Ecological Restoration and Site Management

Managing for Success - Unit 5

• Course material covers "Ensuring establishment success" (pages 55-58) and "Managing an established plant community" (pages 61-64). These are found in "Establishing Native Plant Communities."

Management Methodologies

• Weed control: Managing weed issues doesn't end after site preparation. Spraying before seeding or soil ripping are options. Planned checks (at threshold levels) and selective spot spraying or chemical treatments are part of a long-term strategy. Be cautious around water sources and residual herbicide activity. Herbicides may pose risks to target native plants. Knowing the chemical specifics is crucial.

• Burning: Historical grassland fire regimes involve 3-5 year cycles in dry areas, rooted in 10,000 years of history, with some areas having been impacted by Indigenous fire practices. Long-term plant community health is tied to burning events, which provides natural disturbance benefits. Key ecological roles of fire include litter reduction, minimizing insect and disease damage, regulating tree/shrub cover in grasslands, stimulating vegetative growth, and increasing seed production. Burning concerns include public fear of fire, uncontrolled fire escapes, and smoke and visibility issues. Best practices often involve early to mid-spring burns for better manageability, and specific frequency guidelines exist for various grassland types. Forested areas, while ecologically important, have more varying fire frequencies over time. Ecological system models are important to follow.

• Grazing: Native grasslands have evolved under grazing pressure. Light to moderate grazing maintains productivity and health. Appropriate grazing regimes (species, density, duration) are essential. Grazing removes excess litter and can increase plant vigor and health if rates are moderate. Grazing impacts succession and, thus, plant diversity in middle-successional communities. Plant diversity is directly linked to grazing intensity. Re-introduction of bison has ecological and practical implications for maintaining mixed-grass prairies, increasing plant structural diversity, and increasing bird diversity, providing habitat for keystone species like Richardson's ground squirrels.

• Site Protection (Grazing): Protection may be needed during the establishment period. No grazing in the first 1-3 years is commonly recommended. Cattle, browsers, and herbivores can be excluded from plant communities. Strategic placement of salt and water sources can minimize site impacts to sensitive areas.

• Site Protection (Elements): Drought control irrigation methods like hauling water by truck, pipelines, and solar-powered systems are used. Erosion control measures include loss of seedbed prevention and sediment control in waterways. Snow fencing also helps protect sites from wind erosion, trapping winter moisture and breaking drying summer winds.

• Site Protection (Wildlife): Woody plants, such as some willows, can be browsed extensively, but some species are beneficial to re-vegetation efforts. Protecting other species needs specific treatment. Methods include planting a greater amount of desired species to control browsing or utilizing wire fencing or repellents to deter wildlife from areas.

• Site Protection (Humans): Methods to protect sites from human activity might include adding signage, fencing, or even using vehicles (like quads) while adding seeds.

Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation - Unit 6

• Background reading materials include "Monitoring & Assessment" (pages 65-71).

• Monitoring and assessments are essential to legally manage and evaluate restoration projects, ensuring successful outcomes, meeting company requirements, and aligning with objectives. Assessments need to be related to project objectives, focusing on elements like soil, vegetation, landscaping and wildlife. Key items for assessment include defined timelines and identifying potential issues that may arise, or positive and negative deviations from the plan.

Record Keeping

• Detailed record-keeping is crucial for effectively managing sites, planning future projects, and meeting certification requirements. This includes keeping records of native plant materials, site preparation, procedures, equipment used, management activities (grazing, burning, and mowing), dates, maps, soil information (type, source, storage times, and handling methods), plant and seed information (type, supplier details, genetic sources, and analysis certificates), seeding rates, and planting densities. This information helps track species composition and density during monitoring.

• Record keeping should also incorporate seedling identification, monitoring methods (such as sampling methods, sample sizes, and data attributes), and assessment methodologies, especially for rare species and plants (presence/absence, numbers, and plant size). This helps establish the critical seedling identification stages. Recording this information can determine the success of the restoration project and also measure long-term results for both rare or common plants.

Evaluation of Success

• Success is related to original goals and must be sustainable. Evaluation periods will vary based on the type of disturbance, salvage procedures, precipitation, and site type (forests vs. grasslands).

Re-vegetation Success Criteria

• Healthy, vigorous above-ground growth with no evidence of disease or stress are key signs of successful revegetation. Healthy root systems are also important criteria. Perennial plants thriving under normal grazing/browsing pressure (or other similar pressures) is another strong indication. Healthy nutrient cycling (as measured by decomposition) and landscape stability are also positive indicators. Assessments should confirm the stability of the landscape and include indicators of healthy erosion prevention.

Evaluation Strategies

• Two major evaluation strategies are attribute analysis and trajectory analysis.

• Attribute analysis: Comparing the restored site to an ideal or reference set of attributes (growth, nutrient cycling, lack of noxious weeds, presence of native species, etc) can quantitatively determine if the restoration has been successful. Attributes assessed generally include specific aspects like species composition and structure (different layers in vegetation). This is usually measured and documented via monitoring data and used to assess factors like resiliency, functional groups (primary producers, herbivores) and physical environmental conditions.

• Trajectory analysis: A new and promising strategy involves collecting and plotting comparative data to establish trends. Analysis of the monitored data will determine if the restoration project is following the expected trend or deviating from the reference condition. This can confirm a restoration project's success. Time series data are compared to earlier baseline data indicating pre-fire, pre-disturbance or other starting conditions for the species. Monitoring can show if the restoration project is succeeding and following the expected timeframe.

Assessing Revegetation Success

• The final test of success involves gaining a reclamation certificate. This occurs on industrial lands, sometimes based on criteria specific to pipeline or wellsite areas. Specific assessments are often required to confirm the success of the project, which will vary by project.

Test your knowledge on the principles of ecological restoration and site management. This quiz covers monitoring and assessment techniques, the role of fire in ecosystems, and best practices for managing prairies. Understand key concepts that ensure the success of restoration projects.