Humans have been altering terrestrial ecosystems for millennia, beginning with early use of fire for hunting and leading now to the wholesale restructuring of the terrestrial biosphere for use in agriculture and settlements. This presentation will explore the global implications of land use by humans, beginning with the first farmers and then detailing the global ecological patterns created by human activities from the 1700s to the present. Anthropogenic global patterns in ecosystem and land surface processes are likely causing global changes in atmospheric pattern and process- a fruitful pathway for future research.

Location: Physics Bldg., Room 401