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The Vision
The vision of the University of Memphis is to be recognized as one of America's great metropolitan research universities, noted for its comprehensive, innovative academic programs and for capitalizing on its urban setting and surrounding region to address the challenges of our global society.
To help meet this need, the Department of Biology established the Ecological Research Center (ERC) in 1973 to meet the need for information relating to ecology (http://cas.memphis.edu/erc). The objective was to provide an academic unit within the University that would foster the institution's goal of discovery and dissemination of critical knowledge to the metropolitan community of Memphis, the people of Tennessee, and the nation. Additionally, there was a desire to prepare diverse graduate and undergraduate student populations for successful careers in ecology and related fields as well as "green jobs" and, in so doing, contribute to the global need for a workforce qualified to address the world's growing demand for ecological information. From the beginning, it was recognized that these goals could best be accomplished through the foundation of partnerships with city, state, federal, and private agencies. Such linkages have been strongly promoted and have been critical to the development of the ecological program at the University of Memphis. Members of the ERC can be found at http://cas.memphis.edu/erc/people.htm. The ERC has ongoing cooperative agreements with the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U. S. Geological Survey. These federal agencies have offices at the ERE and contribute significantly to the ecological program at the University of Memphis.
Urban Ecology Initiative
A new initiative of the Ecological Research Center is in Urban Ecology (http://cas.memphis.edu/erc/pue). This Urban Ecology initiative is interdisciplinary, with major support from the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy (SUAPP), and the departments of Economics, Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate, Earth Sciences, Architecture, History, and Mechanical Engineering. This program will also be supported through the ERC Board of Advisors, which includes members from the departments of Anthropology, Biology, Earth Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences; the directors of the Meeman Biological Station and the Bioinformatics Program; and representatives from Union University, Jackson, Tennessee, the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the City of Memphis GIS Program. This interdisciplinary support will enable the fulfillment of the ERC's vision: "To develop a world class initiative in Urban Ecology--a new frontier in science that focuses on the dynamic interactions among humans and the sustainability of ecological systems and natural resources."
During the past decade, ecologists have come to realize that the research area demanding the most attention is the one receiving the least--the urban environment. Three billion people--almost half of the worldwide population--live in urban metropolitan areas that represent less than 4 percent of the land mass, which puts tremendous pressure on all other areas to provide resources for people in urban areas. While the environment in and surrounding urban areas is changing more rapidly than any other (through land use decisions that promote economic growth), the amount of information available regarding ecological conservation and biological diversity in the urban environment is a virtual research void.
Conservation of natural resources and concern for ecological challenges typically are secondarily considered compared to economic impact of development. In fact, most development in urban areas proceeds consistent with existing local, state, and federal laws, which currently regulate only adverse impacts on water and runoff, air, and sometimes tree removal. Usually, development continues without regard to a holistic approach toward environmental conservation.
Scientists are partly to blame for not being a knowledgeable voice because there has not been enough vital research in the appropriate environment. Urban regions must be considered as ecosystems, with humans as the dominant species controlling the physical structure of the environment. Ecosystem health, success, and sustainability will require diligent management of natural resources to protect fragile areas and biological diversity and improve the socially equitable distribution of a high quality of life for all.
Ecosystem Services
One objective of the ERC is to promote the values of ecological services to the improved quality of life for citizens in urban and rural environments. Ecosystem services are the processes by which the environment produces resources that we often take for granted such as clean water, clear air, food and fiber production, and pollination of native and agricultural plants. Natural ecosystems provide humans with services that would be difficult to duplicate. While it is often impossible to place an accurate monetary amount on ecosystem services, we can calculate some of the financial values. Many of these services are performed seemingly for free, yet are worth trillions of dollars. For example:
* Many of the Mississippi River Valley's natural flood protection services were destroyed when adjacent wetlands were drained and channels altered. As a result, the 1993 floods resulted in property damages estimated at $12 billion, partially from the inability of the Valley to lessen the impacts of the high volumes of water. Damage from the floods in the Midwest this year is expect to exceed that of 1993 and cost additional billions in home and business repair and replacement and improvements to control structures that failed this year.
* Eighty percent of the world's population relies upon natural medicinal products. Of the top 150 prescription drugs used in the U.S., 118 originate from natural sources: 74 percent from plants, 18 percent from fungi, 5 percent from bacteria, and 3 percent from one vertebrate (snake species). Nine of the top 10 drugs originate from natural plant products. Destruction of habitat, particularly forested lands, alters or eliminates the delicate web of life from which many of these life-saving pharmaceuticals are extracted.
* Over 100,000 different animal species--including bees, flies, moths, butterflies, beetles, birds, and bats--provide free pollination services. One-third of human food comes from plants pollinated by wild pollinators. The value of pollination services from wild pollinators in the U.S. alone is estimated at between $4 and $6 billion per year.
Ecological Index
Another component of the Urban Ecology Initiative is to develop an Ecological Index (based partially on criteria established in 1994 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service) that would enable planners to develop areas with increased value to land owners and provide a basis for potential land owners to determine the ecological worth of their property.
Recent/Ongoing Projects
As the Urban Ecology Program continues to develop, the ERC strives to integrate its collective knowledge of traditional ecological tenets into new research and community outreach endeavors. Some examples of recent and ongoing projects are:
* Develop a natural resource management plan for the U.S. Army at Milan, Tennessee.
* Develop the ecological component of the master plan for Shelby Farms Park under contract with field operations, New York.
* Work with Shelby Farms Park Conservancy to develop a natural resource management plan in Phase One of Master Plan.
* Work with Memphis-Shelby County Health Department to review Riverview-Kansas Community Environmental Enhancement grants.
* The Meeman Biological Field Station is working on ecological issues with "Mississippi River Corridor-Tennessee," which is concerned with an area in which the cumulative total of visitor spending over twenty years is projected to be $13.2 billion.
* Participate in Environmental Domain of the Memphis Dashboard Project, convened by Partners in Public Education to measure quality of life in our community.
* Member of the University of Memphis Sustainability Committee.
* Faculty advisor to the University of Memphis Environmental Action Club.
* Cooperate with Center for University of Memphis Biofuel Energy and Sustainable Technologies (BEST).
* Participate in the University of Memphis (BEST) "Sustainable Technologies Awareness Day."
* Cohost Sustainable Tennessee Regional Opportunity Forum (West Tennessee).
* Organize the University of Memphis Urban Ecology Colloquium "Institutionalizing Ecological Literacy--Needs for Urban Conservation Education."
* Contribute to the development of the Environmental Concentration of the University of Memphis Master of Public Health Program.
Teaching and Mentorship
The Urban Ecology Initiative will focus on providing a traditional ecology background, but will also require students to take courses in Urban Planning, Public Policy, Sociology, and Geographic Information Systems, among others, to prepare them for positions in government and business where decisions about natural resources will be made. These students need to have a strong ecological ethic and must understand the objectives and motivations that allow economic development to proceed in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. Students in other disciplines also will benefit from a basic knowledge of ecological principles and values.
Course work is available through the Department of Biology to meet the requirements for B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. Courses provide students an opportunity to study plants and animals in both laboratory and field environments. Students use state-of-the-art field techniques to design and conduct experiments in classes such as General Biology and Wildlife Ecology and may develop their own research projects in one-on-one mentorship arrangements with research faculty. During the summer, several courses are offered that include field techniques in Vertebrate Ecology, River and Stream Ecology, and Local Flora of Tennessee.
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