WMAN 175: Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries

R

THE PROCESS OF NATURAL

Resources

THE PROCESS OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND THE

ROLE OF SCIENCEROLE OF SCIENCE

Petty NotesFebruary 21 2008February 21, 2008

Educational Goal of the Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Programand Fisheries Resources Program

Broadly train students to be effective scientists and managers of naturalscientists and managers of natural

resources, which are part of our state’s and nation’s public trust.p

What is a Natural Resource?

ORGANISMS HABITATSORGANISMSPopulation Dynamics

Behavior

HABITATSWater Quality

Habitat Qualitye a o

Life History

Habitat Quality

Ecological Interactions

PEOPLESociologygy

Economics

Politics

Social Justice

Whitetail Deer

Largemouth Bass

Endangered Pacific Salmons d T tand Trouts

Chinook Alaska Cutthroat

Humpback Coho Golden Troutp Coho Golden Trout

Cranesville SwampCranesville Swamp

Chesapeake Bay

Mountain Top Mining, WVp g,

What is a Natural Resource?

ORGANISMS HABITATSORGANISMSPopulation Dynamics

Behavior

HABITATSWater Quality

Habitat Qualitye a o

Life History

Habitat Quality

Ecological Interactions

PEOPLESociologygy

Economics

Politics

Social Justice

Definition ofDefinition of Natural Resource Management

U f l i l i liti lUse of ecological, economic, political, and socio-cultural information in a

decision making process that results indecision making process that results in actions (e.g., regulations, restoration

activities) to achieve goals established ) gfor natural resources.

Forces that Shape Management

1. ECOLOGY - the ecosystem within which species of interest complete their life cycles (includes biotic and abioticinterest complete their life cycles (includes biotic and abiotic factors).

2. ECONOMICS - marketplace and nonmarket forces that CO O CS a etp ace a d o a et o ces t atinfluence monetary valuation of resources.

3. POLITICS - laws and official policies of government, as p g ,well as personal values of government employees who interpret and enforce policy.

4 SOCIOCULTURAL4. SOCIOCULTURAL - traditions, values, norms, religions, philosophies (***provides the primary motivation for resource management to occur…resources are managed because the end products of the management process are believed to have value to society).

Resource Management as a Team Sport

Members (i.e., the STAKEHOLDER group):Individuals with a General Ecological Science

Background

Specialized Ecologists

Economists

Policy Experts

Social Scientists

Fed / State Agencies with Jurisdiction

PublicPublic

PROCESS OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (aka “Adaptive Management”)

• Set Long-Range Goals

MANAGEMENT (aka Adaptive Management )

• State Near-Term Objectives

• Identify Limiting Factorsy g

• Implement Management Actions

• Evaluate Action EffectivenessEvaluate Action Effectiveness

• Revise Management Plan

• The process depends on the interplay of Scientific Research and Socio-Economic Value Systems.

• The real challenge is determining when Science takesThe real challenge is determining when Science takes Precedence over Values and vice versa.

The Resource Management Process

Goals: Long-term statements about what

The Resource Management Process

Goals: Long term statements about what management programs are to achieve.

Objectives: Specific, measurable expected outcomes that indicate achievement or progress toward attainment of goals. Must state When!

Problems: Factors (ecological, economic, political, sociocultural) expected to impede achievement of goals and objectivesachievement of goals and objectives.

The Resource Management Process

Actions: Activities chosen and implemented to

The Resource Management Process

Actions: Activities chosen and implemented to overcome problems.

Evaluation: Determines whether the actions implemented have helped to solve problems and achieve goals and objectives.

Revision: Changes in the management program based on findings from the evaluation process (did the actions work? Why or why not? What(did the actions work? Why or why not? What can be done to better achieve goals?).

The Role of Science in Management

Scientific Research is Used To:

• Set reasonable, measurable objectives for the resource.

• Assess current conditions within the system of interest.

Id tif f t t ti ll li iti th l f th• Identify factors potentially limiting the value of the resource.

• Predict the response of the resource to various• Predict the response of the resource to various management actions and set action priorities.

• Provide preliminary information that can be used toProvide preliminary information that can be used to evaluate the effects of management actions.

The Process of Natural Resource Management Applied to the Upper

Shavers Fork Watershed

13” Brook Trout from Shavers Fork13” Brook Trout from Shavers Fork

15” Brown Trout from Shavers Fork

LONG-RANGE GOAL

RESTORE THE NATIVE RED SPRUCE ECOSYSTEM AND ITS ASSOCIATED AQUATIC RESOURCES TO

HISTORIC LEVELS (I.E., PRE 1900) OF ( , )STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, AND PRODUCTIVITY

VALUES & SCIENCEVALUES & SCIENCE

NEAR-TERM OBJECTIVESBy the year 2015:

• Increase total coverage of red spruce in riparian zones by 100% and in upland terrestrial zones by 50%.

• Increase the abundance of adult brook trout in the “Twin Trestles” (TT) region of the watershed from 0.1 indiv. / m to 0.3 indiv. / m (as determined from single pass electrofishing techniques conducted in

)late May).

• Increase mean adult size of brook trout in the TT region from 125mm to 150mm.

• Increase the abundance of adult brook trout in the “Black Fork” (BF) region from 0.01 indiv./m to 0.05 /m.

• Increase mean adult size of brook trout in the BF region from 100mm gto 125mm.

• Increase young-of-the-year abundance in upstream sections of Second Fork from 0.1 / m to 0.25 / m.

SCIENCE & VALUES

LIMITING FACTORS1. Acidification and loss of alkalinity from acid precipitation in

headwater streams (limits trout reproduction and food availability).

2. High summer temperatures in the Shavers Fork mainstem during g p gprolonged periods of low precipitation (limits trout growth and survivorship).

3. Low instream complexity in the Shavers Fork mainstem in the form p yof large boulders and large woody debris (limits growth and survivorship of trout).

4. Railroad grade (disruption of natural fluvial processes and affects cold water inputs from small tributaries.

5. Fishing mortality, especially during early spring.

6 High sediment loads entering streams from roads and other6. High sediment loads entering streams from roads and other development activities (limits food availability and foraging success.

7. Ice scour (affects habitat complexity and exacerbates stream widening and loss of riparian vegetationwidening and loss of riparian vegetation.

SCIENCE

MANAGEMENT ACTIONS1. Reduce acid loads and treat acidified tributaries at their source

wherever possible.

2. Improve culverting to restore links between tributaries and the mainstem.

3. Initiate more restrictive fishing regulations to protect a greater proportion of the adult brook trout population.

4. Restore riparian vegetation to critical “heating zones” and throughout the basin where appropriate.

5. Aggressive restructuring of the main channel in priority locations.5. Aggressive restructuring of the main channel in priority locations.

6. Additions of Large Woody Debris and Boulders.

7. Close and/or regrade roads; Implement aggressive controls of di t d i t ti ti itisediment sources during construction activities.

SCIENCE & VALUES

Science is used to prioritize actions; Values are used to refine the list of actions to those that are “acceptable to all.

EVALUATION

SCIENCE

REVISION

SCIENCE & VALUES

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Natural Resource Management depends on the Interplay of Scientific Research and Socio-Economic Value Systems

Through objective scientific research, biologists can inform, but not define, the management process.

Nat ral Reso rce Managers cannot simpl be goodNatural Resource Managers cannot simply be good Biologists. They must also have a working knowledge of Policy, Economics, and Social Sciences.

Natural Resource Managers must engage the public in th M t “P ” lthe Management “Process” early on.