Syllabus for Spring 2001 

Overview | Goals | Objectives | Assessment | Required Readings 
Schedule | Requirements and Grading | Instructions for Assignments 
Criteria for Grading | Definitions for Environmental Restoration 

 
Course Overview
 
     This course reviews the scientific foundations and principles of environmental restoration and research and includes hands-on experience with practical restoration techniques. This course provides a broad introduction to environmental repair in a wide range of habitats and countries.
 

Course Goals

1. Demonstration of a global outlook
2. Understanding of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living things
3. Skill in critical thinking to assess the quality of information and its importance
4. Competency in interpersonal communication with oral, written, quantitative and computer skills
5. Understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge
6. Group work
    

Course Objectives

1. Understand the importance of ecological restoration and human activities and survival. Relate ecosystem health to global environmental problems and sustainability issues
2. Develop an increased awareness and understanding of people's impact on the environment and our ability to repair damage. Develop increased respect and understanding of "others" and the non-monetary economy
3. Apply critical analysis skills to interpreting resource management
4. Interpret and present important journal, newspaper and web information
5. Understand the inter-relatedness of all things and the importance of systems thinking to solve complex problems
6. Learn to work well with teams and with a partner in analyzing and presenting discussions of important concepts and papers
    

Course Assessment

1. Class participation, essays, presentation, essay questions and short answer exam questions.
2. Research papers, essays, exams.
3. Analysis and presentation of a paper to class (seminar style), research paper, exams.
4. Class participation, analysis and presentation of an important paper and also a personal project or team project.
5. Class participation, research paper, essay, exams.
6. Work on paper presentation, team or group projects, class participation.
    

Required Readings
 
Class is based on handouts and supplementary readings.

Suggested books:
A.D. Bradshaw and M.J. Chadwick. 1980. The Restoration of Land. U.C. Press,
     Berkeley, CA 317 p. (out of print)
J.J. Berger, ed. 1990. Environmental Restoration. Island Press, Washington, D.C.
H. Schiechtl. 1980. Bioengineering for Land Reclamation and Conservation.
     University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, Alberta.
J.A. Kusler and M.E. Kentula, eds. 1990. Wetland Creation and Restoration. Island
     Press, Washington, DC 600 p.
S. Packard and C.F. Mutel, eds. 1997. The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: for
     prairies, savannas and woodlands. Island Press, Washington, DC 463 p.
D.L. Pearson and C.V. Klimas, eds. 1995. The Role of Restoration in Ecosystems
     Management. Society for Ecological Restoration, Madison, WI 219 p.
E.B. Allen, ed. 1988. The Reconstruction of Disturbed Arid Lands. Westview Press,
     Boulder, CO
M.K. Briggs. 1996. Riparian Ecosystem Recovery in Arid Lands. University of
     Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ159 p.
J.A. Harris, P. Birch and J. Palmer. 1996. Land Restoration and Reclamation:
     Principles and Practice. Longman House, UK 230 p.
W.R. Jordan, M.E. Gilpin, and J.D. Aber, eds. 1987. Restoration Ecology: A
     Synthetic Approach to Ecological Research. Cambridge University Press,
     London. 342 p.
A. Riley. 1999. Restoring Streams in Cities. Island Press, Washington, DC 423 p.
R. Noss and A.Y. Cooperider. 1994. Saving Nature's Legacy: Protecting and
     Restoring Biodiversity. Island Press, Washington, DC
D.A. Bainbridge, R. MacAller, M. Fidelibus, R. Franson, L. Lippitt, and A.C. Williams.
     1995. A Beginners Guide to Desert Restoration. National Park Service, Denver,
     CO 34 p.

Journals or magazines:
Restoration Ecology
Ecological Restoration
Land and Water
Grasslands

Organization:
The Society for Ecological Restoration
 

Course Schedule
 
Week 1. Introduction and summary
     Environmental restoration, restoration ecology -- why, what, how, for whom. The need for restoration. Understanding the environmental history of a site, current conditions, decision making, planning, and implementation of restoration projects overview. Native American influence - fire, planting, transplants, hunting, etc.

Week 2. The basis of restoration - soil, fungi, roots, plants
     Soil is the key to restoration success. Soil ecosystem, roots, the rhizosphere, plant establishment, plant/animal interactions, nutrient cycling, community dynamics, long-term change. Soil sampling, pot tests, nutrient tie up - nitrogen deposition.

Week 3. Environmental history - site assessment and evaluation
     Developing the environmental history for a site. Characterizing disturbance effects on sites. Reference sites, key characteristics, measuring compaction, infiltration, and soil health. What soil parameters are worth measuring? Distinguishing between symptoms and underlying causes of problems. Nitrogen pollution, exotics, pollution effects.

Week 4. Restoration approaches, restoration planning and management
     Restoration requires a systematic, holistic view of the interactions between humans and the environment. Comparison between work in the U.S. and internationally. The success of Land Care in Australia- a positive model. Work in Israel, Europe, South Africa.

Week. 5. Soil restoration
     Soil is the foundation of successful restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, treatment includes efforts to restore soil structure and function. Use of vertical mulch, compost, tillage. Topsoil salvage for healthy ecosystems.

Week 6. Seed collection, plant production, planting, plant protection, and aftercare
     Seed collection, evaluation and storage are essential parts of restoration. Seeds must be from an appropriate genetic base, collected when mature and maintained in controlled conditions. Use of special containers and production systems to provide robust root systems. Weed control is critical.

Week 7. Coastal sage scrub/grasslands/oaks/forests
     Rehabilitation and restoration, lessons from successful and troubled projects. Field trip. Work on class project. Native grasslands, bunchgrasses, and planting strategies for trees.

Week 8. Stream and wetland restoration
     Streams throughout the west have been degraded and destroyed. Restoring function of streams and wetlands is challenging but possible.

Week 9. Monitoring and evaluation and student presentations
     Evaluating success is important to improve implementation and treatment.

Week 10. The work ahead and student presentations
     The development of management plans for "saved areas". MSCP, endangered species, habitats and the economic benefits of ecosystem services.

Course Requirements and Grading (Subject to change)

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ASSIGNMENTS OR EXPECTATIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL bainbrid@usiu.edu, CALL 635-4616, OR VISIT MY OFFICE, OR CALL ME AT HOME BEFORE 9 PM. 858 455-6336. 
 

Instructions for Assignments
 

     You will then do short web reviews for the two best web sites you found following the format given in class.

Papers
     All papers should be typed, double spaced in 12 point Times or similar font, 1.5 inch margin on the left and 1 inch margins on all other sides. Typographical errors, spelling mistakes, and poor grammar must be corrected by careful proofreading. 
5 points off for each misspelled word.
 
     Except in cases where original investigations are done, your paper will be a report on investigations by others. In your paper be sure to give credit where it is due. You should use at least five professional papers and/or sources for your paper. Although textbooks, newspaper articles, and magazine articles can be useful to get started use professional journals, government documents, and scholarly books as primary source materials. When you use an investigator's data, state his/her ideas, paraphrase his/her conclusions, or quote him/her directly, cite the reference as follows at the end of the sentence the first time their work is used in a paragraph (Altieri, 1995). Reference and citation style will conform with Restoration Ecology's instructions for authors. For assistance in using the Council of Biology Editors (CBE) style refer to the following websites.

•   CBE Documentation compiled by Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
•   Research Resources from UC Irvine

    No footnotes, no direct quotations except a statement made by someone in a speech. You should paraphrase the information from your sources, giving credit to authors by citing their paper or book. Plagiarism is the ultimate sin in the academic world.
 
PLEASE NO PLASTIC COVERS, REUSED PAPER (BOTH SIDES OK).

Detailed computer search, research notes, and outline
     You must turn in a detailed computer search listing the search terms you used, the hits, and the browser and data bases you searched. This is described on my faculty web site. You will also be required to turn in a copy of a sample of your research notes--which should be computer printed, providing full reference data and shelf numbers.
 
All papers should include:
-- An introduction - laying out the basic problem, causes and challenges
-- The main body of the paper develops your theme using the appropriate scientific literature (at least 5 different sources--not all Internet).
-- A conclusion, that looks to the future and contains your assessment of how the issue may be resolved or improved.

Outlining helps organize and define the paper, focuses the purpose, and reveals missing information and other obstacles. I am happy to review outlines and paper topics. These papers will be a good selling point when you look for work.

For information and assistance with research and writing, see: http://faculty.usiu.edu/bainbridge/resources.htm 
Also see http://www.ecocomposite.com 
 

Grading for Papers
(Papers may be corrected, resubmitted and regraded)

*****  Deductions for spelling errors:  -5 points for each word  *****
*****  Deductions for wrong words:  -2 points for each word  *****
*****  Deductions for incorrect margins:  -5 points  *****
*****  No page numbers:  -10 points  *****
*****  Incorrect line spacing and font:  -5 points  *****
*****  Inappropriate topic:  up to -30 points  *******
Plagiarism (inappropriate copying of web page or other paper):  
no points, and no rewrite

Get a dictionary and use it! 
 

Definitions for Environmental Restoration

The practice of ecological restoration is dynamic and is open to various interpretations and definitions. In its most ideal sense, ecological restoration is defined as: A return to a former or historic (not a "natural" or "original") condition. (William Jordan III, 1995).

The practice of reestablishing the historic plant and animal communities of a given area or region and the renewal of the ecosystem and cultural functions necessary to maintain these communities now and into the future. (Dave Egan, 1996).

The return of an ecosystem to a close approximation of its condition prior to disturbance. (The U.S. Natural Resource Council, 1992, Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems.)

Many people have pointed out that this ideal may be impossible to attain because: 1) we know very little about historic ecosystems, 2) some key species may be lost, and 3) such efforts may be prohibitively expensive. They, therefore, shy away from using the term 'restoration' and settle on the more broadly applicable and attainable term, 'rehabilitation.' This term--known to the medical community--suggests a practice that aims to repair or replace "essential ecosystem structures and functions that have been altered or eliminated by disturbance." (G.D. Cooke and W.R. Jordan III, 1995).

The Society for Ecological Restoration has opted for the this inclusive approach in their definition of ecological restoration:

Ecological restoration is the process of renewing and maintaining ecosystem health. (SER Board of Directors, 1995).

"Like watch repair, restoration is a considerable intellectual challenge requiring that we understand not only the nature of the ecosystem itself, but also the nature of the damage and how to repair it. Hence my assertion...that land restoration is an acid test of our ecological understanding." 
Anthony D. Bradshaw, Dept. of Botany, University of Liverpool.

"Restoration ecology is just this process of assembly, carried out specifically to test ideas about how communities and ecosystems work."
John L. Harper, Unit of Plant Population Biology, University College of North Wales.

For further information, please contact me at: 
David A. Bainbridge
Environmental Studies Coordinator
Department of Global Liberal Studies
United States International University
10455 Pomerado Road, San Diego, CA 92131
E-mail: bainbrid@usiu.edu
 
©1998-2001 David Bainbridge. All rights reserved.

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