Ecosystem services in multi-use landscapes: associations with functional traits as a measure of the effect of land-use on ecosystem services in the GTA

Abstract

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Understanding the effect of land-use on the ecosystems is fundamental to land management and, in the broader sense to a sustainable way of life. My research will be investigating the effect of land-use on ecosystem services using plant functional traits as indicators of individual services. This project will provide research based in Ontario, which has been severely lacking.  

The objective of my study is threefold: i) Document the associations that connect ecosystem services to functional traits ii) through data collection and multivariate analysis, analyse the vegetative communities of the TRCA and CVC conservation authorities, and test if the functional and species diversity of the plant populations are affected by land-use iii) using the associations between ecosystem services and functional traits, test if land-use has a significant effect on ecosystem services. This research will provide significate information for land management in Ontario, as well as develop a thorough and scientifically based framework for assessing ecosystem services, and understanding the relationship between land-use and the ecosystem services that humanity relies upon.  

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Everyone is welcome to attend

(This is a Research Proposal presentation by students in ENVS*6900)