The Southern Megalopolis, Using the Past to Predict the Future of Urban Sprawl in the Southeast U.S

SE Climate Science Center researcher, Adam Terando, is lead on the paper The Southern Megalopolis: Using the past to predict the future of urban sprawl in the Southeast U.S. in Plos One. The paper focuses on urban sprawl in the Southeast United States, predicts that the extent of urbanization in this region could increase by 101% to 192% in the next 50 years, and describes a megalopolis that stretches from Atlanta, GA up to Raleigh, NC. This kind of urbanization can significantly affect forests, grasslands, and other non-urban areas and the capacity of species to respond to climate change. Urban growth models such as the one in this paper can help inform natural resource managers’ and urban planners’ decisions. Read the full paper here.
To read more, see co-author Rob Dunn’s blog post on YourWildlife, The Rise of Charlanta.