Week 1:
Option A:[encouraged]
A good source of references on wetland communities can be found below.
Date Due: Thursday, September 4th, 2003
cedar swamp
Choose a wetland community and and describe it. Also, try to think how climate
change may impact this system. Prepare a 5 minute overview talk aboout your community type
to present in class on Thursday.
Reference Resources
general sources:
electronic journal sources:
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Black Rock Forest, NY |
Week 2:
Choose a watershed and download hydrological data here.
You can describe trends at the real-time, daily, or weekly time steps or examine below normal flows for any
watershed that you choose. The type of graph that we are looking for would look something (but doesn't have to
be exactly) like this.
Go to the streamflow water data and download streamflow data for a station (or
two for compartison, i.e. a small watershed vs a large watershed) at the time step you prefer (daily, weekly, or monthly).
Graph the streamflow data and interpret your data.
It is not as easy to get the data from the web sites listed above as it was last time this class was taught. If you can find the particular hydrological/streamflow data that you are interested in from another source, please feel free to use that source. Another potential source can be found here.
For example, 2 years ago Hurrican Floyd ripped up the east coast. The resulting rain was readily apparent in the streamflow data. Unfortunately, there is no hurricane or tropical storm bearing down on the US. But, you could look for seasonal trends in climate (much climate data here and here) or see if a recent storm has passed through your watershed.
Potential Questions You Could Answer (but not the only ones): What changes did you observe in streamflow following a storm event? How long did it take for the storm pulse to move through your system? What role does the geography of the watershed play? If climate change produces larger storms, how may the hydrology change in your watershed? etc...
Summarize your data and interpretations. Be prepared to give a 5 minute oral presentation in class.
Date Due: Due Tuesday, September 18th
Week 3.5:
You will be assigned to read one of the following articles and write a 1-page critique
that includes:
Topic:
Question:
Articles:
Leanes, Walsh et al. Limnology & Oceanography, Sept. 2001
This Journal can be found in the GEOLOGY Library (6th floor Schermerhorn) --- Call Number: 551.46 L62
or
Nitrogen Dynamics in Rivers and Streams
Gulf of Mexico anoxia - Science
Feb 9, 291: 968 and EOS 81: 321-326.
EOS can be found at: the GEOLOGY Library (6th floor
Schermerhorn) --- Call Number: QE500 .A6
or at the GEOSCIENCE Library (Lamont Hall - LDEO Library) --- Call Number: QE500 .A6
or
Freshwater wetlands - Richardson, Science 228: 1424.
Mechanisms controlling phosphorus retention capacity in freshwater wetlands.
You must be at a Columbia
or Lamont computer to successfully access this article online. If you have trouble downloading it from the
link above, go
here
A copy of all each article will be also be available at the DEES office (560 Schermerhorn Extension)
Date Due: Due Tuesday, September 27th
Author
Title
Major point of paper
Strength
Weaknesses
Biogeochemistry
How does dust and runoff affect estuaries?
or at the GEOSCIENCE Library (Lamont Hall - LDEO Library) --- Call Number: GC1 .L62
Homework 4:
Topic:
To ease in your online adventure, make sure your browser cookies are turned on. If you
are unsure of what browser cookies, don't worry about it. Your lovely and altruistic
browser "manufacturer" has them on for you by default!!
Article 1:
Question:
Pollack et al. l998.
Plant species richness in riparian wetlands- a test of biodiversity theory.
Ecology 79(1): 94-105.
If you have trouble with that link, try this one.
Article 2:
Question:
Sorenson et al. l998.
Potential effects of global warming on waterfowl
breeding populations breeding in the Northern Great Plains.
Climatic Change 40: 343-369.
Go directly to the article here.
Article 3:
Question:
Mortsch, L.D. 1998
Assessing the impact of climate change on the Great
Lakes shoreline wetlands. Climatic Change 40: 391-416.
Go directly to the article here.
Date Due: Due Thursday, October 4th
You will be assigned to read one of the following articles and write a 1-page critique
that includes:
Author
Title
Major point of paper
Strength
Weaknesses
Inland Wetlands
How does plant diversity vary in wetlands?
How might climate change affect prairie potholes?
How might climate change affect Great Lakes Wetlands?
Homework 5:
Topic:
Problem 1:
Question:
2) How will climate change over the next 100 years impact the new moose population of northern
New York State?
Background and information on how to answer this question: Moose were extirpated from NYS in the late-19 century. Since 1980, moose have begun to re-populate,
mostly in the Adirondack State Park, after nearly a century of absence. From the picture to the
right, it is obvious that moose have an important impact on wetland ecosystems.
Likewise, climate seems to play an important role in the distribution of moose in North America. Since the
probability of the Earth's temperature to increase 1.7-4.9 degrees Celsius in the next 100 years is 90%, the
new moose population will certainly be impacted.
Readings & Reference Material:
The main article is:
Hñrnberg, S.. 2001.
Changes in population density of moose (Alces alces) and damage to forests in Sweden.
Forest Ecology and Management 149(1-3): 141-151.
The table of contents for the journal volume containing this article is
here
Additional Reference Material:
To learn more about moose foraging, preferred aquatic habitats and general history, 2 references will be put on reserve
in the DEES office including 50 pages of the book "Ecology and Management of the North American Moose." Don't
be overwhelmed by what seems like a lot of material. Most of the pages have large pictures, graphs and includes a 5-7 page
table of the type of plants eaten by moose. Also, some of the info may be relevant, some may not. Sections of the
photocopied pages that are relevant to questions are bracketed.
ref 1:
Hicks, A.C. 1986. The history and current status of moose in New York. Alces 22: 245-252.
ref 2:
"Ecology and Management of the North American Moose"
ref 3:
Online moose info
Write Up:
Your write up should be more like a short report. However, it should not be longer than a page. Try
to concisely answer the questions above using the reference material available.
You will be assigned to address of the following problems.
Fall, 1997 Island Pond, Vermont
Adaptations & Wetlands
1) How will the wetlands of northern NY be effected by the re-population of moose?
Problem 2:
Choose one of the following articles, write a 1-page critique
that includes:
and discuss adaptations of the ecosystem (Atlantic white-cedar or mangroves).
Paper 1:
You must be at a Columbia or LDEO computer to download this paper.
Eric F. Karlin. 1997. The Drowned Lands' Last Stand: An Inland Atlantic White Cedar Peat Swamp in Orange County, New York. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, Vol. 124: 89-97.
If this link doesn't work, search JStor using the title of this paper.
Paper 2:
Smith, T.J., M.B. Robblee, H.R. Wanless, and T.W. Doyle. l994. Mangroves, hurricanes, and lightening strikes. Bioscience 44: 256-262.
This paper is not available online, but can be easily found at Columbia.
Also, all papers for this assignment will be available in the DEES office for photocopying by the end of Today (10/16/01).
Date Due: Due Thursday, October 18th
Choose one of the following articles, write a 1-page critique that includes:
All 4 articles are on reserve in the DEES Office on the 5th floor of Schermerhorn
Paper 1:
Cronin et al., 2000. Climatic variability in the eastern US over the
past millennium from Chesapeake Bay sediments. Geology 28:3-6.
This Journal can be found in the GEOLOGY Library (6th floor Schermerhorn; call # --- QE1 .G555)
or at the GEOSCIENCE Library (Lamont Hall - LDEO Library; call # --- QE1 .G555).
Paper 2:
Cooper, S.R. and Brush, G.1991. Long-term history of Chesapeake Bay Anoxia. Science 254:992-996.
If this link doesn't work, search JStor using the title of this paper.
Paper 3:
Howarth et al., 1991. Inputs of sediment and carbon to an estuarine ecosystem: influence of land use. Ecological Applications 1: 27-39.
If this link doesn't work, search JStor using the title of this paper.
Paper 4:
Heusser, L., Heusser, C.J., and Weiss, D. l975. Man's influence on the development of the estuarine marsh, Flax Pond, Long Island, New York. Bull. of the Torrey Bot. Club 102: 61-66.
If this link doesn't work, search JStor using the title of this paper.
You must be at a Columbia or LDEO computer to download the last 3 papers.
Date Due: Due Thursday, October 25th
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swamp in the Hudson Valley |
Choose one of the following articles, write a 1-page critique that includes:
All articles are on reserve in the DEES Office on the 5th floor of Schermerhorn
Paper 1:
Siegel et al. 1995. Climate-driven flushing of pore water in peatlands.
Nature 374: 531-533.
This Journal can be found in the Biology Library
or at the GEOSCIENCE Library (Lamont Hall - LDEO Library).
Paper 2:
Lynn, S. and Karlin, E.F. l985. The vegetation of the low-shrub bogs of Northern New Jersey and adjacent New York: ecosystems at their southern limit Bull. of the Torrey Bot. Club 112: 436-444.
If this link doesn't work, search JStor using the title of this paper.
Paper 3:
Brown, A. l998. Gas production from an ombrotrophic bog- effect of climate change on microbial ecology. Climatic Change 40: 277-284.
If you have your browser's cookies turned off, you must turn them on to access the Climatic Change webpage.
This Journal can also be found in the the GEOSCIENCE Library (Lamont Hall - LDEO Library; call # --- QC981.8 .C5 C54 ).
You must be at or connected to a Columbia or LDEO computer to download the last 2 papers.
Date Due: Due Thursday, November 1st
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Choose one of the following articles, write a 1-page critique that includes:
The article will not be on reserve in the DEES Office on the 5th floor of Schermerhorn this week.
If you can not downlaod either paper, please contact Neil.
Paper 1:
Ray W. Spear, Margaret B. Davis, Linda C. K. Shane. 1994.
Late Quaternary History of Low- and Mid-Elevation Vegetation in the White
Mountains of New Hampshire. Ecological Monographs, 64: 85-109.
If this link doesn't work, search JStor using the title of this paper.
Paper 2:
David W. Stahle, Malcolm K. Cleaveland, Dennis B. Blanton, Matthew D. Therrell, David A. Gay. 1998. The Lost Colony and Jamestown Droughts. Science 280: 564-567.
If this link doesn't work, try this link.
This Journal can also be found in the the Geoscience (Lamont Hall - LDEO Library), Biology, Barnard, Physics, Geology, Chemistry, Butler, Psychology, Engineering and Journalism Libraries.
You must be at or connected to a Columbia or LDEO computer to download the papers.
Date Due: Due Thursday, November 8th
Last Homework:
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Read the Chapter 15 Values and Valuation of Wetlands.
Pick one method on valuation of wetlands in the last section Quantifying Wetland Values, choose an example wetland or type of wetland and quantify the value of your wetland. Write a one page summary. Address the weaknesses and strengths of your method and be prepared to have a Battle Royale in class defending your work and the chosen method. |
Date Due: Due Thursday, December 6th
http://eesc.columbia.edu/courses/w4835/
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