Managing for Success Unit 5 PDF

Managing for success Unit 5 Background reading Read “Ensuring establishment success” (pp. 55-58) and “Managing an established plant community” (pp. 61-64) in Establishing Native Plant Communities. Manageme 1. Weed control nt 2. Burning Methodolo 3. Grazing gies...

Managing for success Unit 5 Background reading Read “Ensuring establishment success” (pp. 55-58) and “Managing an established plant community” (pp. 61-64) in Establishing Native Plant Communities. Manageme 1. Weed control nt 2. Burning Methodolo 3. Grazing gies 4. Site Protection a. Grazing b. The elements c. Wildlife d. Humans 1. Weed Control Managing weed problems does not end after the site has been prepared for revegetation Spray before seeding, if unable to spray you can ripe up the soil After seeding, after emergence, planned time checks, at threshold levels (threshold level- categized step) Must be part of long-term management strategy Use selective spray methods- spot spraying or chemical type Be careful about water sources and residual activity (how long it stays active in the ground its important for our seed)  Weed Control Difficult to use herbicides in restoration fields because of the risk to the target native community Must know your chemical! Need to know your chemical Integrated Weed Managemen t Using multiple control methods simultaneously and cooperatively Competition or cover Herbicides Mowing Hand-pulling Biological control All this is very dependant for timing if Fungal you get the timing wrong you’re pathogens, screwed insects, targeted grazing  Integrated Weed Management EBIPM: Ecological based invasive plant management Use succession Identify Choose Plan for theory to Assess cause for action & implemen target success tools tation point of action (Svejcar and Boyd 2012)  Historical Grassland Fire Regime Every 3-5 years for dry areas 2. Burning 10,000 years since last glaciation, 8000 of those with anthropogenic fire (First Nations) Long-term health of restored plant communities is tied to burning events Adds benefits of natural disturbance  Key ecological roles (i.e. fire ecology): Litter reduction Reduce damage from insects and/or disease Reducing tree/shrub cover in grasslands Prescribe Stimulate vegetative growth Enhance seed production for d Fire the harvest of wild seed Manage exotic plant species Manage the distribution of grazers  Burning - Concerns Ecologically effective, but concerns do exist Public fear of fire Risk of fire escaping control Smoke and visibility Burning – Best Practices Usually takes 2-3 years before enough fuel has accumulated for a prescribed burn Early to mid-spring burns are most effective and more manageable Mixed grass and fescue prairies should be burned every 3-5 years Burning – Best Practices Fire in forested areas, like the Boreal, are just as important ecologically, but the frequency has been more variable over time Follow ecological system based models 3. Grazing Native grasslands have evolved under grazing pressure Need light to moderate grazing to remain productive and healthy Appropriate grazing regimes (species, density, duration…) Grazing Removes excess litter Can increase plant vigor and health if rates are moderate Grazing Disturbance events, such as grazing, can set succession back to allow for maximum diversity Maximum diversity is in middle-successional communities Plant diversity depends on grazing intensity Species richness Cattle/km2 Significance Bison conservation efforts in NA of Re- Ecological integrity of the mixed- grass prairie introductions Increased structural diversity in native plant communities Increased bird diversity Habitat for keystone species like Richardson’s ground squirrels 4. Site Protection is often required during the establishment period Protection a) No grazing during the first 1-3 years is Grazing recommended  Cattle/ browsers / herbivores can be Site excluded from establishing plant Protection - communities by using temporary electric fencing or other materials Grazing Site Protection - Grazing Once the plant community has established, grazing season and intensity are important considerations Strategic salt and water placement can help minimize impacts to sensitive areas Site Protection – b) The Elements Drought control- irrigation Haul by truck Pipeline and hose systems Solar powered irrigation system Erosion control Prevent loss of seed bed Prevent accumulation of sediment in waterbodies Snow fencing Protect site from wind erosion Trap much needed moisture in the winter Break drying winds in the summer Site Protection – c) Wildlife Woody plants may be browsed extensively by wildlife (deer, moose, rabbits) Some species (rose and wolf willow) respond to grazing by putting up suckers Beneficial to re-vegetation efforts Other species must be protected Site Protection – Wildlife Methods of protecting plants from wildlife: 1. Plant with much larger quantities will actually be required 2. Wire cages or fencing can also be used (challenge: have to go back and remove the wire) 3. Repellents Site Protection – d) Humans Quadding, adding seeds on to site (boots, tires, ect) Signs, fences Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation Unit 6 Background Reading Read “Monitoring & Assessment” (pp. 65-71) in Establishing Native Plant Communities. Questions Why do we need to monitor and assess restoration projects? We need to be able to summit data and assess to get it restored, legally we have to do assessments. Working for a company so they want results Which items need to include in monitoring and assessments? Has to be related to the objectives, gotta know what we want to asses based on project. Native grassland asses- lab- we looked at soil, vegetation, landscape Wildlife coming back Timelines should be included in What is the most important in monitoring and assessments? We have to know what could go wrong or right, look for significant changes or deviation  Careful record keeping is important for: Managing your site effectively Planning other projects at other sites Documenting for certification Record Keeping  Native plant materials: e.g. Topsoil, bales, islands Site preparation What was the objective Record What was done Keeping With what equipment Techniques used: ripping, broadcast seeding, mulching, etc. Management activities: grazing, burning, mowing, etc. Dates Maps  Type –where did the soil come Record from, texture Keeping - Source Topsoil Storage times Handling methods – how many times do we wanna manage the soil (twice)  Record Keeping - Plants and Seeds Type of material used Supplier information (Certificate) Genetic sources – Seed Zones Seed analysis certificates –Need to keep on file Seeding rates and planting densities – helps in monitoring process Species composition, density Seedling Identificati on First growing season is the most critical Identifying seedlings of native and non- native species can allow you to evaluate your restoration project in the first season Monitoring - Might be on final-What is the key thing to a Sampling monitoring plan The Considerations objective of the project Sampling systems? Sample size? Data of interest/attributes being measured? Record Keeping - Rare Plants Follow-up monitoring to determine the success or failure of rare plant mitigation is essential Information on presence/absence, number, and size of plants Evaluate whether or not plants are propagating  Often, the Rare Plants causes of plant rarity are not well understood Poses a challenge to rare plant mitigation Mitigation options are site and species specific and cannot be generalized Careful monitoring and an adaptive follow-up strategy are required (4 mitigation strategies for rare plant) Rare Plants Monitoring time periods of 1 to 10 years are recommended Shorter time frames to confirm successful avoidance Longer time frames to confirm re-establishment  Success relates back to original Evaluati project goals ng Land-use for the restored area must be sustainable Success Timing of evaluation Will vary according to the type of disturbance, salvage procedures, and precipitation Forest– 7-14 years Grassland– may be 2-3 years  Results of rare plant mitigation and monitoring activities are reported to: The regulatory agency involved in the restoration project The conservation data center for the province you are working in Rare Plants  Re-vegetation is Successful If: There is healthy, vigorous above-ground growth No evidence of plant disease or stress Plants have healthy root systems (test by root resistance) Perennial plants are able to survive normal grazing/browsing pressure or other ‘normal’ use (heavy rainfall) Nutrient cycling is re-established Litter decomposition (poke test, estimate the amount of LFH, or thick Ah horizon soil colour) Stability of the landscape is assured (look for erosion, bare ground unstablility) Evaluation Attribut e Trajecto ry Strategies: Analysis Analysis  Restored site is compared to a list of desired attributes (look for plant growth, if there is nutrient cycling, little or none noxious weeds, wildlife, etc) Data are collected from the monitoring site, Attribute analyzed, and then quantitatively compared to the attributes Analysis 9 attributes used to determine when restoration has been accomplished : Structure (looking for different layers in veg.), Resiliency (redundances have to have species that overlap roles), Species composition (whos there), Functional Groups (herbivors, carnivors, evergreens, low/high growing plants), physical environment (do you need certain landforms or environment conditions), Functions equivalent to successional stage, ecosystem fits into the landscape (does it stick out or match the surrounding landscape), Threats minimized, Potential to be self sustaining.  Attributes 1. Comparable structure to reference 2. Ecosystem is resilient to stress 3. Native species comprise plant community 4. Functional groups required for proper function are present Primary producers, Herbivores, Carnivores, Decomposers, Nitrogen fixers, Pollinators 5. Physical environment can sustain reproducing populations of desired species (rocks, right depths of wetlands, certain layers of veg.)  6. Ecosystem functions normally Attribute for its ecological stage of development s 7. Ecosystem is integrated into the landscape 8. Threats have been minimized 9. Ecosystem is self-sustaining Will persist independently under existing environmental conditions Trajectory Analysis New and promising approach Comparative data are collected and plotted to establish trends Trends leading toward the reference condition confirm the correct trajectory  Trajectory Analysis E.g. Long-term effects of organic amendments on the recovery of plant and soil microbial communities (Hahn & Quideau, 2013)  Trajectory Analysis Natural recovery of post-fire forest under different burn severity (Chu et al. 2016) Assessing revegetation success Final test of success is Reclamation Certificate on industrial sites Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites Pipelines use modification of Access Road assessment from Wellsite Criteria Larger disturbances based on approval