Conservation Biology 2007
LAB Website, with links to lab readings

Conservation Biology Lab (406L/506L)
--Readings not to be accessed except by students currently enrolled in course--

Last Updated 01 Nov, but only through 13 Nov

Check back often for changes to readings and schedules…
(
original lab syllabus from 24 Aug 2007)

Most of the readings are saved as .PDF files which require the Free Adobe
Acrobat Reader Software


Conservation Biology Lab Schedule 2007
[Generally meets Friday 1230-1530 (10 of 14 potential meetings)]
Meetings involving VANS will generally meet on the South or West Side of BSE (corner of 4th and Highland on campus)


24 Aug.        Tumamoc Hill and Introduction, VAN (10 points)
                       invasive species, ecological research, study plots, desert vegetation,
                       introductions, assignments, & schedules
 
                       Tumamoc Hill Research 
 
                       Tumamoc Hill Reading by Nancy Wall

                       optional:Views of the Changing Sonoran Desert (large file) 
 
                       Tumamoc Hill USGS Website, Tumamoc
Buffel Grass Website
                        What conservation project would you initiate at Tumamoc Hill? Why?

 

31 Aug.        No lab (Labor Day Monday 03 Sept.)

 

07 Sept.        Sabino Canyon, VAN (10 points)
                      (talk about groups for food and planning for end Sept. trip)

                      Sabino Canyon Readings:
                      1. General Sabino Canyon Information (be sure to look at the file [Bob Webb, USGS] on flooding and debris flows)
                      Fire and Erosion
                      2. Tucson Citizen article post-flooding in Sabino Canyon
                      optional: Fire and Erosion in AZ; Nature
                      Invasives/Native Fishes
                      3. Saving fish from Sabino Canyon during fire
                      4. Invasive Arizona Fish
                      5. Bioinvaders in the Sonoran Desert
                      optional: Invasive catfish in Arizona
                      optional: Arizona Fish Fauna; Colorado River
                      Mountain Lions
                      6. Mt. Lions in Tucson area
                      7. Article about guys who impeded mountain lion hunt in Sabino Canyon
                      8. General Mt. Lion info
                      optional: Profile on guy who impeded Mt. Lion hunt
                      optional: Earth First! article about Mt. Lion hunt in Sabino canyon
                      optional: more on Mt. Lions in Tucson area
                      optional: Sierra Club and Mt. Lions
                      optional: Mountain Lion Foundation
                      How should Sabino Canyon be managed? Why?


 

15 Sept. (SATURDAY) 
Mt. Lemmon all day, VAN (20 points)

leave campus 0700h from south/west side BSE, return 1800h
            PICTURES from 07 October 2005, (Pictures from 02 October 2004)
            Handout 1 (lab overview) and Handout 2 (lab datasheet)
            Sonorensis Publication 1989 (a great overview of Mt. Lemmon and our Sky Islands)
            Guide to Mt. Lemmon Highway (with mileage, elevation, and checklists)
            Miscellaneous Mt. Lemmon-related information (including a map)
           
Whittaker and Niering, 1965 (excerpts) (optional discussion of life zones and vegetation on Mt. Lemmon)
            Cruising for Timber! (optional details on how to quickly calculate standing biomass)
            Backer, Jensen, McPherson 2004 (article on fire suppression and fire effects)
            Kauffman, 2004 (perceptions of fire, restoration ecology)
            Article on Rattlesnake Fire (1994) in Chiricahuas (optional: short article on erosion post fire in Chiricahuas)
            (optional: LTRR
Big Arizona Fires with links to newspaper articles etc.)
            Rex Adams from Lab of Tree-Ring Research
            What do you think are the objectives and practices of a group called Sky Island Alliance?

                       

  21 Sept. 
Island Biogeography, Pop. Growth, COMPUTER LAB (meet in BSE328) (10 points)

                        2007 word file to bring with you to lab.
                       
Excel Sheet to open in lab on Friday 21 Sept.
                        Island Biogeography:
interesting introduction and data sets , Species-area relationships
                        Barrett et al. 2003
                        How can computer models aid the field of conservation biology?
                        What are the limitations?




28-30 Sept.   Las Cienegas, San Bernardino, Los Ojos, San Pedro; Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.
2.5 days, VAN (50 points)

We will plan to leave campus at 1230 on Friday the 28th. 

Arrive late afternoon in Tucson on Sunday the 30th.


                        Las Cienegas (BLM website)
                        Empire Ranch
                        Herp Inventory Summary at Las Cienegas
                        Las Cienegas Wildlife (also, bird list if you want it)
                        Optional: State Endangered Historic Properties (scroll for Empire Ranch)
                        Optional: Law Creating Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
                        Optional: Las Cienegas MAP
                        Optional: Short Article by Mac Donaldson (our host at Las Cienegas)

SAN PEDRO:
Barbara Kingsolver, National Geographic, San Pedro
AZGF write-up on the San Pedro
Troubled Waters, by Sandra Postel
2002 Economic Report on Recreation in San Pedro drainage
Upper San Pedro Partnership (peruse some of these documents to get an idea about the issues surrounding San Pedro water)
BLM San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (optional: some of the BLM info in a word file)
(optional:
Friends of the San Pedro River)
RANCHING/GRAZING:
Floyd et al. 2003 (grazing)
Sheridan 2001 (ranching)
(optional:
Brogden and Greenberg 2003 [ranching])
San Pedro pre and post grazing (photos)

What challenges do you see to ecosystem protection that arise from different political systems and different cultures? Why are the Austin's ranches such important areas to protect? OR
Should species and habitat conservation be attempted with ranching? If so, how?


 


19 Oct.           Sewage Treatment /
Santa Cruz / Sweetwater Wetland, VAN (10 points)

                        (Pictures from 15 Oct 2004)
                        2007 Handout
                        How water management in Tucson has affected desert surroundings
                        Shutes 2001
                        Verhoeven and Meuleman 1999 
                        OPTIONAL:Troubled Waters, by Sandra Postel
                        OPTIONAL: Constructed Wetland details                       
                       

                        How does the sweetwater wetland mimic a sewage treatment plant? (Please include specific mechanisms.) Why is this ironic?


26 Oct.         
Tucson Mountain Park , Intermediate Disturbance , Species-Area Curves, VAN (10 points)

                        LAB HANDOUT to bring with you on 26 October
                        (a few
pictures from 2004)
                       
Connell 1978
                        Species Area Curves and Conservation            
           
                        OPTIONAL: Wilkinson 1999 commentary on Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis

                        While focusing on either species area curves OR the intermediate disturbance hypothesis,
                        describe the useful applications in conservation biology as well as the limitations.



02 Nov.          Computer Time: MVP, Sea Turtle Populations, COMPUTER LAB (10 points)  (meet in BSE328)
                        Turtle Lab (please read first three pages before coming to lab)
                        Turtle Lab Spreadsheet (we will open this in lab)

                       

What are the pros and cons of the MVP approach? Explain which lifestages of sea turtles need more protection. Why? How do you know?


 


 

10-12 Nov. (Sat-Mon)     Organ Pipe, Pinacate, CEDO, 3 day, VAN 10-12 Nov.

                        leave campus 7am on Saturday 10 Nov., return evening of Monday 12 Nov.

                        (60 points)

                        Students will be asked to pay for some of the food and lodging costs incurred in Mexico .

                         Entry and Camping at Pinacate                 $8

                         Lodging at CEDO                                   $10

                          Dinner at CEDO                                       $8.50 (optional)

                         PHOTOS from 2005, or as 6 slides/page (smaller file); PHOTOS from 2004

                         Background Reading:
                         Organ Pipe Website (especially focus on the links under "management docs")
                                One of many possible links
                         Organ Pipe issue
                         Finding of No Significant Impact re: Vehicle Barrier
                         Desert Invasion website

                        
                          CEDO website (located in Puerto Penasco)
                          WWF Vaquita Site
                          D'agrosa et al. 2000 (Vaquita Bycatch ...)
                                      OR
Rojas-Bracho and Taylor 1999 (Risk Factors Affecting the Vaquita)
                          Rodriguez et al. 2001 (Effects of Colorado River Diversion on Estuarine Bivalve Molluscs...)
                          Report on Northern Gulf of California (please read: exec. summary, intro., 1.2, 1.3.2, 2.4, 2.5, 5.3, and 6)
                          2002 State-of-Knowledge Workshop Summary RE: Colorado River Delta (interesting optional reading)

                           Tentative Organ Pipe/Pinacate/CEDO itinerary:
                            Saturday 10 Nov

      0700 depart

1030 short hike

1200 lunch picnic

1230 meeting with Organ Pipe staff

      1500 cross border into Sonora , Mexico

       1645 meet with Pinacate staff

      1800 set up camp in Pinacate, cook dinner

                           Sunday 11 Nov

                              0600 explore pinacate, breakfast on the go

                              0830 break camp, explore pinacate by vehicle

                              1200 leave Pinacate 

      1300 lunch in Puerto Penasco ($)

      1400 explore beach and tide pools [check tide charts] 

      1600 arrive CEDO

                              1730 dinner at CEDO ($)

                              1900 evening presentation at CEDO

                           Monday 12 Nov

                              0630 breakfast using CEDO kitchen and our food

      0800 explore estuary

                              1100 leave CEDO, eat lunch on road in van

                              1130 stop at Dunes on way home

                              1830 arrive Tucson
                         What was the most important conservation challenge you observed on this trip?

How will it affect your life from here on out?

How would you take on this challenge for the benefit of ecosystem preservation?                           


 







NOT UPDATED BELOW HERE as of 01 Nov 2007


10 Nov.
          No lab (Veteran’s Day Monday 13 Nov)   


 

17 Nov.          Tucson Mountain Park, Diversity Indices, Species-Area Curves, VAN

                        (a few pictures from 2004)
                       
Connell 1978
                        Species Area Curves and Conservation            
           
                        (10 points)

                        Why are diversity indices & species area curves useful concepts in Conservation Biology?

 


24 Nov.
          No lab (Thanksgiving Holiday)


 

01 Dec.          Tucson Mountains, Wrap Up, VAN
                        (10 points)

                        Come to class with a potential writing assignment question.

We will decide as a group which to answer.

 

For field trips involving vans we will meet at the appointed time on the south side of BSE (4th and Highland).

 

Short writing assignments worth 100 points (20 pts x 5/10 assignments) over the course of the semester. Limited to one piece of paper for each (you may use both sides of the paper). Due at the beginning of the next scheduled lab meeting. Graded on content and writing. You may be asked to read aloud to your peers and discuss and defend your point of view.

 

 

 
Link to Conservation Biology Lecture Schedule 2006, Meets T,R 1230-1345h

RETURN TO ECOL 406/506, 2006 HOMEPAGE