Ecology
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Agroecology
Welcome to the Agroecology resources page!
Please, be patient while our collection of materials is under development.
We suggest you start with the "Introducing Agroecology" publication.
Ecological Invasion
Interspecific competition where native species are competing with nonnative species for resources (e.g., nutrients, space, water, etc.)
Related Topics: Ecology
Habitats
The natural environment where an organism, population or community lives, including biotic and abiotic factors.
Urban Ecology
Urban ecology is defined as the study of structure, dynamics, and processes in urban ecological systems. Urban ecology is the study of the relationships of human and nonhuman organisms in urban areas, the interactions of these organisms with the native and built physical environment, and the effects of these relationships on the fluxes of energy, materials, and information within individual urban systems and between urban and nonurban systems.
Publications
Born to Burn: The Fire Ecology of Longleaf Pines
D. Alex Bowers, Daniel J. Johnson, Lukas Magee, andRaelene M. Crandall
Fire-dependent longleaf pine ecosystems once covered over 37 million hectares across the Southeast. Today, they occupy less than 5% of their historical range due to urban development, land-use changes, and fire suppression. Fire maintains open canopies, supports diverse ground cover species, and facilitates longleaf pine establishment. This publication describes the longleaf pine life cycle, highlighting how each growth stage, from seedling to adult, is adapted to fire. It explores the historical role of fire: both lightning and indigenous peoples sustained frequent burns across these landscapes for millennia. Without regular fire, longleaf pine ecosystems become closed-canopy forests dominated by other species, leading to biodiversity loss and increased wildfire risk. Landowners and fire managers will find practical recommendations for using prescribed fire safely and effectively to manage longleaf pine habitats, promote ecosystem resilience and aid longleaf pine recovery.