ESE-faculty-list First 2011 PCCRC Seminar: Dynamic Interactions among People, Livestock, and Savanna Ecosystems under Climate Change

[Lee, Linda S]

First 2011 PCCRC Seminar:
Dynamic Interactions among People, Livestock, and Savanna Ecosystems under Climate Change
Dynamic Interactions among People, Livestock, and Savanna Ecosystems under Climate Change: The East Africa Climate-Land Interaction Project in Savanna Ecosystems

Professor Jeffrey A. Andresen
Michigan State University

Thursday, February 17, 2011
3:30 p.m.
Pfendler Auditorium
Refreshments at 3:00pm in the Pfendler Gallery

ABSTRACT: Land use transformation has accelerated in the savannah ecosystem of East Africa during recent decades, driven by increasing population, changing economy, changing governmental policy on land tenure, overseas investment, developing infrastructure, and the introduction and development of irrigated agriculture.  These factors are likely to be influenced by climatic factors in pressuring people to transition their livelihoods among various options that include pastoralism, subsistence farming, cash farming, or employment at corporate plantations. All of the resulting land use/land cover transformations have the potential to alter regional climate.  Much of this effect may be local, with surface-atmosphere fluxes of water and energy being modified, resulting in small-scale alterations in air circulation, temperature, and precipitation.  A large, multi-institutional research team is attempting to understand the causes of these changes in the savanna, particularly the role of climate change.  The East Africa Climate-Land Interaction Project in Savanna Ecosystems (EACLIPSE) is utilizing a comprehensive conceptual and methodological approach to modeling and statistical analysis of climate, land management, and ecosystem dynamics at two scales; the local scale where human decisions are made and ecosystem dynamics are most evident, and the regional scale where the cumulative effect of human activity and ecosystem change may significantly impact climate.  This presentation will give an overview of the research questions, hypotheses and methodology of EACLIPSE as well as some initial research findings.

BIO: Jeff Andresen is an associate professor of meteorology/climatology with Michigan State University’s Department of Geography and the State Climatologist for Michigan. A native of the Quad Cities area of Iowa/Illinois, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois University in the field of meteorology, and  M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University in the field of agricultural meteorology/climatology.  Dr. Andresen has professional experience as an agricultural meteorologist with the National Weather Service and with the USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board in Washington, D.C., where he was involved in international crop/weather impact assessment and production estimation.  He currently serves as director of the Michigan Climatological Resources Program, co-director of the Enviro-weather system, which supports agricultural pest, production, and natural resource management decision-making across Michigan.  From 2007-09, he served as an appointed member of Governor Granholm’s Michigan Climate Action Council.  Teaching responsibilities include courses in agricultural climatology, meteorology, regional climatology, and physical geography.  The primary focus of Andresen’s research has been the influence of weather and climate on agriculture, especially within Michigan and the Great Lakes Region.  Current and past themes include; climatological trends and potential impacts, water use for agricultural irrigation, impacts associated with potential future changes in climate, weather and risk management in agricultural production systems, influence of land use changes on regional climate, winter hardiness and mortality of crops and insects, and the measurement and use of weather data for determination of plant disease risk.

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