February 19th, 2008: Stephen Jackson
February 19th, 2008
Prof.dr. Stephen T. Jackson
Title: "The rise and fall of terrestrial ecosystems: past, present and future."
Abstract
Paleoecological studies indicate that nearly all terrestrial ecosystems on Earth arose within the past 11,000 years, as dominant plant species responded numerically, functionally, and biogeographically to changes in climate. Development of these ecosystems was accompanied by decline of previous ecosystems. In some cases, ecosystem turnover was incremental or gradual, while in others it was rapid, even catastrophic in nature. Ecosystem turnover was driven largely by climate change, with humans playing important roles in certain regions at certain times. These turnover episodes provide a broad array of case studies for examining ecological consequences of climate change and human land-use.
These paleoecological perspectives indicate that ecosystem turnover is natural. But is it desirable? Should we be complacent in the face of global climate change predicted for the coming century and beyond? Consideration of the rate, magnitude, and geographic coverage of projected climate change under realistic greenhouse-gas scenarios gives cause for alarm. Terrestrial ecosystems across the globe are at serious risk of collapse in the coming decades, and such collapse may already be in train in some regions. Science and society are confronted with grand challenges – to mitigate future climate change by reducing greenhouse emissions, and to adapt to those changes that can no longer be prevented. Monitoring, modeling, and paleoecology will all be needed to assess risks, identify trends, and select strategies for adaptation.
CV
Previous academic positions
- 1997-2001. Associate Professor of Botany, University of Wyoming
- 1997-2007. Affiliate, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado
- 1995-1997. Assistant Professor of Botany, University of Wyoming
- 1990-1995. Assistant / Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University
- 1988-1990. Research Associate in Geological Sciences, Brown University
- 1986-1988. National Science Foundation Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Environmental Biology (in residence at Brown University)
- 1985-1986. Adjunct Faculty in Biological Sciences, Idaho State University
- 1984-1985. Visiting Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University
- 1983-1984. Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, Indiana University
HONORS AND AWARDS
- 1999. Extraordinary Merit in Research Award, College of Arts & Sciences
- 2005. Boggess Award, American Water Resources Association
- 2006. Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow in Environmental Sciences
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Office in Professional Societies:
Chair, Program Committee, American Quaternary Association, 20th Biennial Meeting, 2006
Chair, William S. Cooper Award Committee, Ecological Society of America, 2003-2006 Publications Committee, Ecological Society of America, 2003-2009
Executive Council, American Quaternary Association, 2002-2006
George Mercer Award Committee, Ecological Society of America, 1997-1999
Organizing Committee, American Quaternary Association 14th Biennial Meeting, 1994-95
Chair, Deevey Award Committee, Paleoecology Section, Ecological Society of America, 1993
Executive Council, Ecological Society of America, 1992-93
Program Committee, Ecological Society of America, 1992-93
Chair, Paleoecology Section, Ecological Society of America, 1992-93
Chair-Elect, Paleoecology Section, Ecological Society of America, 1991-92
E. S. Deevey Award Committee, Paleoecology Section, Ecological Society of America, 1991
Secretary, Paleoecology Section, Ecological Society of America, 1990-91
Editorial Boards:
Editorial Board, Frontiers in Ecology and Environment, 2007-2010
Editorial Board, Ecosystems, 2007-2009
Associate Editor, Journal of Vegetation Science, 2006-2009
Editorial Board, Diversity and Distributions, 2001-2006
Board of Editors, Ecology, 1999-2009
Board of Editors, Ecological Monographs, 1999-2009
Associate Editor, Wetlands, 1999-2002
Editorial Advisory Board, The New Phytologist, 1995-1998
Advisory Committees:
Scientific Advisory Board, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) (2006-2009)
Climate Change Subcommittee, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Design Consortium (2005)
Committee on the Geological Record of Biosphere Dynamics, National Research Council (2002-2005)
Vice-Chair, Committee on the Geological Record of Biosphere Dynamics, National Research Council (2004-2005)
Advisory Committee, North American Pollen Database (2004-2007)
Publications
Stephen Jackson has published numerous scientific papers, chapters and reports, including approximately 70 papers in refereed journals and books, including the following most recent ones:
- Minckley, T.A. & S.T. Jackson. 2008. Ecological stability in a changing world? Reassessment of the paleoenvironmental history of Cuatro Ciénegas, México. Journal of Biogeography 35:188-190.
- Suding, K.N., S. Lavorel, F.S. Chapin III, J.H.C. Cornelissen, S. Díaz, E. Garnier, D. Goldberg, D.U. Hooper, S.T. Jackson & M.-L. Lavas. 2008. Scaling environmental change from traits to communities to ecosystems: the challenge of complexity at intermediate scales. Global Change Biology (in press).
- Jackson, S.T. 2007. Guest editor. Special issue on “Paleoecology: Using the past as a key to the future.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 5(9). (November 2007).
- Jackson, S.T. & R.K. Booth. 2007. Validation of pollen studies. Pages 2413-2422 in Encyclopaedia of Quaternary Sciences (S.A. Elias, editor-in-chief). Elsevier Scientific Publishing, Inc.
- Richardson, D.M., P.W. Rundel, S.T. Jackson, R.O. Teskey, J. Aronson, A. Bytnerowicz, M.J. Wingfield & ª. Procheº. 2007. Human impacts in pine forests – past, present, and future. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 38:275-297.
- Williams, J.W. & S.T. Jackson. 2007. Novel climates, no-analog communities, and ecological surprises. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 5:475-482.
- Williams, J.W., S.T. Jackson, & J.E. Kutzbach. 2007. Projected distributions of novel and disappearing climates by 2100 AD. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104:5738-5742.
