The Human Ecosystem Framework: Applications for Watershed Management

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The Human Ecosystem Framework Applications for
Watershed Management

• Shawn E. Dalton
• University of New Brunswick
• Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
• October 10, 2006
• (portions adapted from Gary E. Machlis, May 7,
  2003)

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Introduction

• The human ecosystem can be an organizing concept
  for projects and programs requiring integration
  of biophysical and socioeconomic parameters
• The human ecosystem concept can provideusable
  knowledge at local, regional, and global scales
• The human ecosystem framework is one of many
  frameworks or models

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Overview

• A description of the framework
• Means by which the human ecosystem framework can
  be operationalized
• Examples of how the framework has been can be
  applied to create usable knowledge for watershed
  management
• Break
• Social network analysis in watershed management

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The Human Ecosystem Defined

• A human ecosystem is a coherent system of
  biophysical and social factors capable of
  adaptation and sustainability over time
• Human ecosystems exhibit boundaries, resource
  flows, social structures, and continuity over
  time
• Human ecosystems can be described at different
  spatial scales, and these scales are
  hierarchically linked e.g. a family unit within
  a community within a region, country or nation

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Description of the Human Ecosystem Framework

• The human ecosystem framework builds upon and
  synthesizes earlier work by biologists,
  ecologists and sociologists, anthropologists
• Human ecosystems are overlaid upon base
  conditions, such as
• Solar energy inputs
• Thermodynamic properties
• Biogeochemical processes and cycles
• Human ecosystems have a common structure
  including
• Critical biophysical and socio-cultural
  components
• Essential flows, processes, and patterns
• Hierarchically nested spatial scales

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Description (continued)

• The human ecosystem framework can be used in
  monitoring, research, management, and community
  decision-making
• The framework can be used to describe human
  ecosystems over time and space, and in different
  forms
• narrative, map, chart, numeric and graphic
• Measurement is essential human ecosystem
  variables lead to indicators, indicators lead to
  measures measures are monitored for trends

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Why Integrate?
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Increasing populations
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Increasing technological sophistication
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The Challenge

• to understand the reciprocal relationships
  between human communities and activities, and the
  ecosystems that support them
• to manage (and plan and design for management) in
  a way that protects the ecological structure and
  function of landscapes in the context of human
  activity

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Or

• How do we accomplish
• Strong communities Healthy ecosystems

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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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Using the Framework

• Identify the parts
• Select indicators for measurement
• Monitor components
• Detect interactions among them
• Inform and guide decisions and actions
• To understand human ecosystems, we need to
  understand

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Energy
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Air
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Land
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Flora
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Fauna
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Nutrients
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Materials
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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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Information
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Population
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Labor
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Capital
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Technology
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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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Organization
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Beliefs
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Art Crafts
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Myth
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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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Reproduction
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Health
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Justice
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Religion
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Commerce
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Education
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Leisure
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Governance
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Sustenance
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Shelter
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Defense
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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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Physiological Cycles
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Individual Cycles
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Institutional Cycles
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Environmental Cycles
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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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Age
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Gender
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Class
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Caste
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Clan
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Informal Norms
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Formal Norms
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Wealth
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Power
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Knowledge
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Status
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Territory
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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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Flows
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Individuals
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Energy
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Information
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Materials
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Money
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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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Change within Human Ecosystems

• Each element has potential to influence other
  elements in nonlinear, first-, second-, and
  third-order effects
• Adaptation is continuous though not uniform
• Primary agency is the struggle for satisfying
  human wants and needs
• Efficacy is based on social power
• Evolution (non-Darwinian) occurs as structural
  revisions to specific systems

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Potential Applications of the Human Ecosystem
Framework

• A conceptual tool integrating biophysical and
  socio- cultural monitoring and research a
  check-list
• An organizing framework for inventory and
  monitoring of human dimensions of local,
  regional, and global environmental change
  atlases of watersheds and communities
• A guide for the development of theory-based
  indicators of sustainability the
  Canaan-Washademoak Watershed in NB

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But what do you do with it?

• Variables
• Indicators
• Measures
• Trends

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Data Selection
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Data collection, continued
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Data collection, continued
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Displaying data and integrating variables
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Displaying data and integrating variables
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Canaan-Washademoak Watershed, NB
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Canaan River
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Washademoak Lake
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Canaan
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Washademoak
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Goals of CWWA

• to protect and enhance the ecological structure
  and function of the Canaan River, Washademoak
  Lake, and their tributaries
• in so doing, to (re)connect people in the region
  with these valuable aquatic resources

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Strategy

• We work toward these goals through a
  collaborative, community-based, ecosystem
  approach to watershed planning and management

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Methods

• Constituency building through
• Monitoring (biophysical and socioeconomic
  conditions)
• Stewardship opportunities
• Education and awareness

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Watershed Management

• Integration of activities affecting air, land,
  and water
• Constrained/supported by what is defined as
  socially acceptable, economically viable, and
  ecologically possible
• Requires participation of a variety of actors,
  including public, private, corporate, and
  non-profit sectors

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Integrated watershed management requires an
understanding of

• biophysical conditions
• socioeconomic conditions
• reciprocal relationships between these

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Challenges and Opportunities in Watershed
Management

• Challenges
• Complex social systems, multiple ownership and
  jurisdictions
• Nested spatial scales
• Influenced by external factors
• Opportunities
• Means to address these issues
• Residents and other actors committed to improved
  management

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Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association
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DRAFT
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Socioeconomic Findings

• New highway between Fredericton and Moncton
  renders some portion of the watershed commutable
  from each of these cities
• Increasing numbers of year-round and summer
  residents some characteristics of communities
  are changing
• The roles of agriculture and forestry in the
  Canaan-Washademoak watershed are changing

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SE Findings, contd

• We are finding a disconnect between the
  perceptions and reality of watershed dynamics
• lt9 of the working population is involved in
  forestry or farming (there are spatial patterns
  to this)
• 39 of the workforce in Cambridge-Narrows is
  working in education, social services, or health
  care (i.e. probably commuting to Fredericton)

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Biophysical Findings

• Increased silt deposition is leading to infilling
  of coves
• Increased growth of algae and sediment coatings
  on rocks
• Riparian zone vegetation removal along
  Washademoak Lake 7.2 or _at_8 km lt1 along the
  Canaan River

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Relationships between Biophysical and
Socioeconomic Conditions

• Spatial distribution of public and private
  ownership patterns
• Change in land use with greatly increased
  residential development pressure on the
  shorelines
• Change in social norms urban aesthetic is being
  imported to the countryside
• All of these have implications for biophysical
  system

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• Understanding the actors in a system are key to
  understanding its structure and function
• Figuring out how to effectively communicate these
  findings is a serious challenge

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Living With The Land
How the Association is funded
The Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association has
been funded largely through the NB Environmental
Trust Fund. We have also received funds for
selected projects through Fundy Model Forest via
Washademoak Environmentalists, and from the
Canadian Water Network via the Canadian Rivers
Institute. In addition, our volunteers provide
valuable time and expertise to a variety
of projects, and the Environment and Sustainable
Development Research Centre at UNB has supported
our work through in-kind provision of office
space, equipment, and expertise. We are very
grateful for these contributions. In the near
future, we plan to diversify our funding base,
through applications for grants to a variety of
funders, and by establishing a formal due-paying
membership.
Issue 1 Who We Are
For further information, please contact Dr.
Shawn Dalton [phone] sdalton_at_unb.ca Robena
and Alan Weatherley [phone] weatherl_at_nbnet
.nb.ca Reace Black [phone] rblack77_at_nb.sym
patico.ca Mailing Address c/o Dr. Shawn
Dalton Environment and Sustainable Development
Research Centre University of New Brunswick PO
Box 4400 Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3
The Canaan-Washademoak Watershed
The Canaan-Washademoak watershed is located in
the southeastern part of New Brunswick. It
occupies an area of approximately 2163 km2,
7386 of which is forested.
According to Service New Brunswick data, 89 of
the land parcels in the watershed are privately
owned 6116 of 6872. This represents
approximately 42 of the total land base by area.
The watershed lies roughly within the triangle
formed among the three cities of Fredericton,
Moncton, and Saint John (see illustration on
left). Home to some of the provinces most
productive soils, it has been farmed by European
settlers for some 200 years. These same soils,
which have nourished generations of New
Brunswickers and provided the basis of economic
activity in this landscape, are also among the
most highly erodible in the province.
Our partners
How can you help?
The Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association
holds regular bi-monthly meetings, hosts speaker
series, and community field days. Our calendar of
events can be found on our website www.unb.ca/en
viro/cwwa By volunteering your time, skills, or
suggestions to the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed
Association you can help strengthen its public
voice and add momentum to its initiatives an
organisations success requires broad community
participation. To participate or offer
suggestions, please contact any of the
individuals listed on the left.

• Agribusiness
• Agriculture Canada
• Canaan-River Fish and Game Association
• Canadian Rivers Institute
• Ducks Unlimited Canada
• Environment Canada
• Fundy Model Forest
• J.D. Irving, Ltd.
• National Water Research Institute
• N.B. Department of the Environment
• Private Citizens
• Royal District Planning Commission
• Southern N.B. Woodlot Owners Cooperative
• University of New Brunswick, Environment and
  Sustainable Development Research Centre
• Washademoak Environmentalists

Location of the Canaan-Washademoak watershed
(bordered in green) in the province of New
Brunswick.
About the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association
The Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association is a
community-based organization formed in 2002 in
response to local concerns about perceived
changes in water quality, recreational fishing
opportunities, and social structure of
communities in the area. Its goals are to
protect and enhance the ecological structure and
function of the Canaan River, Washademoak Lake,
and their tributaries and, in so doing, to
(re)connect people in the region with these
valuable aquatic resources. Members work toward
these goals through a collaborative,
community-based, ecosystem approach to watershed
planning and management.
The Associations activities include

• Volunteer outreach, education, and recruitment
  strategies
• Community-based ecological monitoring program
  (forest biodiversity, benthic macroinvertebrate
  sampling, water quality and electrofishing
  studies)
• Mapping social and ecological resources
• Report on trends in agriculture Agriculture in
  the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed,
  www.unb.ca/enviro/cwwa/products.html
• Integrated planning pilot project watershed
  management plan
• Social and ecological research.

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Become a Member of the Canaan-Washademoak
Watershed Association
Name Mailing address Phone Email
Please detach this form and mail it to the above
address. Suggested donation is 10 per person or
15 per family. Thank you!
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Issue 1 Who We Are
Living With The Land
Issue 1 Who We Are
Living With The Land
Age of Residents
What are some of the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed
Associations findings?
In the Canaan-Washademoak region, the median age
is 41 years. According to the 2001 Canadian
Census, the national median age was an all-time
high of 37.6 years. In the upper reaches of the
Canaan River and the lower reaches of Washademoak
Lake, median ages are highest in the watershed
between 4049.6 years. The middle sections and
southern peripheries of the watershed have lower
median ages, ranging from 34.241.9. Age
distribution can affect watershed management. For
example, the age structure of communities can
affect perceptions of acceptable behaviour, and
age differentials can set the stage for
conflictthose who enjoy quiet settings, for
example, as compared to those who enjoy jet
skiing in those otherwise quiet settings.
Throughout North America, as farming and
forestry become less viable means of making a
living than working elsewhere, younger
generations are leaving rural areas. Family farms
and woodlots are then sold. These trends are also
at work in the Canaan-Washademoak watershed the
net result of which is that this landscape is
increasingly vulnerable to change.
The Canaan-Washademoak area is undergoing a
socioeconomic transition from a small family farm
and forestry-based community to one composed of a
diverse array of people retirees, public
servants, fewer young people from the area, and
more people who are from away. For example,
over 10 of the people who live in the Village of
Cambridge-Narrows did not live there a year
earlier, and over 40 of the residential
population moved into the Village between
19962001 (2001 Statistics Canada Census). In
addition, 73 of the the people in the workforce
now commute outside the village to go to work.
Residential development along shorelines has
implications in terms of the quality of the
recreational resource, the aquatic habitat, and
of the water itself to date, 7.2 of the
shoreline vegetation of Washademoak Lake and 23
of the vegetation along the banks of the Canaan
River have been impacted or destroyed. Additional
threats include

• High erosion rates due to loss of vegetation
• Increased water turbidity (reduced clarity)
• Reduction in water quality, including possible
  changes in groundwater availability
• Destruction or depletion of wildlife habitat,
  both on land and in the water
• Increased eutrophication.

Recreational Water Use
This map shows the percentage of land parcels
along watercourses that are designated
recreational, by census geography it also shows
the actual location of each of those parcels. The
percentage varies quite dramatically, from 067,
with an overall average of 14. There are also
strong trends from upstream to downstream the
entire main stem from Canaan to Coles Island has
between 2438 of parcels of land along
watercourses designated recreational. However,
from Cambridge-Narrows to the foot of Washademoak
Lake, these numbers increase to between 5267 of
parcels. This suggests that the seasonal flux of
individuals to the area, and with it potential
changes in shoreline management and activities in
and on the water, is more strongly felt in the
lower reaches of the system than in the upper.
Gender Ratio of Women to Men Percent of Women
in the Labour Force
Gender, defined as the socially constructed
masculine and feminine roles, is important, both
for its crucial impact on social norms and for
its differential effects on social
institutionswomen and men having different
access to capital, health care, wealth, power,
and other features of the social systems. In the
Canaan-Washademoak watershed, two measures of
gender have been used ratio of women to men
(upper map), and percent of women in the labour
force (lower map). The ratio of women to men
ranges from 0.771.09, with no clear spatial
pattern discernible in this distribution. The
highest rates of women to men are found in the
mid- to lower portions of the watershed, while
the lowest are just upstream. Those areas with
higher ratios of women to men are also often
those regions where the median age is quite high.
Because women live longer than men, the
distribution of women to men in these areas may
be due to a larger number of widowed women than
in other sections of the watershed. The lower
map depicts the percent of women in the labour
force and is in many cases the inverse of the
previous map of gender ratios. There are high
incidences of women in the workforce (6378) in
the mid- and peripheral sections of the
watershed. This spatial distribution may indicate
that many women also commute to Fredericton or
Moncton to go to work. In the extreme upper
reaches of the watershed there are both lower
ratios of women to men and fewer women working
outside the home (4146).
Education
In New Brunswick, children are required by law to
attend school until they complete high school or
reach the age of 18. However, until 1999,
compulsory attendance terminated at age 16, at
which age most students are in Grade 10. Changes
in the educational system directly impact other
components of the social system such as the
timing of leisure activities, distribution of
knowledge, availability of skilled labour. In
the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed, high school
completion rates range from 3176. The highest
rates of high school completion are in the
peripheral and southern sections of the
watershed, while the lowest are in the northern
and western portions. These numbers are lower
than the NB averages estimates of provincial
high school completion rates in 1991 range from
7885.
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Living With The Land
The Canaan-Washademoak Watershed
The Canaan-Washademoak watershed is located in
the southeastern part of New Brunswick. It
occupies an area of approximately 2163 km2,
7386 of which is forested. 89 of the land
parcels in the watershed are privately owned
6116 of 6872. This represents approximately 42
of the total land base by area. The watershed is
undergoing a socioeconomic transition from a
small, family farm and forestry-based community
to one composed of a diverse array of people
retirees, public servants, new seasonal and
permanent residents, and fewer young people.
Issue 5 Water Quality
For further information, please contact Dr.
Shawn Dalton [phone] sdalton_at_unb.ca Robena
and Alan Weatherley [phone] weatherl_at_nbnet
.nb.ca Reace Black [phone] rblack77_at_nb.sym
patico.ca Mailing Address c/o Dr. Shawn
Dalton Environment and Sustainable Development
Research Centre University of New Brunswick PO
Box 4400 Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3
What is water quality?

• Did You Know?
• Water supplies of high quality and sufficient
  quantity are essential for a healthy environment
  and healthy communities.
• The water quality of the Canaan-Washademoak
  watershed is adequate, but has limited ability to
  withstand pollution.
• Atlantic Salmon and Brook Trout are currently
  present throughout much of the Cannan-Washademoak
  watershed.

Water is essential to life and to our
environment. For many animals and plants, water
is their home. Many more species, such as humans,
require supplies of drinking water for
survival. Our water supplies are described by
two terms that are closely linked quantity (how
much we have) and quality (how fit our supplies
are for a particular purpose). A watershed that
supports a rich and varied community of plants
and animals and whose water quality protects
public health contributes greatly to a healthy
environment.
Water quality is typically defined by its
physical, chemical, biological, and aesthetic
(appearance and smell) characteristics. Examples
of each of these measures, or indicators, include

• Physical temperature, clarity, colour, suspended
  solids, dissolved solids
• Chemical pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients
  (including nitrogen and phosphorus), organic and
  inorganic compounds (including toxicants)
• Biological bacteria, algae
• Aesthetic odours, colour, floating matter

About the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association
The Canaan-Washademoak Watershed Association is a
community-based organization formed in 2002 in
response to local concerns about perceived
changes in water quality, recreational fishing
opportunities, and social structure of
communities in the area. Its goals are to
protect and enhance the ecological structure and
function of the Canaan River, Washademoak Lake,
and their tributaries and, in so doing, to
(re)connect people in the region with these
valuable aquatic resources.
Members work toward these goals through a
collaborative, community-based, ecosystem
approach to watershed planning and
management. The Canaan-Washademoak Watershed
Association holds regular bi-monthly meetings,
hosts speaker series, and community field days.
Our calendar of events can be found on our
website. To participate or offer suggestions,
please contact any of the individuals listed on
the left.
What affects the quality of our water?
All water contains many naturally occurring
substances, both in dissolved and in solid
form. These substances enter our water supplies
as water passes through air and through or over
land on its journey through the water cycle (see
Figure 1). Many of these substances reflect the
geology and vegetation of the area. However, much
of our water quality is closely linked to our
land use. Agriculture, urban and industrial
development, individual homes, and recreation can
each contribute chemicals and other materials
that affect the quality of our water supplies.
Figure 1. The water cycle.
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Become a Member of the Canaan-Washademoak
Watershed Association
Name Mailing address Phone Email
Please detach this form and mail it to the above
address. Suggested donation is 10 per person or
15 per family. Thank you!
127
Issue 5 Water Quality
Living With The Land
Issue 5 Water Quality
Living With The Land
Why is water quality important?
All water samples were analyzed for general
chemistry, metals, nitrates and E.coli by the
NBDOELG laboratory in Fredericton and the data
for each sample were compared against the
Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines (2002).
To date (Summer 2006), the results of the water
quality monitoring program indicate that the
overall condition of the Canaan River and
Washademoak Lake is adequate. However, there are
some parameters such as alkalinity (see Figure
4), aluminum, iron, and pH that consistently fall
outside the recommended guidelines for aquatic
life. The underlying bedrock of the headwaters
of Ridge Brook include limestone and gypsum.
These rock types account for the peak in
alkalinity observed at this site (Figure 4) as
well as other aspects of water chemistry. High
alkalinty helps protect water against the acidic
effects of pollution and reduces the toxic
effects of some metals, particularly aluminum.
Our water supplies are a valuable resource and,
as such, must be used responsibly. In terms of
the environment, good water quality is important
to provide habitat for the diverse community of
plants and animals to live in our
watersheds. For humans, maintaining water
quality is important not only to protect public
health, but also to support the various
commercial and recreational activities that
underpin many of our communities. If the quality
of our water supplies diminishes, so too will our
ability to use them for farming, fishing,
forestry, recreation, and tourism.
Because of the many ways in which we can use our
water resources, water quality information helps
us determine whether a water supply is fit for a
particular purpose. For example, the quality of
water in a lake may be good enough to swim in but
not to drink. Federal and provincial governments
use the information obtained from water quality
studies to set guidelines for water use. These
guidelines differ depending on whether the water
supply is being used for irrigation, recreation,
drinking water, or wildlife habitat.
Water quality in the Canaan-Washademoak watershed
Figure 4. Variation in alkalinity over time and
between sampling locations.
The watershed is home to some 91 tributaries of
the Canaan River and Washademoak Lake, comprising
about a dozen major sub-watersheds (see Figure
2). The southern margins of the watershed differ
in their geological make-up from that of the
headwaters and this is reflected in water
chemistry, particularly in Ridge Brook. Also, the
nature of the soil types in the area make them
the most highly erodible in the province.
Fish populations in the watershed
Electrofishing studies revealed the presence of
many fish species throughout the watershed (see
Issue 4). Figure 5 shows that the total density
of fish tends to increase as one moves downstream
from the northern (Canaan River) to the southern
ends (Mill Brook) of the watershed. Although
present in the watersheds upper reaches,
Atlantic salmon (age 0 to 4) are more common in
the southern tributaries. Their increased
presence here likely reflects the water chemistry
of this areathe generally higher alkalinity and
lower pH contribute to more optimal habitat for
these fish.
Washademoak Lake at Cambridge-Narrows
Figure 2. Major sub-watersheds of the
Canaan-Washademoak system.
Beginning in 2003, a water quality monitoring
program was undertaken in the watershed on behalf
of the Canaan-Washademoak Watershed
Association. Ten sites were selected based on
discussions with the Washademoak
Environmentalists and the Canaan River Fish and
Game Association. These are illustrated in Figure
3.
Figure 3. Sampling locations.
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Management Regime

• What are the composition and structure of the
  resource management regime how many public
  agencies and non-profit organizations are
  involved in public resource management in the
  GFW?
• Who are they?
• What types of activities are they engaged in?
• With whom do they partner on resource management
  projects?

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Research Methods

• Data collected through survey of formal
  organizations (federal, state, county, city
  agencies registered 501(c)(3) non-profit
  organizations)
• Owners or managers of publicly-owned natural
  resources in the Gwynns Falls Watershed

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Variables

• Summary variables concerning the community of
  organizations comprising the management regime
• Level of activity
• Range of Activity
• Actor position

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Summary Variables

• Composition
• Organizational age
• Distribution of project types
• Concentration of activity
• Funding
• Distribution of partnerships
• Density

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Findings Composition of Management Regime
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Proportions of Organizational Types
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Projects by Type
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Projects by Organizational Type
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Funding
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ENVS 4002 Adjacency Matrix
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Environmental Studies 4002 UNB Network
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Summary

• It is the combination of the biophysical
  conditions, socioeconomic conditions, and the
  means by which they are expressed in communities
  and on landscapes that results in the places we
  inhabit
• HEF can help us to understand, and make explicit
  decisions about, the reciprocal relationships
  between communities and the resource base(s) that
  support them

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The Human Ecosystem Framework
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