Ologies with Alie Ward Theoretical & Creative Ecology (SCIENCE & ECOPOETRY) with Madhur Anand
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Feb 7, 2024 Madhur Anand, a creative ecologist, climate scientist, theoretical ecologist, author, and poet, discusses the connection between storytelling and science, forest beetles, carbon stability, overcoming creative blocks, and the intersection of science and art, emphasizing their fundamental essence in humanity.
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What Theoretical Ecologists Actually Do
- Theoretical ecology builds simplified mathematical or code models to explore complex ecosystem dynamics that can't be fully manipulated in the field.
- Madhur Anand used models to study forest species interactions, diversity patterns, disturbances and predict responses to perturbations like pests and fire.
Humans Move Pests More Than Scientists Realize
- Human behaviors often drive the spread of forest pests more than the initial introduction, making simple actions like moving firewood a major pathway.
- Anand models coupled human-environment systems and found human motives beyond economics (care, love, beauty) are critical to change behavior.
Model Human Values Not Just Economics
- Include human values and motivations (love, beauty, care) in ecological models' utility functions to predict and influence behavior.
- Model risk perception and non-economic drivers because people don't act solely on cost-benefit calculations.