We are told time and time again how environmental studies as a field is interdisciplinary. This is emphasized in the structure of this class as it is categorized as both an anthropology course and a biology course. This same theme is seen in ecosystem-based management (EBM). EBM focuses on managing how humans and ecosystems interact, while still looking at the science of the … [Read more...]
Outside Sources Influence Adaptive Management Activities
The article discussing the Everglades makes the point that the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) for Adaptive Management (AM) uses said project as a model for other AM project attempts. The authors pose the Everglades program as a way to inform other management methods in similar areas. One of the key points drawn from CERP is the usefulness of peer … [Read more...]
The Issues of Reliance of Ecosystem Management on Biodiversity Science
While a lot of current emphasis in conservation is focused on how to benefit humans, much of what should drive management policy is rather the objective science. The Perrings et al. (2011) article discusses the large human focus of conservation, how They categorize targets - most are socioeconomic drivers, then sustainable use, and last and least to be urgent threats to … [Read more...]
Ecological Concepts: Distribution Patterns
Distribution patterns, also referred to as species distribution, describe how a species is spread out in the area they occupy. This spatial distribution of organisms is what is studied by biogeographers. There are three main variations of distribution: uniform, random, and clumped. See the image to the left (or below) for a visual representation of these patterns in order of … [Read more...]
Ecological Concepts: Food Webs
Food webs are a depiction of the order of consumption within an ecological community or ecosystem. They show feeding relationships and the flow of energy from one organism to the next, through the use of images and arrows. Food webs differ from the simpler 'food chains' in that chains are merely linear. Webs on the other hand are a series of interconnected food chains, with … [Read more...]