BZ 580A3 the Scientific Basis for Freshwater Sustainability

BZ 580A3 The Scientific Basis for Freshwater Sustainability

CRN 20148

Credits: 3

Spring 2012: TR 2:00-3:15 Yates 306

Prerequisites: Life320, BZ471, STAT301 OR STAT307

Course Description: Using the concepts and principles of freshwater ecosystem structure and function to develop a multidisciplinary and integrated understanding of the challenges of sustainably managing these systems in the face of rapid climate change and increasing human demand.

Instructors: N. LeRoy Poff and Ellen Wohl

Class Homepage: http://rydberg.biology.colostate.edu/bz580

Additional class materials: primary literature, government reports, various worldwide web resources

Course objectives: Students will gain an integrated, multidisciplinary understanding of the ecological, hydrological and geomorphic principles that govern freshwater ecosystem structure and function from local to watershed to global scales. Students will be required to read assigned texts and synthesize concepts and applications from a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives, and to participate in and lead class discussion of particular topics. Students will apply new knowledge to the challenge of translating scientific understanding of system function to the approaches for sustainable ecosystem management, particularly the scientific-social framework of environmental flows. The legal, regulatory and social challenges to achieving ecosystem sustainability will be addressed and placed in the broader context of social-ecological systems analysis and need for adaptation to climate change.

Course Topics / Weekly Schedule:

I. Freshwater ecosystem structure and function (Weeks 1-2)

-Overview of watershed context, energy and material flux, hydro-geomorphic template, ecological process and pattern, natural flow and sediment regimes

II. Reference states and human alteration of physical processes (Weeks 3-4)

-Defining reference states and quantifying modification of reference

-Effects of dams, land use, urbanization, etc. on flow and sediment

-Quantification of hydrologic and sediment alteration

III. Ecological integrity and ecological response to alteration (Weeks 5-6)

-Understanding multiple ecological responses (species to ecosystem)

-Correlative vs. mechanistic hydro-ecological relationships

-Responses over range of space-time scales

IV. Environmental flows science (Weeks 7-8)

-Methods of characterization, typologies, accounting for uncertainties, local to global application

V. Social perspectives on Freshwater Systems (Weeks 10-12)

-Management philosophies

-Legal, regulatory and governance contexts

-Linking river health to human well-being, concepts of ecosystem goods and services

VI. Integration (Weeks 13-15)

-Complex Social-Ecological Systems perspective

-Resilience and sustainability

-Climate Change and Environmental Flows (Weeks 14-15)

-Conservation perspective

-scientific and social challenges

Formal Group Presentations (Weeks 16-17)

Group Project and Presentation

Interdisciplinary student groups will define by the third week of the semester a project of interest to be researched and presented to the entire class at semester’s end. The project will be located within the South Platte basin. The project will focus on a social-ecological issue about sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems at the whole basin scale, or within a major sub-watershed (e.g., Poudre River watershed). Each group will develop an interdisciplinary analysis, prepare a written report and give an oral presentation in the last week of class.

Final grades will reflect this:

Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, preparing and submitting synthetic synopses of assigned primary literature throughout the semester and active participation in small group activity to develop a synthetic analysis of a topic approved by the instructor and make a class-wide presentation at the end of the semester.

• Attendance: 10%

• Participation in discussion: 10%

•Leading discussion: 30%

•Mid-term DRAFT project outline: 20%

•Group project and presentation: 30%