Urbanization and change of watershed environments has been one of the major research directions of IUE following CAS reform action plans as “Pioneer Initiative 2030” and “Innovation 2020”. The Institute of Urban Environment hosted “The First International Workshop on Urbanization in Watersheds: Ecological and Environmental Responses (UWEER 2014)” from October 12 to 17, 2014. This workshop was one of the key academic activities of the Ecological Society of China and received financial supports from the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the National Science Foundation of America (NSF), the Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health in CAS, and the Key Laboratory of Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems (KLCWE), Ministry of Education of China, Xiamen University. The UWEER 2014 was co-organized by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (Cary Institute, USA), the KLCWE, and University of Rhode Island (URI, USA).
This workshop involved topics on responses of ecological processes, ecosystems, and organisms’ community, changes of resources and environmental matrix qualities, and possible mechanisms beyond at a watershed scale under urbanization stresses. An integration of watershed approach and gradient approach was proposed for studies on ecological and environmental responses to urbanization in watersheds as a new protocol. Moreover, studies on urbanization in watersheds should take social component into account. A new field was presented as bio-geo-socio-chemistry in urbanization or urbanized watersheds. Several round-table discussions took place for future collaboration, including details for ecological and environmental studies on urbanization, i.e. the long-term monitoring strategy and methodology, in situ monitoring units, and characterizing parameters. A preliminary working network was established, consisting of Bantou Reservoir and Jiulong River watersheds in China, Baltimore and Phoenix LTER watersheds in the USA, Melbourne suburban watershed in Australia, and Helsinki urban watershed in Finland. In addition, the USA collaborators are planning to submit proposals to the NSF on “Sources and sinks of nitrogen in a coastal urbanizing watershed in China”, “A typology for urban nitrogen metabolisms”, and “Urban homogenization” as collaborative projects.
This workshop attracted over 90 participants from China, USA, Germany, Finland, and Australia, receiving over 60 abstracts and 45 oral presentations. The workshop was chaired by Dr. Shen YU, executive director of the Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health of CAS. Dr. Yongguan Zhu, Director General of IUE and the Key Laboratory, presented a plenary speech on “Mapping antibiotic resistome in an urbanizing watershed”.
The second workshop on urbanization in watershed will be held in Xiamen on January 11-14, 2016.
Group photo of all attendees
Dr. Shen Yu (executive deputy director of the Key Laboratory) chairs the opening.
Dr. Yongguan Zhu (directors general of IUE and the Key Laboratory) gives a welcome speech.
Prof. Arthur Gold (Department Chair of URI and NSF-CNIC PI) delivers the welcome speech.
