New Methodologies for Interdisciplinary Research and Action in an Urban Ecosystem in Chicago

Alaka Wali, Center for Cultural Understanding and Change, The Field Museum
Gillian Darlow, Center for Cultural Understanding and Change, The Field Museum
Carol Fialkowski, Center for Cultural Understanding and Change, The Field Museum
Madeleine Tudor, Center for Cultural Understanding and Change, The Field Museum
Hilary del Campo, Center for Cultural Understanding and Change, The Field Museum
Douglas Stotz, Center for Cultural Understanding and Change, The Field Museum

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-00568-070302

Full Text: HTML   
Download Citation

Abstract

This article synthesizes recent work carried out at The Field Museum that applies an ecosystems approach to ecological and anthropological research, conservation planning, and environmental action. This work is part of an effort to protect biological diversity in the Lake Calumet region of metropolitan Chicago. The need for an ecosystems approach to urban areas, particularly in relation to conservation efforts, is discussed. Reviewing the problems of alternative, non-systemic perspectives in both research and policy toward urban problems, the article describes how the efforts of Field Museum scientists and educators integrate interdisciplinary research into a conservation and information design process.

Key words

Chicago, Conservation Design, Integrative Research, Lake Calumet, urban ecosystem

Copyright © 2003 by the author(s). Published here under license by The Resilience Alliance. This article is under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt the work for noncommercial purposes provided the original author and source are credited, you indicate whether any changes were made, and you include a link to the license.