ESCI 439/539 Conservation of Biodiversity

Department of Environmental Sciences
Huxley College of the Environment
Western Washington University

ESCI 439/539 Conservation of Biological Diversity

Fall 2009
Tue, Thur 9-11 am ES 410

Instructor: John McLaughlin
Office: ES 434
Phone: 650-7617
E-mail:
( Please do not send attachments in proprietary formats.)
Office Hours: Tue 11-noon, Wed 3-4, Thur 11-noon
Course Web Site: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~jmcl/Conservation/syl_2009.htm

Text: Good News for a Change: Hope for a Troubled Planet, 2002, by D. Suzuki and H. Dressel.
Recommended Text: Principles of Conservation Biology, 3^rd ed., 2005, by MJ Groom, GK Meffe, and CR Carroll.
Additional readings as assigned: available online (see links below) or in course binder in Huxley resource room, ES 545.

Prerequisite: Ecology (ESCI 325 or BIOL 325), or permission of instructor.

Course Description:

This course will immerse you in the science of preserving biological diversity. It will help you to understand the causes and consequences of declines in biodiversity due to human activities, and to evaluate policies directed at preventing such declines. It will lead you through an analysis of past conservation successes and failures. It will challenge you to predict the effectiveness of future conservation programs. We will analyze conventional applications of conservation science at a single-species level, and we will evaluate programs and proposals to direct conservation efforts at levels of communities, ecosystems, and landscapes. We will discuss case studies of conservation issues in particular settings, but we also will consider topics at a conceptual level so that you will be prepared to address conservation problems in a variety of systems. Although topics will be illustrated with case studies from around the world, special emphasis will be given to the wealth of examples in the Pacific Northwest.

The course is organized as a series of lectures, discussions, and field trips.

Course Evaluation:

Grades will be based on three essays pertaining to class discussions (45%), an analysis to support conservation decisions (20%), a take-home final exam (25%), and informed participation throughout the course (10%). Essays and the conservation analysis are due at the beginning of class on the assigned date. Due to the difficulty of timely evaluation, late work cannot be accepted. Assignments, weights, and due dates are listed below.

Due	% of grade	Assignment
Oct. 13	15	Essay 1: Business without externalities
Oct. 29	15	Essay 2: Local Conservation; Democracy, Activism, Economic Policy Essay 2 alternative: International Day of Climate Action
Nov. 17	20	Conservation decision analysis; Rubric
Nov. 24	15	Essay 3: Constraining Human Impact: the Population Imperative
Dec. 4	25	Final exam
throughout	10	Participation

Course Schedule

Note: Some files linked below are PowerPoint slides converted to PDF.
These are intended as aids to stimulate your memory of class discussions, not as stand-alone content.
For warnings about limits of PowerPoint as a means of communication, see the following:
Tufte, E. 2003. The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint. Graphics Press, Cheshire, CT. http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint
Tufte, E. 2003. PowerPoint is evil. Wired Magazine 11.09. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html

Date	Topic	Reading
Sept. 24	What is conservation of biological diversity?	Mehrhoff et al. 2005 Mckibben 2006 Rockstrom et al. 2009 Map: bird extinctions Map: mammal extinctions
Sept. 29	Values of biological diversity Discussion: Relative values; Conservation as advocacy	Strong 2008 Costanza et al. 1997 Shabecoff 1993, ch. 13 Daily and Matson 2008
Oct. 1	Role of science in conservation Discussion: How should scientists participate?	Kolbert 2009 Ehrlich 2003 Giller et al. 2008
Oct. 6	Economic drivers of biodiversity loss Discussion: Business without externalities (ch. 1)	chapter 1 (Suzuki & Dressel 2002) Raheem 2006
Oct. 8	Field Trip: local conservation efforts Meet 9:15am @ Old Fairhaven Parkway x 24th St. (Veterinary Hospital) Map to meeting location	CAO, Bellingham Planning Dept. 2009 Responsible Development
Oct. 13	Conservation planning in Bellingham and Whatcom County Discussion: Democracy, Activism, and Economic Policy (ch. 2)	chapter 2 (S&D 2002) Shabecoff 1993, ch.13 Lara 2007 Groves et al. 2002 Williamson 2004 Whatcom Land Trust; Map Eissinger 2003 (selections) Whatcom County CAO Bellingham CAO Stein et al. 2005
Oct. 15	The Northwest Forest Plan	NWFP documents NSOW 2007 draft recovery plan
Oct. 15	Huxley/NSEA stream restoration party and BBQ Restoration: 1:00-4:00 pm, 24th Street x Old Fairhaven Parkway BBQ: 4:30-6 pm, Fairhaven Park Attendance optional
Oct. 20	Marine conservation; fishery collapse, harvest management, MPAs Discussion: Sustainable fishery management (ch. 7) The End of the Line	chapter 7 (S&D 2002) Worm et al. 2009
Oct. 22	Impacts of climate change Discussion: Responding to climate change Stabilization Wedges: Concept and Game	chapter 8, selections (S&D 2002) McLaughlin et al. 2002 Montaigne 2004 Oreskes 2004 Hansen 2005 Tickwell 2006 Rosenzweig et al. 2008 IPCC 2007a IPCC 2007b
TBD	Film: "An Inconvenient Truth" film website: http://www.climatecrisis.net/
Oct. 24 (Sat)	International Day of Climate Action Develop a class action, or join another!
Oct. 27	Riparian Restoration: the Redwood Creek story Elwha River Restoration Discussion: Water conservation and management (chapter 4)	chapter 4 (S&D 2002)
Oct. 29	Managing and restoring populations Grizzly Bear Gray Wolf Discussion: Wolf conservation and management in Washington Sustainability Example: Decision Analysis and Transportation Planning	Gray Wolf: Robbins 2005 Morell 2009 Morell 2008 Carroll et al. 2006 Optional: WDFW 2009 Sustainability: Westphal & Possingham 2003 Kates 2001; Raven 2002
Oct. 31 (Sat)	Field trip: Restoration projects in Nooksack riparian zone Meet 10:00 at ES garage doors (attendance optional)
Nov. 3	Stream restoration for salmon conservation guest presentation: Lindsay Taylor, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Assoc. Managing and restoring populations (continued) Grizzly Bear Gray Wolf	Salmon 2100 Project Lackey et al. 2006a Lackey et al. 2006b Lackey 2008
Nov. 5	Field Trip: Salmon habitat restoration Meet at ES garage doors
Nov. 10	The population imperative Ecological footprint, individual Water footprint, individual Climate impact: individual actions Discussion: Footprints: individual, national, global	Lackey 2008 Brown 2003 Jenkins 2003 Williamson 2004
Nov. 12	The Wildlands Project Discussion: Restoring and living with biodiversity (ch. 3)	Pennisi 1993 Trombulak 1996 Donlan et al. 2005 Noss 1992
Nov. 17	Resistance as a conservation strategy Discussion: Resistance vs. reform	Jensen 2006 (excerpts) Fertile Ground
Nov. 19	Conservation planning for an uncertain future, part 1 Discussion: Empowering education (ch. 9)	chapter 9 (S&D 2002)
Nov. 24	Conservation planning for an uncertain future, part 2 Discussion: Sources of hope for conservation	Mangel et al.1996
Nov. 26	Thanksgiving holiday
Dec. 1	Course review
Dec. 3	Course review
Dec. 4 (Fri)	Final exam due

Background Information

Note: Some files linked below are PowerPoint slides converted to PDF.
These files are not intended to serve as stand-alone content.
Rather, they are intended as aids to stimulate your memory of material you learned in prior courses, or to assist your reading.
For warnings about limits of PowerPoint as a means of communication, see the following:
Tufte, E. 2003. The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint. Graphics Press, Cheshire, CT. http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint
Tufte, E. 2003. PowerPoint is evil. Wired Magazine 11.09. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html

Topic	Reading (Groom, et al. 2005)
Components, distribution, and value of biological diversity	chapters 1,2,4
II. Threats to Biological Diversity
Threats to biological diversity: Review Extinction: processes, rates, and vulnerability Invasive species Genetic, demographic, and population processes Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation	chapters 3,6,7,9 Sala et al. 2000 Map: bird extinctions Map: mammal extinctions
III. Maintaining Biological Diversity
Multi-species conservation programs Ecosystem management Endangered Species Act: ESA's response to Bush Admin. changes	chapters 13, 14 Christensen et al. 1996

Supplementary Readings:

Bellingham Planning Dept. Fairhaven Highlands Issue site.
Updated 29 Sept. 2009. Accessed 5 Oct. 2009.

Brown, J. 2003. Paul Ehrlich, interview. Wild Earth 13(2/3)52-58.

Carroll C, Phillips MK, Lopez-Gonzalez CA, Schumaker NH. 2006. Defining recovery goals and strategies for endangered species: The wolf as a case study. BioScience 56:25-37.

Cascadia Weekly. 2008. The Gristle: Whatcom 2031. Cascadia Weekly 41(03):5-6. (8 October 2008, pp.5-6)

Christensen, N. L., et al. 1996. The report of the Ecological Society of America committee on the scientific basis for ecosystem management. Ecological Applications 6:665-691. Available at: http://www.esa.org/pao/esaPositions/Papers/ReportOfSBEM.php

Costanza et al. 1997. The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital, Nature 387:253-260

Daily, G. C. 1999. Developing a scientific basis for managing Earth's life support systems. Conservation Ecology 3(2):14. [online] URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol3/iss2/art14

Daily GC and PA Matson. 2008. Ecosystem services: From theory to implementation. Proc.Nat.Acad.Sci. 105(28):9455-9456.
URL: http://www.pnas.org/content/105/28/9455

Donlan J. et al. 2005. Re-wilding North America. Nature 436:913-914.

Ehrlich PR. 2003. Bioethics: Are our priorities right? BioScience 53(12):1207-1216.

Eissinger A. 2003. City of Bellingham Wildlife Habitat Assessment. City of Bellingham. (CD in course binder)
Online: http://www.cob.org/documents/pw/environment/restoration/wildlife-habitat-assessment-2003.pdf

Giller KE, et al. 2008. Ecology and Society 13(2):34. Competing claims on natural resources: What role for science?
[online] http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol13/iss2/art34/

Groves CR, et al. 2002. Planning for biodiversity conservation: putting conservation science into practice. BioScience 52:499-512. (June 2002)

IPCC. 2007a. Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Solomon S, D Qin, M Manning, Z Chen, M Marquis, KB Averyt, M Tignor, and HL Miller, eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York.
online: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-spm.pdf

IPCC. 2007b. Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. An Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
online: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf

Jenkins M. 2003. Prospects for biodiversity. Science 302:1175-1177.

Jensen D. 2006. Endgame, Volume 2: Resistance. Seven Stories Press, New York.

Kates RW, et al. 2001. Sustainability science. Science 292:641-642.

Kolbert E. 2009. The catastrophist. The New Yorker 29 June 2009, pp.39-45.
Abstract: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/29/090629fa_fact_kolbert
Full text

Lackey RT, Lach DH, Duncan SL. 2006a. Wild salmon in western North America: forecasting the most likely status in 2100. pp.57-70 in: Lackey RT, Lach DH, Duncan SL, eds. Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon, Am.Fisheries Soc., Bethesda, MD.
URL: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/fw/lackey/SALMON-2100-PROJECT-FORECASTING-MOST-LIKELY-FUTURE-2008.pdf

Lackey RT, Lach DH, Duncan SL. 2006b. Policy options to reverse the decline of wild Pacific Salmon. Fisheries 31(7):344-351.
URL: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/fw/lackey/SALMON-2100-PROJECT-SUMMARY-2008.pdf

Lackey R. 2008. Delusional reality about west coast salmon. Greenversations: The official blog of the US. Environmental Protection Agency.
URL: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2008/07/11/realityaboutsalmon/

Lara J. 2007. Compromising consent. The Planet, Fall 2007, pp.22-25.
URL: http://planet.wwu.edu/archives/2007/articles/fall/compromising-consent.html

Mangel M, et al. 1996. Principles for the conservation of wild living resources, Ecological Applications 6:338-362.

McKibben B. 2006. A deeper shade of green. National Geographic 210(2):33-41. (August 2006)

McLaughlin JF, JJ Hellmann, CL Boggs, and PR Ehrlich. 2002. Climate change hastens population extinctions.Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 99:6070-6074. URL: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/99/9/6070

Mehrhoff L, et al. 2005. Enhancing the impact of conservation science; The Society for Conservation Biology's Stragegic Plan 2006-2010.
http://www.conbio.org/SCB/Information/StrategicPlan/2006/SCB_StrategicPlan_Draft_Member.pdf

Montaigne F. 2004. The heat is on: EcoSigns. National Geographic 206(3):34-55.
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/0409/feature3/fulltext.html

Morell V. 2008. Wolves at the door of a more dangerous world. Science 319:890-892.

Morell V. 2009. Mixed ruling on wolf-hunting in the west. ScienceInsider, AAAS. 10 Sept. 2009.
[online]: http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2009/09/mixed-ruling-on.html (accessed 29 October 2009)

Noss RF. 1992. The wildlands project: Land conservation strategy, Wild Earth (Special Issue):10-25.

Oreskes N. 2004. The scientific consensus on climate change. Science 306:1686.

Pennisi E. 1993. Conservation’s ecocentrics, Science News 144:168-170.

Raven PH. 2002. Science, sustainability, and the human prospect. Science 297:954-958.

Raheem N. 2006. An introduction to economics for conservation professionals. Soc. Cons. Biol. Newsletter 13(4):8-9.
http://www.conbio.org/Publications/Newsletter/Archives/2006-9-November/v13n4008.cfm#A13

Reading JL and TW Clark. 1996. Carnivore reintroductions: An interdisciplinary examination, pp. 296-336 in JL Gittleman, ed. Carnivore Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution, vol. 2, Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, NY.

Responsible Development home page. Accessed Oct. 5 2009.

Robbins J. 2005. The Look of Success. Cons.In.Practice 6(4):28-34.

Rockstrom J, et al. 2009. A safe operating space for humanity. Nature 461:472-475.

Rosenzweig C, et al. 2008. Attributing physical and biological impacts to anthropogenic climate change. Nature 453:353-357.

Sala OE, et al. 2000. Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100. Science 287:1770-1774.

Scientific Societies (AFS, ESA, EntSA, SCB-NA, SRM, WS). 2006.
Scientific Societies' Statement on the Endangered Species Act. (27 February 2006)
http://www.conbio.org/Sections/NAmerica/ScientificSocietiesOnUSESA.pdf

Shabecoff P. 1993. chapter 13: "Rebuilding the house," pp.276-295, in: A Fierce Green Fire: The American Environmental Movement. Hill and Wang, New York.

Stein SM, et al. 2005. Forests on the edge: housing development on America's private forests. Gen.Tech.Rep. PNW-GTR-636. USDA-Forest Service, PNW Res.Sta., Portland OR. 16pp.
http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr636.pdf

Stringham SF. 2002. Smokey and mirrors. Wild Earth 12(3)36-41.

Strong DF. 2008. Ecologists and environmentalism. Front.Ecol.Envt. 6(7):347.

Trombulak SC. 1996. How to design an ecological reserve system, Wild Earth, Special Paper No. 1.

WDFW. 2009. Wolf Conservation and Management Plan for Washington Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). WDFW, Olympia WA. (Oct. 2009)

Wesphal MI and HP Possingham. 2003. Applying a decision-theory framework to landscape planning for biodiversity: Follow-up to Watson et al. Conservation Biology 17(1):327-329.

Williamson C. 2004. Exploring the no growth option. Planning :34-36. (Nov. 2004)

Whatcom County CAO

Worm B, et al. 2009. Rebuilding global fisheries. Science 325:578-585.

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