Identifying Uncertainty in Practitioner Knowledge of Boreal Forest Succession in Ontario Through a Workshop Approach

Identifying Uncertainty in Practitioner Knowledge of Boreal Forest Succession in Ontario Through a Workshop Approach
Author: M. Drescher
Publisher:
Total Pages: 86
Release: 2006
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

Expert knowledge of boreal forest succession is used widely in forest management in boreal Ontario, but the level of uncertainty of this mainly implicit knowledge is unknown. Therefore, in this study expert knowledge of boreal forest succession was elicited, it's uncertainty quantified, and the sources of this uncertainty investigated. This report consists of four main parts. The introduction presents examples of the use of forest succession knowledge in forest management in boreal Ontario. The methods section provides background information about the concept of knowledge uncertainty and possible assessment methods and describes the characteristics of experts. The results section details the quantification of the various components of uncertainty and describes the distribution of uncertainty. The conclusions section presents the strengths and weaknesses of this study and discusses the implications of the study results for forest policy and management in Ontario.--Includes text from document.

Boreal Forest Succession in Ontario

Boreal Forest Succession in Ontario
Author: M. Drescher
Publisher:
Total Pages: 68
Release: 2008
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

Forest succession can be viewed, from a tree-centric point of view, as the temporal pattern of changes in tree species composition that occur following a disturbance that destroyed the existing forest cover, and includes the initial re-establishment of the forest cover. Fire is one such natural disturbance in boreal forests. The broad goal of the work reported here was to explore the body of boreal forest succession knowledge, to elucidate its strengths, weaknesses, and gaps, and to quantify its levels of uncertainty.--Document.

Expert Knowledge and Its Application in Landscape Ecology

Expert Knowledge and Its Application in Landscape Ecology
Author: Ajith H. Perera
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2011-10-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1461410347

Typically, landscape ecologists use empirical observations to conduct research and devise solutions for applied problems in conservation and management. In some instances, they rely on advice and input of experienced professionals in both developing and applying knowledge. Given the wealth of expert knowledge and the risks of its informal and implicit applications in landscape ecology, it is necessary to formally recognize and characterize expert knowledge and bring rigor to methods for its applications. In this context, the broad goal of this book is to introduce the concept of expert knowledge and examine its role in landscape ecological applications. We plan to do so in three steps: First we introduce the topic to landscape ecologists, explore salient characteristics of experts and expert knowledge, and describe methods used in capturing and formalizing that knowledge. Second, we present examples of research in landscape ecology from a variety of ecosystems and geographic locations that formally incorporate expert knowledge. These case studies address a range of topics that will interest landscape ecologists and other resource management and conservation professionals including the specific roles of expert knowledge in developing, testing, parameterizing, and applying models; estimating the uncertainty in expert knowledge; developing methods of formalizing and incorporating expert knowledge; and using expert knowledge as competing models and a source of alternate hypotheses. Third, we synthesize the state of knowledge on this topic and critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating expert knowledge in landscape ecological applications. The disciplinary subject areas we address are broad and cover much of the scope of contemporary landscape ecology, including broad-scale forest management and conservation, quantifying forest disturbances and succession, conservation of habitats for a range of avian and mammal species, vulnerability and conservation of marine ecosystems, and the spread and impacts of invasive plants. This text incorporates the collective experience and knowledge of over 35 researchers in landscape ecology representing a diverse range of disciplinary subject areas and geographic locations. Through this text, we will catalyze further thought and investigations on expert knowledge among the target readership of researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in landscape ecology.

Ontario Forest Research Institute Publications 2006-2010

Ontario Forest Research Institute Publications 2006-2010
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 80
Release: 2011
Genre: Reference
ISBN:

"This bibliography includes a list and descriptions of the content of publications written or co-authored by staff of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' Ontario Forest Research Institute between 2006 and 2010. During this five-year period, over 150 publications were produced by the institute's 14 research scientists, including a book, 83 journal articles, 31 reports, 10 technical notes, 5 newsletters, and 11 papers/summaries in conference/ workshop proceedings. The overall focus of the publications is forest resource management-related research and practice. Topical areas and scales of investigation are diverse and include natural disturbance regimes and landscape dynamics; carbon budgets and effects of climate change on forests; and silviculture studies on site preparation, tree improvement, vegetation management, growth and yield, disease management, and harvesting in conifer, mixedwood, and hardwood forests. Author and subject indexes are provided."--Document.

Succession Pathway Tool 1.0

Succession Pathway Tool 1.0
Author: Marc R. Ouellette
Publisher:
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2010
Genre: Computers
ISBN:

Forest succession knowledge is used extensively to support forest management decisions. However, that knowledge is often implicit and thus not documented or transferable. The Succession Pathway Tool (SPT) is a software package for Windows designed to help users of succession knowledge make their knowledge of forest succession explicit, visualize it using networks, and explore its emerging properties using stochastic aspatial simulations. It also provides a means to document and share forest succession knowledge. This document introduces prospective users to the software tool and provides step-by-step instructions and a brief tutorial with examples of how to apply the tool. Information about how to export documented succession knowledge for use in other tools, including the Boreal Forest Landscape Dynamics Simulator (BFOLDS) is also included.--Document.

Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States

Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States
Author: Julie Koppel Maldonado
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2014-04-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319052667

With a long history and deep connection to the Earth’s resources, indigenous peoples have an intimate understanding and ability to observe the impacts linked to climate change. Traditional ecological knowledge and tribal experience play a key role in developing future scientific solutions for adaptation to the impacts. The book explores climate-related issues for indigenous communities in the United States, including loss of traditional knowledge, forests and ecosystems, food security and traditional foods, as well as water, Arctic sea ice loss, permafrost thaw and relocation. The book also highlights how tribal communities and programs are responding to the changing environments. Fifty authors from tribal communities, academia, government agencies and NGOs contributed to the book. Previously published in Climatic Change, Volume 120, Issue 3, 2013.

Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management

Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management
Author: C. S. Holling
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1978
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9781932846072

This book develops an adaptive approach to environmental impact assessment and management and is based on a study initiated by a workshop convened in early 1974 by SCOPE (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment). CS Holling discusses the nature and behavior of ecological systems and its issues, limitations, and potential of environmental assessment. Further, he discusses how we can incorporate impact assessment studies with actual environmental planning and decision making.Crawford Holling received his B.A. and M.Sc. at the University of Toronto (1952) and his Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia (1957). He worked in the laboratories of the Department of the Environment, Government of Canada. Since then, he has been, at various times, Professor and Director of the Institute of Resource Ecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and Director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Vienna, Austria. He now occupies the Arthur R. Marshall Jr. Chair in Ecological Sciences at the University of Florida and has launched a comparative study of the structure and dynamics of ecosystems.

Guidelines for Protected Areas Legislation

Guidelines for Protected Areas Legislation
Author: Barbara J. Lausche
Publisher: IUCN
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2011
Genre: Law
ISBN: 2831712459

The central aim of this publication is to consider the key elements of a modern, comprehensive, and effective legal framework for successful management of protected areas. They provide practical guidance for all those involved in developing, improving, or reviewing national legislation on protected areas, be they legal drafters and practitioners, protected area managers, interested NGOs, or scholars. These guidelines include fifteen case studies, eight dealing with the protected area legislation of individual countries and six cases dealing with specific sites providing fundamental solutions that stand the test of time.

Conservation Catalysts

Conservation Catalysts
Author: James N. Levitt
Publisher: Lincoln Inst of Land Policy
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2014
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9781558443013

"This multi-author volume explores large-landscape conservation projects catalyzed by colleges, universities, independent field stations, and research organizations around the world. These initiatives are grand-scale, cross-boundary, cross-sectoral, and cross-disciplinary efforts to protect working and wild landscapes and waterscapes in Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Kenya, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States"--