BIOS 6073 & 6082 RESTORATION ECOLOGY Fall 2001
Schedule of Topics and Readings
Date Facilitators Topic and Readings

28 Aug. Whitbeck Organization & What is Restoration Ecology?
oClewell, A.F. 1993. Ecology, restoration ecology, and ecological restoration. Restoration Ecology, 1:141.
oWoodwell, G.M. 1994. Ecology: The restoration. Restoration Ecology, 2:1-3.
>Diggelen, R. van et al. 2001. Ecological Restoration: State of the Art or State of the Science? Restoration Ecology 9:115-118.

4 Sept. Whitbeck What is Restoration Ecology?
oJordan, W.R. III, M.E. Gilpin, J.D. Aber. 1987. Restoration ecology: ecological restoration as a technique for basic research. In Restoration ecology – A synthetic approach to ecological research. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 3-21.
oBradshaw, A.D. 1993. Restoration ecology as a science. Restoration Ecology, 1:71-73.
oHiggs, E. 1994. Expanding the scope of restoration ecology. Restoration Ecology, 2:137-146.
>Bradshaw, A.D. 1994. The need for good science — beware of straw men: Some answers to comments by Eric Higgs. Restoration Ecology, 2:147-148.

11 Sept. Brief history of restoration ecology
oGolley, F.B. The genesis of a concept. In A History of the Ecosystem Concept in Ecology, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1993. Pp. 8-34.
oLeopold, A. 1953. The Upshot. Essays from Round River collected in A Sand County Almanac with Essays on Conservation from Round River, Ballantine Books, Oxford University Press, New York, 1970. Pp. 237-295.
+Gunderson. L.H. et al. 1995. Lessons from the Everglades. Bioscience, S-66 - S73.
>Dobson, A.P. et al. 1997. Hopes for the future: Restoration ecology and conservation biology. Science, 277:515-522.
>Clements, F.E. Essentials of a grazing policy. In Plant Succession and Indicators, H.W. Wilson Co., New York, 1928. Pp. 406-409.
>Titus, H. The inside story of Ducks Unlimited. In The Sierra Club wetlands reader, S. Wilson and T. Moritz, eds., Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 1996. Pp. 125-133.
>Horton, T. Bay country. In The Sierra Club wetlands reader, S. Wilson and T. Moritz, eds., Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 1996. Pp. 198-206.
>Logan, W.B. The soil apocalypse of George Perkins Marsh, In Dirt: The ecstatic Skin of the Earth, Riverhead Books, New York, 1995. p. 162.
>Whitney, G.G. From Coastal Wilderness to Fruited Plain. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1994. Pp. 335-337.
>Carson, R. Silent Spring.

18 Sept. (Re)assembling whole systems – succession vs. restoration
oMacMahon, J.A. 1987. Disturbed lands and ecological theory: an essay about a mutualistic association. In JGA, pp. 221-237.
oAllen, M.F. Mycorrhizae and succession. In The Ecology of Mycorrhizae. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1991. Pp. 127-140.
+Perry, D.A. et al. 1989. Bootstrapping in ecosystems. Bioscience, 39:230-237.
+Johnson, N C, et al. 1997. Soil carbon, nutrients, and mycorrhizae during conversion of dry tropical forest to grassland. Ecological Applications, 7:171-182.
>Miller, R.M. and J.D. Jastrow. 1992. The application of VA mycorrhizae to ecosystem restoration and reclamation. In M.F. Allen, ed., Mycorrhizal Functioning, Chapman and Hall, New York. Pp. 438-467.

25 Sept. Testing ecological concepts
oHarper, J.L. 1987. The heuristic value of ecological restoration. In JGA, pp. 35-45.
oEwel, J.J. 1987. Restoration is the ultimate test of ecological theory. In JGA* pp. 31-33.
+Hartshorn, G S. 1989. Application of gap theory to tropical forest management natural regeneration on strip clear-cuts in the Peruvian amazon. Ecology, 70(3):567-576.
+Milner-Gulland, E.J. 1997. A stochastic dynamic programming model for the management of the saiga antelope. Ecological Applications, 7:130-142.
>Pickett, S.T.A. and V.T. Parker. 1994. Avoiding the old pitfalls: opportunities in a new discipline. Restoration Ecology, 2:75-79.

2 Oct. (Re)assembling whole systems – more case studies
oClewell, A. and J.P. Rieger. 1997. What practitioners need from restoration ecologists. Restoration Ecology, 5:350-354.
+Janzen, D.H. 1988. Guanacaste national park: tropical ecological and biocultural restoration. In J. Cairns, ed., Rehabilitating damaged ecosystems, Volume II. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. Pp. 143-192.
+Dhillion, S.S. et al. 1994. Construction of sand shinnery oak communities in the Llano Estacado: Animal disturbances, plant community structure, and restoration. Restoration Ecology, 2(1):51-60.

9 Oct. Experimental community assembly / Microcosms
oGilpin, M.E. 1987. Experimental community assembly: competition, community structure and the order of species introductions. In JGA, pp. 151-161.
oBeyers, R.J. & H.T. Odum. 1993. Introduction to Microcosmology. Ch 1 In Ecological Microcosms, Springer-Verlag, New York. Pp. 3-10.
+Grime, J.P. et al. 1987. Floristic diversity in a model system using experimental microcosms. Nature, 328:420-422.
+Callaway, J.C. et al. 1997. Using tidal salt marsh mesocosms to aid wetland restoration. Restoration Ecology, 5:135-146.
>Beyers, R.J. & H.T. Odum. 1993. Succession and Self-organization. Ch 3 In Ecological Microcosms, Springer-Verlag, New York. Pp. 41-61.

16 Oct. Interface with Conservation Biology
oGilpin, M.E. 1987. Minimum viable populations: a restoration ecology perspective. In JGA, pp. 301-306.
oTurner, I.M. and R.T. Corlett. 1996. The conservation value of small, isolated fragments of lowland tropical rain forest. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 11:330-333.
oNoss, R.F. 1996. Ecosystems as conservation targets. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 11:351.
+Hansen, A.J. et al. 1991. Conserving biodiversity in managed forests. Bioscience, 41:382-392.
+Mladenoff, D.J. et al. 1997. Causes and implications of species restoration in altered ecosystems. Bioscience, 47:21-31.
>Handel, S.N., G.R. Robinson & A.J. Beattie. 1994. Biodiversity resources for restoration ecology. Restoration Ecology, 2(4):230-241.
>Berger, J.J. 1993. Ecological restoration and nonindigenous plant species: a review. Restoration Ecology, 1:74-82.
>Brussard, P.F. 1991. The role of ecology in biological conservation. Ecological Applications, 1(1):6-12.

23 Oct. RE in the Gulf Region – riverine ecosystems
oGore, J.A. & F.D. Shields, Jr. 1995. Can large rivers be restored? Bioscience, 45(3):142-152.
oKoebel, J.W. Jr. 1996. An historical perspective on the Kissimmee River restoration project. Restoration Ecology, 3:149-159.
+Weller, M.W. 1996. Use of two waterbird guilds as evaluation tools for the Kissimmee River restoration. Restoration Ecology, 3:211-224.
+seek current info on Kissimmee project on WWW
>Poff, N.L. et al. 1997. The natural flow regime. Bioscience, 47:769-784.

30 Oct. group project planning
oHobbs, R.J. & J.A. Harris. 2001. Restoration Ecology: Repairing the Earth’s Ecosystems in the New Millenium. Restoration Ecology, 9:239-246.

6 Nov. Learning from managed systems
oPower, A.G. and A.S. Flecker. 1996. The role of biodiversity in tropical managed ecosystems. In Orians, Dirzo and Cushman, eds., Biodiversity and Ecosystem Processes in Tropical Forests, Ecological Studies, 122:173-194.
+Perfecto, I. et al. 1996. Shade coffee: A disappearing refuge for biodiversity. Bioscience, 46:598-608.
+Bormann, F.H. et al. 1987. The Hubbard-Brook sandbox experiment. In JGA, pp. 251-256.
+Uhl, C. et al. 1997. Natural resource management in the Brazilian Amazon. Bioscience, 47:160-168.
>Brown, K.S. 1995. The green clean. Bioscience, 45(9):579-582.
>Aber, J.D. 1987. Restored forests and the identification of critical factors in species-site interactions. In JGA, pp. 241-250.
>Cleveland, D.A., D. Soleri & S.E. Smith. 1994. Do folk crop varieties have a role in sustainable agriculture? Bioscience, 44(11):740-751.

13 Nov. RE in the Gulf Region – Longleaf Pine ecosystem
oMeans, B. and G. Grow. 1985. The endangered longleaf pine community. ENFO, Florida Conservation Foundation.
ored-cockaded woodpecker ecology (TBA)
+James, F. et al. 1997. Species-centered environmental analysis: Indirect effects of fire history on red-cockaded woodpeckers. Ecological Applications, 7:118-129.
+Noss, R F. 1989. Longleaf pine and wiregrass keystone components of an endangered ecosystem. Natural Areas Journal. 9(4):211-213.
>Hirth, D H, et al. 1991. Avian community dynamics in a peninsular florida usa longleaf pine forest. Florida Field Naturalist. 19(2):33-48.

20 Nov. Who cares? Conflicts of interest
oDaily, G.C. et al. 1997. Ecosystem Services: Benefits Supplied to Human Societies by Natural Ecosystems. Issues in Ecology #2, Ecological Society of America, Washington, D.C. 15 pp.
oGómez-Pompa, A. & D.A. Bainbridge. 1995. Tropical forestry as if people mattered. In Lugo & Lowe, eds., Tropical Forests: Management and Ecology, Springer-Verlag, New York. Pp. 408-422.
oAlpert, P. 1996. Integrated conservation and development projects. Bioscience, 46:845-855.
+Biosphere Reserves (focal scenario; seek info on WWW)
>Hartshorn, G S. 1996. Tropical forests: Are conservation and forestry compatible? Selbyana. 17(1):1-5.
>Goodland, R. and H. Daly. 1996. Environmental sustainability: universal and non-negotiable. Ecological Applications, 6:1002-1017.
>various authors, 1995. Science and Biodiversity Policy Supplement to Bioscience.

27 Nov. Sustainable Systems
oLubchenco, J. 1995. The role of science in formulating a biodiversity strategy. Bioscience, S-7 - S-9.
oNaveh, Z. 1994. From biodiversity to ecodiversity: A landscape ecology approach to conservation and restoration. Restoration Ecology, 2(3):180-189.
+Harwell, M. 1997. Ecosystem management of South Florida. Bioscience, 47:499-512.
>various authors. 1993. Perspectives on Sustainability, Ecological Applications, 3(4):545-589.

4 or 11 Dec. everyone Restoration Plan project presentations

key to symbols
JGA = Restoration ecology – A synthetic approach to ecological research. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1987.
o = required reading (required: find in text, or in readings box)
+ = case study/application (one per week required: find in readings box)
> = supplemental/optional reading (ask Dr. Whitbeck)

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Goals
Course goals include, 1) becoming familiar with historical and contemporary approaches to restoring diversity and function to disturbed ecosystems; 2) applying knowledge from ecology toward understanding how damaged systems differ from relatively undisturbed systems and toward designing plans to restore ecosystem integrity; and 3) exploring the human ecology of ecological restoration.
Format
This course is a discussion-based seminar with responsibility for presenting topics and facilitating the discussion rotating among all participants. During the first hour of class, the topic co-facilitators for the week will prepare an interactive presentation developing ideas and issues raised in the readings and soliciting and provoking class discussion. After a short break, class participants will divide into small groups and the facilitators will guide us in engaging a specific application or case study of the topic at hand. Facilitators (those who are registered for 3 credits) will also develop their presentation and threads of the discussion into a critical paper on the topic, further exploring areas of particular interest through additional library research. (I encourage you to incorporate some of this extended research into the seminar presentation.) These papers will form the body of the class Sourcebook - a record of discussions and repository of bibliographies and resources for our future reference.
Students will choose topics to facilitate during the first class meeting. Facilitators should arrange to meet with Dr. Whitbeck 7 - 10 days before their topic facilitation to begin preparing for the class.
Readings
Readings draw not only on research papers and philosophical contributions in the scientific literature, but also on policy initiatives and natural history literature, with potential jaunts into economics and/or cultural studies. Many of the early readings come from two texts, and I suggest you purchase the Leopold.
oRestoration ecology – A synthetic approach to ecological research, Jordan, Gilpin and Aber, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1987.
oLeopold, A. A Sand County Almanac with Essays on Conservation from Round River, Ballantine Books, Oxford University Press, New York, 1953, 1970 edition.
Additional articles from the scientific and policy literature comprise the bulk of the readings. All required (o or +) readings will be available in the readings box in the grad student office.
Doing the reading . . . Since we meet just once each week, it will be hard to remember even the main points of every paper for a given topic. I strongly suggest you take notes on each article as you read it (be they in the margins, supplementing highlighting, in a notebook or typed into a computer, to be printed before going to class). You can use these notes not only in that week’s discussion, but also refer to them when they are again relevant in future discussions. We will set aside brief intervals for reviewing one’s reading notes during each class session.
Writing (for those registered for 3 credits)
1) Students will develop one of their presentations and threads of its discussion into a critical paper on the topic, further exploring areas of particular interest through additional library research. While the paper topics should be rooted in the discussion topic, their focus need not parallel either the background readings or the themes of the in-class discussion. Topic collaborators must write individual papers, but I encourage discussion and evaluation of each other’s work. These papers should be 5-7 pages long.
2) A final paper — a thoughtful review of the situation, motivation for restoration and an approach to the restoration of a specific site, type of disturbance or type of ecosystem — is designed to promote independent consideration of a topic that the student will engage in depth with his or her colleagues during the team project. This paper should run about 10 pages in length.
Team project: Restoration Plans
Working in teams of 4-5 people, participants are challenged to develop a restoration plan for a specific situation — a particular site, type of disturbance or type of ecosystem. Team members will collaborate on all aspects of the plan development and presentation, from dividing literature research to writing and editing the plan ‘proposal’ and presenting this plan to the rest of the class. Brainstorming of potential situations will begin during the first class and students with a shared situation topic interest will form project teams within two weeks. During some class meetings, time will be set aside for teams to meet. Students should plan to spend some additional time outside of class in team meetings.
Explicit Expectations
Each student is expected to co-facilitate two topics/classes during the semester. Students (registered for 3 credits) are also expected to write a 5-7 page critical paper based one of the topics they present, due one week after the presentation. A final paper, linked to the student’s team restoration project, is due at the time scheduled for the final exam. Students are to participate in a 4-5 person team charged with developing a restoration plan for a specific situation. In addition to his or her contributions to the team presentation, each student’s effort will be assessed by his or her peers. Team restoration plans will be presented at the last class meeting. As important as any other component of the class is participation in the discussions, brainstorming and other means of engaging the course material.
Grading for 2 credits for 3 credits
Seminar participation 30% 25%
Presentation/facilitation (2) 40% 20%
Paper 1 15%
Paper 3 20%
Group project 30% 20% (5% based on peer evaluation)
Feedback
In addition to comments on the choice of readings, I would appreciate criticism of the class structure and process and ideas for improvement.
Faculty
Dr. Julie Whitbeck
e-mail: jwhitbec@uno.edu
phone: x1201 (280-1201 from off campus)
office hours: by appointment
office: 2091 Science Building
mailbox in Biology office, CRC-200