UMass Extension Public Issues
A Five-year Plan for Addressing:
Ecosystem Management, Protection and Restoration
Summary/Description
In addition to traditional resources such as water, fisheries, wildlife and forest products, natural systems are valued for open space, aesthetics and recreational opportunities. Ecosystems also provide benefits that are difficult to measure such as climate regulation, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and the maintenance of environmental quality. Recognition that many of the products we use every day and the drugs used to treat medical ailments were derived from wild or once wild organisms has heightened awareness of the importance of biodiversity. Protection of biodiversity—the sum total of living organisms and the ecosystems that support them—is increasingly being viewed as both an ethical and economic imperative.
Because we know so little about the myriad ecological connections that organize ecosystems into self-sustaining entities, maintaining and restoring the ecological integrity of ecosystems is an essential component of natural resource conservation. With increasing sprawl type of development, ecosystems are threatened by conversion, degradation, and fragmentation. One of the greatest threats to biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, and one of the most difficult to manage, is the impact of exotic pests, diseases and invasive species. The protection and restoration of natural systems and an ecosystems approach to resource management are essential for sustainable human societies.
Situation & Priorities
UMass Extension is among the many agencies, institutions and organizations that are addressing ecosystem health and protection. Management decisions cannot always wait for a complete understanding of potential impacts without risking the loss of species or communities of species due to inaction. The University can play a critical role in the development and deployment of new approaches and tools based on an evolving understanding of both ecological and human systems.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst possesses a strong academic and research base for addressing various elements of ecosystem management and biodiversity protection. The Department of Natural Resources Conservation contains expertise in wildlife and fisheries conservation, forestry, conservation biology, landscape ecology, forest, wetland, aquatic and coastal ecosystems, and human dimensions of natural resource management. Expertise and research capacity exists in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning in the areas of regional land use, watershed and open space planning. The Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences supports research capacity in the area of insect and plant pests/diseases and biological control agents.
UMass Extension has the unique capability of bringing the University’s depth and breadth of knowledge and academic resources to bear on critical issues affecting ecosystem health by:
Engaging university faculty and outside partners in the identification of critical issues and priorities for applied research
Conducting integrated research and extension programs as sustained efforts to address critical issues
Using established agricultural, green industry and forestry extension programs to deliver research-based information to individuals whose actions are likely to have a significant impact on Massachusetts ecosystems.
Based on information from our stakeholder input process and an assessment of the University’s current research and extension capacity, these are the priorities in Ecosystem Management, Protection and Restoration that we will be addressing over the next five years:
- Land Protection.
The window of opportunity for effective land conservation in southern New England may be only 10-20 years. After this time, the unprotected landscape is likely to be too fragmented to be of much value for supporting wildlife. Private landowners with an average age of approximately 60 years own 2.2 million acres, over 75% of our state's forests. Within the next 10-20 years much of this land will be passed on or sold.
A team of scientists and Extension educators at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has developed the Conservation Assessment and Prioritization System (CAPS) to provide an objective, dynamic, and flexible tool and approach for assessing biodiversity value and ecological viability. CAPS is the cutting edge in landscape-based ecological assessment and is unlike any other tools currently available.
The implementation of integrated land protection strategies based on CAPS analyses will facilitate more targeted land conservation to effectively preserve biodiversity and maintain ecosystem integrity over time. Conservation organizations and agencies will be more targeted in their land protection efforts and will integrate efforts at various scales. Educating landowners on estate planning and land protection options, especially those in areas identified by CAPS as high priority, will help maintain the public benefit that is derived from these lands.
- Minimizing and Mitigating Development Impacts on Ecosystems.
Minimizing the impacts of development projects begins with the identification and protection of high-valued ecosystems and directing development to areas of lesser importance. As a quantitative approach for evaluating ecosystem integrity, CAPS can be used to evaluate and compare various development scenarios, such as alternative alignments for highway or utility projects. CAPS can also be used to quantify the indirect impacts of development projects on the surrounding, undeveloped landscape.
Design and Best Management Practices can be used to minimize or mitigate impacts on ecosystems. These range from “conservation subdivisions” to the use of appropriate stream crossing structures, wildlife passage structures, and appropriate storm water management systems. A properly conducted habitat evaluation can provide important information that can be used to design projects to minimize impacts to habitat and ecosystems.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has research capacity and expertise in the areas of land use planning and management, conservation subdivisions, wildlife habitat and habitat evaluation, the performance of storm water management techniques and technology, maintaining river and stream continuity through appropriate road-stream crossing design, and mitigating the impacts of roads and highways on wildlife and ecosystems.
- Land and Resource Management.
Working with people who own and manage both land and the resources supported by the land is a critical element of ecosystem management, protection and restoration. UMass Amherst has substantial research capacity in the management of agricultural land and intensively managed landscapes, as well as forest, freshwater and coastal ecosystems. UMass Extension has long maintained programs that provide information and technical assistance to a variety of audiences that work directly with the land and its resources.
People who manage natural systems with the primary goal of protecting or restoring the health of ecosystems need up-to-date information on ecosystems and ecological processes, as well as tools and approaches for land protection and management to achieve their goals. Other audiences engaged in the management of natural systems for multiple objectives, including the harvesting of resources as well as the protection of environmental quality, need information on sustainable resource management and best management practices. Land managers who are managing land-based production systems (agriculture) and highly managed landscapes (golf courses) need information on practices that limit the unintended consequences of management practices on nearby natural systems.
- Avoidance, detection, early containment, and management of exotic pests, diseases, and invasive species.
Exotic pests, diseases and invasive species are among the most profound threats to ecosystem integrity that we face. The number of invasive species already creating problems in Massachusetts is large and the potential for future problems is significant. Invasive species typically are habitat generalists and aggressive colonizers and outbreaks are difficult to contain and almost impossible to eliminate unless discovered and addressed early in the invasion. Biological control offers hope for the long-term containment of invasive species. However, careful screening of potential bio-control agents is essential lest the agent itself become a threat to ecosystem integrity.
UMass Amherst possesses significant research capacity in the area of insect pests and the development and use of biological control to address the threats caused by these pests. Established agricultural, green industry and forestry extension programs can deliver research-based information to individuals about action that can be taken to avoid, detect and control invasive species.
Long-term Goals
- Enhanced Health and Productivity of Natural Resources And Ecosystems - The quality of land, water, plant, animal, and biodiversity resources will be protected and enhanced, and healthy self-sustaining ecosystems maintained.
- Stronger Local Economies - Natural and human resources will be managed or cultivated in ways that support strong local economies.
The following Projects will address Ecosystem Management Protection and Restoration. Click on each project to see additional details.
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Public Issues 
