Ecosystem Management E1

Describe the pathology of natural resource management.

systemic flaws—overuse, poor planning, fragmented authority, lack of ecological understanding, and stakeholder conflicts—that prevent sustainable use and conservation of resources.

Compare and contrast at least three key differences between Traditional Natural Resource Management and Ecosystem Management.

Traditional = emphasis on commodities, Ecosystem = balance between commodities, amenities and ecological integrity  

Define ecosystem management.

An approach to maintaining or restoring structure of an ecosystem

List the three axes of ecosystem management.

Space, time, inclusion 

List some ways that Ecosystem Stewardship differs from Ecosystem Management.

Stewardship: focuses on disturbances, management: accepts natural distrubances 

Describe the effect keystone species have on ecosystems

Large effects on abundance and richness well out of proportion to relative biomass  

List and Briefly explain each of the four types of ecosystem services

• Provisioning: products we use

• Regulating: control environmental processes

• Supporting: maintain ecosystem functions

• Cultural: non-material benefits

Give one reason why a manager would choose Intensification of cropland rather than participating in Extensification. Include both pros and cons. How does this balance the short-term need for food with the long-term sustainability of ecosystem services, such as soil and water regulation?

Intensification = add fertilizer, quick solution, extensification = adding plants, long term process  

Explain the difference between Type I and Type II errors.

Type 1 = false positive, type 2 = false negative  

Explain the purpose of mathematical and computer models.

Stimulate real world systems, especially if we cannot ethically or realistically do them in real life 

Define adaptive management.

Natural resource management approached to teach lessons  

How do uncertainties create problems for natural resource management?

May make managers freeze, better do nothing than the wrong thing, resources require investment, you don't want to invest in something that's uncertain 

Explain the differences between active and passive adaptive management.

Active: intentional manipulation of the system  

Passive: some aspects, learning is still a major objective, may skip some steps  

Explain the difference between single and double loop learning.

Single loop: doesn't evaluate basic assumptions or approaches  

Double loop: revises goals from past outcomes  

What are the necessary conditions for successfully implementing adaptive management. Consider ecological, socio-economic, and institutional factors, and explain how each contributes to the process.

Easy and cheap data collection, overall stakeholder agreement, shared goals, funding 

Explain why rare alleles are important.

Important during extreme events  

You are managing a population that has recently gone through a severe decline. Pick one of these: founder effect, genetic bottlenecks, genetic drift, or inbreeding depression. How could it influence its long-term genetic health? How would these processes guide your management decisions?

Founder = reduction in genetic diversity, less resilience,   

Bottlenecks = try to reduce probability, increase genetic diversity  

Reintroduction programs are often constrained by founder effects. Pick one of these factors: number of individuals released, sex ratios, and the genetic history of source populations. How would it influence the amount of genetic variation retained in the new population? What strategies can managers use to maximize genetic diversity in reintroduced populations?

Translocations can be used to restore or support populations, but careful consideration of genetic factors is crucial. For each of the following scenarios:(a) reintroducing a species into an area where it was historically present but is now absent, and (b) augmenting a population that still exists but is in decline. What genetic risks and benefits should managers evaluate, and how might these influence management decisions?

A: understanding why the species left, and maybe resolving this issue to support the existence of species  

B:  could be a loss of local adaption and disease introduction, can increase genetic diversity 

Define Keystone, Indicator, Umbrella, Flagship/Charismatic, Vulnerable, and Economically Important species.

Indicator: indicates conditions of a system  

Umbrella: protection of other species when flourishing  

Flagship: species elicits emotional feelings from individuals, willingness to contribute financially to species well being 

Vulnerable: species susceptible to extinction

Economically important species: no positive or negative consequences for local, regional, or national economy 

What is the difference between stochastic and deterministic modeling?

Deterministic: outcome is fixed 

Stochastic: incorporates uncertainty  

Define proximate and ultimate factors.

Proximate: immediate cause for decline 

Ultimate: what ultimately leads to death rate  

What are the abiotic, biotic, and human effects of edges?

Abiotic: climate on edges is different for example moisture, temperature, reduced fitness  

Biotic: edge generalist and edge sensitive species  

Human: pets, weapons, disturbances

How does the isolation of habitat fragments affect dispersal?

increased distance between patches, barriers, less gene flow 

Be able to explain what a lambda value suggests about a population.

= 1, stable population

< 1, decreasing population

> 1, increasing population 

Explain how movement corridors work.

strips of suitable habitats that connect isolated patches 

How do habitat loss, fragmentation, and matrix quality interact to influence species persistence across landscapes?

habitat loss: reduces total area of suitable habitat 

fragmentation: can break remaining habitat into isolated patches 

matrix quality:

 A high-quality matrix allows easier movement, mitigating the negative effects of fragmentation.

A hostile/low-quality matrix further isolates populations, compounding extinction risk.

How do human activities (such as agriculture, logging, or road building) intensify edge effects in fragmented landscapes? What strategies could reduce these impacts?

agriculture: creates edges and removes interior habitat

logging: creates edges and habitat loss

road building: fragmentation and wildlife mortality 

• change microclimate

strategies

• reforestation

• buffer zones 

How can conservation planners work with stakeholders to improve the ecological function of a matrix (the land between habitat patches)? What role could ecosystem management at the landscape level play in maintaining biodiversity there?

• incentivize conservation practices 

• reduce barriers and threats 

• engage local communities 

How do coarse-filter and fine-filter approaches differ in strategies for conserving biodiversity?

coarse filter: management over an ecosystem

fine filter: management over one specific species

Why is it essential for ecosystem managers to work across administrative boundaries (such as counties, states, or national borders)?

species do not follow human made boundaries

How do Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) work on private lands, and how does this differ from managing endangered and threatened species on public lands?

allow private landowners to balance land use with species protection through approved mitigation plans

public: managed primarily for conservation, with stricter control over activities affecting endangered or threatened species