Ecosystem Management

Ecosystem Management

Keys to Reserve Management

Once a reserve is established, the job has only begun – 4 major factors must be managed to maintain reserve populations:

1. Human visitors

2. Natural disturbances

3. Water regimes

4. Exotic species and overabundant natives

Carbonton Dam, Deep River, NC

Tamarisk or salt cedar

Tamarisk study and removal

Glen Canyon Dam Release

Grand Canyon Burro Removal

Mountain Goat - Oreamnos americanus

Distribution of Mountain Goats

The Olympic Mountain endemics Campanula piperi (bellfiower; upper) and Viola flettii (Flett's violet) occupy rock crevices in the subalpine and alpine zones of the

Olympic Mountains. The bellflower is known to be eaten by mountain goats (photos from NPS).

Brazilian Pepper Tree

Brazilian Pepper tree in Florida

Brazilian Pepper Tree in the Everglades

Restoration Ecology

What is ecological restoration?

A definition:

Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.

- Society for Ecological Restoration Primer 2002

Restoration Ecology

• restoration ecology – the field of study that provides the scientific background and underpinnings for practical ecological restoration

• ideally the restoration will return normal ecosystem function to an area and hopefully the project will also have social or economic value to humans

1996 – Montana Wolf Reintroduction Protest

Yellowstone Wolf Pack Locations

Yellowstone Wolf Pack Locations

Yellowstone Wolf Pack Locations

Yellowstone Wolf

Yellowstone Wolf Prey

Salt marsh restoration plan in Rhode Island

Phragmites and Spartina

Mine Reclamation

Mine reclamation in progress

Mitigation

• Mitigation is the alleviation of some process • Mitigation is related to restoration - mitigation

is sometimes required when a group wants to develop a wild area such as a wetland and thus destroy the wetland; the group must then agree to build similar habitat somewhere else to replace what is being destroyed

Mitigation with Woodrow Wilson Bridge Construction

1967 Torrey Canyon Oil spill

1989 – Exxon Valdez oil spill

1989 – Exxon Valdez oil spill

Exxon Valdez oil spill clean efforts

Tony Bradshaw – pioneer restorationist

The general process of repairing damaged ecosystems

• Restoration - here we attempt to put back exactly what existed in the ecosystem prior to the disturbance

• Rehabilitation - here we attempt to put back most of what existed in the ecosystem prior to the disturbance, but we don't try to put everything back

• Replacement - no attempt is made to restore what was lost - here we replace the original ecosystem with another one – sometimes reclamation projects fit here

• Recovery or neglect - here we allow nature to take its course - depend upon natural processes of seed dispersal and germination to start plants, natural dispersal of animals to repopulate the area

• Enhancement - activity designed to improve the ecosystem, even if the change is fairly minimal

Walnut Creek NWR – now named Neil Smith NWR

Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge

Neil Smith NWR Prairie

Neil Smith NWR Prairie

Replacement – Fresh Kills Landfill

Enhancement

Przewalski’s Horse or Takh

Przewalski’s Horse or Takh

Przewalski’s horse reserves – Mongolia and Uzbekistan

When reintroducing animals, we have learned that:

1. larger founder populations are more successful

2. habitat suitability is important

3. increased number and sizes of clutches (litters) enhances success of establishment

4. herbivores are more successfully established than carnivores

5. competing species in an area may prevent successful establishment

Six basic steps for restoring an ecosystem

1. Set a goal

2. Determine a strategy and methods

3. Remove the source of degradation

4. Restore the physical environment

5. Restore the biota

6. Be patient – restoration takes time