PLENARY
PRESENTATIONS
PL-01 DOMBECK, MICHAEL P. Global Environmental Management Education Center, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, 1900 Franklin Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA (mdombeck@uwsp.edu).
CONSERVATION CHALLENGES FOR A NEW CENTURY
PL-02 SCHINDLER, DAVID W. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada (d.schindler@ualberta.ca).
THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF LAND-USE CHANGES AND OTHER HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON BOREAL FRESHWATERS
PL-03 ZEDLER, JOY. Botany Department and Arboretum, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA (jbzedler@wisc.edu).
WETLAND RESTORATION: IMPROVING LANDSCAPE STRATEGIES AND SITE-BASED TACTICS
PL-04 LUBCHENCO, JANE. Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2914, USA (lubchenj@bcc.orst.edu).
MUTINY FOR THE BOUNTY: THE SCIENCE, ETHICS AND POLITICS OF OCEAN CONSERVATION AND A PAEAN TO EARLY MUTINEERS
PL-01 DOMBECK, MICHAEL P. Global Environmental Management Education Center, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, 1900 Franklin Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA (mdombeck@uwsp.edu).
CONSERVATION CHALLENGES FOR A NEW CENTURY
During an illustrious quarter-century career that included stints as Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management and Chief of the Forest Service, Mike Dombeck faced some of the nation’s most daunting resource management issues. In his new role as educator and ambassador of global conservation, he offers a thought-provoking peek into the future. Guided by the wisdom of his science training and considerable first-hand experience, Dr. Dombeck presents his "Conservation Challenges for a New Century." In his refreshingly clear style and non-technical, common sense presentation, he outlines critical natural resource issues that warrant significant attention in the coming decades. Ranging from mining law, to loss of biodiversity, to wildfire, to off-road vehicle use, to the incalculable value of water, Dr. Dombeck’s list will surprise some and enlighten others. Clearly, he provides a serious challenge to all, but with an air of optimism and hope. We have the ability and opportunity now to find sustainable solutions to these problems: ones that forego short-term fixes, and make sense economically and socially to the human species, for the long haul.
PL-02 SCHINDLER, DAVID W. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada (d.schindler@ualberta.ca).
THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF LAND-USE CHANGES AND OTHER HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON BOREAL FRESHWATERS
Boreal freshwaters receive both direct and indirect stresses from human activity including climate warming, increasing UV radiation, acid precipitation, and activities both in terrestrial catchments and on water bodies. Climate warming has caused massive reductions in the river flows of western boreal North America, with adverse consequences for downstream ecosystems. Increasing forest fire causes changes to nutrient and water inputs, increased transparency, changed thermal stratification, and increased exposure to UV radiation. Increased road access for logging, mineral and hydrocarbon exploration, and other development allows increased exploitation of predatory sport fishes, causing trophic cascades that contribute to declining water quality. Hydroelectric developments flood forests and wetlands, causing massive releases of greenhouse gases and mercury from decaying vegetation. Clearcut logging removes scarce base cations from regions with acidic soils, increasing the vulnerability of softwater boreal lakes to acid precipitation. Clearing of boreal forest for agriculture increases the input of nutrients to freshwaters. Protecting boreal freshwaters will require integrated land-water management, where the cumulative effects of stresses are considered, rather than treating problems in isolation as we have done in the past.
PL-03 ZEDLER, JOY. Botany Department and Arboretum, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA (jbzedler@wisc.edu).
WETLAND RESTORATION: IMPROVING LANDSCAPE STRATEGIES AND SITE-BASED TACTICS
The services provided by wetlands (biodiversity support, flood abatement, and water quality improvement functions) justify greater effort to increase wetland area and function in ways that are strategic. Current programs to restore wetlands provide money but not science-based planning, so applications are often accepted on first-come-first-served basis, with ponds as a common outcome. Likewise, wetland mitigation lacks strategies for restoring biological, physical, and chemical functions across landscapes. While a few well-funded projects can match objectives to specific sites or force specific sites to provide a key service, the programs that promote restoration most broadly (voluntary reserves and mitigation) need to become more strategic in providing ecosystem services. The optimal approach would: set regional goals for restoration of multiple functions, prioritize suitable sites to meet targets, offer incentives for owners to enroll high priority lands, and specify the most effective procedures for each site. Before this can happen, conservation scientists need to (1) determine how best to restore wetland functions at the landscape scale, starting from existing models, and (2) improve site-based tactics, using adaptive restoration approaches. Conservation Biology can rise to this challenge, given mandates to provide landscape strategies and funding to coordinate research and restoration.
PL-04 LUBCHENCO, JANE. Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2914, USA (lubchenj@bcc.orst.edu).
MUTINY FOR THE BOUNTY: THE SCIENCE, ETHICS AND POLITICS OF OCEAN CONSERVATION AND A PAEAN TO EARLY MUTINEERS
Although much of the rich historic bounty of oceans has been lost, there is hope that with enough will and savvy, the decline may be slowed and some of the wealth restored. A mutiny is underway to restore the bounty. Current mutineers include scientists, conservation activists, concerned citizens, fishermen, sailors, surfers, divers, business leaders, youth, religious leaders, political leaders, and others who are mobilizing on behalf of the bounty. They are creating the political will to effect meaningful change. Witness the strong recommendations just released by the Pew Oceans Commission and the continued active and collaborative engagement on the part of that diverse group of Commissioners. An inside look at the Commission’s deliberations, hearings and interactions with political groups will provide a sense of the hopes and the immense challenges ahead. The roles of science, ethics and politics in meeting this challenge will be explored. Early mutineers were a few brave scientists and activists who worked tirelessly to alert others to the trends they were seeing and solutions they developed. Their courage, insight, political skill and courage started the mutiny. Early mutineers started raising awareness, mobilizing others, and reorienting their work to focus on ocean conservation long before it became popular. Most of them have been unsung heroes and heroines. The current growing mutiny would not have happened without their dedication. I will highlight the contributions of and thank a number of these early mutineers who have been insufficiently recognized. We can all take hope from their successes and passion, and join them to Seas the Day and recover the Bounty.