Exploring Novel Ecosystems Lesson: Field Trip to an Urban Forest Patch

(10 min.) In class, review the ecological elements of UFPs using the PowerPoint below. 

(5 min.) Provide an overview of a UFP that is accessible from your location and which you have permission to enter. The overview might include the land use history; existing species both native and non-native; biophysical elements such as edge effects and waterways; and, human pressure like runoff pollution, dumping, or development priorities. Note that many of these spaces will be secondary growth forests that may have dense thickets, trash, and poison ivy.

(60 min.) Divide the class into 3-person groups and give each group a 2-meter length of rope with a knot tied in the center. They will use this rope to form a square quadrat of 1-m sq. for sampling. Release students to the field site after providing them with these instructions:  

• Detail in written notes your sensual impressions, including the aesthetics, smells, sounds, textures, and even tastes of the UFP. These sensory impressions can convey information both about ecosystem health and whether this forest provides socio-environmental services to visitors, such as meditation, food, and beauty.
• Randomly sample 5-10 quadrats (toss the rope and array it in a square, sample the species and quantity within the 1-m space) and record species composition. For aid in later identification, take a photograph of each quadrat and label it.
• Note the evidence of any animals that live or pass through the UFP, including sightings, tracks, and scat.
   

As homework, have the groups finish their detective work on sampled quadrats by listing the species identified, their quantities, and whether the species is native to the region. Have each group post a summary on a class discussion board.

*Alternative to field trip: Profile the UFP called Guilford Woods in College Park, MD. The websites Friends of Guilford Woods and Save Guilford Woods have information on native and invasive species, hydrology, and governance disputes. This UFP can serve as the model ecosystem in Lesson 2, as well. If the lesson is limited to online research of Guilford Woods, learners can benefit from this case study in several ways: 1) as a case of urban development dispute, where needs for urban housing vie with the need to preserve greenways, habitat, and functional hydrodynamics; 2) as a case of invasive species effects on native species assemblages and ongoing regimens of invasive plant removal, especially English Ivy; 3) as a case of preserving riparian land for flood regulation, as Guilford Woods has a stream that absorbs much excess runoff from surrounding hardscapes; 4) as an example of a novel ecosystem, where a unique species assemblage and even a unique endemic species of carnivorous worm has been identified; and, 5) as a critical resource for ecology and ecopsychology instruction adjacent to a large college campus.  Ask learners to:

• List the ecosystem services they see at work in this UFP and explain how those services would be affected by development. 
• List the ecological problems associated with this space: edge effects, invasive species, pollution, or trampling. 
• Describe potential solutions to absolve some of these pressures common to UFPs?

(15 min.) In the next class, begin by clearing up any unidentified species or mystery animals. Unless the unidentified species is highly prevalent, small gaps in knowledge are okay.

(30 min.) As a whole class, share compiled information about the plant and animal communities found in each quadrat and sense analysis. Summarize the state of the ecological community by evaluating: 

• The prevalence of invasive species (non-natives that dominate quadrats)
• Sense impressions of the landscape and the condition of any waterways
• Other biophysical factors like vertical distribution—including herbaceous, shrub, understory, and overstory layers; and, edge effects like adjacent roads or buildings  
• States of succession: Is this community filled with fast-growing, colonizing species like invasive ivy; slow-growing, mature species like trees; or, some mixture? 
• Speculate on how historical human uses and natural succession of ecological communities have both influenced the state of the UFP as you found it. 

(30 min.) Conclude this lesson by asking learners to advise on how this UFP could be governed to maximize both ecosystem health and human ecological benefits. You might ask:

• Are interventions (trash or invasive species removal) needed before this UFP could be considered an appealing public space?
• What ongoing stressors (like pollution) or threats (clear cutting) make explicit governance and advocacy part of the process to maximize this UFP’s potential?  
• What ecosystem and human services will this space provide if it achieves its maximum potential? Along that optimal path, what might the UPF look like in 50 years?