Ecological Systems: Maintaining and Enhancing Natural Features and Minimizing Adverse Impacts of Infrastructure Projects Module 1 Course Overview

Emily Mitchell Ayers, Ph.D. The Low Impact Development Center, Inc.

Learning Outcomes Know the scope and objectives of this Ecological Systems course Appreciate the need for this course Know what services are provided by ecosystems Understand how the course will be structured, and what to expect 1-3

Human activities often have adverse environmental impacts Learning to produce infrastructure systems that successfully integrate with the environment requires an understanding of ecology and a knowledgebase of sustainable design techniques Introduction 1-4

1. Ecosystem Services 2. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 3. Ecologically-Sensitive Design 4. Course Overview 5. Expected Outcomes Outline 1-5

Ecosystems provide essential services on which humans depend o Provisioning services o Regulating services o Supporting services o Cultural services Disturbance of ecosystems can lead to loss or degradation of ecosystem services Ecosystem Services 1-6

Freshwater and marine fisheries Hunting Foraging Managed systems: o Crops o Livestock o Aquaculture Provisioning Services Food 1-7 Lucarelli / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0CC-BY-SA-3.0

Forests generate precipitation Mountain streams supply snowmelt Soils recharge groundwater Provisioning Services Water 1-8 NRCS

Forests Mangroves Managed systems o Plantations o Crops o Livestock Provisioning Services Timber, Fiber, and Fuel 1-9 FWS

Benefits to humanity: Disease resistance Pre-adaptations to emerging threats Source of new crops Provisioning Services Genetic Diversity 1-10 Breeding Teosinte to Corn John Doebley / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0CC-BY-SA-3.0

Bioprospecting" is a common source of new medicines Provisioning Services Biochemicals and Pharmaceuticals 1-11 GenericFunctionSource PenicillinantibioticPenicillium fungi Aspirinanti-inflammatory Multiple sources: willow trees, myrtles, meadowsweet ArtemisininantimalarialSweet wormtree PaclitaxelanticancerPacific yew (in development)HIV blockerAustralian red-eyed tree frog CamptothecinanticancerCamptotheca tree

Net sink of CO 2 o Forests o Wetlands (peat formation) o Oceans Evapotranspiration influences precipitation Regulating Services Climate Regulation 1-12 Victor Grigas / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0CC-BY-SA-3.0

Intact ecosystems tend to resist introduction of invasives Native plants and animals develop resistance to endemic pathogens When part of a functioning ecosystem, insect populations are controlled, rarely becoming serious pests Regulating Services Disease and Pest Regulation 1-13 USDA

Wetlands, barrier islands, sand dunes, and coral reefs dissipate wind and storm surges related to hurricanes Soils absorb rainfall, reducing flooding Regulating Services Flood and Natural Hazard Regulation 1-14 NRCS

Regulating Services Water and Air Purification 1-15 Wetlands purify water by removing nutrients and degrading organic wastes Plants absorb air pollutants and provide oxygen NRCS

Regulating Services Waste Treatment 1-16 Microorganisms break down organic wastes Soils capture and immobilize heavy metals NRCS

Regulating Services Pollination % of flowering plants depend on animals for pollination Pollinators are critically important to agricultural production FWS

Nutrient cycling Soil formation Primary production o Converts sunlight into food for heterotrophs o Produces atmospheric O 2 Supporting Services 1-18 USDA

Aesthetic Spiritual Educational Recreational Cultural Services 1-19 FWS

1. Ecosystem Services 2. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 3. Ecologically-Sensitive Design 4. Course Overview 5. Expected Outcomes Outline 1-20

Found that 60% of ecosystem services are being degraded or used unsustainably Fresh water supplies are declining at an unsustainable rate Degradation of ecosystem functions increases the risk of rapid, nonlinear changes, the results of which can be catastrophic Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) 1-21

These ecosystem functions are either expensive or impossible to replace with technological solutions, and are essential to human well-being Estimated economic value of all ecosystem services: $16-54 trillion/year (Costanza et al 1997) 2010 Global GDP = $65 trillion Importance to Society 1-22

35 % have been lost in the last 20 years Services provided: o Habitat suitable for fisheries o Water purification o Nutrient cycling o Carbon sequestration o Storm surge buffering Causes of decline: o Aquaculture development o Deforestation o Freshwater diversion Mangroves 1-23 NOAA

20% loss in the last few decades Ecosystem services: o Providing habitat suitable for fisheries o Providing biodiversity o Buffering storm surges Causes of decline: o Destructive fishing practices o Pollution o Climate change Coral Reefs 1-24 Public Library of Science / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0CC-BY-SA-3.0

Deforestation is responsible for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions Services provided: o Climate regulation o Nutrient cycling o Genetic diversity o Pharmaceuticals o Disease control Cause of decline: o Deforestation for agriculture Tropical Rainforests 1-25 © Hans Hillewaert / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0CC-BY-SA-3.0

Deforestation in Haiti Since 1960, forest cover in Haiti has decreased from 60% to less than 2% Multiple drivers: o Demand for wood and charcoal for cooking fuels o Expansion of agricultural lands Environmental consequences: o Erosion o Landslides o Flooding 1-27 NASA

Infrastructure shapes the way people relate to the environment If we build coal-fired power plants, then people cause climate change by turning on their lights If we build sprawling suburbs, then people are required to drive Creating highly impervious surfaces degrades streams How Does Infrastructure Fit In? 1-26

Habitat loss Habitat fragmentation Pollution Altered river and estuary hydrology Climate change Road kills Impacts 1-27

1. Ecosystem Services 2. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 3. Ecologically-Sensitive Design 4. Course Overview 5. Expected Outcomes Outline 1-28

With an understanding of how infrastructure projects can damage ecosystems, it becomes possible to avoid, prevent, and mitigate these impacts. Infrastructure projects can be designed and implemented in a manner that is ecologically sensitive and sustainable. Ecologically-Sensitive Projects 1-29

ASCE definition of sustainability: A set of environmental, economic and social conditions in which all of society has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life indefinitely without degrading the quantity, quality or the availability of natural, economic and social resources. Infrastructure Sustainability 1-30

Examples of Ecologically-Sensitive Projects 1-31 LID Center Low Impact Development Stormwater runoff is intercepted, cleaned, and infiltrated where appropriate This approach mitigates many of the harmful impacts of paved surfaces

Examples of Ecologically-Sensitive Projects 1-32 LID Center Wildlife crossings Permit migration and movement of animals across roadways Eliminate habitat fragmentation Connect ecosystems

Examples of Ecologically-Sensitive Projects 1-33 Emily Ayers Constructed wetlands Treat wastewater prior to discharge Remove excess organics and nutrients

1. Ecosystem Services 2. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 3. Ecologically-Sensitive Design 4. Course Overview 5. Expected Outcomes Outline 1-37

To be able to apply the basic principles of ecology when making engineering decisions in infrastructure projects To learn to anticipate the ecological impacts of infrastructure projects over their entire life cycles from planning to decommissioning To learn techniques to prevent, minimize, and mitigate these impacts To learn how to produce infrastructure systems that contribute to productive, environmentally restorative and socially desirable uses of land and protection of native flora and fauna Course Objectives 1-38

1. Course Overview: Ecosystem services and the importance of ecologically-sensitive projects 2. Introduction to Ecology: Ecological theory 3. Impacts of Infrastructure: What are the major ecological impacts caused by infrastructure, and how do infrastructure projects cause these impacts? Modules of the Course 1-39

4. Protecting Habitat: Assessing habitat, prioritizing and creating conservation areas 5. Integrating Infrastructure: Producing infrastructure projects that work in harmony with their surroundings 6. Restoring Ecological Function: Applying the general theory of ecosystem restoration, with examples of restoration in specific contexts Modules of the Course 1-40

What are ecosystems? What principles govern ecosystem behavior? How do ecosystems respond to change? Introduction to Ecology 1-41

What ecological impacts are associated with infrastructure? How do ecosystems become degraded? What are the local, national, and global implications? Impacts of Infrastructure 1-42

Site assessment Identifying critical resources Conservation design techniques Protecting Habitat 1-43

Anticipating environmental impacts Strategies and techniques to avoid impacts Using the Envision project rating system Integrating Infrastructure 1-44

Basic principles of ecological restoration Examples of restoration techniques Course wrap-up Restoring Ecological Function 1-45

Students will be required to pass a multiple choice examination, which will test understanding of: Ecosystem services Principles of ecology How infrastructure can negatively impact ecosystems How to protect habitat How to create ecologically-sensitive designs How to restore ecosystem function Examination 1-46

1. Ecosystem Services 2. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 3. Ecologically-Sensitive Design 4. Course Overview 5. Expected Outcomes Outline 1-48

Expected Outcomes – Module 1 Know the scope and objectives of this Ecological Systems course Appreciate the need for this course Know what services are provided by ecosystems Understand how the course will be structured, and what to expect 1-49

Expected Outcomes – Module 2 Understand what an ecosystem is Learn how ecosystems function Learn how ecosystems change over time 1-50

Expected Outcomes – Module 3 Identify the ways in which infrastructure projects can cause habitat loss Identify the ways in which pollution can harm ecosystems Describe how discharges to ecosystems can disrupt ecological stability 1-48

Expected Outcomes – Module 4 Explain the importance of ecological site assessment Determine how to prioritize areas for conservation Determine how to incorporate conservation into infrastructure projects 1-49

Expected Outcomes – Module 5 Know how to apply the concept of an energy signature Be able to predict infrastructure impacts Be able to minimize infrastructure impacts 1-50

Expected Outcomes – Module 6 Be able to describe the benefits of ecological restoration Know how to design ecological restoration for function rather than appearance Know how to apply techniques employed in a variety of restoration contexts 1-51

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: Costanza, R., R. d'Arge, R. de Groot, S. Farberk, M. Grasso, B. Hannon, K. Limburg, S. Naeem, R. V. O'Neill, J. Paruelo, R. G. Raskin, P. Sutton & M. van den Belt, The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature, vol.387, p Recommended Reading 1-47