Key facts
- A new research hub at the University of Alberta will focus on conserving North America's grasslands.
- The hub will investigate drivers of conservation success and failure.
- It will foster a community-based approach to sharing lessons from past land-use initiatives.
- Research will explore social, cultural, and economic factors influencing landowner decisions.
- The initiative is supported by a $4 million grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The University of Alberta has launched a new research hub, the Grassland Learning and Knowledge Hub, dedicated to conserving the remaining grasslands in North America. This initiative aims to address the significant loss of grasslands, with over half of the ecosystem in North America already gone due to development and agriculture. Lead researcher John Pattison-Williams, an adjunct professor at Augustana Campus, explained that the hub will investigate the factors contributing to both successful and unsuccessful conservation efforts. By collaborating with organizations such as the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and the Indigenous-led Restore Assert Defend (RAD) Network, the hub will adopt a community-based approach to share insights from past land-use initiatives. The research will delve into the social, cultural, and economic motivations that influence landowners' decisions regarding grassland conversion. This includes understanding landowners' values, succession planning, family histories, faith-based beliefs, and the financial profitability associated with maintaining or converting grasslands. The project is funded by a $4 million grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada's Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund and is part of a larger network of five Canadian research hubs focused on conservation.