Public lecture - Emily Ury: Ecological Consequences of Wetland Loss and Restoration Across Scales

Day	Monday, January 30
Time	1:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Where	UU-202

Emily Ury, postdoctoral fellow in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, will speak on "Ecological Consequences of Wetland Loss and Restoration Across Scales." Wetlands offer an excellent lens for studying coupled natural-human systems. Not only are wetlands severely threatened by land development and climate change, they are one of nature's best solutions to several environmental problems. This talk covers two case studies of wetland reconfiguration, the ecological consequences of these changes, and implications for the planet and for society. First, we will explore rapid forested wetland loss in the coastal plain of North Carolina, where sea level rise and salinization threaten both natural and restored wetlands. Specifically, I will talk about my work on coastal 'ghost forests', where and why they occur, and the consequences for carbon cycling in this rapidly changing landscape. Second, I will share my work on wetland restoration in agricultural landscapes and strategies for maximizing ecosystem services. This talk showcases a combination of biogeochemistry and landscape ecology approaches to furthering our understanding of the impacts of global change.