A watershed-based adaptive knowledge system for developing ecosystem stakeholder partnerships

This study proposes a Watershed-based Adaptive Knowledge System(WAKES) to consistently coordinate multiple stakeholders in developing sustainable partnerships for ecosystem management.WAKES is extended from the institutional mechanism of Payments for Improving Ecosystem Services at the Watershed-scale(PIES-W).PIES-W is designed relating to the governance of ecosystem services flows focused on a lake as a resource stock connecting its inflowing and outflowing rivers within its watershed.It explicitly realizes the values of conservation services provided by private land managers and incorporates their activities into the public organizing framework for ecosystem management.It implicitly extends the "upstream-to-downstream" organizing perspective to a broader vision of viewing the ecosystems as comprised of both "watershed landscapes" and "marine landscapes".Extended from PIES-W,WAKES specifies two corresponding feedback:Framework I and II.Framework I is a relationship matrix comprised of three input-output structures of primary governance factors intersecting three subsystems of a watershed with regard to ecosystem services and human stakeholders.Framework II is the Stakeholder-and-Information structure channeling five types of information among four stakeholder groups in order to enable the feedbacks mechanism of Framework I.WAKES identifies the rationales behind three fundamental information transformations,illustrated with the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and the Strategic Action Program of the Bermejo River Binational Basin.These include(1) translating scientific knowledge into public information within the Function-and-Service structure corresponding to the ecological subsystem,(2) incorporating public perceptions into political will within the Serviceand-Value structure corresponding to the economic subsystem,and(3) integrating scientific knowledge,public perceptions and political will into management options within the Value-and-Stakeholder structure corresponding to the social subsystem.This study seeks to share a vision of social adaptation for a global sustainable future through developing a network to adopt contributions from and forming partnerships among all ecosystem stakeholders.

Salinization:the ultimate threat to temperate lakes,with particular reference to Southeastern Wisconsin(USA)

Many lakes in Southeastern Wisconsin(the metropolitan-Milwaukee area) are gradually becoming increasingly "salty".While these waterbodies would not be considered presently to be saline lakes,there has been a rapid increase in the chloride concentrations in most of these lakes over the last 30 years,with the lakes increasing from a mean chloride concentration of about 19 mg/L to over 100 mg/L in some cases.While ecological impacts can be expected when chloride values exceed 250 mg/L,the rate of increase presents a basis for concern,especially since the underlying geology of the region is based on limestone/dolomite which is deficient in chlorides.Thus,the origin of the chlorides is anthropogenic:human and industrial wastewaters(treatment of which has effected improvements in trophic status but has not affected other water-borne contaminants) and winter de-icing practices based upon large quantities of sodium chloride are major contributors to the increasing concentrations of chloride in the region's waterways.Without taking remedial measures,the rate of salinization is expected to continue to increase,resulting,ultimately,in the alteration of the freshwater systems in the region.

Building a Database for the Future:Humans and Lakes within Ecosystems

1 Introduction Fresh or saline,lakes constantly exchange with other water bodies on the Earth.Together,they form a crucial part of the water cycle–one of the most important ecosystem functions supporting humans and other biological communities.Lakes have provided invaluable and irreplaceable ecosystem services(benefits)for the