On a Wing and a Prayer
A Wetland Mitigation Dilemma
Author(s)
Abstract
The essential elements of this dilemma case are based on a real-life wetland mitigation problem. A biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has to decide whether to improve a wetland adversely impacted by toxins or restore another site instead. He is relying on the collective judgment of an interagency team. Working in small groups, students weigh the potential risks and opportunities of each site, and make a decision as to which site has the best chance to succeed at mitigating the damage. The case was developed for advanced courses in restoration ecology, conservation biology, and wetland ecology, but also works well in an introductory environmental science course.
Objectives
- Understand the opportunities and limits of mitigation as an environmental protection strategy.
- Understand how landscape context and site condition govern the likelihood of restoration success.
- Analyze the risks presented by specific mitigation sites and to make decisions that are a response to these risks.
Keywords
Wetlands; wetland mitigation; ecological restoration; restoration ecology; conservation biology; habitat suitability; environmental decision-makingTopical Areas
N/AEducational Level
Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper divisionFormat
PDFType / Methods
Dilemma/Decision, Role-PlayLanguage
EnglishSubject Headings
Environmental Science | Natural Resource Management | Environmental Engineering | Ecology |
Date Posted
10/16/06Teaching Notes
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