Synergies between food production and nature protection—what are some ways forward for sustaining landscapes?
Sarah Gergel, Assistant Dean, Diversity and Inclusion, Faculty of Forestry, The University of British Columbia
About the talk
Food insecurity is often addressed from an agricultural perspective, yet forests provide important and unique contributions to nutrition in many regions. The contributions of forests to nutrition are quite varied, flowing through surprisingly complex pathways. Furthermore, the extent to which the availability of nutritious forest foods depend on the type, amount, and configuration of forests is largely under-appreciated. Here, we explore some of the ways remote sensing can better characterize forest-nutrition linkages. In a project supported by SESYNC (the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center), this inter-disciplinary dilemma connects perspectives of ecologists, agronomists, nutrition experts, and anthropologists. Understanding these linkages helps in identifying new synergies where protecting and restoring forests can also support healthy people and livelihoods.
About the speaker
I am a Professor of Landscape Ecology & Conservation at the University of British Columbia. I recently released a second edition of my co-edited book: Learning Landscape Ecology and just last weekend became a Fellow of the AAAS. One enjoyable part of my job is serving as the Associate Dean of Diversity & Inclusion for the Faculty of Forestry. My research on landscape mapping and historic reconstruction examines how to better integrate participatory mapping and LEK (local ecological knowledge) with remote sensing to better characterize ecosystem services. Recent collaborations in the realm of international development (with various CGIAR institutions) examine how ecosystem services, nutrition, and livelihoods are impacted by the configuration of forest patches within agricultural mosaics. I am looking forward to a longer visit to PSU as a Huck Sabbatical Fellow in 2020.
- Webpage: www.landscape.forestry.ubc.ca
- Twitter: @GergelSarah https://twitter.com/GergelSarah
- Learning Landscape Ecology, 2e: http://ow.ly/Aeg230aI0L9