Approach
to the Subject
This course is about
Conservation of Ecosystem Functions, or Restoration of
Ecosystem Functions, and the science of ecology in the practice
or conservation or restoration. Conservation and restoration are
examples
of intentional ecosystem management. The ecosystem is composed of
natural resources, many of which have economic importance well
recognized as marketable products and services used by humans. Others
are of no economic importance because their roles in the
larger ecosystem either are not recognized,
or have access limited by some humans to use by other humans.
Often we discuss "conservation" in terms of species, some with economic
importance and other of personal value to some humans. Restoration (of
habitat or ecosystem service) usually has some perceived economic or
emotional value to humans. In reality, the integrity of ecosystem
products and services depend on many unrecognized relationships with
"valueless" features.
Our best guess is to recognize that any component or
function in the ecosystem is of some significance, and we should exploit
the system with care. The nonlinear properties of the system means that
abrupt changes may occur, and that "damage" may be hidden and the
effects recognized may appear long after the malicious actions occurred.
Humans have a poor history of recognizing these fundamental principles
of sustainability. For example, several recent books (such as Jared
Diamond's books, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human
Societies Collapse and How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
show ways that
humans have historically failed to recognize fundamental properties of
the ecosystem and suffered the consequences. This course is designed to
give you observational experience and skills to recognize the ecosystem
functions, to see how they interact, and to anticipate how human
activities can set the system into dysfunctional dynamics. Furthermore,
you should be learning how to change the human activities to preserve or
restore the ecosystem dynamics and support the sustainability of
ecosystem functions upon which our society depends.
Effective ecosystem
management over time depends on social action to produce economically sound, socially sustainable
and environmentally healthy systems (applied ecology, applied economics,
applied psychology, sociology, awareness, introspection and commitment).
It requires an understanding of personal values and what each
person needs to live a high quality of life. It requires that each
student know how to observe complex systems and recognize if they
are acting to support the system to attain the features they wish and
need to have a high quality of life. Everyone must also have the
resources and act know how to recruit them so that each person is able
to act as needed in managing the system. If a person is alive and makes
choices, they are "managing natural resources." However, most managers
(people) today are not achieving the kind of system that will create the
quality of life they desire, nor are they likely to know how to have it
available in the future. As a whole, humans are poor managers for
achieving the things they need and want. The LRO is an alternative
approach. This form of evaluation creates self confidence and stimulates
personal motivation for learning. There are many examples. (Success
Story)
This course guides each student
through a learning experience that is discovered and internalized. The
student and instructors know how to effectively manage their resources
for high quality of living in a world that supports their efforts. It is
a course that uses each students ability to discover their way of effectively managing natural resources.
The grade is determined by documenting the individual student's learning
process, and lessons learned. This is an "authentic evaluation" process
formalized in a Learning Record, Online. There is no examination, but
there must be a detailed and personal record of learning. The course
objectives are established in the Learning Record, Online
based on
the adequacy of the record, and generated by the efforts of each
individual with the help of the instructor(s) and by collaborating with
their classmates. The course is most
successful when more students earn A's, but this record is largely
determined by the commitment of the students in the class, and how they
learn to invest "each heartbeat" into a learning experience.
Team topics will vary, but all are focused on
management of natural resources in
contrast to a traditional structured research-based projects. Management, in fact,
requires research to identify current dynamics, but in real time
so that adjustments in the plan are made before the project "gets into
trouble." Having said this, some of the projects are continuations of
previous ones, and one team's efforts are part of a larger, long-term
research project. For these one can see that the distinction is subtle,
but for management it is critical. (One cannot manage averages in
time, but only unique situations (year to year).) One learns as much
from differences among replicates in space and time as one learns from the
average responses across all replicates. The principle is managing
complex systems in contrast to much simpler "industrial-like" systems.
For example, "The Green Revolution" is based on industrial, linearized,
simplified ecology and economics in agriculture. We are discovering that
this mode of growing food is not sustainable, and, indeed, is wasteful
of resources (for example, see World Watch 2006).
This
class has certain expectations of each
student. Conservation and restoration are applied ecology, but the human
aspect usually is the most difficult part of management. The scale of
conservation and restoration are generally large -- global down to as small
as your home. Regulations and laws may be helpful, or impediments. Economics
may produce strong forces that help or hinder success. The perspective
of individuals or groups of individuals often conflict with the needed
changes and management activities. And, although conservation and
restoration are science-based activities, we know far less than we need
to have a routine procedure to follow. Therefore, these forces must be
addressed and the processes of conservation and restoration put in place
on an appropriate scale and maintained for an extended time for our
objectives to be approached. The single greatest difficulty we find in
practice becomes that
of human management. Conservation and
restoration must coordinate the ecosystem processes, human dynamics, and
a clear understanding of oneself, and determine how each of us either facilitates or
hinders the progress toward our objectives in conservation and
restoration of ecosystem functions.
The
Learning
Record, Online (LRO) for
the Summer class will guide you in building the
record of your learning achievements. Your assignments and team project
will be contexts for you to learn, and to record the results as accomplishments
and experiences.
Your
grade and what you learn are determined by "doing"
your work. Successfully applying knowledge to achieve a measure
of success, and sustainability of a healthy ecosystem means that your
progress has an unlimited future. This class is the most "real
life" experience we can make. It is designed to
coach each of you in activities that will form the skills and
perspectives for a life of conservation and restoration of our common
natural and social resource base. Your laboratory is the space you appropriate in
all aspects and all times during your life. For success, you must learn what
tools you need, and how to use them. You must learn what tools you have,
and how to get those you need but do not have. Very often you learn to use
familiar tools in unfamiliar ways to do what is needed in the absence of
the "perfect" tool you cannot get. Awareness, understanding and
innovation are the skills you will develop.
Choices that reduce the options
in the future reduce sustainability. Efficiency in a narrow sense
usually reduces future options. It seems that there are more choices that reduce
options than those that increase options. If this is true, then a major consideration of
managing for sustainability is avoiding "boxes" without realistic exits. Natural
resource management as viewed in this class may have short term compromises (when no
options are ideal, but the choice is tolerable for the time being). However, truly good
decisions search for the "win-win-or-no-deal" options for the meta system. This
is a massive challenge for all of us; we are not accustomed to thinking holistically.
Outside of academic circles,
team work is the norm. Teams function from different principles of behavior, evoking
coordinated individual responsibilities, using different measures of individual
"success" and requiring different skills. Teamwork is compatible with
individuals who prefer to work alone, provided there is coordination.
Team success often depends upon
some people to "go away" for a while and finish a task and return to interface
with the rest of the team. Collaboration requires self responsibility, open
communication and dedication to common values of personal integrity. Effective teams based upon mutual
respect can develop a synergy that produces greater effectiveness, greater individual
achievement, and generally stronger human relationships. Effective teams are
nurtured; ineffective teams "happen."
Grading is achieved by each
student developing a Learning Portfolio that is maintained in electronic form, a Learning Record,
Online.* Past students and teams often have continued
working in the project after the class ended, expanding it for the client, or moving into
another professional area whereby the experience has been a valuable addition to their
resume. This is the ultimate measure of success for this course.
*
When circumstances prevent online access to your Learning Record,
your record is maintained in a notebook using the same format. We will scan your
notes and add them to your electronic record.
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