Stream Ecosystem Analysis



BES 358 Fall 2006

Ecosystem Management Plan Guide

Purpose:

To effectively combine and synthesize information from various aspects of this course and apply it in a practical context. Specifically you are expected to bring together information about a chosen ecosystem of Washington State, knowledge of climate change and climate change responses, and the human context (ethics, planning & policy, etc.). This should be used to identify key elements and approaches of a general plan for (1) managing landscapes for the conservation of natural occurrences of that ecosystem, and for (2) maintaining the biological components and ecological function of that ecosystem.

It is critical in this assignment that you synthesize different types of information to craft a meaningful set of management strategies. It is equally important to be sure your recommendations are clearly supported by scientific information. It is not enough to simply come up with a list of great things to do – they must be derived explicitly from an underlying base of scientific information and you should clearly display that connection to the underlying base of knowledge.

Getting It Done:

Overview

The assignment will involve a combination of individual and group work, with the majority of the work and credit being assigned to individual effort. A group of 5 students will select an ecosystem in Washington State for which they will develop a management plan in a scenario of potential climate change. In order to accomplish this, first each student will review what is known in one of five topic areas (below) for that ecosystem and write an “Individual Topic Report” on that area. Each member of the group will supply copies of their Individual Topic Paper to all other members of the group. Following a review of all of the group members’ papers, each student will develop an “Individual Management Plan Outline”. These will be handed in and will also serve as a basis for the group to develop a final presentation on their management plan, to be given in class on December 4 or 6.

Topic Areas for Individual Topic Report (details later in this handout)

1. Geography & Management

2. The Abiotic Environment

3. Plant and Animal Communities

4. Natural and Human Impacts and Recovery

5. Environmental History

Project Calendar

|Date |Activity in class |Assignment to Submit (in class) |

|Mid-October |Group assignments made | |

|October 25 |In class group time to decide on ecosystem and |Turn in proposal on ecosystem and individual assignments |

| |individual topics | |

|November 15 | |Individual Topic Report |

|November 27 | |Individual Management Plan Outline |

|November 29 |Group project work day in class | |

|December 4 or 6 |Group presentation | |

Topic Areas for Individual Topic Report: Descriptions

1. Geography & Management

Describe the potential location(s) of this ecosystem (prior to human intervention) and where the major intact representations now exist. I will expect maps and descriptions of the major representative sites. How are these sites owned and managed currently? What are the laws and regulations that govern the management and protection of these sites?

2. The Abiotic Environment

Describe the climate of this ecosystem, with particular attention to the major representative sites that still exist. What is the range of climate of the sites this ecosystem exists within and how does that climate vary presently (within the past few decades or century)? What are some of the other major abiotic environmental factors that play significant roles in this ecosystem (e.g., fires, droughts, wind storms, avalanches, etc.)? Document what is known about the frequency, extent, and impact of these factors.

3. Plant and Animal Communities

Describe the major communities of organisms that exist in these ecosystems, both typical and unusual. How do these communities vary across the ecosystem and what are the major environmental factors controlling their distribution? What rare species occur, especially those that are legally protected, and what are the plans for their protection and their prospects? What non-native, invasive species occur? (describe them and their origins); what effects do they have?; how long have they been a problem?; and how are they being managed?

4. Natural and Human Impacts and Recovery

What are the major natural disturbances to this ecosystem? This will overlap some with topic area 2 above but here you should also consider biotic disturbances such as insect outbreaks and invasive species (some overlap with topic area 3). Describe in detail the frequency, extent and impacts to the ecosystem components and function associated with these natural disturbances. What are the extent, frequencies and impacts of human presence and activity to this ecosystem?

5. Environmental History

Describe the environmental history of the areas (sites) that this ecosystem presently (or potentially) occupies, with an emphasis on the time period since the last major glaciation (the last 15 – 20,000 years). The ecosystems of these sites will not always have been the same as the present-day ecosystem in which you are interested. What is known about the changes in climate associated with the changes in ecosystems on these sites through time? What have been the major impacts of humans to these sites, both Native American and Euro-American colonization? How have these varied through time?

Assignments:

Individual Topic Report

This is a scholarly review of what is known in your assigned topic. Keep in mind the overall purpose is to contribute information important in crafting an ecosystem management plan for a scenario of changing climate. I will expect you to report your findings in a descriptive and summative manner as well as having a final section that describes the implications for management under climate change. When you write, your intended audience should be that of your peers in class.

Your paper should be explicitly divided into the following sections:

1. Ecosystem Description

In a page or less provide an overview of the ecosystem you are working with for a reader not immediately familiar with it. For example you might wish to describe where it is (in what ecoregion, where it is geographically); what are the key defining biological and abiotic features (including the nature of the present-day climate)?; etc.

2. Individual Topic Area Review

This will be the main section of your report: from 3 to 6 pages (double-spaced; 12-point font; 1-inch margins). You should review and synthesize what is known about the topic you are tackling. You should cite your sources and BE SURE NOT TO PLAIGARIZE! QUOTATIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED, nor are clever rewordings of others’ work. This paper should be in YOUR OWN WORDS and should reflect your synthesis of each aspect in your topic from MULTIPLE sources. You should cite your sources liberally. Citations should take place using the Council of Biological Editors (CBE) style guidelines (not by using footnotes) for the CBE name/year system. See library references for this style:







Do not use the number sequence system shown in one of the links from the UWB Library Styles page:



Cite WWW material in the text in the same manner as other citations (using only the author(s)’s last name and year of publication). The manner in which web sites should be listed in your final section of literature cited is described at: (scroll down and look under the section 1. World Wide Web Site, but do NOT use their number format – just ignore the footnote number at the start of their citation listing).

I will expect you to use a minimum of 10 scholarly sources for your report. A scholarly source is one in which the material has undergone peer review. Most scientific journals qualify, popular magazines often do not (you can request to clear such articles through me if you wish to use them). Web sites associated with government (.gov) or university institutions (.edu) are fine. Other general sources should be used with care and do not qualify to meet your minimum of 10 scholarly sources.

3. Implications for Management under Climate Change

In 1 – 2 pages I expect you to highlight the most important connections between the material you have presented and why it is important to consider when crafting an ecosystem management plan under a changing climate. This can be done in a general fashion – the specific management plan comes later – but I want to see you able to express in what ways your information is important for this endeavor.

4. Literature Cited

List only the literature you have referred to in your paper. Remember you must have a minimum of 10 scholarly sources. The sources should be listed in alphabetical order. Take a look through copies of the journal “Ecology” or “Ecological Applications” in the library for accessible examples of how they list literature cited.

Illustrations: You are encouraged to use illustrations (graphs, tables, maps, photos) in your report but these do NOT count in the space they occupy as far as the required report length. Your illustrations can be collected at the end of the report or imbedded into the report. If you use illustrations taken from a source you must label that illustration as to having been taken directly from that source (cite the source as you would in the text of your paper with the author’s last name and year of publication). If you use information from a source to create your own illustration, it should be included in the caption as (for example), “Data for this table taken from Smith (1997).” Regardless, every illustration should have a caption describing the subject of that illustration.

You will receive an individual grade for this report.

Individual Management Plan Outline

Given your review of the Individual Topic Reports of all of your group members, you should list five key approaches to ecosystem management or considerations you would make in developing such a management plan. For each of your five points you should have 1 – 2 paragraphs of explanation as to why these are key approaches or considerations. This should be supported with underlying knowledge cited in the papers written by your group members. This outline should be from 1 to 3 pages in length. You will receive an individual grade for this outline.

Group Management Plan Presentation

Your group should utilize the Individual Management Plan Outlines of all group members to craft an outline of the key approaches and considerations to managing your ecosystem under climate change. You will have about 20 minutes to present this to the class and 10 minutes for class discussion. With 20 minutes available, you should recognize that the approaches and considerations should be well supported (there’s plenty of time) by background information. You should begin by introducing the ecosystem to your audience and giving a structured synopsis of the topics list in the individual topics (7 – 10 minutes). Follow this with a presentation of your key approaches and considerations and be sure to clearly connect them to the underlying body of knowledge – in other words, make it clear WHY you think these are KEY (10 -13 minutes).

It is up to your group to decide how the responsibilities should be divided up for this assignment (with regard to the development and presentation of the material). It is fine for each of the group members to partake in the actual presentation or to assign the task to one or a subset of group members. All group members are expected to contribute. You will each receive the same grade for your group’s presentation.

|Assignment |Due Date |Points |

|Individual Topic Report |November 15 |60 |

|Individual Management Plan Outline |November 27 |25 |

|Group Presentation |December 4 or 6 |25 |

Some Words of Advice

You are strongly advised to consult with staff at the Writing Center to review sections of your Individual Topic Report. These professionals can provide you with valuable advice on the quality and clarity of your writing. It is a highly time-effective way to prepare an excellent paper. The staff at the writing center does not have the expertise to review the quality of your information or illustrations. You are advised to consult with me about those aspects of your paper as you prepare it.

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Assignment Points Matrix

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