The Central Arizona–Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP LTER) program advances research and education on urban ecology and urban socioecological systems. It is one of two LTER sites funded by the National Science Foundation that specifically studies urban ecology.
CAP LTER has been a leader in interdisciplinary science, bringing together teams of individuals from different fields to investigate the complex dynamics of the Phoenix metropolitan area and surrounding Sonoran Desert.
Educating the next generation of urban ecologists is a core mission of the CAP LTER. The Ecology Explorers program engages K-12 students and teachers, while undergraduate and graduate students are active researchers whose work is published in leading scientific publications.
CAP LTER News
Snake removal research hopes to stop snake killings in Phoenix
A snake removal company is sharing data from thousands of snake removals across Phoenix with researchers from Arizona State University to better understand the social and environmental factors that lead people to request this service.
New paper: Modest water policy implementation could offset 30 percent of outdoor demand
A new paper in Sustainability Science finds that the use of alternative water supplies, such as rainwater harvesting and greywater use, could offset up to 30 percent of total outdoor water demand for the Phoenix Metropolitan Area under modest implantation of these policies.
In an interdisciplinary effort, ASU researchers develop a framework to help decide sustainable futures
As we continue to witness the devastating impacts of climate change, there is a consensus that we as a human population need to transition to a more sustainable way of living. But with so many ideas and proposals, how do we decide which pathways are best? Experts from Arizona State University have created a tool...