Ecological Engineering Design : Restoring and Conserving Ecosystem Services

by Matlock, Marty D.; Morgan, Robert A.

• ISBN13: 9780470345146
• ISBN10: 0470345144
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-03-29
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Ecologically-sensitive building and landscape design is a broad, intrinsically interdisciplinary field. Existing books independently cover narrow aspects of ecological design in depth (hydrology, ecosystems, soils, flora and fauna, etc.), but none of these books can boast of the integrated approach taken by this one. Drawing on the experience of the authors, this book begins to define explicit design methods for integrating consideration of ecosystem processes and services into every facet of land use design, management, and policy. The approach is to provide a prescriptive approach to ecosystem design based upon ecological engineering principles and practices. This book will include a novel collection of design methods for the non-built and built environments, linking landscape design explicitly to ecosystem services.

Author Biography

Marty D. Matlock, PhD, PE, CSE, is past president of the American Ecological Engineering Society and Director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability at the University of Arkansas. He is a registered professional engineer and a certified senior ecologist. Robert A. Morgan, PhD, PE, is Manager of Environmental Quality of the Beaver Water District, which is responsible for protecting the water quality of a major water supply system through watershed management. He is a registered professional engineer with thirty years of enginering design experience.

Table of Contents

Sustainable Human-Dominated Ecosystems	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Axioms of Ecological Engineering	p. 2
Sustainable Design Principles	p. 3
Global Population Dynamics-The Forcing Function	p. 4
Global Fertility Rate Trajectories	p. 5
Changing Global Demographics	p. 6
Human-Dominated Earth	p. 8
Increasing Demands for Ecosystem Services	p. 8
Human Impacts through Urbanization	p. 9
Land Use Change	p. 11
Agricultural Production	p. 13
Water Resource Demands	p. 14
Lessons from the First Green Revolution	p. 16
Structure of This Book	p. 17
References	p. 18
Ecosystem Services	p. 22
Introduction	p. 22
Origin of Ecosystem Services	p. 22
The Value of Ecosystem Services	p. 24
Classifying Ecosystem Services	p. 24
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment	p. 28
Why Biodiversity Matters	p. 35
Ecosystem Services, Land Use, and Biodiversity	p. 37
Further Readings	p. 39
References	p. 39
Designing Ecosystem Services	p. 42
Design Challenges and Needs	p. 42
Current Design Methods Deficiencies	p. 43
Ecosystem Services Design Ethics	p. 46
Legitimacy and the Design Process	p. 48
The Design Process	p. 50
Synthesis	p. 53
The Ecotechnology Design Team	p. 54
Defining the Appropriate Management Structure	p. 55
Analysis and Deliberation	p. 56
Mapping Ecosystem Services Processes	p. 56
Defining Priorities	p. 58
Setting Design Goals	p. 59
Implementing Design Goals	p. 60
Assessing Ecosystem Services Design	p. 61
Further Readings	p. 62
References	p. 62
Defining Place: Biomes and Ecoregions	p. 64
Introduction	p. 64
Biogeographical Realms	p. 65
Biomes	p. 66
Ecoregions	p. 72
Bailey's Ecoregions	p. 72
Omernik's Ecoregions	p. 73
Olson's Ecoregions	p. 76
Other Land Classification Systems	p. 78
Climate Change and Ecoregions	p. 79
Land Use Change and Ecoregions	p. 80
References	p. 81
Defining Place: The Watershed	p. 83
Introduction	p. 83
Watershed Services	p. 84
Watershed Characteristics: Physical Description	p. 84
Watershed Hydrologic Characteristics	p. 92
Watershed Water Quality Characteristics	p. 99
Watershed Human Impacts	p. 100
Summary of Watershed Characteristics	p. 103
Further Readings	p. 104
References	p. 104
Defining Place: The Site	p. 106
Introduction	p. 106
Physical Characterization	p. 106
Hydrological Characterization	p. 107
Biological Characterization	p. 119
Climatological Characterization	p. 124
Summary	p. 125
Further Readings	p. 127
References	p. 127
Defining Place: Soils as a Living Organism	p. 129
Introduction	p. 129
Morphology	p. 130
Soil Physics	p. 136
Soil Fertility	p. 139
Soil Ecology	p. 141
Summary	p. 143
Further Readings	p. 143
References	p. 144
Fundamental Principles of Ecology for Design	p. 145
Introduction	p. 145
Fundamental Principles of Ecology	p. 148
Organisms and Place	p. 149
Adaptation Processes	p. 150
Responses to Environmental Variation	p. 152
Landforms and Ecosystem Function	p. 154
Patches, Corridors, and Connectivity	p. 154
Ecotones and Edge Effects	p. 156
Landform Metrics	p. 158
Further Readings	p. 160
References	p. 160
Energy and Mass Flow Through Ecosystems	p. 162
Introduction	p. 162
Energy Flow through Ecosystems	p. 164
Energy Balance in the Biosphere	p. 164
Emergy as a Unit of Analysis	p. 168
Trophic Levels	p. 169
Energy Density	p. 169
Primary Production	p. 170
Designing Trophic Levels	p. 173
Mass Flow through Ecosystems	p. 175
Hydrologic Cycle	p. 176
Carbon Cycle	p. 178
Nitrogen Cycle	p. 181
Phosphorus Cycle	p. 183
References	p. 184
Designing Community Structure	p. 187
Introduction	p. 187
Hierarchical Processes	p. 187
Types of Restoration Design	p. 188
Biotic Interactions	p. 190
Community Interactions	p. 190
Competition	p. 191
Consumption	p. 192
Commensalism	p. 192
Metapopulations	p. 193
Species-Area Relationship	p. 193
Minimum Viable Populations	p. 194
Minimum Viable Metapopulations	p. 195
Regional Processes	p. 195
Species Pool	p. 196
Dispersal	p. 196
Colonization Sequence	p. 197
Dispersion	p. 197
Environmental and Habitat Impacts	p. 198
Abiotic Filters	p. 198
Disturbance Regimes	p. 199
Habitat Heterogeneity	p. 200
References	p. 201
Ecosystem Control and Feedback Systems	p. 202
Introduction	p. 202
Population Control Processes	p. 204
Reproductive Strategies	p. 204
Survivorship	p. 205
Growth Rates	p. 206
Community Control Processes	p. 207
Plants and Nutrients	p. 208
Resource Competition	p. 209
Feedback Processes	p. 210
Atmospheric Feedback Loops	p. 211
Soil Feedback Loops	p. 212
Consumer Feedback Loops	p. 214
Designing Ecosystem Complexity	p. 215
Self-Organization	p. 217
References	p. 220
Stream Restoration Design	p. 222
Introduction	p. 222
Assessment	p. 223
Hydrology	p. 227
Sedimentology	p. 233
Geomorphology	p. 235
Habitat	p. 238
Connectivity	p. 240
Riparian Corridor	p. 241
Construction	p. 242
Summary	p. 242
Further Readings	p. 243
References	p. 243
Designing Ecosystem Services by Landform	p. 245
Introduction	p. 245
Ecosystem Services Design Process	p. 245
Agricultural Lands	p. 247
Forests	p. 251
Grasslands	p. 253
Wetlands	p. 256
Urban Areas	p. 260
References	p. 265
Green Infrastructure Design	p. 267
Introduction	p. 267
The Green Infrastructure Network	p. 268
Green Infrastructure Planning	p. 271
The Tools of Green Infrastructure	p. 272
Scale Matters	p. 275
The Sustainable Cities Initiative	p. 275
United Nations World Urban Forum	p. 276
ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability	p. 278
Summary	p. 280
Further Readings	p. 281
References	p. 281
Low Impact Development	p. 282
Introduction	p. 282
Hydrology	p. 284
Initial Steps	p. 287
Minimizing Change to Pre-development CN	p. 287
Maintaining or Increasing tc	p. 289
Integrated Management Practices	p. 290
Bioretention	p. 290
Dry Wells	p. 291
Rain Barrels and Cisterns	p. 291
Vegetated or Grassed Swales	p. 292
Infiltration Trenches	p. 292
Tree Box Filters	p. 292
Vegetated or Green Roofs	p. 293
Filter Strips	p. 293
Rain Gardens	p. 293
Water Quality	p. 294
Minimization	p. 295
Natural Filtration	p. 295
Constructed Filtration	p. 296
Evaporation	p. 296
Pollution Prevention	p. 296
Hydrologic Analysis	p. 296
Refugia	p. 300
Ecosystem System Services Assessment/Design	p. 301
Define Project Objectives and Goals	p. 301
Perform Site Evaluation and Analysis	p. 302
Develop LID Control Strategies	p. 302
Design LID Site or Master Plan	p. 303
Develop Operation and Maintenance Procedures	p. 304
Summary	p. 304
Further Readings	p. 305
References	p. 306
Ecosystem Services Design in Agriculture and Industry	p. 307
Introduction	p. 307
Agricultural Sustainability Indicators	p. 308
Summary of Sustainability Indicators	p. 309
Environmental Indicators for Soil	p. 309
Environmental Indicators for Water	p. 312
Environmental Indicators for Habitat	p. 313
Social and Cultural Indicators	p. 314
Economic Indicators	p. 316
Field-Scale Indicators	p. 317
Industrial Sustainability Metrics	p. 320
Scope Selection	p. 320
Identify Priority Ecosystem Services	p. 321
Analyze Trends in Priority Ecosystem Services	p. 323
Identify Business Risks and Opportunities	p. 324
Develop Strategies for Addressing Risks and Opportunities	p. 325
References	p. 327
Index	p. 329
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