23 | Introduction to Restoration Ecology Instructor’s Manual
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2.
Controlling erosion
3.
Protecting water quality
4.
Contributing to mental health
5.
Providing human food and fuel
6.
Influencing climate
To consider how restoration might influence these services, students should reference specific situations—for example, restoring wetlands around a pond to improve water quality.
Supplemental Activities and Exercises •
Students who have a good understanding of ecology will benefit from exploring the themes in this chapter in more detail. Here are some suggestions: 1.
Ask students to predict possible outcomes for plant succession on a specific abandoned agricultural site in your region. Students can use the suggested guidelines presented in the textbook or other criteria; the important thing is that they link theory to their solutions.
2.
Ask students to investigate individual species—plant, insect, animal—in terms of their roles within a community. Are they pioneer or climax species? Do they facilitate or inhibit? What symbiotic relationships do they participate in? Where do they fit in the community trophic structure? Are the species found in only one community type or on one site, or are they part of several communities? Are they found in one habitat as juveniles and in a different habitat as adults?
3.
Explore the pros and cons of using restorations for assisted migration.
4.
Discuss the concept of “assembly rules”; discuss what has been learned about the idea so far and its potential to inform community/ecosystem models.
5.
Find an article or website that discusses a restoration case study, and describe the community/ecosystem model that underlies the goals or practices. Is the model explicit or intrinsic? What pieces are missing and/or vague?
Suggested Learning Objectives Outcomes Learning Objective 1. Describe the purpose, features, and formats of conceptual community/ecosystem models, and explain the role of such models in restoration ecology. Learning Level 1 Outcomes •
Students should be able to define “purpose” and “community/ecosystem model” in their own words.
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Students should be able to identify the two basic “features” of a model: 1.
It describes the vision or image of the restoration target in terms of composition, structure, dynamics, stability, functions, and services.