Friday, August 7, 2009
Exhibit Hall NE & SE, Albuquerque Convention Center
Richard Bruton, Ecosystem Science & Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, Dirac Twidwell, Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE and Carissa Wonkka, Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Background/Question/Methods Human resource consumption is increasingly forcing society to prioritize among environmental services. This competition demands resource professionals to employ a diverse set of management techniques to maximize the production and sustainability of environmental services. Management strategies are used for two purposes; one purpose is to support current environmental services, while the other is to shift dominance toward an alternate, more desirable service. We initiated a review that compares commonly applied terrestrial management techniques such as, prescribed fire, fencing, and various chemical and mechanical applications. For each technique, we evaluated their economic and ecologic profitability and risks associated with their application. Results/Conclusions
We found a single management technique varies in its ecological and economic return, depending on its level of risk and if it is used to support or shift from the resources available in the current environmental service. Findings from this review provide a greater level of understanding on the effectiveness of current management strategies and identify critical areas where alternate strategies need to be substituted to sustain the productivity of valuable environmental services.
