An Ecological Plan For A Nature Reserve

To start off it is important to understand that Ecology is larger than Conservation. It is true the one cannot do without the other but never the less in order to save our planet we must turn to ecology and not conservation.
The course we had just completed brought one consept to light. It is not What we know that make us candidates for ecologist but rather How we see things that make the diffrence. For eg. I know that an area that had been used for agriculture development will take some time (eg 5 years) before it can be used as viable grazing for buck. I also know that in order for it to follow natural succession it must not be over grazer or for that matter grazed at all.
What i did not do was SEE that with a good plan that area can be monitored and assisted and looked after as to prevent further retrogression and to promote it growing properly.
I learnt that

1. You must know your legals all the laws that you are faced with like: NEMA National Environmental Management Act; CARA Conservation of Agricultural resources Act
2. You must know the areas history like if it had been used for agriculture before?
3. Is the area a tourist destination
4. Know and describe the resources in the area. The Physical components such as Climate Existing and Planned Infrastructure;Fire Management aspects; Biological Components; Garden services; Waste management resources; availability of resources for reserve management.
5. Environmental Risk Management
6. Management Potential and management Problems knowing the difference between problems and threats. Also understanding what is the areas potential.
   
7. Reserve Environmental management Goals and Objectives. Understand that objectives are bite size goals. Have an Aim, what is it you want to see being done in terms of soil erosion, soil pollution...etc.
8. Prescription For Management. It is of the utmost importance that you understand that it doesn't help that you see the problems but cannot get solutions if you can't find a solution by yourself enlist the help of others. And also remember that if you have a solution you must know and explain why it is necessary to solve the problem.
9. RECORDING AND MONITORING OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION. If it is not recorded (Written or saved on a PC) then it did not happen. Anything can happen and it would be necessary for someone else to take over from you, if your reporting and monitoring is not up to scratch it could lead to a disaster.
10. Management Processes. Know to who and when you must report what!
11. Programme Objectives translated into 'viable and manageable objectives'
12. Acknowledgments-recognize the fact that you needed others in order to complete the task\report.
13. Bibliography and references it helps to record where you got information so that someone else can cross reference and refer back to the information at a later stage.
14. Executive Summary.All of the above is for yourself and other ecologists but remember that management need short reports on things and so it would be advisable to compile an one page easily readable report for that purpose.