Integrating Conservation Science

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Integrating Conservation Science Math

• Clarkson based summer professional institute /
  workshop

Dr. Tom Langen Dept. of Biology Clarkson
University
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Integrating Conservation Science Math
Objective Demonstrate and do quantitative field
and computer-based lab projects that teach
conservation biology principles and applied math
skills. Grade Level Middle or High
School Duration 5 days Time 830 AM 330
PM Dates August 11-15, 2008 Personnel Tom
Langen (Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology,
Clarkson University), Catherine Benson (M.S.
graduate degree program, Environmental Science
Engineering, Clarkson University). Number of
Participants Maximum of 20. Modules Patterns
of Dispersion Abundance Demographic and Genetic
Consequences of Small Population Size Population
Size, Population Dynamics, and Conservation
Planning. Habitat Fragmentation and Edge
Effects Estimating and Comparing Species Richness
and Diversity across Habitats
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Day 1 (11 Aug 2008)Theme Patterns of Dispersion
Abundance.

• Objectives
• 1 Provide overview of the workshop
• Learn the difference (and importance) of
  dispersion, abundance, and spatial scale
• Learn to quantify dispersion and abundance in
  fixed plots
• Mathematically quantify dispersion to infer
  whether organisms are randomly distributed,
  aggregated, or over dispersed.
• Learn how measuring dispersion and abundance can
  be applied to other problems, e.g. epidemiology
• Activities
• Introductory lecture and walk (1.5 hr)
• Setup Field Problems (1 hr)
• Count mark isopods
• 2 Collect leaf samples
• Field map trees (1.5 hr)
• Lecture on dispersion abundance (1 hr)
• Make maps. Calculate dispersion indices (1 hr)
• Report out on results and conclusions, Discuss
  classroom applications. (1 hr)

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Day 2 (12 Aug 2008)Theme Demographic and
Genetic Consequences of Small Population Size.

• Objectives
• 1 Learn why conservation biologists are concerned
  about Minimum Viable Population size.
• Quantify how risk of extinction increases with
  decreasing population size.
• Quantify how risk of loss of genetic variation
  increases with decreasing population size.
• Learn how simple stochastic (probabilistic)
  processes can be realistically simulated using
  games-of-chance or excel spreadsheet simulations.
  
• Activities
• Introductory lecture and walk. (1 hr)
• Setup Field Problems. (1 hr)
• 1 Make clay eggs.
• 2 Prepare artificial nests.
• 3 Initialize ibuttons.
• Lecture on small population size. (1 hr)
• Games-of-chance for simulating demographic and
  genetic effects of small population
• size. (1 hr)
• Setup Field Problems (1 hr)
• 1 Place artificial nests.
• 2 Place ibuttons.
• 3 Collect soil samples.

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Day 3 (13 Aug 2008)Theme Population Size,
Population Dynamics, and Conservation Planning.

• Objectives
• 1 Learn how population sizes of animals are
  estimated using mark-recapture, including the
  assumptions and biases of the procedure.
• Learn the basic mathematical model for
  density-dependent population growth (the logistic
  equation), and how it can be used to
  realistically forecast population dynamics using
  simple spreadsheet models.
• Learn how chance and periodic variation in the
  carrying-capacity of a habitat affects the
  population dynamics of a species, using simple
  spreadsheet models.
• Apply what is learned about population dynamics
  to a practical management problem the growing
  population of moose in the Adirondacks.
• Activities
• Introductory lecture and walk. (0.5 hr)
• Setup Field Problems (1 hr)
• 1 Check artificial nests
• 2 Recapture and mark isopods.
• Lecture on population growth, estimating
  population size. (1.5 hr)
• Calculate a quantitative estimate isopod
  population size using various methods (1 hr)
• Investigate affects of intrinsic population
  growth rate, environmental variability, and
• initial population size, and carrying capacity
  on population size and population
• viability. (1 hr)
• For moose in the Adirondack Park, estimate the
  population growth trajectory, carrying
• capacity, and consequences for motor-vehicle
  accidents. (1 hr)
• Report out on results and conclusions, Discuss
  classroom applications. (1 hr)

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Day 4 (14 Aug 2008)Theme Habitat Fragmentation
and Edge Effects

• Objectives
• 1 Learn why conservation biologists are
  concerned about how conservation areas (conserve
  native habitat fragments) are affected by
  adjacent land use.
• Learn why habitat fragment size, shape, and
  contrast with the surrounding landscape each
  contribute to the severity edge effects.
• Learn how to quantify (graphically) how surface
  to volume ratio varies depending on overall size
  and shape. Learn why this matters for
  conservation biology and for other applications
  (e.g. physiology).
• Learn how to graphically analyze spatial
  environmental gradients, and how this can be used
  to estimate the severity of edge effects.
• Measure gradients of microclimate (e.g.
  temperature, humidity, wind speed) in soil and
  air in a forest with distance from the forest
  edge across edges at edges with different
  surrounding land-use.
• Activities
• Introductory lecture and walk (1 hr)
• Map microclimate gradients by transect, estimate
  Eurasian buckthorn abundance, collect
• artificial nests (2 hr)
• Weigh soil samples, read ibuttons, examine clay
  eggs (1 hr)
• Lecture on fragmentation and edge effects (1 hr)
• Quantify and draw gradients of edge effects. (1
  hr)
• Report out on results and conclusions, Discuss
  classroom applications. (1 hr)

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Day 5 (15 Aug 2008)Theme Estimating and
Comparing Species Richness and Diversity across
Habitats

• Objectives
• 1 Learn how field taxonomists quickly assess
  biodiversity trends using morphospecies, and use
  this technique to estimate the number of
  leaf-litter arthropods in a sample.
• Learn how species richness, eveness, and
  functional diversity are related.
• Learn how to estimate the species richness of an
  area based on species accumulation curves (how
  richness increases with increasing sample
  effort), and use this two infer which of two
  habitats is more biodiverse.
• Learn how species richness increases with area of
  habitat (fragment or island size) the species
  area curve. Use this to estimate the consequences
  of deforestation on species richness in a
  rainforest.
• Understand how conservation biologists use the
  tools of species accumulation curves and
  species-area curves to plan reserve sizes..
• Activities
• Introductory lecture. (0.5 hr)
• Sort morphospecies, create a species area curve.
  (2 hr)
• Lecture on patterns on quantifying and
  interpreting patterns of biodiversity. (1 hr)
• Exercise Using species-area curves to estimate
  biodiversity loss with habitat loss. (1 hr)
• Overall workshop wrap-up, discussion of how to
  incorporate lessons learned into a classroom. (2
  hrs).
• Written program evaluation. (0.5 hrs).

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