Instructions
Restoration Ecology (Community Model)
Objective: Create a community model for a hypothetical restoration project located at the lower reaches of Little Bear Creek. Consider Little Bear Creek at Rotary Community Park as your reference site (remnant). Based on the group field studies completed at Rotary Community Park compile a 1-2 page written narrative that includes two figures describing the community model you would use to design a hypothetical restoration project.
Community Model: Organize the community model around the data that your group collected in the field. The data should be based on:
1. Vegetation analysis (immersion technique – select 2 photographic images that best describe forest structure) – see Worksheet for Studying Remnants (Howell et al 2012)
2. Floristic approach (quadrat survey technique – abundance and frequency of dominant species)
3. Historical information (evidence of human/natural disturbance or change) – City of Woodinville Parks and Recreation (revised) 2009. Little Bear Creek Linear Park Master Plan, Ord. 480
Follow-up Questions: Create a community model AND answer the following questions:
4. Based on your data/observations of your reference site, does _______ community (wetland, forest, etc.) have a necessary min/max number of species, organisms, or ecological interactions in order to be viable or sustainable? Support your answer.
5. Are some species or life forms pivotal or essential for the survival of a particular community? Is so, what are they?
6. Based on your community model, how do you think temporal and/or spatial scale might influence restoration? Provide an example.
7. Based on your community model, in what ways does the site context matter (area surrounding the site)?
