1. Anthropogenic Biomes A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21 st Century Erle C. Ellis Navin Ramankutty Department of Geography & Environmental Systems University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250 Department of Geography & Earth System Science Program McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada AGU Fall Meeting, December 10-14, 2007, San Francisco, California B43H-04

2. Humans now shape ecological pattern and process across most of the terrestrial biosphere. “Nature” is embedded within human systems. Ecology needs to move beyond human footprints, impacts & domination. Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

3. Why Anthropogenic Biomes? Humans control biodiversity & ecosystem processes as much as climate. Conventional biome maps are not realistic. –Much of biome area does not even exist (potential vegetation). –At most includes urban & agriculture (& agriculture+tree mosaic). Conventional, climate-based biomes are not static anyway: –Anthropogenic climate change is altering biome location & composition. Biomes derived from global patterns of human interaction with ecosystems may be a stronger model of global ecological patterns & processes. Grazing Agriculture Urbanization Deforestation Habitat Fragmentation etc… Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

4. Conventional Biomes ecosystem processes are a function of macroclimate (latitude, altitude, circulation) Ecosystem processes = f (C) C = Climate (precipitation & temperature) Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

5. ecosystem processes are mostly a function of human populations and their ecosystem interactions (land use) Ecosystem processes = f (P,T) P = Population density T = Land use (how land & resources are used) Anthropogenic Biomes Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

6. Population density (urban, rural) Croplands Pastures Irrigation Rice Tree & bare cover (Vegetation Continuous Fields) Cluster Analysis Anthropogenic Biomes Anthropogenic Biomes : An Empirical Approach Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

7. Wildlands 61Wild forests 62Sparse trees 63Barren Forested 51Populated forests 52Remote forests Rangelands 41Residential rangelands 42Populated rangelands 43Remote rangelands Croplands 31 Residential irrigated cropland 32 Residential rainfed mosaic 33 Populated irrigated cropland 34 Populated rainfed cropland 35 Remote croplands Anthropogenic Biomes of the World *Mosaic: >25% tree cover mixed with > 25% pasture and/or cropland * Ellis & Ramankutty, 2008

8. Wildlands Peruvian Amazon, Peru Credit: © Wendee Holtcamp.

9. Croplands Atlas Mountains, Morocco Wildlands Alaska, USA

10. Populated Forest Koh Samai, Thailand Credit: © Yenit Company Ltd.

11. Croplands Atlas Mountains, Morocco Remote Rangelands South Dakota, USA Credit: © Alexander Smart.

12. Populated Rangelands Atlas Mountains, Morocco

13. Remote Croplands Colombia Basin, Washington, USA Credit: © GWMA

14. Croplands - Residential Rainfed Mosaic Normandy, France Credit: © JH.Bernard.

15. Anthropogenic Biomes of the World Ellis & Ramankutty, 2008 Villages 8 million km 2 Significant agricultural areas Rural population >100 person km -2

16. Villages Jintang County, Sichuan Province, China

17. Rice Villages Danyang County, Jiangsu Province, China

18. Urban Manhattan, New York, USA Credit: © Wendee Holtcamp. <http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com/amazon.htm

19. Urban Baltimore County, Maryland, USA

20. Anthropogenic biomes A new framework for ecology & earth science Only 22% of land and 11% of NPP are wild Nature is now embedded within human systems –It is no longer possible to investigate or conserve nature by avoiding human interactions Human interactions with the biosphere go far beyond a single dimension of impact or domination. Beyond the “urban + agriculture + wild” model –Forests, rangelands & croplands include people! –A wide range of population interactions. Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

21. Villages Pohkara, Nepal

22. Anthropogenic Biomes Results Anthropogenic Biomes are Mosaics –Anthropogenic landscapes are heterogeneous mixtures of different land use and land cover classes. –Urban areas are embedded in agricultural areas. –Trees mixed with croplands and housing. –Managed vegetation is mixed with semi-natural vegetation (e.g. croplands in rangelands and forests). –Hillslopes & mountains are often islands of semi-natural vegetation Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

23. Anthropogenic Biomes: Conceptual Model Wildlands Urban & dense ForestedRangelandsVillagesCroplands Ellis & Ramankutty, 2008

24. Anthropogenic biomes A new framework for research Hypotheses Ecosystem patterns & processes differ significantly between anthropogenic biomes. Ecological differences will be at least as great as those between conventional biomes. Ecological differences are caused primarily by differences in land use and population density. The degree to which anthropogenic biomes explain global ecological patterns will increase over time.  NPP, carbon emissions, reactive nitrogen, etc.  Biodiversity (total, native) Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

25. A better story… “Human systems, with natural ecosystems embedded within them”. We own the biosphere: we have altered it irreversibly. Now we control its future. The old biosphere story… “Natural ecosystems with humans disturbing them”. Anthropogenic biomes A new framework for education Ellis and Ramankutty 2007. Anthropogenic Biomes: A Framework for Earth Science and Ecology in the 21st Century. AGU Fall Meeting (2007 )

26. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Anthropogenic_biomes Anthromes Online Ellis & Ramankutty (2008) Putting people in the map: Anthropogenic Biomes of the world Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 6, doi:10.1890/070062 Printable Wall-size Map in Acrobat Format Reference: