ESRM 458

Management of Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive Species

When: Autumn 2008, 5 Credits

Where: Lecture: T and Th 9:30-11:20, Wink 107

Discussion Sections: Th 1:30-3:20, Anderson 306

Instructor: John Marzluff, 123E Anderson, 616-6883; corvid@u.washington.edu

E-mail Listserve: esrm458a_au08@u.washington.edu

Purpose: The purpose of this course is to take an in depth look at the problem of species endangerment and investigate modern solutions to the problem. We will cover the political and biological aspects of endangerment and contrast proactive and reactive means to maintain and restore species. An important aspect of the class will stress involvement in the conservation process as students work as teams to develop and present research or management plans for endangered species.

Prerequisites: Seniors in Forest Resources, Biology, Botany, Zoology, graduate standing, or permission of instructor required. ESC 350 and BIOL 476 recommended.

Objectives: There are 5 objectives: 1) to probe the biological underpinning and political reality of endangered species management; 2) to provide discussion of current endangered species issues; 3) to contribute to management of endangered species by participating in conservation efforts; 4) to improve your writing, synthesis, and oral presentation skills; 5) to introduce you to local, regional, and national endangered species managers with a variety of experiences and views.

Texts:     The Stanford Environmental Law Society. 2001. The Endangered Species Act. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, CA. (Required)

                Goble, D.D. et al. 2006. The Endangered Species Act at Thirty, Vol. 1. Island Press. Covelo, CA (Recommended)

Website: http://courses.washington.edu/vseminar

Lectures: Lecture outlines, podcasts, and references will be available on our website. You are encouraged to get these before class and embellish them during lecture. Lectures are designed to probe important concepts, not cover all material in the chapters or readings. I will illustrate ideas in lecture with examples and bring current conservation issues to your attention.

Readings: The text books are available for purchase and the extra readings are on reserve in the Natural Sciences Library. Readings are designed to provide a broad background and define an entry point into the primary scientific literature.

Course Requirements: YOU ARE RESONSIBLE FOR ALL ASSIGNED READING MATERIAL, and ideas presented during lecture and lab meetings. Lectures will be adapted to class needs, rather than being constrained to cover all assigned material. Significant developments, not fully covered on available outlines, are likely during lecture and lab meetings. Therefore, your participation in class and lab may affect your grade.

Grading: Your grade will be determined by your test scores and lab projects. There will be one midterm exam and a final. Exams will concentrate on recent material, but ALL WILL BE COMPREHENSIVE. They will be takehome format and include a variety of participatory, short answer and essay questions as well as data interpretation. Class members will work in teams to develop a written project of relevance to Washington or National conservation efforts, and each will be responsible for presenting portions of the plan to the class in an oral format. Total points will be determined in the following way:

Midterm 1 100 pts.  This will be a takehome exam..

Final 200 pts. This will be a takehome exam.

Class Discussions 100 pts.

Lab

-class project 300 pts.

-oral presentations  100pts.

TOTAL 800 pts.

Final grades are assigned according to the following scale:

A = 3.5 – 4.0 90-95+%

B = 2.5 – 3.4 80-89%

C = 1.5 – 2.4 70-79%

D = 0.7 – 1.4 60-69%

F = 0 <60%

Final Exam: THE EXAM IS DUE BY Wednesday December 10, 10:30-12:20  A hard copy must be in my mailbox beside Anderson 123E by 5pm that Wednesday.

Contingencies: Excused absences and prior notification required are to receive make-up exams or delay assignments. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to let me know you will be unable to take an exam or turn in an assignment. Make-up exams may be written or oral, at the instructor’s discretion. Assignments turned in late for unexcused reasons will be accepted, but discounted 15% for every week they are late.

Syllabus of Lecture Topics

Date

Lecture Topic

Text

Reserve Reading

 

9/25

Introduction;

Appendix

Gilpen and Soule 1986

Scott et al. 2006

Rarity, Endangerment and Extinction: Patterns and Causes----forms, vortices, and quartets

Podcast of Lecture

9/30

1, 6

 

Continue with Rarity, Endangerment and Exinction

10/2

 

Crandall et al. 2000

Legislative Response to Endangerment: What is an Endangered Species?

Podcast of Lecture

10/7

2

 

ESA Provisions, Mandates and Definitions

Podcast of Lecture

10/9

3

 Restani and Marzluff 2002 

Taylor et al. 2005; Scott et al. 2005

Assessment and Revision of the ESA;

Podcast of Lecture

 

10/14

  

 

Guest Lecture—Sue Haig, Oregon State University, Genetic Considerations

10/16

 

 Self Study and Short Paper on New Congressional Action on ESA

Update on New Congressional Action on ESA

10/21

4, 5 

 PEER 1997; Sidle 1998 

Critical Habitat and its Conservation

Podcast of Lecture

 

10/23

 

 http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-Habitat/Critical-Habitat/Redesignations/Index.cfm

Guest Lecture—Donna Darm, NOAA Fisheries

Critical Habitat for Puget Sound Salmon

10/28

 

Lande 1993

Demographic Aspects of Rarity and Endangerment

Podcast of Lecture

10/30

7

 Restani and Marzluff 2002 (letters) and Exchange with Suckling and Greenwald (2002)

Guest Lecture—Peter Goldman and Kara Whittaker, Washington Forest Law Center

First Reading about Northern Spotted Owl Take Case  

More Readings about Owl Case: 2  3  4  5  6

Lecture on Spotted Owls and the ESA

11/4

 

Beissinger 2002; Ralls et al.

Continue Demography and Rarity

11/6

 

2002Takehome exam, no class, due in my mailbox by 5pm

Your 2008 MIDTERM

11/11

 

Veteran’s Day Holiday

 

11/13

 

Lynch 1996; Fleischer 1998

Genetic Aspects of Rarity and Endangerment

Podcast of Lecture

11/18

 

 

Continue Genetics and Rarity

11/20

 

Snyder et al. 1996

Removing Limiting Factors: Captive Propagation

Podcast of Lecture

11/25

 

Kleiman & Black 1994

 Reintroduction and Translocation

 

Podcast of lecture

11/27

 

Thanksgiving Holiday

 

12/2

 

Squires et al. 1998; USFWS 1996

Sensitive Species Management

Podcast of Sensitive Species Lecture

Dealing with Uncertainty

Podcast of Uncertainty Lecture

12/4

 

STUDENT FINAL LAB PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

 

Syllabus for Project Sessions

Week

Topic

Reading

Special Notes

1 (9/25)

Revising the ESA

Appendix (ESA language) in Stanford Text

Mooney 2005

 

2 (10/2)

Project Scoping—presentations from regional managers and researchers

Communication

 

Dan Varland, Rayonier Timber, Habitat use of Peregrine Falcons on Long Beach

Rob Fimble, State Parks, Fort Simcoe.  Analyzing Lews’ Woodpecker nest site selection and plan for long-term viability.

 

2 (10/9)

Population Viability

 

Bloedel Computer Lab—Room 261

4 (10/16)

PVA Computer Lab

 

Bloedel Computer Lab—Room 261

5 (10/23)

Work on Projects

 

 

6 (10/30)

Work on Projects

 

 

7 (11/6)

Work on Projects

 

 Student Teams Present

8 (11/13)

First Presentation

 

 

9 (11/20)

Work on Projects

 

 

10 (12/4)

Final Presentation of Projects (in morning class section)

 

Student Teams Present