Post on 02-Jan-2016
From The Swamp To The Classroom: A Voyage Of Discovery
Paul Weihe, Central College (IA)
Who IS this guy…??
• Taught ES annually since 1997
• APES Reader/Leader since ‘06
• Trained as ecologist (specialty: wetlands)
• Married; two sons in HS
• Avid gardener; homebrewer
• Recent interest: Ethnobotany
AGENDA• Some background on wetland science• Recent additions to our ES resources• Sharing & brainstorming
• Think of this as a conversation starter…
• Note: this Powerpoint and other materials are available for later review.
WETLANDS
• Disclaimer…my role here…
• The only ecosystem type protected by Federal law…(court interpretation of Clean Water Act’s “Waters of the U.S.”)
• “Protection” does allow for wetland disturbance/removal with a permit [QUESTION: which Agency in charge…?]
What IS a wetland…?
• Definition: it is an ecotone---an ecosystem with characteristics intermediate between two types (i.e., terrestrial & aquatic)
• Delineation tells one where to draw the perimeter line; use the Federal Manual with three “indicators” (water, plants, soil)
• Classification for inventory, assessment…
Dredge & Fill Permit
• Army Corps of Engineers will issue permits if necessary
• What’s a good reason?
Agency may require “mitigation”
• Typically, need to replace lost wetland
• Restore or build a new wetland
Can we really build wetlands?
• YES. Lots of examples of successful wetland restoration & creation…some are even accidental!
• HOWEVER…
this is the wrong
question.
http://swamp.osu.edu/
DO we really build wetlands?• National goal has been “No Net Loss” • We are failing.• Iowa study (Vandewalle et al 2008): 58% of
State highway projects were successful…as measured by permit requirements.
• Difficult to get a national perspective, but this is probably indicative of overall trend
Purple Loosestrife…
Purple Loosestrife(Lythrum salicaria)
• Beautiful flowering perennial of wetlands
• Introduced from Eurasia
• Spread throughout northern U.S., Canada
• Reduces cover/biomass/frequency of native plant species
• Is less-used by animals for food & cover, than are native plants
AND, it also may/may not…
• Cause local populations of native animals/plants to decline
• Reduce overall biodiversity
• Affect hydrology, sedimentation, carbon storage, nutrient dynamics in soil/water
• Be significantly reduced by introduced biocontrol agents (insects form Europe)
My current research…
• What is “The Smoking Gun?”
• Looking for the ecological effects (impacts??) of the plant on ecosystems
• Last Fall, did a small experiment with my students: how does nitrate level in water compare in test tubes with Loosestrife vs. tubes with cattail? (=about the same)
The Big Questions
• How do we describe wetland function in a landscape context (reference systems)
• To what extent, and in which ways, can we solve water quality issues using wetlands?
• What is the interaction between wetland systems and Global Climate Change?
Wetlands & Climate Change:• Walter et al 2006: Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback
to climate warming -- http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7107/abs/nature05040.html
• Schuur et al 2008: Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change: Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle -- http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1641/B580807
• Shakhova et al 2010: Extensive Methane Venting to the Atmosphere from Sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf -- http://www.sciencemag.org/content/327/5970/1246.short
Wetlands….
• Discussion?
• Questions…?
Confession: Pedagogy gives me a headache
http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/courses/edpsy317/sp03/learning-maps/index.html
http://www.personal.psu.edu/wxh139/construct.htm http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/6316
BUT…we care about learning…
• Great interest in recent years in effective use of technology: distance learning, flipped classrooms, etc.
• Ongoing research --how students learn
• Our students are changing?? (experiences, attitudes, goals…)
Resources you may know…• We have an EDG listserv & other good stuff
at AP Central (http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/
2128.html), Environmental Literacy Council(http://www.enviroliteracy.org/), GOAPES wiki (http://goapes.wikispaces.com/)
• Coming soon: APCommunity (@CB)• New books…see table…
Also: interesting reads..
• AAAS report: Vision & Change (www.visionandchange.org)
• Book by Ken Bain: What the Best College Teachers Do (free summary pdf):http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/courses-jmgay/documents/SynopsisWhatBestCollegeTeachersDo.pdf
Bioscience Education Network
• Biosciednet.org/portal
• BEN is an Internet portal to (mostly free) resources to teach ES (not just Biology!)
• Searches through on-line libraries of various professional societies
• Categorizes resources; metadata
• Peer-reviewed (before and/or after)
SciencePipes• YOU pick the data
• IT makes the graph
SciencePipes
• http://sciencepipes.org
• In development…coming soon!
• Sponsored by Cornell U. (Ornithology lab)
• Generates “data visualizations” (graphs/charts/statsistics) on the fly
• LARGE data sets to be included
• When operational, will include lessons
THANKS
• For all you’ve taught me about ES & teaching/learning
• For making the Readings fun
Now, YOUR TURN…share…• A cool/fun/stimulating idea/activity you have for
teaching APES? • What isThe Next Big Thing? What should we
(“somebody”) work on/develop?• Technology?• $$$ for…?• Other ideas?• Please visit the “stations”