B. L. Turner II is a geographer and human-environmental scientist who works on land change from prehistory to present, urban land system design, vulnerability and resilience, and sustainability. He works on deforestation, primarily in Mexico and Central America, and urban design in arid environments, especially the American Southwest.
Professor Turner has been involved in a number of international and national science programs examining global environmental change including those dealing with land systems of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, the International Human Dimensions Programme, DIVERSITAS, and the U.S. National Climate Assessment, and is a senior review editor for Climate Change and Land: An IPCC Special Report. He is also the associate editor of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences focused on sustainability.
He teaches courses society and environment, sustainability and land systems.
Education
Ph.D. Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1974
M.A. Geography, University of Texas at Austin, 1969
B.S. Geography, University of Texas at Austin, 1968
Human-environment relationships, land system science, sustainability, urban sustainability, tropical forests, ancient Maya
Publications
Zhang, Y., A. Murray, B. L. Turner II. Optimizing green space locations to maximize daytime and nighttime cooling in Phoenix, Arizona. Landscape and Urban Planning (2017).
Turner, B. L., II. Land system architecture for urban sustainability: new directions for land system science illustrated by application to the urban heat island problem. Journal of Land Use Science. (2017).
Li, X., W. Li, A. Middel, S. Harlan, A. J. Brazel, B. L. Turner II. Remote sensing of the surface urban heat island and land architecture in Phoenix, Arizona: combined effects of land composition and configuration and cadastral-demographic-economic factors. Remote Sensing of the Environment (2016).
Laney, R., B. L. Turner II. The Persistence of self-provisioning among Andapa, Malagasy smallholders. Human Ecology. (2015).
Anadón José D., Osvaldo E. Sala, B. L. Turner II, and Elena M. Bennett. The effect of woody plant encroachment on livestock production: A comparison of North and Southern America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2014).
Li, X., Myint, S. W., Zhang, Y., Galletti, C., Zhang, X., Turner II, B. L. Object-based land-cover classification for metropolitan phoenix, Arizona, using aerial photography. International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation (2014).
B. L. Turner II. Understanding Population in Human-Environment Relationships: Science Shaped by World Views or Evidence. Can Earth’s and Society’s Systems Meet the Needs of 10 Billion People? Summary of a Workshop (2014).
B. L. Turner II and Marina Fischer-Kowalski. Ester Boserup: An Interdisciplinary Visionary Relevant for Sustainability. Ester Boserup’s Legacy on Sustainability: Orientations for Contemporary Research (2014).
A. P. Kinzing, F. S. Chapin III, C. Perrings, S. Polasky, K. Smith, D. Tilman, B. L. Turner II. Paying for ecosystem services: promise and peril. Science (2011).
B. L. Turner II. Andrew P. Vayda, Explaining Human Actions and Environmental Change. Dialogues in Human Geography (2011).
N. Neeting, J. Rogan, Z. Christman, J. R. Eastman, M. Millones,, L. Schneider, E. Nickl, B. Schmook, B. L. Turner II, and B. Ghimire. Mapping seasonal trends in vegetation using AVHRR-NDVI time series in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Remote Sensing Letters (2011).
A. Dearing, A. Braimoh, A. Reenberg, B. L. Turner II, and S. van der Leeuw. Complex Land Systems: The Need for Long Time Perspectives in Order to Assess their Future. Ecology and Society (2010).
B. L. Turner II. Land Change in the Southern Yucatán: Case Studies in Land Change Science. Regional Environmental Change (2010).
Turner, B. L., II, J. Sabloff. Classic Period collapse of the Central Maya Lowlands: Insights about human–environment relationships for sustainability. B. L. Turner II and Jeremy Sabloff. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2012).
Kinzing, A. P., F. S. Chapin III, C. Perrings, S. Polasky, K. Smith, D. Tilman, B. L. Turner II.Paying for ecosystem services: promise and peril, Science (2011).
Turner, B. L., II. Vulnerability and Resilience: Coalescing or Paralleling Approaches for Sustainability Science?. Global Environmental Change (2010).
Turner, B. L., II, P. Robbins. Land Change Science and Political Ecology: Similarities, Differences, and Implications for Sustainability Science. Annual Reviews in Environment and Resources (2008).
Turner, B. L., II, E. Lambin, A. Reenberg. The Emergence of Land Change Science for Global Environmental Change and Sustainability. Proceedings, National Academy of Sciences (2007).
Reynolds, J. F., D. Mark Stafford Smith, E. F. Lambin, B. L. Turner, et al.Global Desertification: Building a Science for Dryland Development. Science (2007).
Research Activity
White,Dave Douglas*, Abbott,Joshua K, Aggarwal,Rimjhim M, Anderies,John M, Bliss,Nadya T, Eakin,Hallie C, Gober,Patricia, Hanemann,William Michael Micha, Hanemann,William Michael Micha, Johnston,Erik W, Larson,Kelli Leigh, Larson,Kelli Leigh, Maciejewski,Ross, Mack,Elizabeth Anne, Miller,Clark Anson, Pfeiffer,Deirdre A, Quay,Raymond G, Redman,Charles L, Redman,Charles L, Sabo,John L, Sampson,David Arthur, Schoon,Michael L, Turner II,Billie Lee, Turner II,Billie Lee, Vivoni,Enrique, Vivoni,Enrique, Wang,Zhihua, Wentz,Elizabeth Ann, Westerhoff,Paul, Wiek,Arnim, Wutich,Amber Yoder, York,Abigail. DMUU: DCDC III: Transformational Solutions for Urban Water Sustainability Transit. NSF-SBE(9/1/2015 - 8/31/2019).
Turner II,Billie Lee*. Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Social-Ecological Matrix: Livelihood and Landscape Diversity Amidst Agricultural Development in Tanzania. NSF-SBE-BCS(8/1/2014 - 1/31/2016).
Turner II,Billie Lee*. Agricultural Intensification and Sustainable Livelihoods in Tanzania. PURDUE UNIV(12/1/2013 - 9/30/2014).
Redman,Charles L*, Redman,Charles L*, Aggarwal,Rimjhim M, Boone,Christopher G, Boone,Christopher G, Fragkias,Michail, Turner II,Billie Lee, Turner II,Billie Lee, Van Der Leeuw,Sander. Urbanization and Global Environmental Change International Project Office. NSF-ENG-BCS(9/1/2012 - 2/29/2016).
Turner II,Billie Lee*, Turner II,Billie Lee*, Fragkias,Michail. GLP Open Science Meeting 2010 and International Conference on Urbanization and Global Environmental Change. NSF-SBE(10/1/2010 - 9/30/2011).
Turner II,Billie Lee*, Turner II,Billie Lee*, Fragkias,Michail. GLP Open Science Meeting 2010 and the International Conference on Urbanization and Global Environmental Change. NASA-GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CTR(3/4/2010 - 9/3/2011).
B. L. Turner II. Ester Boserup-Innovative Scholar. Plenary, Ester Boserup Conference: A Centennial Tribute (Nov 2010).
B. L. Turner II. 3 lectures on ecosystem tradeoffs, Maya, global change. Santa Fe Institute and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Santa Fe, NM (Jul 2010).
B. L. Turner II. Land Architecture and Environmeantl Tradeoffs. Coupled Human and Natural Systems Fellows Symposium, NSF (Apr 2010).
B. L. Turner II. Advancing the Science of Climate Change. President's Plenary, AnnualMeetings, Association of American Geographers (Apr 2010).
B. L. Turner II. Determining Land Systems Sustaianbility through Land Architecture Approach: Example from Southern Yucatan. American Geophysical Union, Annual Meetings (Dec 2009).
B. L. Turner II. America's Climate Choices. Association of American Geographers, Annual Meetings (Mar 2009).
B. L. Turner II. Bridging Science and Practice. Mosakawski Institute Sympoium (Nov 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Sustainable Land Architecture. Social Science Seminary Series, Oklahoma State U (Nov 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Cultural and Political Ecology. Workshop of Explaining Coupled Systems (Oct 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Sustainable Land Architecture and the Collapse of the Ancient Maya. Harlan II Conference, U. Cal. Davis (Sep 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Sustainability and Resilience. STEP Conference on Resilience (Sep 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Geography's Legacy. Universidad Nacional de Colombia (inaugural celebration of new Ph.D.) (Aug 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Land Architecture and the Ancient Maya. Workshop on History and Land Systems, Sapporro, Japan (Jun 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Sustainable Land Architecture. Annual Meetings of the Association of American Geographers (Apr 2008).
Turner, B. L., II. Land Change Science. 4th IGBP Congress (Apr 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Land Change Science and Land Architecture. Invited Lecture, Colorado State University (Mar 2008).
B. L. Turner II. Sustainable Land Architecture. Rutgers-Columbia U. Symposium on Forest Transition (Mar 2008).
Honors / Awards
2015 - Preston E. James Eminent Latin Americanist Career Award, Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers 2009 - Sustainability Science Award, Ecological Society of America 2008 - Fellow, Massachusetts Academy of Science (inaugural class) 2002 - Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science 2001 - National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences 2001 - Robert Mc. Netting Award (for distinguished scholarship linking geography and anthropology), Cultural and Political Ecology Specialty Group, AAG 1998 - American Academy of Arts and Sciences 1996 - Centenary Medal (for outstanding contributions to research), Royal Scottish Geographical Society 1995 - Distinguished Research Honors, Association of American Geographers 1995 - National Academy of Sciences 1994 - Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA 1987 - Carl O. Sauer Distinguished Scholarship Award, Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers 1981 - John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship
Service
SOS-Graduate Cmt & Admissions, Member (2010 - Present)