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Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas

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Page 1: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas

Page 2: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas

•Wilderness Management

•Conservation Biology

•Wildlife Management

•Multiple-Use, Natural Areas Management

•Restoration Ecology

•Reconciliation Ecology & Novel Ecosystems

Page 3: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural AreasIn

terv

entio

n

•Wilderness Management

•Conservation Biology

•Wildlife Management

•Multiple-Use, Natural Areas Management

•Restoration Ecology

•Reconciliation Ecology & Novel Ecosystems

Page 4: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

First, a word about wilderness

http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm

Page 5: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Thomas Cole 1835

Page 6: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

First, a word about wilderness

WildernessWilderness of the Soul: The Duality of Human Nature:

He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision—he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath—"The horror! The horror!” - Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike."   - John Muir, The Yosemite, 1912.

Wilderness as the restorer

Page 7: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

First, a word about wilderness

The wilderness acthttp://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=legisAct

Page 8: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

First, a word about wilderness

Untrammeled by man?

Page 9: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Wilderness and the preservationist ethic.

Preservationist, Conservationist, Restorationist

Page 10: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Conservation Biology

For reasons that are probably more sociological/semantic than scientific, the field of Conservation Biology has generally focused on wildlife.

General concept, is to “conserve”

Often tangled up with large mammals and top-down processes, conservation generally wants us to think about landscapes, and managing habitats.

Focus on endangered species.

Managing conflict with people…

Dr. John Cox, a conservation biologist

Page 11: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Conservation Biology

Page 12: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Conservation Biology

Page 13: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Conservation Biology

Page 14: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Wildlife ManagementWildlife management is generally applied population biology. Providing resources to species to push up the population numbers, and also managing the number of animals killed.

Wildlife management is closely aligned with hunting and “sportsman” and many time the management objectives is making sure enough animals are alive to ensure there are enough around for hunters to have fun killing them.

Wildlife management, traditionally, is focused on “game” animals (a.k.a: Game Management) and can include some very interventionist practices (e.g. purposely planting corn for deer).

Note that sportsman provide a LOT of money for “ecology” in the way of hunting licenses, and some of the best friends of conservation are hunting groups. Examples- Ducks Unlimited, The Wild Turkey Federation.

Page 15: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Multiple- Use Management

Relatively self explanatory…this, approach which has been de facto adopted by the National Park Service , metroparks, the US Forest Service, and so forth, asks the land to provide various needs simultaneously.

In particular, a general scheme involves:

-Watershed Management (water quality)-Recreation-Wildlife Management-Forestry (timber)

This kind of approach may or may not include “conservation” and if so, often quite targeted. Perhaps a resource which draws tourists…not necessarily ecologically focused.

To some extent was replaced with “Ecosystem Management”

Page 16: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

-The landscape of eastern North America has been almost completely transformed.

-Indeed, there is virtually no square centimeter on Earth that has not been in some way influenced by anthropogenic processes, in many cases these exceed the ecological and evolutionary “boundaries” of these systems, leaving them in shambles.

- If we accept the argument that ecological systems are essential to the flourishing of human societies, then we would logically find this level of disrepair unacceptable.

-Even the most conservative approach would seek an “ecological bulwark” of functioning ecosystems in an ever-changing world.

-With most systems in disrepair how to proceed?

Ecological Restoration

Page 17: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

- To some extent, the job of Science, is to address (the addressable) perils facing humanity.

-The science of ecology has sub-divided into several disciplinary approaches to dealing with the “crisis.”

1) Conservation Biology . As a discipline is focused on who is left, and how do we preserve them. But in practice , this field has also focused on re-introductions, particularly of predators and/or endangered species.

2) Restoration Ecology. The scientific study of restoring ecosystems . Focused on answering questions in ecology, developing theory to inform science, and theory in the field.

3) Ecological Restoration. The practice of restoring ecosystems. Field based…outcomes are ecological not necessarily scientific.

4) Reconciliation Ecology. A new idea. Will discuss on Friday

Page 18: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

-Ecological restoration is the practice of returning a system to some historical state, presumably one that is ecologically superior in important ways.

-Ecological systems are dynamic..not static, they change through time…so how do we know where to restore to?

-Ecological restoration recognizes this… So instead of focusing on specific current states and future outcomes, we imagine an envelope of variability. The system is changing…sometimes rapidly… we want to change the trajectory…sometimes radically. We force the system back within some natural envelope of variability. Involves significant intervention!

-Join me next fall- BIO 409 & 409L to learn more…

Page 19: Concepts/Approaches to Managing Natural Areas. Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural Areas Wilderness Management Conservation Biology

Concepts/Approaches to Managing Biodiversity and Natural AreasIn

terv

entio

n

•Wilderness Management

•Conservation Biology

•Wildlife Management

•Multiple-Use, Natural Areas Management

•Restoration Ecology

•Reconciliation Ecology & Novel Ecosystems