CONSERVATION BIOLOGY AND THE DRIFTLESS AREA - A MASTER
PLAN FOR RESEARCH

Melinda G. Knutson
U.S.G.S., Biological Resources Division, Upper Mississippi Science Center, La
Crosse, WI 54602.

Conservation Biology, as an applied science, examines threats to biological
diversity and integrity of ecosystems and employs available scientific research and
management tools to address problems.  In many ways, conservation biology is to
ecosystems what wholistic health care is to people and human communities. 
Implicit in both conservation biology and medicine is a process that includes
assessment, diagnosis, and intervention.  If the Driftless Area of southeastern
Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, and northeastern Iowa is the patient, how
can we begin to synthesize available information to make an ecological
assessment of this ecoregion?  What are the sources of data?  How do we measure
actual and potential threats?  What ecological endpoints do we desire? What are
the bio-indicators of a "healthy" Driftless Area?  What preliminary diagnoses can
be made that will provide a framework for future research/management efforts?
Can we and should we factor in human/economic influences on the ecology of the
region?  As a wildlife biologist, I will discuss my answers to these questions and
provide my diagnosis of research questions conservation biologists should be
considering, using the Driftless Area as a case study.

Keywords: conservation biology, Driftless Area, ecosystem integrity, research.    



Melinda G. Knutson
U.S.G.S., Biological Resources Division
Upper Mississippi Science Center
2630 Fanta Reed Road, P.O. Box 818
La Crosse, WI  54602-0818
melinda_knutson@nbs.gov
608-783-6451
FAX  608-783-6066

Platform preferred
Willingness to convert: Yes