Theme 2: Public Participation
- Goal 2.1: Community Involvement and Active Citizen Participation
- Goal 2.2: Appreciation of Ozark Ecology and Biodiversity through Art, Culture and Community
Theme 1: Biodiversity Survey
The principal purpose of most biological assessment programs is an
inventory, or survey, of all existing flora and fauna, from mammals and
birds to reptiles, insects, bacteria, and fungi that are found within a
specified geographic area. Via the outcome of this effort, biologists are
capable of understanding the ecological requirements of discovered species,
and define their physical, chemical and habitat requirements and
environmental thresholds.
Scientists posses a wealth of knowledge about most mega fauna and flora
habitat requirements and life histories, while trivial information is
available for incalculable numbers of species, and many regions of the
Ozarks have not been inventoried. An ATBI would identify and fill those
gaps in knowledge by providing guidance to scientists working in the Ozarks.
The biological inventory component of the Discovering Life and Managing
Biodiversity project would discover many species previously unrecorded from
the Ozark ecoregion. It is common for most ecoregion biological inventories
to discover copious species previously unknown to reside within an
ecosystem.
Most regional and locally adapted biological inventories are not
premeditated to calculate population densities, species health, status and
trends. However, the Ozark Discovering Life and Managing
Biodiversityprogram will be specifically designed to capture and
synthesis detailed
information related to ecosystem integrity, stressors and resulting trends.
Additionally data acquired via the inventory process will be compared with
other similar reports, studies and research to evaluate population status,
trends and ecosystem integrity temporally and spatially. The general
health of the environment may be determined by evaluating the presence or
absence of "ecosystem indicator" species or by using an index of biological
integrity scoring process or a suite of ecological and environmental
attributes.
Taxonomic classification of individual flora and fauna is an arduous
procedure that necessitates the supervision and critique of specialized
scientists. However, capable novice citizens and self-taught individuals
will provide significant contributions to the project by field collecting
specimens for subsequent classification, and in some cases may be taught to
make preliminary identifications that facilitate the work of the
professional taxonomist.
A biological inventory and long-term monitoring program will have its
maximum significance and benefit if executed methodically within an
ecoregion and preservation perspective that contains a spatially and
temporally precise sampling design, strategically positioned within a
ecosystem and ecotone framework. This strategy will direct the inventory
and monitoring site selections, and facilitate a mapping process that
geographically identifies sampled locations and provides indicators for
future sampling within a landscape context. The extant Nature Conservancy's
Ozark Ecoregion Conservation Assessment defines ecosystem units and thus,
this document will endow taxonomic working groups, researchers, and managers
of natural resources with the necessary parameters to evaluate targeted
species, population status and trends, and community functioning condition,
composition and dynamics in a manner pertinent to regional, local ecotone
conditions. The online Ozarks Ecoregional Conservation Assessment will
serve as a User's Guide to define the parameters of habitat types and
ecotones that will be inventoried and monitored over time. This will allow
participants to concentrate sampling and monitoring efforts on specific
habitat types and key ecosystem functioning groups that serve as centennials
and surrogates of ecosystem integrity. Additionally, comparisons will be
made between various managed areas to determine the efficacy of management
techniques. This will provide managers with information to guide future
management decisions relevant to conservation practices that are proven to
preserve and enhance natural resources.
Objectives of Goal 1.1
Objective 1.1.1: Use extant validated Ozark ecoregion ecotone descriptions
and habitat parameter definitions to determine placement of sampling units
within which systematic inventory and monitoring data can be collected and
evaluated
Objective 1.1.2: Systematize species and ecological community information
within a temporally and spatially-referenced relation GIS database
- Define, evaluate and visually demonstrate past and current
land use, habitat alterations, current condition
Objective 1.1.3: Design the inventory so that data can be compared to past
and extant data and future monitoring information
- Evaluate data to determine species status over time and
determine information variance and divergence
- Deliverable products includes species location maps and
spatially referenced database
Goal 1.2: Organization and synchronization between Taxonomic Working Groups
and the Biodiversity Inventory and Monitoring Process
Organization and collaboration between taxonomic working groups (TWIGs) will
be coordinated by a Science Committee. The Science Committee will:
1) Obtain taxonomists and qualified scientific organizations to implement
inventory and monitoring work in the Ozarks,
2) Spatially and temporally document work by taxonomists across TWIGs
3) Sponsor and promote cooperation and collaboration among groups to work
within the identified ecosystem units,
4) Encourage efforts in unsampled locations with information gaps and
promote inventories for un-represented flora and fauna,
5) Synthesize strategies and define parameters for citizen participation and
professional scientific efforts,
6) Enable and promote cooperative partnerships and sabbatical support for
scientist and university students,
7) Establish satellite field stations and laboratory facilities that will
provide infrastructure, administrative support and equipment for inventory
and monitoring work, and
8) Support a principal coordination location to comprehensively document,
track, record and report collaborative inventory and monitoring efforts and
data for all participating entities.
The fundamental inventories will be achieved by the TWIGs with direction and
oversight from the Science Committee. This will be defined in a future
document. The crucial principle guiding the inventory course of action is
that field modus operandi must be
1) Repeatable
2) Executed via methodologies validated by scientific peer review
3) Performed at specific times and spatially positioned locations
4) Oriented to comprehensively record to the greatest extent possible
distribution and abundance information according to ecosystem and habitat
units
5) Accessible to interested constituents.
Additionally, each TWIG will describe within the protocols the appropriate
manner in which citizens can participate and the degree of oversight and
supervision needed.
TWIGs will:
1) Identify the proper methodology, authority and taxonomic keys for
identifying species
2) Train participants to inventory and monitor specific taxa
3) Organize, direct and synchronize inventory and monitoring data
acquisition, compilation and assembly
4) Provide data to Discovering Life and Managing Biodiversity coordinator
5) Evaluate and synthesize data into a spatial and temporal model, define
specie life histories, and analyze data for status and trend reporting
6) Collect and forward samples for molecular genetic analyses (e.g., DNA
sequencing for speciation)
Standard operating inventory and monitoring procedures and protocol for
taxonomic groups will stipulate a minimum level of sampling detail suitable
for the sampling methodology, sampling effort and citizen involvement. Four
levels within sampling units appropriate to each taxa are defined as
follows: 1) presence-absence, 2) relative abundance and distribution, 3)
population estimate, and 4) complete census.
Objectives of Goal 1.2
Objective 1.2.1: Adopt and emulate field sampling protocols from other ATBI TWIGs
Objective 1.2.2: Develop database configuration and procedural protocols for
data input and maintenance of database
Objective 1.2.3: Populate and update database; permit data input by
certified programmers
Objective 1.2.4: Organize, synchronize and coordinate biological inventories
via Bioblitzes
Objective 1.2.5: Appoint and maintain partnerships, curatorial facilities,
laboratory facilities, professional associations and governmental agency
leadership
Objective 1.2.6: Characterize and describe previous biological inventories
and the institutions that participated in these sampling efforts, and
delineate the spatial disparities and gaps in biological inventories
Objective 1.2.7: Categorize, describe and pinpoint previous and
currently-sampled plots or quadrates and establish additional and future
sampling locations
Goal 1.3: Development and Maintenance of a Temporally and
Spatially-referenced Database *
Discoverlife.org will design a web based database repository that links and
makes congruent data sources compatible with new information. The database
will be populated with species names, locations, and images will allow the
documentation and synthesis of biological diversity data for the Ozark
ecoregion and document responses to global warming, exotic invasion and
contaminant perturbations. Provided as a digital database over the
internet, contemporary and historic biological inventory data and species
stressor responses will be accessible to scientists, land managers,
educators, and citizens to aid land management decisions, and increase
citizen participation in the scientific uniqueness of Ozark Parks.
Additionally, GIS will be utilized as an all-purpose database for
maintaining a perpetual record of all sampling and monitoring activities and
for charting the site where species are discovered and collected. We will
also be able to ascertain and pinpoint under-collected areas and compare
antropogenially influenced sites to areas more remote and pristine. The
database will be utilized to identify areas that are biologically rich and
sensitive to change and to select randomly stratified plots monitored
long-term to determine diversity and population trends in response to
climate change and perturbations. We will use GIS to develop predictive
models for sampling habitat and forecast species locations and
distributions, as well as select locations to test hypothesis.
Subsequent to database development it will be populated with extant
taxonomic information for the Ozarks. Copious taxonomic data and biological
information has been assembled by scientists, universities and conservation
organizations. This information will be coalesced and integrated into the
database when possible, resulting in one central Ozark database. The
Ozark Discovering
Life and Managing Biodiversity database will be created to accommodate
forthcoming data inputs as the program expands.
Objectives of Goal 1.3
Objective 1.3.1: Maintain an inventory database
- Input extant data and modify to accommodate contemporary field
data. Extant databases will be evaluated and linked relationally as new
data are input
- Provide metadata and quality assurance protocols to all
consumers
Objective 1.3.2: Maintain a database that is user-friendly while providing
for valid data input and extraction, distinctive admittance points and
iterations for dissimilar consumers
Objective 1.3.3: Use Discoverlife.org web site to synthesize and display
instructions for conducting biological inventories and long-term monitoring
within an ecosystem and landscape context in the Ozarks
Goal 1.4: Collaboration with other All Taxa Biological Inventory and
Monitoring Programs *
Biological inventories and long term monitoring programs are being
propagated throughout the United States, National Park Service, and in state
agencies. Collaboration, cooperation and communication with these programs
shall be advantageous to our Discovering Life and Managing
Biodiversityprogram, modus operandi, field protocols, database
management, and
advancement of the value and benefits of biological inventories and
ecological monitoring to general populace. A primary goal of the
Ozark Discovering
Life and Managing Biodiversity will be to generate and maintain open
communication with similar programs and work cooperatively in a universal
manner to enhance conservation of ecosystems and biological diversity. The
emerging Discovering Life and Managing Biodiversity coalition will function
to enhance this capability.
Objectives of Goal 1.4
Objective 1.4.1: Network with similar programs across the nation to share:
stratagem, achievements, and assets
Objective 1.4.2: Cooperate as appropriate with similar programs to exchange
data, discoveries, novel developments and outcomes on the results and
process
Objective 1.4.3: Emphasize the association, connection and affiliation of
the program with citizen participants and interest groups to acknowledge the
human connection to the environment and biological diversity
Objective 1.4.4: Support interested groups in developing emergent programs
and actions
*Theme 2: Citizen Participation *
*Goal 2.1: Citizen Involvement and Active Participation*
The Ozark Discovering Life and Managing Biodiversity program will depend on
copious community contributions and citizen involvement. Program leaders
will identify and describe means by which individuals, education
institutions and organizations can become engaged and actively assist with
all phases of the program, including but not limited to inventory,
monitoring education, and administration. This will be identified and
described in the discoverlife.org web site. Consequently, when an
interested entity inquires about participating and assisting with the
program a description of events and associates can be presented. These
associations and opportunities will be part of the promotional materials
developed to elevate responsiveness and familiarity of the program.
Environmental
organizations such as the Ozark Society and Sierra Club will assist with
organizing and implementing Ozark educational events around the ecoregion at
various locations (e.g., Ozark National Parks, Game and Fish Education
Centers and Forest Service Visitor Centers, etc.).
Objectives of Goal 2.1
Objective 2.1.1: Develop a means by which volunteers, citizens' groups, and
landowners can become connected with scientists and assist with field
sampling, processing of field samples on site or at specimen processing
centers, data processing, Discovering Life and Managing
Biodiversityadministration and promotion
Objective 2.1.2: Develop and coordinate activities that provide learning
opportunities about biodiversity for a diverse citizenry and for
participants at all educational levels (at all age levels and including both
trained and amateur naturalists).
Objective 2.1.3: Make the results of the program (exclusive of proprietary,
sensitive, or otherwise inappropriate material) accessible to a wide variety
of media and comprehensible to citizens, decision makers and visitors of the
Ozarks through the Discoverlife.org web site
Objective 2.1.4: Promote use of Discovering Life and Managing
Biodiversity information in local decision making by landowners,
organizations, and
government agencies
Goal 2.2: Appreciation of Place-Based Biodiversity through Art, Culture and
Community
The focus of this goal is to identify ways to link science with the artistic
and cultural communities that characterize the Ozarks. Appreciation of
biological diversity and natural environments and connection to the land are
common themes expressed by writers, painters, photographers, and singers in
the Ozarks. In many respects, these people are the story-tellers who will
help the Ozark Discovering Life and Managing Biodiversity to realize the
mission and vision of the project. Artists, writers, and explorers have
been instrumental in creating interest in the Ozark region and making it
accessible to people. Their work, like Aldo Leopold's and others'
contributions, serve to inspire many naturalists and conservationists today.
It is this spirit that we wish to capture and use to effectively make
the Discovering
Life and Managing Biodiversity part of the visible and subtle fabric of life
in the Ozarks.
*Objectives of Goal 2.2 *
Objective 2.2.1: Encourage the celebration of Ozark biodiversity with
writing, art, and other cultural "products"
Objective 2.2.2: Bring writers, photographers and other artists into the
biological inventory process in ways that help document the process and
highlight the cultural significance of the Discovering Life and Managing
Biodiversity program
Objective 2.2.3: Explore ways to incorporate art and culture to fit
curricula and meet state educational standards.
Objective 2.2.4: Demonstrate the historical connection of human culture,
including indigenous peoples, in the Ozarks with various aspects of
biological diversity