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Restoration Research (restoration + research)
Selected AbstractsAn Introduction to a Special Issue on Large-Scale Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Restoration Research in the Chesapeake Bay: 2003,2008RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Deborah Shafer The Chesapeake Bay is one of the world's largest estuaries. Dramatic declines in the abundance and distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Chesapeake Bay over the last few decades led to a series of management decisions aimed at protecting and restoring SAV populations throughout the bay. In 2003, the Chesapeake Bay Program established a goal of planting 405 ha of SAV by 2008. Realizing that such an ambitious goal would require the development of large-scale approaches to SAV restoration, a comprehensive research effort was organized, involving federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector. This effort differs from most other SAV restoration programs due to a strong emphasis on the use of seeds rather than plants as planting stock, a decision based on the relatively low labor requirements of seeding. Much of the research has focused on the development of tools and techniques for using seeds in large-scale SAV restoration. Since this research initiative began, an average of 13.4 ha/year of SAV has been planted in the Chesapeake Bay, compared to an average rate of 3.6 ha/year during the previous 21 years (1983,2003). The costs of conducting these plantings are on a downward trend as the understanding of the limiting factors increases and as new advances are made in applied research and technology development. Although this effort was focused in the Chesapeake Bay region, the tools and techniques developed as part of this research should be widely applicable to SAV restoration efforts in other areas. [source] Correlates of biological soil crust abundance across a continuum of spatial scales: support for a hierarchical conceptual modelJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2006MATTHEW A. BOWKER Summary 1Desertification negatively impacts a large proportion of the global human population and > 30% of the terrestrial land surface. Better methods are needed to detect areas that are at risk of desertification and to ameliorate desertified areas. Biological soil crusts are an important soil lichen-moss-microbial community that can be used toward these goals, as (i) bioindicators of desertification damage and (ii) promoters of soil stability and fertility. 2We identified environmental factors that correlate with soil crust occurrence on the landscape and might be manipulated to assist recovery of soil crusts in degraded areas. We conducted three studies on the Colorado Plateau, USA, to investigate the hypotheses that soil fertility [particularly phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn)] and/or moisture limit soil crust lichens and mosses at four spatial scales. 3In support of the soil fertility hypothesis, we found that lichen,moss crusts were positively correlated with several nutrients [Mn, Zn, potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) were most consistent] at three of four spatial scales ranging from 3·5 cm2 in area to c. 800 km2. In contrast, P was negatively correlated with lichen,moss crusts at three scales. 4Community composition varied with micro-aspect on ridges in the soil crust. Three micro-aspects [north-north-west (NNW), east-north-east (ENE) and TOP] supported greater lichen and moss cover than the warmer, windward and more xeric micro-aspects [west-south-west (WSW) and south-south-east (SSE)]. This pattern was poorly related to soil fertility; rather, it was consistent with the moisture limitation hypothesis. 5Synthesis and application. Use of crusts as desertification bioindicators requires knowledge of a site's potential for crust cover in the absence of desertification. We present a multi-scale model of crust potential as a function of site properties. Future quantitative studies can use this model to guide sampling efforts. Also, our results suggest new directions in restoration research: enhancement of moisture residence time and fertilization with key nutrients (Mn, Zn, K and Mg). Re-establishment of soil crusts in desertified lands will help regain lost soil stability and fertility, and facilitate plant re-establishment. [source] Diversification of rural livelihood strategies and its effect on local landscape restoration in the semiarid hilly area of the Loess Plateau, ChinaLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2010L. Wang Abstract This study is about the diversification of livelihood strategies and the interaction of farmers' livelihood with landscape change in Zhongzhuang small watershed, Pengyang County in Ningxia Autonomous region located in the Loess Plateau, western China. Farmers' livelihoods and landscape patterns during 1978,2007 in Zhongzhuang were analysed. In different stages, diverse limiting factors were discovered behind the diversification process of livelihood strategies. Before 1978, ,planned economy', ,production team organization', strict ,household registration system' and the scarcity of livelihood assets were the main factors restricting the diversification of livelihood strategies. From 1978 to 1993, the reform and open policy provided opportunities for local people to diversify their livelihood strategies, but livelihood strategies based on crop production still took an important role in their life. From 2000 to 2007, national policies brought assistance to help local farmers diversify their agricultural activities. However, the insufficient and incomplete credit and insurance market and lack of skill were the main factors constraining non-farm activity diversification. Meanwhile, through analysis of the links between livelihood strategies diversification and landscape pattern change, we found that diversification of farmers' livelihoods contributed to the recovery of the landscape. Finally, using this relationship, steps for future landscape restoration is proposed, which provide a new view of landscape restoration research in the Loess Plateau. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Striking Profile: Soil Ecological Knowledge in Restoration Management and ScienceRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Mac A. Callaham Jr. Abstract Available evidence suggests that research in terrestrial restoration ecology has been dominated by the engineering and botanical sciences. Because restoration science is a relatively young discipline in ecology, the theoretical framework for this discipline is under development and new theoretical offerings appear regularly in the literature. In reviewing this literature, we observed an absence of in-depth discussion of how soils, and in particular the ecology of soils, can be integrated into the developing theory of restoration science. These observations prompted us to assess the current role of soil ecological knowledge in restoration research and restoration practice. Although soils are universally regarded as critical to restoration success, and much research has included manipulations of soil variables, we found that better integration of soil ecological principles could still contribute much to the practice of ecosystem restoration. Here we offer four potential points of departure for increased dialog between restoration ecologists and soil ecologists. We hope to encourage the view that soil is a complex, heterogeneous, and vital entity and that adoption of this point of view can positively affect restoration efforts worldwide. [source] Balancing the Need to Develop Coastal Areas with the Desire for an Ecologically Functioning Coastal Environment: Is Net Ecosystem Improvement Possible?RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2005R.M. Thom Abstract The global human population is growing exponentially, close to a majority lives and works near the coast, and coastal commerce and development are critical to the economies of many nations. Hence, coastal areas will continue to be a major focus of development and economic activity. People desire the economic advantages provided by coastal development along with the fisheries and social commodities supported by estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Because of these facts, we view the challenge of balancing coastal development with enhancing nearshore marine and estuarine ecosystems (i.e., net ecosystem improvement) as the top priority for coastal researchers in this century. Our restoration research in Pacific Northwest estuaries and participation in nearshore project design and impact mitigation has largely dealt with these competing goals. To this end, we have applied conceptual models, comprehensive assessment methods, and principles of restoration ecology, conservation biology, and adaptive management to incorporate science into decisions about uses of estuarine systems. Case studies of Bainbridge Island and the Columbia River demonstrate the use of objective, defensible methods to prioritize tidally influenced shorelines and habitats (i.e., riparian forests, marshes, unvegetated flats, rocky shores, seagrass meadows, kelp forests) for preservation, conservation, and restoration. Case studies of Clinton, Washington, and Port Townsend, Washington, demonstrate the incorporation of an ecological perspective and technological solutions into design of overwater structures to minimize impacts on nearshore ecosystems. Adaptive management has allowed coastal development and restoration uncertainties to be better evaluated, with the information used to improve management decisions. Although unproven on a large scale, we think these kinds of methods can contribute to the net improvement of already degraded ecosystems. The ingredients include applied science to understand the issues, education, incentives, empirical data, cumulative impact analysis, and an effective adaptive management program. Because the option of net ecosystem improvement is often more costly than alternatives such as no net loss, commitment by the local or regional community to this approach is essential. [source] | ||||||||||