Directions to Everett
Community College:
To reach us from I-5 Southbound
Take Exit 198 (juar south of Marysville and the Tulalip reservation) onto
State Hwy. 529; cross the tidal flats and Snohomish River Bridge.
At the south end of the bridge, Hwy 529 becomes North Broadway. Continue
south on North Broadway, approximately .5 miles, and turn right on Tower
Street. Follow Tower Street two blocks to the campus.
Turn left one block and turn right onto the campus at the main campus entrance.
To reach us from I-5 Northbound
Take Exit 195 and turn left onto Marine View Drive.
Turn left onto 16th Street (.5 miles) and continue to Broadway.
Turn right on Broadway and continue to Tower St. Turn left on Tower
Street and follow two blocks to the campus. Turn left one block and turn
right onto the campus at the main campus entrance.
Location
of Meeting: Parks Student Union Building, Conference Rooms A, B, and
C.
Agenda: see
AWG web site
Abstracts:
KEYNOTE:
Andy_Bach: The Role of Geo-Science in Sustainable
Development: A Water Resource Example
PAPERS:
Dan Alden: Changes in a Cultural Landscape:
Fort Simcoe, WA
Pat Buckley: The Three Gorges Project: Probing China’s
environment with Chinese student assistance
Shannon Britton: Understanding the arid
lands of the west through John Wesley Powell
Jennifer Devine: Gender, Economics and Culture: Transformative
Gender Identities in Mexican Immigrant Households
Gina Friskopp: Evidence of Depodzolization in
Lowland Meadows (The Ozette Prairies), Olympic National Park, Washington,
USA
Robert Hickey: Geographers Overseas - Internationalizing
the Curriculum
Nancy Hultquis: Engaging Students in Career and
Life-Long Learning Skills
Urban Ecology Undergraduates: Discovering Our Own
Backyards:The ecological and social contributions of Backyard Wildlife Sanctuaries
to the urban environment
POSTERS:
Douglas I. Brown: Road Cycling In The Kittittas Valley
Stephanie Brown: Geography 421 - Borderlands,
Group Project
Daniel Ehreth: The Origins and Migration of Oceanic
Peoples
Marc Fairbanks: The Geomorphology Of Potholes
Coulee, Washington
Mark T. Gutchewsky: A paleoecological analysis
of peatland sediments taken from the Ozette Prairies, Olympic National Park,
Washington
Todd Newburger: Assessing Impacts to Ecological
Integrity: A Case Study of Trapper Lake, North Cascades National Park
Kate Ramsden: A Spatial and Temporal Analysis of
Tree Invasion at the Ozette Prairies, Olympic National Park, Washington
Arielle Stein: Economic Valuation as a Means to Compare
Forest Management Strategies in the Lake Whatcom Watershed
Gretchen Volker: Modeling Wild Land Fire Patterns
using Frame-based Animation
The Role of Geo-Science in Sustainable Development:
A Water Resource Example
Andrew Bach, Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington
University, Bellingham, WA
98225-9085. email: Andy.Bach@wwu.edu
The geo-sciences are ideally suited for addressing issues
in development. In particular, the set of skills (i.e. map and statistical
analyses, and field studies) which geographers often have an expertise in,
are hallmarks in most resource management and development plans today.
Generally, geographers are capable, even used to, thinking outside the box--
viewing a landscape or place holistically, rather than being bound by disciplinary
thinking. Our spatial thinking is well suited for understanding how
activities or processes in one area might influence those in another area.
In the Puget Sound region, rapid population growth, increasing environmental
concerns and recreation demands have increased competition for water under
normal flow conditions. Effective design of long-term water policy
will require an understanding of the existing relationship of climate to
water resources in the Pacific Northwest, the nature of potential climate
changes, and thusly how water resources might change in the future.
It is critical to emphasize the regional context. Much water resource
literature is based upon East Coast or Southwest (including California) studies,
where the hydrocliomate and water-use demands are very different from those
found here. Additionally, while global climate change may or may not
occur, we can be certain that climatic variability, such as precipitation
extremes related to the El Niño and Pacific Decadal Oscillation phenomena
will create an ever changing water regime.
Western water management practices, storage infrastructure,
and patterns of use are tuned to the expected range of variation in surface
runoff and groundwater availability. Floods and droughts are part of this
natural range of variation, although the probabilities of extreme events
may be difficult to discern from limited historical experience. Prospective
climate change complicates long-term water resources planning because it
will alter streamflow probability distributions and the characteristics of
aquatic ecosystems in ways that are not yet entirely clear. The available
evidence suggests that global warming may lead to substantial changes in
mean annual streamflows, the seasonal distribution of flows, and the probabilities
of extreme high or low flow conditions.
The Nooksack watershed serves as a model for a Cascades
river which is legally overallocated, yet is facing growing use demands.
The mainstem of the Nooksack (which is the main reach for human and salmon
use) hydrologically behaves in a fashion not significantly different from
high elevation portion of the watershed. High elevation snowshed meltwater
provides an estimated 26.9% (ranging annually 16-40%) of summer discharge
in the mainstem of the Nooksack River. The high elevation contributions
to the watershed has increased from an average 25.2% in the 1940s to an
average 30.8% in the 1990s. While contributions have increased, overall
stream discharges have not shown significant increases, suggesting that
the glaciers are melting, and/or precipitation levels (or other hydrologic
factors) are decreasing at about the same rate. If the observed glacier
recession continues at the present rate, there is a potential for the total
loss of glaciers in the Cascade Range and their summer meltwater contribution
to surface water supplies. If this were to occur, the Nooksack (and
similar Cascade rivers) would suffer a major shift in terms of total quantity,
timing of seasonal flows, and in particular summer discharge would significantly
decrease. Water management policies within the watershed would need
drastic change, thus it is critical that we understand how water is supplied
today, so we can manage those resources under future hydrologic conditions.
CHANGES IN A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE: FORT
SIMCOE, WA
Dan Alden, CWU Resource Management Graduate Student
SUMMARY
The National Park Service and the National Register of Historic Places
use the following definition of "cultural landscape" from the 1996 Secretary
of the Interior's Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes:
A geographic area (including both cultural and natural resources and the
wildlife or domestic animals therein) associated with a historic event,
activity, or person or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic values.
The computerized mapping tools known collectively as Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) are invaluable in documenting these landscapes. GIS
allows the presentation of points, lines, and areas in digital map format
and permits the association of attributes with this spatial data, increasing
their value for historical analysis and interpretation.
This student took available historic maps, plans, and air photos of the
area that is now Fort Simcoe State Park, Yakima County, Washington and converted
them to a digital format so that they could be presented as historic layers
in GIS. This project illustrates how GIS may be used to capture historical
or other information presently in analog map or photograph format and integrate
it into current GIS databases for use in interpretation of the landscape
and other management applications.
PROJECT INTRODUCTION
GIS image-processing software allows raster images (scanned
aerial photographs and historic maps) to be overlaid onto vector images
(GIS drawings). The image-processing software ArcView Image Analysis was
employed in this project to stretch and warp scanned raster images, while
referencing these images to an accurate Global Positioning Satellite generated
survey. Historic maps, survey data and aerial photography were georeferenced
to align and match all imagery to the same scale. Digitization of features
from georeferenced imagery in Arc Info 8.0 allowed the rectification of
features present on State Parks CAD drawings and GIS layers otherwise not
plotted to scale. This process led to the development of four historic
layers:
1. Fort Simcoe 1858 (as finished by the Army)
2. Fort Simcoe 1918 (as it appeared at the end of the
Indian Agency Period)
3. Fort Simcoe 1955 (as it appeared at the beginning
of State Parks Period, before restoration)
4. Fort Simcoe 2000 (as it appears now, after restoration)
In addition, a preliminary Fort Simcoe Landscape Classification
Map was generated using available soils and vegetation data.
Understanding the arid lands of the west
through John Wesley Powell
Shannon Britton - EVCC Student
John Wesley Powell wrote the Report on the Lands of the Arid Regions of
the United States in 1878 as a result of two expeditions he led down the Colorado
River. His first expedition occurred in 1869 and the second in 1871.
He is noted to be the first to have traveled the Colorado in its entirety.
In his report he described the unique nature of the geography of the immense
region and the environment he encountered in the Plateau Province of Arizona,
New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. In his report Powell described
the region as relatively un-vegetated and containing enough water to support
only 2-3% of the surrounding lands. Powell sought to end the misconception
that the southwest was a living garden as the Homestead Act erroneously misstated.
He promoted lands should be used according to and within its resources and
charged that settlement should be planned not allowed haphazardly.
However, many landowners and members of Congress opposed Powell’s assertions
and ideas. They believed they had an economic and democratic right
to do as their American freedom provided.
Powell’s plan as laid out in his Report on the Lands of the Arid Regions
of the United States was to only allow each farm ‘pasturage land’ of 2,560
acre parcels. He suggested this would be enough to profitably raise
livestock, but his plan was viewed as too conservative and restrictive by
Congress and farmers. According to Donald Worster author of Dust Bowl,
the farming depression of the 1930’s in the regions described by Powell
was a direct result of over and misuse of land and resources in the mid
to late 1800’s. Powell was okay with expansion except when toiling
or living beyond the means of the natural resources of the land. By
1890 there came to be 6 million people on the Great Plains.
The southwest is a region naturally devoid of water, a fact Powell confirmed
in his report. His strategy indicated all settlement and state boundaries
should be located along drainage divides. He promoted that farmers
locate along streams and rivers to gain irrigation access for their crops.
If individual farmers did not have the resources to develop irrigation access
then they should develop cooperatives with neighboring farmers. Philip
L. Radkin in his book, A River No More, The Colorado River and the West
written in 1981, indicated that Arizona’s current water problems are central
to the fact that there are too many residence in the interior region, even
though the water supply lies along the northern and western boundaries.
Fradkin points out the central Arizona residents first used up the Gila
River and then the underground water supply. In order to stay and
maintain living in the central region they had to tap into the Colorado
River which had already been over committed since 1922. Since then
water transport structures have been implemented to augment the Colorado
River water supply with water from the Columbia River. Powell was
a promoter of the west, but he warned the arid regions could not support
large populations.
Current events demonstrate the continued exploitation of the Colorado River
and its adjacent Grand Canyon. The April 2003 issue of National Parks
Conservation Association Magazine, addresses the issue of a proposed pipeline
into the Grand Canyon. Peabody Energy wants to drill 1,200 foot shafts
into the Grand Canyon to suck water from the Colorado River, but that legislation
never came to a vote. Now that the Central Arizona Water Authority
and other conservationists know of it, it is blocked.
ROAD CYCLING IN THE KITTITAS VALLEY
Douglas I. Brown, Central Washington University
The intent of this project was to create a special interest map of recommended
road bicycling routes in Washington State’s Kittitas Valley, with the intended
audience being cyclists of all skill levels who are unfamiliar with the
area. This map was to not only include recommended routes, but also
other points of interest to cyclists such as convenient locations to buy
food, water, coffee, and the location of the local bike shop. This
map was created using ArcMap and CorelDRAW9. My source data came from
the Natural Resources Conversation Service (DEM), the National Center for
Resource Innovation (Road Networks), the 2001 Kittitas County Road Atlas
(Kittitas County Department of Public Works), the 2003 Ellensburg Telephone
Company Directory and personal cycling experience.
Geography 421 - Borderlands, Group Project
Stephanie Brown, WWU
The Abbotsford Aquifer is located over extensive sand and gravel deposits,
and covers an area of approximately 100 km2 in Abbotsford, British Columbia
and Washington State, USA. The aquifer is largely unconfined (not protected
from land surface drainage) and, thus is highly vulnerable to contamination
from land use practices.
B.C.’s portion of the aquifer is
undergoing land use changes due to the large population growth and accompanying
the growth in the industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors. This
activity is producing multiple potential sources of nitrate contaminants
from manure and chemical fertilizers, septic effluent discharges and airport
de-icing products. However, recent studies (Zebarth et al., 1998; Waasenaar,
1995) have shown that the elevated nitrate concentrations in the aquifer
are primarily from agricultural sources such as animal manure.
The Three Gorges Project: Probing China’s environment
with Chinese student assistance
Patrick Buckley, Assoc. Prof. Geography, Huxley Environmental College,
Western Washington University
The Three Gorges Project is symptomatic of a desire by China to earn the
respect and recognition of the world as a major player in the 21st century
and yet gambles heavily with the limited financial and environmental capital
of its populace. For three summers students from Western Washington University
had the opportunity of both traveling throughout China to explore its breakneck
speed of development, pockets of poverty, and environmental risks. During
these trips emphasis was put on close contact with students and experts in
China and no-frills travel. The goal of the travel was to compliment 4 weeks
of book learning at WWU with 3 weeks of site visits and discussions in China.
An unwritten but equally important goal was to leave students with more questions
then answers and ample opportunity to reflect back on as much on their own
country and lifestyle and how that is affecting the environment as how choices
like the Three Gorges Project are effecting China.
Gender, Economics and Culture: Transformative
Gender Identities in Mexican Immigrant Households
Jennifer Devine, University of Washington, Dept. of Geography
Abstract
Changes in gender roles and characteristics are in response
to a variety of factors. Although these variables are diverse they
are not mutually exclusive and need to be synthesized into a framework for
analysis. This analysis focuses on changes in economic and cultural
norms catalyzed by technology and processes of globalization and identifies
the interconnections between factors. With the objective goal of achieving
gender equality, a framework for understanding economic and cultural variables
that are part of gender transformation is essential.
Further complexity derives from the numerous geographical variations and
possibilities for constructing identities. Gender dynamics are specific
to not only differing cultures and geographies, but are also a particular
experience for populations whom migrate between societies with differing
gender ideologies. In this unique circumstance, however, we are provided
with the opportunity to isolate economic and cultural variables that differ
prior to migration and post-immigration. Surprisingly, there is insufficient
research in the discipline of geography examining how gender transforms
within the Mexican immigrant sector. In addition, there exists a literary
gap in the synthesis between economic and cultural catalysts changing gender
identities in relation to this community.
In my research, I aim to synthesize the interconnections
between these diverse geographical studies of economics and culture, specifically
drawing from experiences of Mexican immigrants whom offer valuable and unique
insight into these processes. Due to this gap in the literature, a
pertinent question to be explored is in relation to female Mexican immigrants’
self-identities. How do these women view and understand changes within
their household and relationships with male partners as a result of immigration?
And if there exists an identified change in the relationship, do the women
feel it is in response to their integration into gainful employment or the
different gender ideology encountered and internalized by processes of acculturation?
By first identifying whether or not a change has occurred and secondly how
women interpret this change, we can not only fill a gap in the literature,
but also synthesize the two categories of dynamics which are traditionally
examined in an isolated approach.
The Origins and Migration of Oceanic Peoples
Daniel Ehreth, Department of Geography and Land Studies, Central
Washington University
The objective of my poster was to create a detailed map of Oceania that
would include all charted islands and reefs and illustrate the origins and
migration routes of Oceanic people. This map would instantiate a history
lesson of Oceania along with its physical features. The overall objectives
were to educate myself and my peers on Oceania and the migrations and origins
of its peoples.
The map, “Reference Map of Oceania; The Pacific Islands of Micronesia,
Polynesia, and Melanesia” by cartographer James A. Bier, was used as the
base map. A scanner was used to scan the map into six jpg. images.
The six images were then joined in Corel Draw. Next, Corel Draw was
used to trace over all the features from the base map at high magnification.
A method was then devised to show the topography of the larger islands.
This was also done by tracing over the topography on the base map.
The result was accurate topography that corresponds with that of the base
map. A 2001 article in Science Magazine titled, “The peopling of the
Pacific” by Ann Gibbons proved to be the most helpful and legit source for
my migration data. The article gives an overview of all the modern
theories of Oceanic migration but is biased toward the “Slow Boat” model.
The “Slow Boat” model seems to be the most popular origin model of Oceanic
people amidst Archaeologists, linguists, and geneticists.
THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF POTHOLES COULEE, WASHINGTON
Marc Fairbanks, Geography and Land Studies Department, Central Washington
University
Abstract
After nearly a century of research, many questions remain
regarding the geomorphology of the Quincy Basin, and specifically the Potholes
Coulee. The objective of this research was to describe and map the geomorphology
of the Potholes Coulee so to provide context to a late Pleistocene megafaunal
archaeologic site. The mapping was accomplished through document
review, interviews, G.I.S. techniques, and field analysis.
Various geomorphic agents have shaped the Potholes Coulee on the western
margin of the Quincy Basin. Miocene Columbia River Basalts were folded
to form the Babcock-Evergreen Ridge and the structural Quincy Basin. Pleistocene
Missoula Floods flowed through the Grand Coulee into Quincy Basin then exited
through four outlets, including Potholes Coulee. Potholes Coulee divides
the Babcock-Evergreen Ridge and is a headwardly eroded, double cataract where
Pleistocene Missoula Flood waters rejoined the Columbia River. The
cataracts are floored by sub-fluvial mega-bars, ripples, and kolks. Cover
sand, loess, tephra, and slack water deposits cap the bars. Talus and slide
blocks mantle the cataracts walls. The 1950’s Columbia Basin Irrigation
Project increased settlement in the area, adding humans as key geomorphic
agents.
Evidence of Depodzolization in Lowland Meadows
(The Ozette Prairies), Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Gina Friskopp, Graduate Student, WWU
Located within the coastal portion of the Olympic National Park, the Ozette
wilderness area includes an unlogged forest containing several historically
persistent meadows, named the Ozette Prairies. The objective of this research
is to investigate soil development within the meadows and surrounding forest
in order to determine the Prairies’ origin and environmental history. Field
methods included four soil transects from the forest into the Prairies totaling
23 soil pits. Horizonation was described in the field and samples were collected.
Initial data indicates three soil types. Histosols are found in the center
of the Prairies in sphagnum peat bogs. Spodosols are present from the bog
and continuing into the surrounding forest. A spodosol soil in the Prairie
indicates that this area was at one time forested. Soil profiles within
the forest contain an O horizon, an E, and B horizons with an accumulation
of iron oxides, and organic matter. Profiles in the Prairies experience
a change in horizonation from forested sites. The O horizon is present while
an A horizon is also found in several pits. The B horizons appear to be similar
to the forested sites, however further testing is needed. The data collected
along with lab testing are being used to determine the possible degradation
of the spodosol (depodzolization) in the Prairie. Two soil indexes are employed
to analyze soil development and depodzolization. Schaetzl and Mokma’s (1988)
POD index evaluates soil color to quantify the degree of podzolization or
depodzolization. Harden’s (1982) Quantitative index of soil development
using field descriptions will assess the overall degree of soil profile
development relative to parent material.
A paleoecological analysis of peatland sediments
taken from the Ozette Prairies, Olympic National Park, Washington
By:
Mark T. Gutchewsky, Department of Environmental Studies
/ Resource Geography, WWU
Abstract:
The Ozette Prairies are treeless lowland meadows among an otherwise
forested landscape. These meadows generally contain two ecological elements,
Sphagnum peat bogs and woody shrubs growing on mineral soils. The
meadows’ origins could be related to pre-European land management specifically
burning or grazing of livestock. Analyses of peat stratigraphy located
within the meadows will aid in developing a post-glacial depositional history
and origin for the Ozette Prairies. Six sites in three different bogs were
cored with a Livingston corer. Recovered core depths ranged from (118
– 250 cm) of sediment with abundant peat, woody macrofossils, and charcoal
occurring to depths of (100-200 cm). The peat is deposited on top of blue-clay
glacial outwash with increased sand and gravel concentrations at greater
depths. Paleoecological analyses of the cores will include; detailed
descriptions of peat stratigraphy, magnetic susceptibility, AMS radiocarbon
ages, macrofossil and charcoal abundances, percent organic matter, humification
rates, and possibly pollen analysis. The results of these analyses
will determine the spatial and temporal evolution of climate and vegetation
in these peat bogs among the Ozette Prairie landscape. Further, these
data will be compared with known climatic shifts and disturbance histories
for the region in a continuing effort to develop a natural history for the
Prairies. Further, the combined efforts of this and other research
at the Ozette Prairies will assist the National Park Service in managing
these ecologically diverse meadow ecosystems in a high use area of The Olympic
National Park.
Geographers Overseas - Internationalizing the Curriculum
Robert Hickey, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and
Land Studies, Central Washington University
The world is a small place, and is getting smaller every day. Even
in little old Ellensburg, international connections are obvious. As
geography faculty, it is imperative that our students understand these connections
and are prepared to take on the world, not just the local community, head
on when they graduate.
The benefits of study abroad include academic credit,
language acquisition, practical experience, resume building, and, last but
not least, an experience of a lifetime. It is important to note that
bringing international students to CWU is as valuable to US students as
it is to those visiting.
CWU Geography and Land Studies (and the graduate program
in Resource Management) have been successful in both sending students overseas
and bringing in foreign students. This presentation will describe
our successes over the past few years.
Engaging Students in Career and Life-Long Learning
Skills
Nancy Hultquist, Geography, CWU
Abstract: A powerpoint presentation of some of the work we do at
CWU in geography to promote the development of skills helpful in a career
by regular classes, special summer classes, and internships.
Assessing Impacts to Ecological Integrity: A
Case Study of Trapper Lake, North Cascades National Park
Todd Newburger, Master’s Candidate in Geography, Huxley College
of the Environment, Western Washington University
Abstract: Protected areas of wilderness are attracting more recreational
users each year. Various parks and agencies have applied different
methods to manage recreational use. As use increases, many wilderness
areas are showing impacts on soils and vegetation. Trapper Lake represents
a unique case study in a remote wilderness location that has sustained noticeable
recreational impact. Surrounded by steep slopes and accessible only
by unmaintained trails, Trapper Lake is currently slated for new management
under proposed revisions to the wilderness management plan at North Cascades
National Park. This study determines the effects of recreation on
the ecological integrity of Trapper Lake Basin through examination of impacts
on vegetation cover, species composition and soils. Field data have
been collected on soil compaction, soil organic layer, soil water infiltration,
plant species composition, vegetation height and percent-cover of vegetation.
All social trails have been mapped and inventoried within Trapper Lake Inlet.
Analysis of air photos will determine the extent of historical changes of
social trails and campsites that have occurred in the last thirty years.
Considering several factors including topography, elevation, vegetation
type, soil type, and amount and types of recreational use, this case study
will provide perspectives on many pending management concerns.
A Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Tree Invasion
at the Ozette Prairies, Olympic National Park, Washington
Kate Ramsden, Graduate Student, Western Washington University
Poster submission
ABSTRACT: The Ozette Prairies, located within the coastal portion of Olympic
National Park on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, are clearings in an
otherwise heavily forested region. During the past few decades, these
meadows have been experiencing encroachment by the surrounding forest.
This is evidenced by a series of aerial photographs from 1964-1997.
This study quantifies the rate of change in the vegetation structure of
these two meadows, using both field methods and air photo interpretation
with GIS. Six belt transects were placed across the forest edge and
extended into the meadow. All trees located within the transects were
recorded and measured for height, diameter, and species. A sample
of trees within the transects were with an increment borer to determine
age and establish a tree-ring chronology. Samples of small diameter
saplings were harvested in order to determine the age-morphologic relationships
of the youngest trees. Preliminary photograph interpretation results
for Ahlstrom’s Prairie show that the meadow vegetation cover type composed
of low shrubs, ferns, and grasses has decreased approximately 18% from 1964
to 1997, replaced by both patches of trees within the meadow and an advancement
of the forest edge into the meadow. Ages of sampled trees suggest
that disturbances to the vegetation on the meadows ceased about 35 years
ago, corresponding to the cession of sheep grazing in the area. Anticipated
results of quantifiable rates of invasion of trees and precise densities
will require further analysis.
Economic Valuation as a Means to Compare Forest
Management Strategies in the Lake Whatcom Watershed
Arielle Stein, Graduate Student, WWU
Abstract:
Ecosystems provide many “services” to society including soil stability,
water filtration, wildlife habitat and recreation areas. Unlike extractive
resources such as timber, ecosystem services are not bought and sold in
the market, and their values are not easily measured in dollars. This
study uses the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to approximate market values
for the ecosystem services provided by forests in the Lake Whatcom Watershed
in Whatcom County, Washington. The forests in the watershed provide
soil retention on the hillsides surrounding the lake. Soil retention
impacts water quality and landslide risks. Forests in the watershed
also provide wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities. To determine
the economic values of these ecosystem services, a survey instrument will
be designed. The survey will simulate a market scenario to assess Whatcom
County residents’ willingness to pay for forest conservation. The results
will be used to quantify the market values for the forest ecosystem’s non-extractive
uses. These values will provide a tool to compare costs and benefits
of proposed landscape management plans for the watershed. This research
will be useful to the public, non-governmental organizations, scientists
and government agencies seeking the best management strategies for the Lake
Whatcom Watershed. This study will also contribute to the field of
environmental economics by using the CVM to determine the benefits of ecosystem
services.
Discovering Our Own Backyards:
The ecological and social contributions of Backyard Wildlife Sanctuaries
to the urban environment
Urban Ecology Program - University of Washington
Urban Ecology Undergraduates, 2002-2003
Adams, Anderson, Augenstein, Bell, Cooper, Hellier, Wrede
Abstract: As development affects more land area, there is a growing need
for research into the ecological functionality of urban residential yards
and their ability to play a part in keeping people within the city and discouraging
sprawl in the Puget Sound region. We plan to investigate both the ecological
and social services that backyards may be capable of providing. Our research
will draw from yards registered with the Washington State Department of
Fish and Wildlife’s Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program (BWS) within Seattle
city limits. Fifty BWS yards will be paired according to size and location
with fifty traditionally landscaped yards. We will be asking several questions.
First, does an aggregate area of BWS display higher plant diversity than
an equivalent aggregate area of traditional yards? We will identify and count
plant species or genera, habitat structures, supplements and human-related
activity in each yard. Aggregating the species/genera lists and the area
of each type of yard will determine if there is a difference in ecological
services between types of backyards. Second, to probe the social contribution
of backyards, we will ask if owners of BWS are more satisfied with urban
life than owners of traditional yards. With the use of a survey, we will
obtain from the homeowner information on their demographics, yard maintenance
regimens, and overall satisfaction with their location. The results of this
study will serve as a basis for future research on the value of the BWS program
and will have implications for urban planners, urban residents, local governments
and developers.
Modeling Wild Land Fire Patterns using Frame-based
Animation
Gretchen Volker, Undergraduate Student Poster, Animation, Central
Washington University, Department of Geography and Land Studies