The meeting is sponsored by the South American Institute for Resilience and Sustainability Studies, an international research institute in Uruguay. Though mainly foucsed on the state of the science, the last day of the workshop will be open to the general public, focusing ing on policy makers, conservation organizations and industry representatives from the private and public sectors in Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. Products will include a synthesis paper co-authored by all participants, multiple scientific papers, and the public session. All of the presentations and results from the workshop will all be archived and made freely available on the Institute's web page.Grasslands, shrublands and savannas cover about half of the land on Earth and while characterized by low precipitation, represent about a third of the productivity on land and contain a third of the human population. Dry land systems produce a range of ecosystem services that are expected to change as the systems shift. The one day conference with decision makers has already attracted substantial local and regional interest. And this project will also support a graduate student from Arizona State University as an active participant and workshop organizer.