EarthSky // Interviews // Earth By Lindsay Patterson Jan 18, 2010

Upmanu Lall uses climate models to help restore Everglades

“We stand to lose perhaps the most magnificent environmental or ecological resource the United States has,” said Upmanu Lall, director of the Columbia Water Center at Columbia University. Dr Lall discusses what we need to do to save the Florida Everglades, North America’s largest wetland.

DownloadEmbed
close

Copy the following code to embed this player

DownloadEmbed
close

Copy the following code to embed this player

Upmanu Lall: We stand to lose perhaps the most magnificent environmental or ecological resource the United States has.

Upmanu Lall is director of the Columbia Water Center at Columbia University. He’s speaking about the Florida Everglades, North America’s largest wetland.

Upmanu Lall: Essentially, we have a competition between human use – manifest as agriculture in the area, and the drinking supply for the 6 million people that live there – and simultaneous ability to sustain and nurture the ecosystem, which we have decided is important to us.

Human activity around the Everglades – essentially, a shallow and wide river – has caused the wetlands to shrink, and species to disappear. Lall is using climate models to determine how humans can restore the Everglades to a more natural state – and trying to factor in the uncertain impacts of climate variability and change.

Upmanu Lall: And that’s a challenge, because the natural system, as far as hydrology is concerned, mimics what goes on with climate.

Lall said climate change is likely to affect the region’s temperature and rainfall patterns. A significant rise in sea level would allow salt water to flow into the low-lying, freshwater Everglades.

Upmanu Lall: This in effect puts a very strong pressure on an already strained system.

Lall said that the restoration will include measures like tearing down levees and converting agricultural land. He said the goal of the restoration is to attain a balance between the natural ecosystem and human use of the area. Lall added that climate change presents a difficult challenge for the restoration project.

Upmanu Lall: There is a universal concern with the impacts of climate change, and lack of clarity on how to assess these uncertainties and respond to them.

Lall said that the Everglades’ extremely variable climate, and complex ecosystem interactions, make it difficult to know how endangered species will fare with restoration plans.

Upmanu Lall: One of the challenges we have is that each species responds differently to what’s proposed. We learn since species compete, there is not going to be a uniform solution which is best for all species.

Lall’s program is collaborating with the National Park Service and South Florida Water Management District. He said the Everglades restoration project is a pioneering effort, in terms of how societies can analyze and plan for managing water and ecology in the face of a changing climate.

Upmanu Lall: The hardest part is diagnosing what it means to restore an ecosystem, and what is reasonable, and how do you define success?

Share your comments on Facebook

21 Responses to Upmanu Lall uses climate models to help restore Everglades

  1. Benjamin Napier says:

    The use of climate models to predict anything at all is not viable. NONE of the climate models I have seen are predictive in any way. Therefore, their use to decide on policies to preserve an ecosystem would be rather foolish.

    The Everglades are a short term item that is on the end of the draining of the melt from the last ice age. It will change, we cannot stop the reality of the ever changing climate. Whether are not we have had any meaningful effect on the macroclimate is doubtful. We have had some effects on small localalities. As soon as we stop whatever we did to effect the area, it regains its footing.

    All things have an effect on the things about them. Good or bad, it is often hard to tell. Even hard to decide which is which. We humans must do what it takes to ensure our own survival. If the earth continues to exist without mankind, does it really matter?

    Most, if not all emvironmental policy is actually socialism masquerading as concern for the environment. It is about the destruction of capitalism and the ownership and control of private property. I have no doubt of the sincerity of many good folks; however, the leaders of the movements are communists and socialists all. And when they get control, you can bet the environment will not be one of their concerns.

    One thing about nature that must be understood is human nature. I would argue that altruism is by definition, non-existent. Humans do, like any other animal, what they percieve to be in their best interest at the time given what they know and understand of the situation they find themselves in.

  2. Kristauv31 says:

    The most right way to check the quality of the thesis writing service is to buy some famous format thesis referring to this topic in buy dissertation service.

  3. barosh says:

    Service and South Florida Water Management District. He said the Everglades restoration project is a pioneering effort, in terms of how societies can analyze and plan for managing water and ecology in the face of a changing climate. web design | advertising agency

  4. MaryAnn says:

    In Louisiana we are facing similar problems. We are losing so much of our coastal wetlands that it really becoming a problem. In my practice of Ulcer Treatment, I come in contact with many individuals who are trying to restore our wetlands. Thank you for an interesting post.

  5. JINAN says:

    bad, it is often hard to tell. Even hard to decide which is which. We humans must do what it takes to ensure our own survival. If the earth continues to exist without mankind, does it really matter? online undergraduate certificate | Online High Schools | online diploma

  6. Christy Turlington says:

    Worth sharing this information. Good Work
    Magazine Design Outsourcing | Newspapers Design Outsourcing | Flag Design Outsourcing

  7. Johnsmith says:

    They percieve to be in their best interest at the time given what they know and understand of the situation they find themselves in.

    assignment | courseworks

  8. john doe says:

    great sharing!thanks a lot!
    essay topics

  9. jane says:

    what an excellent capture job. Love the photo on top
    oral candidiasis

  10. Medcalf says:

    Wow, I just identified this website and invested the final 40+ mintes looking through subject matter. This undesirable boy goes in my dailt study record for certain. A+!

  11. Affiliate says:

    Comfortably, the article is really the sweetest on this deserving topic. I harmonise with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your next updates. Just saying thanks will not just be adequate, for the wonderful lucidity in your writing. I will immediately grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. De lightful work and much success in your business dealings!

  12. Hello friend, was just browsing through the internet and looking for some information and go to ya blog. I am impressed by the information that you have on your blog. Shows how ya understand your subject. I have Bookmarked your, will come back for more. Guy, you, Rock this Shit!

  13. Hello guy, was just searching through the internet looking 4 some infos and go to this page. I am impressed by the information that you’ve on this page. Shows how good ya understand this subject. I’ve bookmarked your, and will come back 4 more infos. You, Rock this Shit!

  14. starcraft says:

    I would argue that altruism is by definition, non-existent. Humans do, like any other animal, what they percieve to be in their best interest at the time given what they know and understand of the situation they find themselves in.

  15. ????? says:

    Brilliant article bro. This unique is just a totally nicely structured posting, just the important information I was hunting regarding. Cheers

  16. hair plugs says:

    Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here. I enjoyed reading it. I need to read more on this topic…

  17. Essay help says:

    Everglades is beautiful. Indeed is a good thing that they will help to restore it.

  18. Anybody know if the leaked ending from Heart of The Swarm is for real ?

  19. hello and thank you for your information – I’ve certainly picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise some technical points using this web site, since I experienced to reload the site lots of times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often have an effect on your situation in google and can damage your high-quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for much more of your respective interesting content. Ensure that you update this again soon..

Share your comments on EarthSky

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>