Environmental Disturbance in the Greater Yucatan

The project seeks to understand the socio-ecological relationship between both human and of natural disturbances, with a focus on the 2007 landfall of Hurricane Dean, and forest cover in the Yucatán Peninsula.

Environmental Disturbance in the Greater Yucatan The Environmental Disturbances in the Greater Yucatán (EDGY) project is a joint effort of Rutgers University, Clark University, The University of Virginia, and El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR). Our project seeks to understand the socio-ecological relationship between both human and of natural disturbances, with a focus on the 2007 landfall of Hurricane Dean, and forest cover in the Yucatán Peninsula. We employ a combination of methods including, but not limited to, remote sensing analysis, ecological field assessments, household- and community-level interviews and surveys.

Current research efforts include understanding how land use and biophysical properties combine to inform tropical forest resilience and regeneration following disturbances. This objective includes multi-scalar investigation of 1) regional mapping and monitoring of tropical secondary forest using remote sensing and spatial modeling 2) individual- and plot-level biomass recovery analysis 3) feedback between land use and forest ecosystem dynamics through participatory mapping and community focus groups.

Selected related publications from the Land Systems Science Research Group: Landscape analysis of forest damage after Hurricane Dean 2007 Effects of wind disturbance on biodiversity

See more publications from the Southern Yucatan Peninsula Region