Remediation Research in the Jornada Basin: Past and Future

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E. Herrick ◽  
Kris M. Havstad
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Bouteloua Eriopoda ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Management Intervention ◽  
Normal Ranges ◽  
Jornada Basin ◽  
Animal Community ◽  
Similar Area ◽  
Ultimate Objective

Land degradation in most of the Chihuahuan Desert is characterized by a shift from grass- to shrub-dominated plant communities (Ballín Cortés 1987; Grover and Musick 1990; Fredrickson et al. 1998; see also chapter 10). This shift is associated with increased soil resource redistribution and spatial variability at the plant-interspace scale (Schlesinger et al. 1990; see also chapter 6). Earlier descriptions focused more specifically on the loss of plant species, such as black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda), which were palatable to livestock (Nelson 1934). In 1958, it was estimated that one section (3.2 km2) of black grama grassland could support 18 animal units yearlong, while a similar area dominated by mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) dunes could support just three animal units (Jornada Experimental Range Staff 1958; see also chapter 13). It was recognized that overgrazing facilitated the increase of less palatable species, including shrubs. Consequently, the objectives of the first organized rangeland research in the Southwest were to identify proper techniques to restore grasslands that had been overgrazed (Jardine and Hurtt 1917; Havstad 1996). Today, we recognize the importance of multiple, interacting factors in addition to overgrazing, and research is more broadly focused on the recovery of ecosystem functions necessary to support multiple ecosystem services. This chapter details this extensive history of research to identify and develop technologies to revegetate, restore, reclaim, rehabilitate, or more generally remediate degraded rangelands. The Society for Ecological Restoration considers that “an ecosystem has recovered when it contains sufficient biotic and abiotic resources to continue its development without assistance or subsidy. It will demonstrate resilience to normal ranges of environmental stress and disturbance. It will interact with contiguous ecosystems in terms of biotic and abiotic flows and cultural interactions” (Society for Ecological Restoration Science and Policy Working Group 2002). Although restoration of perennial grasslands is often cited as the ultimate objective of management intervention in the Southwest, we recognize that in many if not most cases complete restoration of a preexisting plant and animal community is impossible, even if we had perfect knowledge of all of the elements they contained. We also recognize that many of the historic management interventions discussed herein had more limited objectives.

Plant Communities in the Jornada Basin: The Dynamic Landscape

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra P. C. Peters ◽  
Robert P. Gibbens
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Chihuahuan Desert ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Desert Grassland ◽  
Bouteloua Eriopoda ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Dynamic Landscape ◽  
Jornada Basin

Plant communities of the Jornada Basin are characteristic of the northern Chihuahuan Desert both in structure and dynamics. Although a number of plant communities can be differentiated, five major vegetation types are often distinguished that differ in plant species cover and composition, as well as other factors, such as animal populations, soil properties, and elevation. These five types are black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) grasslands, playa grasslands, tarbush (Flourensia cernua) shrublands, creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) shrublands, and mesquite (Prosopis grandulosa) shrublands. Similar to many other parts of the Chihuahuan Desert, these plant communities have experienced major shifts in vegetation composition over the past 50–150 years (York and Dick-Peddie 1969). The most dramatic changes in vegetation and associated ecosystem processes have occurred as a result of a shift in life form due to woody plant encroachment into perennial grasslands (Grover and Musick 1990; Bahre and Shelton 1993). This encroachment of shrubs has occurred in many arid and semiarid regions of the world, including the Western United States, northern Mexico, southern Africa, South America, New Zealand, and Australia (McPherson 1997; Scholes and Archer 1997). A number of drivers have been implicated in these grass–shrub dynamics, including various combinations of livestock grazing, small animal activity, drought, changes in fire regime, and changes in climate (Humphrey 1958; Archer 1989; Allred 1996; Reynolds et al. 1997; Van Auken 2000). The causes of shrub invasion are quite variable and often poorly understood, although the consequences consistently lead to the process of desertification (Schlesinger et al. 1990). This chapter describes the characteristics of each vegetation type and the documented changes in each type at the Jornada Basin. We then discuss the key drivers influencing these dynamics. Vegetation in the Chihuahuan Desert region has been classified as desert-grassland transition (Shreve 1917), desert savanna (Shantz and Zon 1924), desert plains grasslands (Clements 1920), desert shrub grassland (Darrow 1944), and shrubsteppe (Kuchler 1964). Desert grassland is often used as a general descriptive name for the area (McClaran 1995), although landscapes at the Jornada and throughout the northern Chihuahuan Desert often consist of a mosaic of desert grasslands, Chihuahuan Desert shrublands, and plains-mesa sand scrub (Dick-Peddie 1993).

Genetic Considerations in Plant Ecological Restoration

Ecology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny J. Gustafson ◽  
Alexis Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Plant Material ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Outbreeding Depression ◽  
Founder Effects ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Seed Provenance

Ecological restoration is most commonly described as the process of aiding in the recovery of a damaged or destroyed system. In many cases, restoration may not be possible when self-sustaining populations, functions, and trajectories cannot be maintained due to the type of disturbance sustained by a site; in these cases, revegetation or remediation are more achievable goals. The definition of ecological restoration has been expanded to incorporate scientific inquiry into the process of the recovery of a natural range of ecosystem composition, structure, and dynamics. Ecological restoration research spans different levels of organization from genes to ecosystems. Genetic considerations are fundamental to the success of ecological restoration, and considerations of this issue will impact choices from seed source selection to genetic control of ecosystem services. A major decision for restorationists is the use of local versus nonlocal plant material, as well as the mixing of source populations; ideally, these choices can be based on sound population genetic, ecological, and evolutionary theory research. Ultimately, selection of plant material to be used in ecological restoration is driven by the specific project goals, availability and quality of plant materials, site conditions, and scale of the project. Beyond the local versus nonlocal selection issue, genetic issues related to small population dynamics, gene flow in the modern landscape, and gene expression affecting community structure and ecosystem functions can affect the success of ecological restoration activities. This article focuses primarily on plants; however, issues related to genetics of small populations (inbreeding and outbreeding depression, founder effects, and fitness consequences of reduced genetic variation) are important considerations for animal species too. The readings contained within this bibliography include: Ecotypic Variation, Seed Provenance for Restoration, Seed Transfer Zones for Restoration, Seed Provenance for Revegetation, Life History Traits, Moving beyond Neutral Markers, Inbreeding Depression, Outbreeding Depression, Founder Effects, Fitness Consequences of Reduced Genetic Variation, Community and Landscape Genetics, Testing Genotypic Effects on Community and Ecosystem Processes, Evaluating Success, and Genetic Composition and Diversity in Restored Populations.

scholarly journals On the Need to Differentiate the Temporal Trajectories of Ecosystem Structure and Functions in Restoration Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 194008292091031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvio Ferraz ◽  
Pedro H. S. Brancalion ◽  
Joannès Guillemot ◽  
Paula Meli
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Ecosystem Restoration ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Land Planning ◽  
Planning Decision ◽  
Structure And Functions

Potential time lags between human-mediated disturbances and the subsequent responses of ecosystems are critical for planning and implementing conservation and restoration actions. In this context, decoupling between the temporal trajectories of ecosystems structure and functions is particularly critical. Here, we stand out the need to differentiate the temporal trajectories of ecosystem structure and functions to be considered in ecological restoration programs. In cases when ecosystem functions persist after the degradation of the ecosystem structure, and when functions do not recover at the same rate as structure, some kind of ecosystem functioning credits or debts can occur. In other situations, an ongoing loss of the ecosystem function can occur even in the absence of further disturbance. Ecosystem restoration outcomes could be optimized in regions with ecosystem functioning credit, since mitigating the decline in functioning will be more efficient than recovering functions in highly degraded conditions. Ecological restoration programs should not only focus on structure-derived indicators but they should also consider the dynamics of ecosystem functions to guide land-planning decision-making.

scholarly journals Handheld Laser Scanning Detects Spatiotemporal Differences in the Development of Structural Traits among Species in Restoration Plantings

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1706
Author(s):  
Nicolò Camarretta ◽  
Peter A. Harrison ◽  
Arko Lucieer ◽  
Brad M. Potts ◽  
Neil Davidson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Species Interaction ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Sensing Technology ◽  
Structural Traits

A major challenge in ecological restoration is assessing the success of restoration plantings in producing habitats that provide the desired ecosystem functions and services. Forest structural complexity and biomass accumulation are key measures used to monitor restoration success and are important factors determining animal habitat availability and carbon sequestration. Monitoring their development through time using traditional field measurements can be costly and impractical, particularly at the landscape-scale, which is a common requirement in ecological restoration. We explored the application of proximal sensing technology as an alternative to traditional field surveys to capture the development of key forest structural traits in a restoration planting in the Midlands of Tasmania, Australia. We report the use of a hand-held laser scanner (ZEB1) to measure annual changes in structural traits at the tree-level, in a mixed species common-garden experiment from seven- to nine-years after planting. Using very dense point clouds, we derived estimates of multiple structural traits, including above ground biomass, tree height, stem diameter, crown dimensions, and crown properties. We detected annual increases in most LiDAR-derived traits, with individual crowns becoming increasingly interconnected. Time by species interaction were detected, and were associated with differences in productivity between species. We show the potential for remote sensing technology to monitor temporal changes in forest structural traits, as well as to provide base-line measures from which to assess the restoration trajectory towards a desired state.

scholarly journals Grand challenges in biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research in the era of science–policy platforms require explicit consideration of feedbacks

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1960) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary I. O'Connor ◽  
Akira S. Mori ◽  
Andrew Gonzalez ◽  
Laura E. Dee ◽  
Michel Loreau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Essential Feature ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Biodiversity Science ◽  
Explicit Consideration ◽  
Biodiversity Change ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
Effective Use

Feedbacks are an essential feature of resilient socio-economic systems, yet the feedbacks between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing are not fully accounted for in global policy efforts that consider future scenarios for human activities and their consequences for nature. Failure to integrate feedbacks in our knowledge frameworks exacerbates uncertainty in future projections and potentially prevents us from realizing the full benefits of actions we can take to enhance sustainability. We identify six scientific research challenges that, if addressed, could allow future policy, conservation and monitoring efforts to quantitatively account for ecosystem and societal consequences of biodiversity change. Placing feedbacks prominently in our frameworks would lead to (i) coordinated observation of biodiversity change, ecosystem functions and human actions, (ii) joint experiment and observation programmes, (iii) more effective use of emerging technologies in biodiversity science and policy, and (iv) a more inclusive and integrated global community of biodiversity observers. To meet these challenges, we outline a five-point action plan for collaboration and connection among scientists and policymakers that emphasizes diversity, inclusion and open access. Efforts to protect biodiversity require the best possible scientific understanding of human activities, biodiversity trends, ecosystem functions and—critically—the feedbacks among them.

Rewilding the small stuff: the effect of ecological restoration on prokaryotic communities of peatland soils

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason P Andras ◽  
William G Rodriguez-Reillo ◽  
Alexander Truchon ◽  
Jeffery L Blanchard ◽  
Erin A Pierce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Soil Microbes ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Wetland Soils ◽  
Prokaryotic Community ◽  
16S Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Do So ◽  
Site Types

ABSTRACT To investigate the effect that restoration has on the microbiome of wetland soils, we used 16S amplicon sequencing to characterize the soil prokaryotic communities of retired cranberry farms that were restored to approximate the peat wetlands they once were. For comparison, we also surveyed the soil communities of active cranberry farms, retired cranberry farms and natural peat wetlands that were never farmed. Our results show that the prokaryotic communities of active cranberry farms are distinct from those of natural peat wetlands. Moreover, 4 years after restoration, the prokaryotic community structure of restored cranberry farms had shifted, resulting in a community more similar to natural peat wetlands than to active farms. Meanwhile, the prokaryotic communities of retired cranberry farms remained similar to those of active farms. The observed differences in community structure across site types corresponded with significant differences in inferred capacity for denitrification, methanotrophy and methanogenesis, and community composition was also correlated with previously published patterns of denitrification and carbon sequestration measured from the same soil samples. Taken together, these results suggest that ecological restoration efforts have the potential to restore ecosystem functions of soils and that they do so by ‘rewilding’ the communities of resident soil microbes.

scholarly journals Ecological restoration of habitats invaded by Leucanthemum vulgare that alters key ecosystem functions

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0246665
Author(s):  
Mohd Asgar Khan ◽  
Khursheed Hussain ◽  
Manzoor A. Shah
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Lower Altitude ◽  
Herbicide Treatment ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Restoration Strategies ◽  
Precise Assessment ◽  
Structure And Functions

Precise assessment of the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) on ecosystem structure and functions is paramount for implementing appropriate management and restoration strategies. Here we investigated the impacts of Leucanthemum vulgare (ox-eye daisy), an aggressive invader in Kashmir Himalaya, on species diversity and primary productivity. We also evaluated bunch of strategies for the ecological restoration of the habitats invaded by this species. We found that uninvaded plots harbored on an average of 6.11 (±2.92) more species per 1m2 of quadrat than invaded plots. At multivariate scale, the ordination (nMDS) and ANOSIM exhibited significant differences between invaded and uninvaded plots with R = 0.7889 and p < 0.001. The decrease in diversity indices in invaded as compared to uninvaded plots was associated with more productive plant communities due to Leucanthemum invasion. Higher altitude Gulmarg site was more affected by Leucanthemum invasion than lower altitude Drung site. We tested different approaches for restoration and management of invaded habitats that include herbicide treatment at seedling stage, herbicide treatment before and after flowering stage, mowing and herbicide treatment together, joint mowing, digging and herbicide treatment and Leucanthemum uprooting. Among these treatments, uprooting and combined digging, mowing and herbicide treatment proved to be most effective in controlling Leucanthemum invasion. The implications of these results for effective management of ecologically sensitive and socio-culturally important landscapes are discussed.

scholarly journals Representation of global change drivers across biodiversity datasets

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergana N. Daskalova ◽  
Diana Bowler ◽  
Isla Heather Myers-Smith ◽  
Maria Dornelas
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Spatial Representation ◽  
Ecological Monitoring ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Biodiversity Data ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Marine Realm ◽  
Biodiversity Change ◽  
Human Use

Global change has altered biodiversity and impacted ecosystem functions and services around the planet. Understanding the effects of anthropogenic drivers like human use and climate change on biodiversity change has become a key challenge for science and policy. However, our knowledge of biodiversity change is limited by the available data and their biases. Over land and sea, we test the representation of three worldwide and multi-taxa biodiversity databases (Living Planet, BioTIME and PREDICTS) across spatial and temporal variation in global change and across the tree of life. We find that variation in global change drivers is better captured over space than over time around the world and across the previous 150 years. Spatial representation of global change was as high as 78% in the marine realm and 31% on land. Our findings suggest ways to improve the use of existing biodiversity data and better target future ecological monitoring.

A Synthesis and Future Research Directions for Tropical Mountain Ecosystem Restoration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Christmann ◽  
Imma Oliveras Menor
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Enabling Factors ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
Tropical Mountain ◽  
Mountain Grasslands ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Forested Ecosystems

Abstract Many tropical mountain ecosystems (TME) are severely disturbed, requiring ecological restoration to recover biodiversity and ecosystem functions. However, the extent of restoration efforts across TMEs is not known due to the lack of syntheses on ecological restoration research. Here, based on a systematic review, we identify geographical and thematic research gaps, compare restoration interventions, and consolidate enabling factors and barriers of restoration success. We find that restoration research outside Latin-America, in non-forested ecosystems, and on socio-ecological questions is scarce. For most restoration interventions success is mixed and generally limited by dispersal and microhabitat conditions. Finally, we propose five directions for future research on tropical mountain restoration in the UN decade of restoration, ranging from scaling up restoration across mountain ranges, investigating restoration in mountain grasslands, to incorporating socio-economic and technological dimensions.

scholarly journals An objective-based prioritization approach to improve trophic complexity through ecological restoration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Ladouceur ◽  
Jennifer McGowan ◽  
Patrick Huber ◽  
Hugh Possingham ◽  
Davide Scridel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Species Selection ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
List Type ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Random Draw ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractReassembling ecological communities and rebuilding habitats through active restoration treatments requires curating the selection of plant species to use in seeding and planting mixes. Ideally, these mixes should be assembled based on attributes that support ecosystem function and services, promote plant and animal species interactions and ecological networks in restoration while balancing project constraints. Despite these critical considerations, it is common for species mixes to be selected opportunistically. Reframing the selection of seed mixes for restoration around ecological objectives is essential for success but accessible methods and tools are needed to support this effort.We developed a framework to optimize species seed mixes based on prioritizing plant species attributes to best support different objectives for ecosystem functions, services, and trophic relationships such as pollination, seed dispersal, and herbivory. We compared results to approaches where plant species are selected to represent plant taxonomic richness, dominant species, and at random. We tested our framework for 176 plant species found in European alpine grasslands and identified 163 associated attributes affiliated to trophic relationships, ecosystem functions, and services.In all cases, trophic relationships, ecosystem functions, and services can be captured more efficiently through objective-based prioritization using the functional identity of plant species. Solutions (plant species lists) can be compared quantitatively, in terms of costs, species, or objectives. We confirm that a random draw of plant species from the regional plant species pool cannot be assumed to support other trophic groups and ecosystem functions and services.Synthesis and Applications. Our framework is presented as a proof of concept to help restoration practitioners better apply quantitative decision–support to plant species selection in order to meet ecological restoration outcomes. Our approach may be tailored to any restoration initiative and habitat where seeding or planting mixes will be applied in active treatments. As global priority and resources are increasingly placed into restoration, this approach could be advanced to help make efficient decisions for many stages of the restoration process.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document