EEMS 6300: ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT & SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCY Day and Time: Friday, 1:20 pm to 3:50 pm Location: BLHSB 1.312 Instructor: Owen Temby Office: BPOB2 1.103A Office Hours: Friday, 11 am to 1 pm, or by appointment Phone: (956) 882-8821 Email: owen.temby@utrgv.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES The sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems is a complex policy challenge that requires cross-cutting scientific knowledge integrated by diffusely related government agencies, participation by implicated non-governmental stakeholders, and the development of modes of interaction that lead to collaborative decision making. This is a tall order for government agencies that function according to their own mandates and have limited resources for managing knowledge and relationships. Ideally natural resource and ecosystem management is a rational and inclusive process, but numerous pathologies such as bureaucratic parochialism and reactive politicization often derail it and produce irrational or ineffective outcomes. This course seeks to provide students with an understanding of key concepts related to natural resource and ecosystem management, including social-ecological systems, collaborative network theory, ecosystem service valuation, as well as the diversity of private stakeholders and government institutions involved in the decision-making process. We ask, how do policy networks manage scientific knowledge in developing policy for ecosystems? What can governments do to gain the participation of communities affected by policy implementation? And, ultimately, how can public policy bring about more resilient and adaptable ecosystems? By the end of this course, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of the basics of natural resource and ecosystem management by completing an exercise on ecosystem valuation, a book review, a journal of all course readings, and a cumulative final exam. COURSE FORMAT This course will have one 150-minute session per week. We will utilize a seminar-discussion format, with discussions of the readings. The goal is to cultivate a vibrant dialogic learning environment. As discussing this topic is crucial for understanding its nuances, regular class attendance and participation is essential. Assigned deliverables will be expected to draw on the concepts discussed in the class sessions and assigned readings. See attached schedule for dates and topics. COURSE READINGS The following books will be read in this course. Judith A. Layzer, Natural Experiments: Ecosystem-Based Management and the Environment (MIT Press, 2008) James R. Skillen, Federal Ecosystem Management: Its Rise, Fall, and Afterlife (University of Kansas Press, 2015) Additional required readings will be posted to Blackboard. 1
GRADING POLICIES AND ASSIGNMENTS Item: Value Quantity: Marks: Due Date: Each: Class Presentation 10 1 10% Assigned in class Ecosystem Valuation 15 1 15% March 3 Exercise ( 1000 words) Book Review 20 1 20% March 22 (1000 words) Reading Journal 30 1 30% April 28 Final Exam (take home) 25 1 25% May 8 Total 100% Grade Scale: A 90% - 100% B 80% - 89% C 70% - 79% D 60% - 69% F 59% and below Each student will give a brief Class Presentation on one of the assigned readings, not to exceed ten minutes. Detailed instructions and grading guidelines for the Book Review assignment and Ecosystem Valuation Exercise will be distributed through Blackboard. The Reading Journal should have a succinct summary and critical reflection on each course reading, sorted by week. Grades will be posted on Blackboard. The Final Exam will be cumulative and distributed the final day of class. Policy on Late Assignments: Extensions will not be granted except on medical grounds, with appropriate documentation. Please note, computer problems are not valid grounds for extensions. Policy on Grade Reviews and Appeals: Students are welcome to request a review of a grade on an assignment. This request must be accompanied on a written explanation of why the original grade should be changed. Policy on Extra Credit: The instructor will not offer extra credit work or adjust the weight given to any assignment for individuals or for the class as a whole. Policy on Collaborative Work: Discussing assignments with your colleagues is encouraged, but students are not permitted to submit the same work for evaluation. Therefore, those who copy and those who share their work will both be considered guilty of academic dishonesty. Any written assignments deemed by the Instructor to be too similar will be given a grade of 0. To prevent the possibility of getting a zero, please: DO NOT collaborate with other students when writing your assignments or exams; DO NOT share your written work with anyone else; DO NOT ask someone else to print your assignment; DO NOT ask someone else to hand in your assignment. 2
If you have any questions regarding collaboration or plagiarism in relation to assignments and please see the instructor. CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES The UTRGV academic calendar and final exam schedule can be found at https://my.utrgv.edu/home at the bottom of the screen, prior to login. Some important dates for Spring 2017 include: Jan 16 MLK Holiday and Day of Service Jan17 First day of class for full semester Jan 30 Last day to add a class for spring 2017 semester Mar 13 18 Spring Break, no classes Apr 13 Last day to drop (DR grade) a class or withdraw (grade of W) Apr 14 15 Easter holiday, no classes May 3 Last day of classes for full semester May 8 Take-home final exam due UTRGV POLICY STATEMENTS STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:. If you have a documented disability (physical, psychological, learning, or other disability which affects your academic performance) and would like to receive academic accommodations, please inform your instructor and contact Student Accessibility Services to schedule an appointment to initiate services. It is recommended that you schedule an appointment with Student Accessibility Services before classes start. However, accommodations can be provided at any time. Brownsville Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in Cortez Hall Room 129 and can be contacted by phone at (956) 882-7374 (Voice) or via email at ability@utrgv.edu. Edinburg Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in 108 University Center and can be contacted by phone at (956) 665-7005 (Voice), (956) 665-3840 (Fax), or via email at ability@utrgv.edu. MANDATORY COURSE EVALUATION PERIOD: Students are required to complete an ONLINE evaluation of this course, accessed through your UTRGV account (https://my.utrgv.edu/home); you will be contacted through email with further instructions. Students who complete their evaluations will have priority access to their grades. Online evaluations will be available: Feb 15 Feb 21 for Module 1 courses Apr 12 Apr 18 for Module 2 courses Apr 12 May 3 for full spring semester courses ATTENDANCE Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and may be dropped from the course for excessive absences. UTRGV s attendance policy excuses students from attending class if they are participating in officially sponsored university activities, such as athletics; for observance of religious holy days; or for military service. Students should contact the instructor in advance of the excused absence and arrange to make up missed work or examinations. SCHOLASTIC INTEGRITY 3
As members of a community dedicated to Honesty, Integrity and Respect, students are reminded that those who engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and expulsion from the University. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, plagiarism, and collusion; submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person; taking an examination for another person; any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student; or the attempt to commit such acts. Since scholastic dishonesty harms the individual, all students and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced (Board of Regents Rules and Regulations and UTRGV Academic Integrity Guidelines). All scholastic dishonesty incidents will be reported to the Dean of Students. SEXUAL HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION, and VIOLENCE In accordance with UT System regulations, your instructor is a responsible employee for reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and so must report any instance, occurring during a student s time in college, of sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, or sexual harassment about which she/he becomes aware during this course through writing, discussion, or personal disclosure. More information can be found at www.utrgv.edu/equity, including confidential resources available on campus. The faculty and staff of UTRGV actively strive to provide a learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect in an environment free from sexual misconduct and discrimination. COURSE DROPS According to UTRGV policy, students may drop any class without penalty earning a grade of DR until the official drop date. Following that date, students must be assigned a letter grade and can no longer drop the class. Students considering dropping the class should be aware of the 3- peat rule and the 6-drop rule so they can recognize how dropped classes may affect their academic success. The 6-drop rule refers to Texas law that dictates that undergraduate students may not drop more than six courses during their undergraduate career. Courses dropped at other Texas public higher education institutions will count toward the six-course drop limit. The 3-peat rule refers to additional fees charged to students who take the same class for the third time. 4
LECTURE TOPICS AND SCHEDULE The course is organized to enable flexibility in covering the course material. This schedule is to serve as a tentative guide only. Some changes may be made at the discretion of the instructor. Week Topics and Readings Assignments Due Jan. 20 Course Introduction none Jan. 27 Introduction to Ecosystem Governance none Layzer, Chapter 1, Introduction, Layzer, Chapter 2, Why Ecosystem-Based Management? Grumbine, 1994, What is Ecosystem Management? Conservation Biology 8(1): 27-38. Armitage, et al., 2009, Adaptive Co-Management of Social-Ecological Complexity, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7(2): 95-102. Feb. 3 Social-Ecological Systems, Resilience, and Vulnerability none Folke, 2006, Resilience: The Emergence of a Perspective for Social- Ecological Systems Analysis, Global Environmental Change 16(3): 253-267. Adger, 2006, Vulnerability, Global Environmental Change 16(3): 268-281. Ostrom, 2009, A General Framework for Analyzing Sustainability for Social-Ecological Systems, Science 325(5939): 419-422. Feb. 10 Networks and Ecosystem Governance none Imperial, 2005, Using Collaboration as a Governance Strategy: Lessons from Six Watershed Management Programs, Administration & Society 37(3): 281-320. Agranoff and McGuire, 2001, Big Questions in Public Network Management Research, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 11(3): 295-326. Song, Hickey, Temby, and Krantzberg, 2016, Assessing Transboundary Scientific Collaboration in the Great Lakes of North America, Journal of Great Lakes Research 42(1): 156-161. Stern and Coleman, 2015, The Multidimensionality of Trust: Applications in Collaborative Natural Resource Management, Society & Natural Resources 28(2): 117-132. Feb. 17 The Erasmus School and Environmental Management none Edelenbos and van Meerkerk, 2015, Connective Capacity in Water Governance Practices: The Meaning of Trust and Boundary Spanning for Integrated Performance, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 12: 25-29. Edelenbos, van Buuren, and van Schie, 2011, Co-Producing Knowledge: Joint Knowledge Production Between Experts, Bureaucrats and Stakeholders in Dutch Water Management Projects, Environmental Science & Policy 14: 675-684. Klijn, Edelenbos, and Steijn, 2010, Trust in Governance Networks: Its Impacts on Outcomes, Administration & Society 42(2): 193-221. 5
de Boer and Bressers, 2012, New Strategies for Implementing Locally Integrated Stream Restoration Projects, Environmental Practice 14(1): 26-34. Feb. 24 Terrestrial Ecosystems I none Layzer, Chapter 3, Setting Aside Habitat for Songbirds, Salamanders, and Spiders in Austin, Texas Layzer, Chapter 4, Saving San Diego s Coastal Sage Scrub Mar. 3 Terrestrial Ecosystems II & Ecosystem Valuation valuation exercise Layzer, Chapter 7, Conserving the Sonoran Desert in Pima County, Arizona Camill, The Deforestation of the Amazon: A Case Study in Understanding Ecosystems and Their Value. Mar. 10 Aquatic Ecosystems I none Layzer, Chapter 6, Averting Ecological Collapse in California s Bay- Delta Layzer, Chapter 8, Re-creating Central Florida s Meandering Kissimmee River Mar. 17 SPRING BREAK NO CLASS none Mar. 24 Ecosystem-Based Management and U.S. Politics book review Skillen, 2015, Federal Ecosystem Management: Its Rise, Fall, and Afterlife (University of Kansas Press). Mar. 31 Aquatic Ecosystems II: Marine Fisheries none Decker, Thompson, and Paradise, 1998, Red Snapper Fishery (Parts 1 and 2), Stanford Law School Case Nos. 98-018 and 98-019 Hearn, 2008, The Rocky Path to Sustainable Fisheries Management and Conservation in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, Ocean & Coastal Management 51(8-9): 567-574. Ruckelshaus, Klinger, Knowlton, DeMaster, 2008, Marine Ecosystem- Based Management in Practice: Scientific and Governance Challenges, BioScience 58(1): 53-63. Apr. 7 Aquatic Ecosystems III: Inland Waterways & Fisheries none Layzer, Chapter 5, Restoring South Florida s River of Grass Schwieterman, 2015, Stopping the Asian Carp and Other Nuisance Species: Cost Projections for Separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins Using U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Inputs, Environmental Practice 17(4): 291-301. McLaughlin and Krantzberg, 2012, An Appraisal of Management Pathologies in the Great Lakes, Science of The Total Environment 416(1): 40-47. Heck, Stedman, and Gaden, 2015, The Integration of Social Science Information into Great Lakes Fishery Management: Opportunities and Challenges, Fisheries Research 167: 30-37. 6
Apr. 14 EASTER HOLIDAY NO CLASS none Apr. 21 Managing Complex Terrestrial-Aquatic Interactions none Eagle, Thompson, and Paradise, 1999, The Horseshoe Crab, Stanford Law School Case No. 041-99. Layzer, Chapter 9, Making History in the Mono Basin Apr. 28 EBM and the U.S.-Mexico Border reading journal Temby & Stoett, Chapter 5, Mumme, The Evolution of Natural Resource Conservation Capacity on the U.S.-Mexico Border: Bilateral and Trilateral Environmental Agreements Since La Paz Temby & Stoett, Chapter 8, Continental Counter-Invasion: Invasive Species Management in North America Temby & Stoett, Chapter 9, Gerlak, Transnational Networks and Transboundary Water Governance in the Colorado River Delta Layzer, Chapter 10, Ecosystem-Based Management and the Environment The take-home final exam will be distributed and discussed during this class session 7