Environmental Science Theme Land Water Use Unit 4

Environmental Science Theme: Land Water Use Unit 4: Other Land Use Lesson Name: Land Conservation Options

Objective • Westlake AP Environmental Science Students will work in teams to evaluate mitigation banking for wetlands and habitat conservation planning for threatened and endangered species habitats.

The Big Understanding • Wetland ecosystems in Texas (and throughout the U. S. ) have been disappearing at an alarming rate for decades. Habitats that support T&E species are threatened by development and fragmentation. Conservation strategies that go beyond site approaches are efficient approaches to these large scale societal problems.

Opening Hook • Galveston Island wetland conservation planning (condensed version of Power. Point presented at last CF staff meeting by Jamie Oliver)

Instructional/Student Activities • Teams of four students will review definitions of mitigation banking and HCP planning from the Federal Register (web URLs will be provided) • Each team will evaluate an example of the conservation process in Texas and create a Power. Point to present to the rest of the class about the status and effectiveness of the project. Upload files to class wiki.

Materials - Pg 1 • “What is Mitigation Banking”, National Mitigation Banking Association, http: //www. mitigationbanking. org/about/wh atismitigationbanking. html • “Habitat Conservation Plan” in Wikipedia @http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Habitat_Con servation_Plan

Grouping Patterns

Extensions

Ending/Summary/Reflections • Take five minutes at the end of class to summarize the benefits of mitigation banking and the HCP process. Add a paragraph to today’s page on the class wiki.