Speaker

David Lopez-Carr
Professor of Geography
University of California, Santa Barbara

Abstract

How do human populations impact the environment and how do they respond to environmental change? This talk presents recent research examining how aspects of human population and dynamics impact the environment and, in turn, how they respond to environmental change. Research is presented from rural regions in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and California. Population has long played a key role in environmental change; the environment, in turn, has long impacted human population. However, we still lack an overarching theory of population-environment dynamics. Towards filling this gap, the presentation features case studies, qualitative and quantitative methods, and primary data and secondary data. Analytical methods are largely statistical models with complementary qualitative analyses. Results suggest significant roles that population play directly and indirectly on environmental dynamics and various forms of human population responses to environmental change.