Five concepts in planning theory useful to coastal management

In recent years coastal resource management has begun to stand as its own discipline. Its multidisciplinary nature gives it access to theory situated in each of the diverse fields which it may encompass, yet management practices often revert to the primary field of the manager. There is a lack of a common set of “coastal” theory from which managers can draw. Seven resource-related issues with which coastal area managers must contend include: coastal habitat conservation, traditional maritime communities and economies, strong development and use pressures, adaptation to sea level rise and climate change, landscape sustainability and resilience, coastal hazards, and emerging energy technologies. The complexity and range of human and environmental interactions at the coast suggest a strong need for a common body of coastal management theory which managers would do well to understand generally. Planning theory, which itself is a synthesis of concepts from multiple fields, contains ideas generally valuable to coastal management. Planning theory can not only provide an example of how to develop a multi- or transdisciplinary set of theory, but may also provide actual theoretical foundation for a coastal theory. In particular we discuss five concepts in the planning theory discourse and present their utility for coastal resource managers. These include “wicked” problems, ecological planning, the epistemology of knowledge communities, the role of the planner/ manager, and collaborative planning. While these theories are known and familiar to some professionals working at the coast, we argue that there is a need for broader understanding amongst the various specialists working in the increasingly identifiable field of coastal resource management. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Ecology and management of water plants in lowland streams

A review article which discusses the ecology and management of common water plants in lowland streams, with an introduction containing a review of previous studies on the subject. The article covers the significance of seasonal growth, the significance of stand structure (particularly in relation to hydraulic resistence), an assessment of current river management, improvements to plant management techniques (in relation to cutting), and alternatives to the traditional techniques of river plant management. There are a number of accompanying figures.

Species management in aquatic habitats WRc RD Interim 1997

This is the Species management in aquatic Habitats WRc Interim 1997 document produced by the Environment Agency in 1997. This document reports progress on R&D Project 640, which aims to provide information on species of conservation value of particular relevance to the Environment Agency, in relation to its activities affecting aquatic environments. A range of stand-alone outputs is being produced, comprising Species Action Plans, practical management guidelines for Agency staff and third parties, and various research outputs to improve the knowledge base on the status and ecological requirements of priority species. The species of conservation values are: water shrew, daubenton’s bat, Kingfisher, yellow wagtail, Grey wagtail, sand martin, reed bunting, dipper, marsh warbler, great crested new, spined loach, brook lamprey, river lamprey, sea lamprey, shining rams-horn snail, little whirlpool rams-horn snail, depressed river mussel, a freshwater pea mussel, native crayfish, and triangular club-rush. The process of species selection was altered during the course of the project by the report on biodiversity by the UK Biodiversity Steering Group (1995). Whilst still including species that were not particularly endangered but were greatly influenced by the activities of the Agency, the project addressed species on the ‘short’ and ‘middle’ priority lists of the Biodiversity report, particularly those for which the Agency had specific responsibilities.