ESSP 301

Ecosystem Services: Scientific & Economic Analyses

Fall 2005

INSTRUCTOR Dr. Susan Alexander

TIME & LOCATION Monday & Wednesday

10:00 – 11:50am

Building 53 Room E117

COURSE INTRODUCTION

Human beings receive and obtain many benefits from ecosystems. There are tangible benefits that we are all aware of, including the provision of goods such as food, water, and timber. There are also many benefits that are harder to quantify, including climate regulation, natural pollination, biodiversity maintenance, natural pest control, recreation, and many other services. The combination of all of these benefits is called “ecosystem services”. Our learning experience analyzes a framework for understanding the dynamic relationship between people and ecosystems. We will explore the natural functioning of ecosystems, how human activities cause changes in ecosystems, and how those changes affect the well being of both people and ecosystems.

With an increasing world population and related environmental challenges, ecosystem services are currently the subject of many important international assessments, and an area of active research for scientists. We examine a suite of ecosystem services, their disruption or disturbance, economic and ecological values, methods of analyzing these values, and policy implications through published assessments and case studies undertaken in the past decade. Following this global overview about the provision of ecosystem services, our class project focuses on the ecology, management and improved conservation of wildlife species in Yellowstone National Park. Using field data and spatial analysis we will examine various trends over the last 75 years in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and their implications for ecosystem services.

PREREQUISITES

MATH 150, ESSP 240, 280 or equivalents. Recommended: ESSP 340

OFFICE HOURS

Office: Building 53 Room S311

Office Hours: Tuesday 12:00 – 3:00pm, or

By Appointment

Office Phone: 831-582-3718

Email: Susan_Alexander@csumb.edu

REQUIRED TEXTS*

Daily, Gretchen, editor. 1997. Nature’s Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems. Washington: Island Press.

* Additional handouts and articles will be distributed in class.

RECOMMENDED TEXT

Daily, Gretchen and Katherine Ellison, 2002. The New Economy of Nature. Washington: Island Press.

ACCOMODATIONS

Students who may need accommodations please see me by the end of the 2nd week of classes during office hours or make an appointment by calling 582-3718, or email Susan_Alexander@csumb.edu. ALSO, contact: Student_Disability_Resources@csumb.edu, phone: 831-582-3672 voice, or 582-4024 fax/TTY and/or visit http://www.csumb.edu/student/sdr/

RELATIONSHIP OF COURSE TO CSUMB GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AND MAJOR LEARNING OUTCOMES

This learning experience cover the knowledge and skills necessary to satisfy the following ESSP major learning requirement for all concentrations:

MLO #6 SYSTEMS APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING: Students must be able to apply general systems theory, systems modeling, stakeholder analysis, cost/benefit analysis or other interdisciplinary analysis tools to evaluate the equitability and the effectiveness of alternative environmental decisions, policies, or actions.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to identify the geographic range, general characteristics, and main functions of Earth’s ecosystems.
2. Students will be able to identify and describe specific goods and services that Earth’s ecosystems provide to human societies.
3. Students will use the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) framework to categorize ecosystem services into provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services, and supporting services.
4. Students will categorize the current state and future sustainability trends of ecosystem services.
5. Students will research a specific ecosystem service and be able to discuss its range, scale of delivery, threats, and constituent recognition. With this information, students will conduct an overall scientific assessment of that service’s status.
6. Students will be able to outline and discuss techniques for conducting economic analyses of the value and function of ecosystem services.
7. Students will be able to identify different stakeholder groups for various ecosystem services and discuss potential implications of policy on these groups.
8. Students will be able to identify one or more alternative policy proposals and their ecological and economic implication, including obstacles to protecting an ecosystem service and suggestions of effective policy tools.
9. Students will use data and information from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to apply their knowledge of ecosystem services in a specific location.
10. Students will generate and test hypotheses about ecosystem services in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem through visualization and analysis.

Other Outcomes:

1. Students will develop scientific concept maps and understand the advantages and disadvantages of using them in their studies.

2. Students will integrate and communicate knowledge in the form of a scientific paper.

3. Students will demonstrate expertise in reading and interpreting the content of scientific journal papers in the primary literature.

4. Students will present information and lead a critical discussion with the class of a scientific journal paper in the primary literature.

5. Students will improve their questioning and critical thinking skills based on scientific data and journal papers.

6. Students will better understand the scientific process and increase their scientific awareness.

7. Students will design their own research project based on existing data sets – they will pull data together from various sources, plot, and analyze data, present results, and tie together with other student projects - to address policy and/or management issues.

8. Students will have a greater sense of connectedness to the surrounding ecosystems and world.

FORMAT

· Exams: There will a midterm exam and a final exam each worth 15% of your grade. These exams must be taken at the regularly scheduled time.

· Assignments: There will be 5 assignments designed to provide background information and help you better understand the new material presented in class. In most cases, the assignments will be part of an integrated class learning project. These assignments are based on specific journal articles and the display, analysis, and understanding of associated data sets.

· Student Projects: Two projects will be assigned in class. The first project involves sustainability, ecosystem services, and the development of a sample “tool kit” to help the general public better understand the environment in which they live. The second project is part of the “Integrated Science of Central Yellowstone” project and involves the generation and testing of scientific hypotheses to better manage natural resources in the Park. This project will involve data analysis, visualization and policy recommendations. There will be oral presentations and papers associated with each project.

· Presentations: There will be 3 presentations in this class. During the semester each student will be assigned a journal article from the primary literature. The student will lead a discussion in class on that article. Each student will also present findings from each of their projects: the Ecosystem Services Tool Kit and the Central Yellowstone Resource Management project.

· Papers: Each student project involves a final report or summary paper (total of two research papers no longer than 10 pages in length, inclusive of graphs and figures). The papers are expected to effectively convey the ideas and work of the author and be concise and well written, using correct grammar.

· Class Preparation and Participation: The concepts and ideas presented in this class are exciting topics for debate and discussion. The better prepared each student is at the start of class, the better classroom experience everyone will have. A percentage of your grade will reflect your class attendance and participation throughout the semester.

Grading

The grade for the course is based on your efforts on assignments, oral presentations, papers, class participation, and exams. The final grades for the course will be determined by taking the highest score in the class and setting that as 100 percent or A. Scores above 90 percent of the highest will receive some sort of A. Those between 80 and 89 percent will receive some sort of B, between 70 and 79 some sort of C, etc. You must get at least a C for the class to count towards meeting MLO requirements.

ASSESSMENT

Exams 30%

Assignments:

Chart of Services 2%

Data Sets: Nitrogen Cycle 5%

Data Sets: Introduced Species 5%

Data Sets: Deforestation 5%

Data Sets: Fires 5%

Scientific Paper Guided Discussion & Summary Sheet 8%

Ecosystem Services Tool Kit: Summary Paper 6%

Ecosystem Services Tool Kit: Presentation 4%

Yellowstone Project: Proposal 2%

Yellowstone Project: Summary Paper 10%

Yellowstone Project: Presentation 8%

Class Preparation & Participation 10%

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Date	Topic / Activity	Readings	Due
Mon. Aug. 22	Introduction to Course & Syllabus, Students & Professor		In class discussion 1) “So What?!”
Wed. Aug. 24	Your link to local ecosystems, e.g. “What’s for Breakfast?” Monterey vs Moss Landing · Systems diagrams, class linkages and discussion	Science mag. – Top 25 questions www.esa.org/education/edupdfs/ecosystemservices.pdf http://ecology.org/biod/value/EcosystemServices.html	In class Systems Diagram
Mon. Aug. 29	Film: Bill Moyer’s “Earth on Edge”	Daily “Nature’s Services” Chapter 1,2 www.ecosystemservicesproject.org
Wed. Aug. 31	Finish Film: Bill Moyer’s “Earth on Edge”; Introduction to Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) Categories of goods and services Reports	http://www.millenniumassessment.org/ Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report; Daily “Nature’s Services” Chapters 3,4; Daily et al_ 289: 395 Science
Mon. Sept. 5	LABOR DAY
Wed. Sept. 7	Review Biogeography of Ecosystems Saltwater, Freshwater, Forest, and Grassland Ecosystems	Daily “Nature’s Services” Chapters 10, 11, 12, 13	Homework #1 – Chart of ecosystem goods, services, pressures, and causes (Moyer)
Mon. Sept. 12	Review Biogeochemistry: Global Cycles & Human Impacts; Issues Data Set: Human Alteration of the Global Nitrogen Cycle	Daily “Nature’s Services” Chapters 5,6 http://www.esa.org/science/Issues/TextIssues/issue1.php
Wed. Sept. 14	MEA Synthesis Reports	http://www.millenniumassessment.org//en/Products.Synthesis.aspx 1) Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Biodiversity Synthesis 2) Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Desertification Synthesis	Homework #2 – Nitrogen Cycle Problem Set
Mon. Sept. 19	Issues Data Set: What are the Impacts of Introduced Species?	Savidge, J. 1987. Extinction of an island forest avifauna by and introduced snake. Ecology 68: 660-668.
Wed. Sept. 21	Local Markets for Ecosystem Services: 1) New York City Watershed 2) South Africa: Working for Water	Chichilnisky, G. and G. Heal. 1998. Economic returns from the biosphere – Commentary. Nature 391:629-630.; NRC (2000) Watershed Management for Potable Water Supply: Assessing the New York City Strategy; Economist 2005, 76–78; http://www.dwaf.gov.za/wfw/	Homework #3 – Introduced Species Problem Set
Mon Sept. 26	Ecosystem Services Fact Sheet; Development of “Communicating Ecosystem Services”	www.esa.org/ecoservices/
Wed. Sept. 28	Ecosystem Services Fact Sheet: Development of “Communicating Ecosystem Services”	http://www.esa.org/ecoservices/
Mon. Oct 3	Issues Data Sets: Hubbard Brook Streamflow Response to Deforestation
Wed. Oct 5	MEA Synthesis Reports	http://www.millenniumassessment.org//en/Products.Synthesis.aspx MEA #4) Wetlands and Water: Ecosystem Services and Human Well-Being	Homework #4 – Deforestation Problem Set
Mon. Oct 10	ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FACT SHEET PRESENTATIONS		Student Presentations: ES Fact Sheets
Wed. Oct 12	MEA Synthesis Reports	http://www.millenniumassessment.org//en/Products.Synthesis.aspx MEA #5) Ecosystems and Human Health Synthesis
Mon. Oct 17	Visions for an Ecologically Sustainable Future; Policies and Aggregate Measures for Ecosystem Services	http://www.millenniumassessment.org//en/Products.Synthesis.aspx MEA #3) Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Opportunities and Challenges for Business and Industry; http://www.frontiersinecology.org/specialissue.html; http://www.economist.com/printedition/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3886849
Wed. Oct 19	MIDTERM		MIDTERM
Mon. Oct 24	Introduction to Yellowstone Ecosystem Project: Film, DVD, and Animations	Films
Wed. Oct 26	The Recovery of Yellowstone’s Bison: a Century of Population Dynamics	Journal Paper TBA
Mon. Oct. 31	Issues Data Sets: Landscape Ecology of Large, Infrequent Fires in Yellowstone Park
Wed. Nov. 2	Re-introduction of Predators in Yellowstone: pre-wolf, post-wolf data analysis and the long-term impact on the Park’s ungulates	Journal Paper TBA	Homework #5 – Fires Problem Set
Mon. Nov. 7	Management & Policy Issues in Central Yellowstone: Wolf reintroduction, Bison culling	Journal Paper TBA
Wed. Nov. 9	Management & Policy Issues in Central Yellowstone: Snowmobile dominated winter recreation, winter road-use	Journal Paper TBA
Mon. Nov. 14	Guided inquiry into the Science & Management of the Central Yellowstone Ecosystem: Proposal development, Gather data	Journal Paper TBA	Project Proposal Due
Wed. Nov. 16	Guided inquiry into the Science & Management of the Central Yellowstone Ecosystem: Gather & Process data
Mon. Nov. 21	THANKSGIVING BREAK
Wed. Nov. 23	THANKSGIVING BREAK
Mon. Nov. 28	Guided inquiry into the Science & Management of the Central Yellowstone Ecosystem: Data Analysis
Wed. Nov. 30	Guided inquiry into the Science & Management of the Central Yellowstone Ecosystem: Data Analysis
Mon. Dec. 5	Wrap-up, Review, Evaluations
Wed. Dec. 7	YELLOWSTONE PROJECT PRESENTATIONS		Student Presentations: Yellowstone
Mon. Dec. 12	FINAL EXAM		Project Papers Due