Full Stream Name: Urban Ecosystems

Research Educators: Mary Poteet, Stuart Reichler, Ruth Shear

Principal Investigator: Advisory Council

Course options: Spring & Fall

How do humans impact their local ecosystems, and how can we manage that impact to promote sustainability?

Understanding the function of urban ecosystems can help build more sustainable cities as well as to provide areas of beauty and relaxation for urban dwellers. In this multidisciplinary research stream, students use techniques from chemistry, biology, molecular biology, microbiology, ecology, environmental science, geological science, and social science to study urban ecosystems. Much of our focus is on the Waller creek watershed, which runs through the UT campus. Leveraging the restoration work by the City of Austin and the Waterloo Greenway, the Waller Creek watershed provides an ideal testing ground to study urban ecosystem functioning and its response to restoration.  We also study other local ecosystems, as well as collaborate on evaluating how stressors from urbanization and climate change affect ecosystem function. Our students engage in real-world research and problem solving with faculty, staff, and community stakeholders, like the City of Austin, the University of Texas, the USGS, The Nature Conservancy, and the Waterloo Greenway.  

Learn more about our stream from Urban Ecosystems students>> 

Follow the Urban Ecosystems Stream on Social Media!

Facebook: Urban Ecosystems FRI research stream

Blog: Urban Ecosystems Blog 

Instagram: @urbanecosystemsut