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Human-Natural Systems

Early on in my research career, I realized that I was most drawn to questions that considered bi-directional feedbacks between humans and freshwater ecosystems. In one direction, freshwater systems have been transformed by humans for generations (see some of the photos below). We've dredged and widened river channels, extracted groundwater through wells, and drained and filled wetlands for urban and agricultural development. In the other direction, humans rely on freshwater systems for drinking water, biodiversity support, carbon storage, flood mitigation, and so much more. Any perceived losses to these benefits can drive policy changes through resident-led, “bottom-up” approaches or management-led, “top-down” means.

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Utilizing a human-natural systems approach, I can investigate solutions to critical issues facing society today like water insecurity, climate disasters, and pollution as well as gain a better understanding of how freshwater systems function under the strain of these threats.

Groundwater extraction creates trade-offs in wetland biophysical and cultural ecosystem services in the Tampa Bay Region

An example of some of the human-natural systems research I have done, includes my dissertation research in the Tampa Bay region. The Tampa Bay region supports over 3 million people primarily in cities like Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It also supports numerous freshwater wetlands subjected to population increases, economic growth, and shifting management policies. These wetlands are embedded in urban and residential areas, where people can observe and respond to changes in wetland condition over time.

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In the 1990s, this region experienced water conflicts. Overextraction of groundwater by local governments caused the desiccation of many wetlands and lakes as well as property damage from sinkholes. Lawsuits led by residents required water managers to begin cutting back groundwater extraction rates and, instead, explore alternative water supply sources (Fig. 1). ​

Groundwater_Extraction_TS_Panel_edited.jpg

Fig 1. Groundwater extraction in the Tampa Bay region over the past 90 years contextualized by changes in management policies. In the first panel (1930–2020), you can see that groundwater extraction increased rapidly from the 1930 to 1970 before beginning to decline. Visible environmental damage from this overextraction resulted in the "Tampa Bay Water Wars," which was a decade-long feud between residents and local governments that ended in a court mandate for water managers to lower groundwater extraction. In the second panel (1990–2020), you can see that groundwater extraction was lowered in stages as other water supply sources like a desalination plant and surface water reservoir became operational. 

Throughout my dissertation, I investigated how social (groundwater management, land-use change) and environmental (precipitation, basin geomorphology) factors shaped wetland condition over time as well as how residents and managers perceived and responded to changes in wetland condition. I further investigate whether cutbacks in groundwater extraction were large enough and occurred early enough to protect wetland ecosystem services for future generations.

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Examples of my research questions include: 

  1. What social and environmental factors explain variation in wetland inundation?
     

  2. Does the influence of these factors change following the adoption of groundwater conservation measures?
     

  3. How does wetland inundation vary between wetlands exposed to different rates of historic groundwater extraction?
     

  4. Is wetland inundation increasing following the adoption of groundwater conservation measures?
     

  5. Are there trade-offs between groundwater extraction rates (provisioning ecosystem service) and other wetland ecosystem services like biodiversity (supporting ecosystem service), carbon storage (regulating ecosystem service), and aesthetic value (cultural ecosystem service)?
     

  6. What cultural services do wetlands provide and what wetland attributes drive differences in the cultural services that wetlands provide?

My dissertation research is in collaboration with other researchers at the University of South Florida including my advisor, Dr. David Lewis (Department of Integrative Biology), and my committee members: Dr. Andrew Kramer (Department of Integrative Biology), Dr. Shawn Landry (Department of Geosciences), Dr. Luanna Prevost (Department of Integrative Biology), and Dr. Rebecca Zarger (Department of Anthropology).

Funding acknowledgements: 

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