Ecosystem Approaches To Conservation Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Ecosystem “A community of organisms interacting among themselves and with their physical environment” Photo from Wikimedia Commons; definition from Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management An approach to maintaining or restoring the composition, structure, and function of natural and modified ecosystems for the goal of long-term ecological and human sustainability It is based on a collaboratively developed vision of desired future conditions that integrates ecological, socioeconomic, and institutional perspectives, applied within a geographic framework defined primarily by natural ecological boundaries …entails considering interacting human and natural systems on large spatial and temporal scales An extension of landscape-level conservation (see Lecture 12)… From Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management Ecological perspective Biotic factors Abiotic factors Who are stakeholders? Socioeconomic (and political) perspective Stakeholders’ concerns, needs & values See: J. A. Layzer. 2008. Natural Experiments: Ecosystem-Based Management and the Environment. MIT Press. See also: J. R. Karr’s (2009) review of Layzer (2008) – Ecosystem-based management: what really happens? Cons. Biol. 23:1648-1651. Redrawn & modified from Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management Stakeholders – people who want to or should be involved in a decision or action because they have some interest or stake in it Have a real or perceived interest in a resource about which decisions are being made; its use, its protection, or its users Are dependent on a resource Believe that management decisions will affect them Are located in or near the areas about which decisions are being made Pay for the decision or action Are in a position of authority to review the decisions Modified from Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management Ecological perspective Target for ecosystem approach Biotic factors Abiotic factors Socioeconomic (and policital) perspective (individuals, gov’t. agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, etc.) Institutional perspective Laws & mandates Staffing & funding Stakeholders’ concerns, needs & values Redrawn & modified from Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management U. S. policies historically have been implemented in response to crises in a piecemeal fashion, considering only a single sector, activity, or threat at a time The result is a fragmented patchwork of… laws… that are interpreted by dozens of federal agencies List of U.S. federal agencies For lists of all federal agencies: See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_federal_agencies See: http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/federal.shtml See for example: Exec. Office – Council on Environmental Quality Dept. Ag. – Forest Service (e.g., International programs) Dept. Commerce – NOAA (www.climate.gov – Data) Dept. Interior – Fish & Wildlife Service (e.g., Endangered species); National Parks From McLeod & Leslie in Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management Much of the history of natural resource management is a history of control and domination: of people, of resources, of other organizations Effective ecosystem approaches involve a willingness to give up some degree of control + + etc. Quotes from Groom et al. (2006); Smokey Bear image from Wikimedia Commons; Rancher photo from NGS

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management Key elements Shared vision for ecosystem condition & its uses (i.e., goals), agreed upon through partnerships & collaboration, coupled with coordinated approaches to achieve & maintain targeted ecosystem condition Respect & ensure private property rights Support actions that incorporate sustained economic, environmental, socio-cultural, and community goals Establish baseline conditions, then monitor changes to help evaluate if goals & objectives are being achieved Integrate the best science available into the decision-making process, while continuing scientific research to improve the knowledge base Use an adaptive approach to management, to achieve goals & advance an ever-better understanding of the ecosystem Modified from Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management Adaptive management Management that is approached as an experiment, and that responds in creative and innovative ways to changes Breaks the “chain-of-command” top-down model of resource management See: Costanza (2008) Current History – “The key to achieving sustainable governance in the new full-world context is an integrated approach (across disciplines, stakeholder groups, and generations) based on the paradigm of ‘adaptive management,’ whereby policy making is an iterative experiment acknowledging uncertainty, rather than a static ‘answer’.” Modified from Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management Adaptive management Clarify mission & goals Develop conceptual model of system Develop management plan (goals, etc.) Adapt & learn Develop monitoring plan See: Costanza (2008) Current History – “The key to achieving sustainable governance in the new full-world context is an integrated approach (across disciplines, stakeholder groups, and generations) based on the paradigm of ‘adaptive management,’ whereby policy making is an iterative experiment acknowledging uncertainty, rather than a static ‘answer’.” Analyze data & discuss results Implement management & monitoring plans Modified from Groom et al. (2006)

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management Adaptive management E.g., Fire Prescribed burns are important management tools, since they mimic natural disturbance processes for many ecosystems and help reduce risks of catastrophic events to human property and lives Getting the fire “regime” right depends on adaptive management Photo from www.fs.fed.us

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management E.g., Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) – part of the Antarctic Treaty System “The aim of the Convention is to conserve marine life of the Southern Ocean. However this does not exclude harvesting carried out in a rational manner.” Logo from www.ccamlr.org

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management E.g., Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) – part of the Antarctic Treaty System Multiple stakeholders collaborate through this treaty to manage the fisheries surrounding Antarctica Map of member nations from www.ccamlr.org

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management E.g., The Everglades (where a principal resource is water) Photo from: www.makinglifebetter.com

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management E.g., U.S. Pacific Northwest Forests (where a principal resource is timber) Photo from: www.millersoap.com

Ecosystem (or Ecosystem-Based) Management E.g., Mississippi River Drainage and Delta See for example: John W. Day et al. 2007. Restoration of the Mississippi Delta: Lessons from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Science 315:1679-1684. Photo from: www.panoramio.com