A FTER DIS TURB A NC E, FORES T RES TORA TION The art of land doctoring is being practiced with vigor, but the science of land health is yet to be born. A ldo L eo po ld, A S and C ounty A lmanac, 1949.
NATURAL: Wind, flood, fire MANMADE: Agriculture Development Road-building
MANMADE: Agriculture, Development, Climate Chg?
FO R E S T R E S TO R AT I O N S T R AT E G I E S H A N D S O FF- SEED BANK AND ADJACENT PROPAGULES P L A N T I N G P L A N T S - HORTICULTURAL APPROACH S E E D I N G - ECOLOGICAL APPROACH
C ivilia n C o ns erva tio n C o rps (CCC Camp, -Madison) 1. seeding, 2. seedlings, 3. and sods TH E IR LE A DE R S : Fassett, Leopold, Sperry Greene, and Curtis. W I S C O N S I N E X P E R I E N C E - 1930s a c res 1930 s Restoration Attempts & 60
LESSONS LEARNED TRANSPLANTED SODS WIN,BUT AT WHAT COST? SEEDING MORE COST EFFECTIVE 1950 ADDED 154 SPECIES with burning as site prep. CURTIS monitored and supervised surveys It is easier to introduce the prairie species than to remove the non-prairie species in the immediate future. Cottam 1966
W I S C O N S I N WO O D L A N D S R E -C R E AT I O N A N D R E S TO R AT I O N GRADY WOODS (Savanna) Gallistel Woods - 28A (southern dry to mesic) LEOPOLD PINES- 21A (north mixed hardwood) BOREAL FOREST - 14A 400 miles too far south
D erived fro m : G lea s o n & C ro nquis t, 1964, L iz W a ite E AS TE R N DE C IDU OU S FO R E S T
WE S TE R N WIS C ON S IN M Y BACK YARD M innes o ta V a lley W ildlife R efug e M y R a vine M Y B A C K YA R D RESTORATION- 20 yrs S o uthern dry-m es ic fo res t o ne a c re w ith ra vine #1- Control of garlic mustard #2 - Removal of buckthorn European bellflower Bush honeysuckle Japanese barberry White mulberry
G round L a yer R eturns I n the s eed ba nk, m o re c o ns erva tive s pec ies like: Early meadowrue Jack in the pulpit Pennsylvania sedge Solomon seal Poke milkweed Aralia and Baneberries Red and white baneberry R ue a nenom e
WITH S U C C E S S ION A FT E R P L A N T I N G, S O M E 50 Y E A R S FO R R E S U LT S OLD FIELD, similar to a grassland planting. N ew J ers ey S tudy 1-3 3-6 C ollins, B eryl R obic ha ud, a nd K a rl H. A nders on.1973. P la nt C o m m unities o f N ew J ers ey. R utg ers U nivers ity P res s, N ew B runs w ic k. 12-30 6-12
A L LO W FO R E S T E D G E TO E N C R OA C H PLANT GRASSLAND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ADJACENT PROPAGULES A 20 YEAR PLAN MANAGEMENT COST EFFECTIVE GRASSLAND DETERS WEEDS
1-COLLECTED SEED 2-HYDROSEEDED SLOPE 3-GREENHOUSE GROWN 4-SEEDLINGS BY HAND...c o s t unk no w n... N a tiona l Fo res t G R A S S L A N D S A R E T H E E A R LY FO R E S T S U C C E S S I O N A L S TA G E
W E T L A N D R E S TO R AT I O N LO W L A N D FO R E S T H ig hw a y 98 P a rtners hip P urc ha s e o f 360 a c res. R es to red hydro lo g y a nd rem oved inva s ive pla nts. 1990-M is s is s ippi Annual management by MDWFP
WET FOREST OPENING SEDGE MEADOWS, Minnesota, 1986 SUCCESS Planned restoration Used specific mixes for specific zones Eradicated reed canary grass threat 15
H A N D S O FF FO R E S T R E S TO R AT I O N H A N D S O FF E X A M P L E : FU E L L I K E LY TO DECOM POS E FE R T I L I Z I N G S E E D B A N K & A DJAC E N T P R O PA G U L E S S ITE S U R R OU N DE D B Y LO W L A N D FO R E S T K O C H FU E L S P I L L, M I S S I S S I P P I R I V E R V A L L E Y, M N
FO R E S T P L A N T I N G AT T E M P T S : WA, UT, NY, NH and likely to fail due to species selection and topsoil importation with invasive seed bank competition...
U TA H OK LA H OM A IOWA G R AS S LAN DS, Fro m C o a s t to FL O R I D A
S E E D M I X D E S I G N, a lw a ys s ites pec ific A N E C OLOG IC A L A P P R OAC H : 1.N O T E E C O R E G I O N OF PR OJE C T S ITE 2. M ATC H S P E C I E S O F T H AT E C O R E G I O N TO S I T E C O N D I T I O N S - D R Y, M E S I C O R W E T 3. P R O C E S S S A M E O N DIS TU R B E D S ITE S AN Y WH ER E!
G R AS S LAN D P L A N T I N G, 1980 s 1. LO C AT E M O D E L REM NANT U s e inventory to s ho p (35) 2.S I T E P R E P M I N I M A L : R ound up, m ow, a nd dra g 3. D R I L L /B R OA D C A S T: Trua x drill + s prea der 4. B U R N ra ndom ly C om m unity Ta s k Forc e
LE S S ON LE AR N E D: CURTIS PRAIRE - 1930 s Bonnie s PLANTINGS - 197686
E A S TE R N G R A S S LA N DS E X IS T no t c a lled pra iries They are called: meadows glades plains balds/highlands barrens/dunes heath grasslands
N C TC - R E S TO R AT I O N B E G I N S
N C TC FO R E S T R E S TO R AT I O N R em em ber the W is c o ns in ex perienc e C o ns ider c o s t a nd tim e to c rea te a w o o dla nd. B es t w e c a n do is : 1. a n ea rly s uc c es s io na l g ra s s la nd be g inning! E A S T E R N D E C I D U O U S FO R E S T, W I M o s t im po rta nt flo ris tic elem ent in W is c o ns in is the s o -c a lled A lleg henia n. J o hn T. C urtis 1959 2. rem ova l o f inva s ives, ha nds o ff a nd m a na g e into future.
R E M OV E E X I S T I N G I N VA S I V E S FI R S T S T E P TO A N Y R E S TO R AT I O N M E T H O D
LO C A L M O D E L W I T H I N Y O U R E C OR E G ION
YA N K A U E R N AT U R E P R E S E R V E, 104A N E A R B Y LO C A L M O D E L, N O T A N S N A R E FE R E N C E O L D FI E L D S U C C E S S I O N A R E A S & M AT U R E
N C T C R E S T O R A T I O N - a fter inva s ive c o ntro l: J ohns o ng ra s s, jetbea d, J a pa nes e ho neys uc k le ba rberry, m ultiflo ra ros e, m ile-a -m inute, w a vylea f ba s k etg ra s s, orienta l bitters w eet, a nd..
W hen w e dis turb the la nd, w e m us t try to res to re it. W e ow e the ea rth a nd our c hildren to ha ve a t lea s t tried. Bonnie L. Harper-Lore