By Thomas C. O’Keefe, James M. Helfield, and Roberg J. Naiman
University of Washington

This training module provides an overview of natural and human-made change processes and the ways in which they affect the structure and function of watersheds. The module has four primary sections:

• an introduction to the role of change in the watershed,
• descriptions of specific natural agents of change and their ecological effects,
• descriptions of specific human-made agents of change and their ecological effects, and
• a discussion of the watershed processes most vulnerable to change.

Change is a natural, essential feature of watersheds. Being able to identify different change processes, understand the differences between natural and human influences on watershed change, and recognize a change of concern are all critical for effective watershed management. Watershed change, however, can be very complicated to understand and manage when many human and natural causes of change interact as they often do.
After completing this training, the participant should know the major changes affecting watersheds and understand that watersheds are dynamic systems. Some background in watershed ecology is helpful for understanding the material presented here and can be obtained from the module, Introduction to Watershed Ecology (Note: to return to this module after viewing the other site, simply close the window).

Goals of this Module

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This is one of the 15 required modules in the Watershed Management Certificate Program

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