Training

See also: Protected Lands Management, Habitat Restoration

In our explorations of reserve design and why management matters, we have discovered the root of our motivation in expending time and money to manage protected areas:  humans have begun pulling apart the ecological fabric that sustains them, and so they must now mitigate that damage by actively managing ecosystems.  How much have we changed things in our recent history?  This class will explore two of the most fundamental changes- alterations of natural fire regimes and introduction of species from distant lands.  And so, we must ask ourselves the following questions:

What were fire regimes before humans altered them?

What role does fire play in our landscape?

Can human ignitions take the place of lightning strikes?

and

How do invasive species affect natural systems?

How do we prioritize amongst invasive species in our management programs?