This webinar discusses learning objectives of the entire series, provides background information on key concepts from social science, and how some researchers and managers are incorporating ecological services into vulnerability assessments and restoration projects.
Michael Hand’s research is primarily in two areas: (1) risk-based approaches to wildland fire planning and mitigation and (2) the valuation of ecosystem services. He is currently working on a project to assess the vulnerability of ecosystem services to climate change in the Pacific Northwest. Michael graduated with his PhD in Economics from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM.
This is the first webinar in the Human-side of Restoration Webinar Series and was held December 10, 2013.
About the Series
Ecological restoration is a value-laden endeavor; Nature has no intrinsic concept of “healthy” ecosystems. Managers, researchers, and the public must define the goals of restoration projects, prioritize values at risk, and determine relevant temporal and spatial scales. Defining desired (or undesirable) future conditions for ecosystems raises ethical and social questions—desired by who and for who? –making it necessary that natural resource managers appreciate the human side of restoration. Read our concept paper for more information on the background and objectives of this series.
The other webinars in the series can be found by clicking on the links below:
1: Linking Ecological, Economic & Social Systems
2: Sticky Legal Issues Surrounding Restoration
3: USFS Engagement in Collaborative Implementation
4: Learning to Understand Each Other: Values & Perceptions of Ecosystem Restoration