Integrated modelling of tropical dry forest using climate, land cover change, and ecosystem services models

This project will combine specialized land cover, climate, and ecosystem services models into a single platform via the Dinamica EGO platform, linking them together using feedback systems. Using a deforestation model in Costa Rica as a baseline, with a climate change model, CORDEX, and a water services model, SWAT, we can produce a more complete picture of the future change in Costa Rica. This will provide me the opportunity to quantify how water resources will change under different land uses and climate alterations. Costa Rica is home to sensitive ecosystems, which have a high biodiversity and produce many services for nearby populations. Additionally, the economic activities in Costa Rica have historically centered on agriculture and ranching, and these contributions continue to comprise a large portion of the GDP. This focus on land based resources makes it imperative to understand how the future of the land will change, which areas will experience increasing demands on the water supply, and which natural areas will be resilient under climate and land use changes.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gerardo Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa

Student:

Partner:

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Alberta

Program: