Browsing by Author "Polasky, Stephen"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Assessing the benefits of ENRTF funded conservation easements
    (2018-10) Noe, Ryan; Keeler, Bonnie; Johnson, Justin; Kilgore, Michael; Taff, Steven; Polasky, Stephen
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    A Blueprint for Creating The Institute on the Environment for the University of Minnesota
    (University of MInnesota: Provost's Advisory Committee for the Institute on the Environment, 2006-09-25) Swackhamer, Deborah; Polasky, Stephen; Foufoula-Georgiou, Efi; Johnson, Lucinda; Kapuscinski, Anne; Karkkainen, Bradley; McMurry, Peter; Mulla, David; Reich, Peter; Thorleifson, Harvey; Tilman, David; Binks, Jonathan
    In the words of University of Minnesota President Robert H. Bruininks: “The environment poses such a broad and important array of interrelated issues that the participation of scholars from diverse fields will be critical to our efforts to understand and offer solutions to protect our natural world.” This document lays out the anticipated role, structure and operation, or “blueprint,” of a new University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment (IonE).
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    The Supply of Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration in Minnesota
    (University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2006) Polasky, Stephen; Liu, Yang
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    Supporting data for The hidden value of trees: Quantifying the ecosystem services of tree lineages and their major threats across the contiguous US
    (2021-06-29) Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Nelson, Erik; Meireles, Jose Eduardo; Lasky, Jesse R; Miteva, Daniela A; Nowak, David; Pearse, William D; Helmus, Matthew; Zanne, Amy E; Fagan, William; Mihiar, Christopher; Muller, Nicholas Z; Kraft, Nathan; Polasky, Stephen; cavender@umn.edu; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine
    Trees provide critical contributions to human well-being. They sequester and store greenhouse gasses, filter air pollutants, and provide wood, food, and other products, among other benefits. These benefits are threatened by climate change, fires, pests and pathogens. We show that the value of ecosystem services generated by US trees in forests, orchards, and plantations across five key services for which we had adequate data is $114 billion per annum (low: $85 B; high: $137 B; 2010 USD). The non-market ‘hidden’ ecosystem services of trees from carbon storage (51% of total value) and air pollution removal (37%) far exceed their commercial value from wood products and food crops (12%). The most valuable US tree species and lineages are also among those most threatened by known pests and pathogens, and the species most valuable for carbon storage are most at risk from increasing fire threat. Different species and lineages in different regions contribute to carbon storage and air pollution removal, which is distinct from tree crops that are often provided by the same species and lineages in different regions.
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    Transforming the University: Final Recommendations of the Task Force on Collegiate Design: CNR, COAFES, CHE
    (University of Minnesota, 2006-02-03) Levine, Allen; Phillips, Ronald; Swackhamer, Deborah; Birr, Adam; Cohen, Jerry; Johnson, David; Kapuscinski, Anne; Marshall, James; Polasky, Stephen; Stine, Robert; VandenBosch, Kathryn
    Integration of the broad range of scholarship present in the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, the College of Natural Resources, and the Food Science and Nutrition Department provides a host of new opportunities to achieve greater excellence in research, teaching, and outreach. Our review and discussions over the past three months lead us to believe that this consolidation will enhance the University’s biological and social science contributions to the environment, agriculture, human health, food systems, and natural resources. Our key recommendations are summarized below, organized around the five Strategic Areas in the President’s Repositioning report. These recommendations include having world class faculty and outstanding students, formation of transitional clusters of departments for development of synergies and principles for reconfiguration. Such clusters would serve as a platform for strengthened teaching and outreach efforts and growth in competitive research funding. We also recommend establishment of a University-wide Institute of the Environment, enhancement of interdisciplinary efforts with other units, expansion of scholarly activities related to translational biology, and further development of public engagement.
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    Water Valuation Technical Work Team Report: Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework, January 2011
    (University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2011-01) Polasky, Stephen; Ren, Bijie