LIU 9702684 In this CAREER award, the investigator will use a systems approach to determine the effect of four major human activities - timber harvesting, fuelwood collection, house building, and construction of hydroelectric stations - on panda habitat in the Wolong Nature Reserve, China. The PI will 1) assess the spatio-temporal interrelationships of multiple human activities; 2) evaluate land cover change and survey vegetation and panda habitat conditions along gradients of human activities; and 3) develop a spatially explicit landscape simulation model that predicts multi-scale interactions and ecological consequences of human activities. The research will provide important insights into understanding the relationship between multiple human activities and wildlife habitat dynamics. The proposed research will be tightly integrated with educating future leaders in landscape ecology. The trainees will gain international research experience and will learn leadership skills by being key members of the organizing committee for the 1998 US-IALE Landscape Ecology Conference. The PI will also incorporate the research methods and results into three courses so that many students can benefit from the research activity. The interrelated research and educational activities will help students fully prepare for their professional careers and add a significant dimension to their understanding and solution of complex global ecological problems.
