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Forest Restoration (forest + restoration)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	86%
Earth and Environmental Science	13%

Selected Abstracts

Are There Benefits of Bat Roosts for Tropical Forest Restoration?

CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Karen D. Holl
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Forest Restoration in Urbanizing Landscapes: Interactions Between Land Uses and Exotic Shrubs

RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2005
Kathi L. Borgmann
Abstract Preventing and controlling exotic plants remains a key challenge in any ecological restoration, and most efforts are currently aimed at local scales. We combined local- and landscape-scale approaches to identify factors that were most closely associated with invasion of riparian forests by exotic shrubs (Amur honeysuckle [Lonicera maackii] and Tatarian honeysuckle [L. tatarica]) in Ohio, U.S.A. Twenty sites were selected in mature riparian forests along a rural,urban gradient (<1,47% urban land cover). Within each site, we measured percent cover of Lonicera spp. and native trees and shrubs, percent canopy cover, and facing edge aspect. We then developed 10 a priori models based on local- and landscape-level variables that we hypothesized would influence percent cover of Lonicera spp. within 25 m of the forest edge. To determine which of these models best fit the data, we used an information-theoretic approach and Akaike's information criterion. Percent cover of Lonicera was best explained by the proportion of urban land cover within 1 km of riparian forests. In particular, percent cover of Lonicera was greater in forests within more urban landscapes than in forests within rural landscapes. Results suggest that surrounding land uses influence invasion by exotic shrubs, and explicit consideration of land uses may improve our ability to predict or limit invasion. Moreover, identifying land uses that increase the risk of invasion may inform restoration efforts. [source]

Riparian Forest Restoration: Increasing Success by Reducing Plant Competition and Herbivory

RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2002
Bernard W. Sweeney
Abstract The reestablishment of riparian forest is often viewed as "best management practice" for restoring stream ecosystems to a quasi-natural state and preventing non-point source contaminants from entering them. We experimentally assessed seedling survivorship and growth of Quercus palustris (pin oak), Q. rubra (red oak), Q. alba (white oak), Betula nigra (river birch), and Acer rubrum (red maple) in response to root-stock type (bare root vs. containerized), herbivore protection (tree shelters), and weed control (herbicide, mowing, tree mats) over a 4-year period at two riparian sites near the Chester River in Maryland, U.S.A. We started with tree-stocking densities of 988/ha (400/ac) in the experimental plots and considered 50% survivorship (i.e., a density of 494/ha [200/ac] at crown closure) to be an "acceptable or minimum" target for riparian restoration. Results after four growing seasons show no significant difference in survivorship and growth between bare-root and containerized seedlings when averaged across all species and treatments. Overall survivorship and growth was significantly higher for sheltered versus unsheltered seedlings (49% and 77.6 cm vs. 12.1% and 3.6 cm, respectively) when averaged across all species and weed control treatments. Each of the five test species exhibited significantly higher 4-year growth with shelter protection when averaged across all other treatments, and all species but river birch had significantly higher survivorship in shelters during the period. Seedlings protected from weeds by herbicide exhibited significantly higher survivorship and growth than seedlings in all other weed-control treatments when averaged across all species and shelter treatments. The highest 4-year levels of survivorship/growth, when averaged across all species, was associated with seedlings protected by shelters and herbicide (88.8%/125.7cm) and by shelters and weed mats (57.5%/73.5 cm). Thus, only plots where seedlings were assisted by a combination of tree shelters and either herbicide or tree mats exhibited an "acceptable or minimum" rate of survivorship (i.e.,>50%) for riparian forest restoration in the region. Moreover, the combined growth and survivorship data suggest that crown closure over most small streams in need of restoration in the region can be achieved most rapidly (i.e., 15 years or less) by protecting seedlings with tree shelters and controlling competing vegetation with herbicides. [source]

An Analysis of Forest Restoration 120 Years after Reforestation on Badlands in the Southwestern Alps

RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
Daniel R. Vallauri
Abstract We report the results of descriptive and functional analyses of a representative forest and watershed in the southwestern Alps, where the Forest Service has attempted reforestation of badlands for erosion control since 1860, relying on the non-native Pinus nigra ssp. nigra (Austrian black pine). One hundred twenty years after the first tree plantings, the plant communities are still early seral assemblages for the most part, with Austrian black pine occurring alone in the canopy. In contrast, most of the marly soils have physically recovered part of their total depth, with layers of fragmented and altered material equal to 50 cm, but their structure and chemical fertility is still poor. Autogenic soil restoration is proceeding however, largely engineered by earthworms (up to 49 individuals and 27 g/m2). Two dominant species are presumed keystone: Lumbricus terrestris and Octolasion cyaneum (Lumbricidae). The reestablishment of indigenous tree species is apparently not inhibited by site fertility or lack of nearby seed pools. We hypothesize that excessive stand density is responsible for the poor regeneration because it discourages the birds and rodents that control seed dissemination. Mortality of pines due to infestation by Viscum album subsp. austriacum (mistletoe) is creating large openings and should be specially managed. One hundred twenty years after the first plantings, the nineteenth-century vision that restoration of badlands was ecologically feasible is validated, as is the strategy to establish pioneer tree species. Here Austrian black pine acts as a nurse stand and enables the return of indigenous broad-leaved trees and a wide array of herbaceous species as well. However, our results clearly indicate that appropriate silvicultural tactics should now consist of tree thinning to promote the true restoration of native biodiversity and ecosystem functions. [source]

Tropical Montane Forest Restoration in Costa Rica: Overcoming Barriers to Dispersal and Establishment

RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
Karen D. Holl
Abstract Tropical forests are being cleared at an alarming rate although our understanding of their ecology is limited. It is therefore essential to design restoration experiments that both further our basic knowledge of tropical ecology and inform management strategies to facilitate recovery of these ecosystems. Here we synthesize the results of research on tropical montane forest recovery in abandoned pasture in Costa Rica to address the following questions: (1) What factors limit tropical forest recovery in abandoned pasture? and (2) How can we use this information to design strategies to facilitate ecosystem recovery? Our results indicate that a number of factors impede tropical forest recovery in abandoned pasture land. The most important barriers are lack of dispersal of forest seeds and seedling competition with pasture grasses. High seed predation, low seed germination, lack of nutrients, high light intensity, and rabbit herbivory also affect recovery. Successful strategies to facilitate recovery in abandoned pastures must simultaneously overcome numerous obstacles. Our research shows that establishment of woody species, either native tree seedlings or early-successional shrubs, can be successful in facilitating recovery, by enhancing seed dispersal and shading out pasture grasses. On the contrary, bird perching structures alone are not an effective strategy, because they only serve to enhance seed dispersal but do not reduce grass cover. Remnant pasture trees can serve as foci of natural recovery and may enhance growth of planted seedlings. Our results highlight the importance of: (1) understanding the basic biology of an ecosystem to design effective restoration strategies; (2) comparing results across a range of sites to determine which restoration strategies are most generally useful; and (3) considering where best to allocate efforts in large-scale restoration projects. [source]

Does It Make Sense to Restore Wildland Fire in Changing Climate?

RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
Peter Z. Fulé
Abstract Forest restoration guided by historical reference conditions of fire regime, forest structure, and composition has been increasingly and successfully applied in fire-adapted forests of western North America. But because climate change is expected to alter vegetation distributions and foster severe disturbances, does it make sense to restore the ecological role of wildland fire through management burning and related activities such as tree thinning? I suggest that some site- and date-specific historical conditions may be less relevant, but reference conditions in the broad sense are still useful. Reference conditions encompass not only the recent past but also evolutionary history, reflecting the role of fire as a selective force over millennia. Taking a long-term functional view of historical reference conditions as the result of evolutionary processes can provide insights into past forest adaptations and migrations under various climates. As future climates change, historical reference data from lower, southerly, and drier sites may be useful in places that are higher, northerly, and currently wetter. Almost all models suggest that the future will have substantial increases in wildfire occurrence, but prior to recent human-caused fire exclusion, fire-adapted pine forests of western North America were among the most frequently burned in the world. Restoration of patterns of burning and fuels/forest structure that reasonably emulate historical conditions prior to fire exclusion is consistent with reducing the susceptibility of these ecosystems to catastrophic loss. Priorities may include fire and thinning treatments of upper elevation ecotones to facilitate forest migration, whereas vulnerable low-elevation forests may merit less management investment. [source]

From renewable energy to fire risk reduction: a synthesis of biomass harvesting and utilization case studies in US forests

GCB BIOENERGY, Issue 3 2009
A. M. EVANS
Abstract The volatile costs of fossil fuels, concerns about the associated greenhouse gas emissions from these fuels, and the threat of catastrophic wildfires in western North America have resulted in increased interest and activity in the removal and use of woody biomass from forests. However, significant economic and logistical challenges lie between the forests and the consumers of woody biomass. In this study, we provide a current snapshot of how biomass is being removed from forests and used across the United States to demonstrate the wide variety of successful strategies, funding sources, harvesting operations, utilization outlets, and silvicultural prescriptions. Through an analysis of 45 case studies, we identified three themes that consistently frame each biomass removal and utilization operation: management objectives, ecology, and economics. The variety and combination of project objectives exemplified by the case studies means biomass removals are complex and difficult to categorize for analysis. However, the combination of objectives allows projects to take advantage of unique opportunities such as multiple funding sources and multiparty collaboration. The case studies also provide insight into the importance of ecological considerations in biomass removal both because of the opportunity for forest restoration and the risk of site degradation. The national view of the economic aspects of biomass removal provided by this wide variety of case studies includes price and cost ranges. This study is an important first step that helps define woody biomass removals which are becoming an essential part of forestry in the 21st century. [source]

Forest succession in Kibale National Park, Uganda: implications for forest restoration and management

AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
Jeremiah S. Lwanga
Abstract Forest succession was studied in four plots in former grasslands at the Ngogo study area in Kibale National Park, Uganda. The plots were located in areas that had been protected from fire for 0.58, 25, 9 and ,30 years for plots 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Species richness reflected the length of time that the plot had been protected from fire; it was highest in plot 4 and lowest in plot 1. Species density, stem density and basal area were all highest in plot 4 and lowest in plot 1. The species densities of plots 2 and 3 were not different. Similarly, plots 2 and 4 did not differ with regard to stem density or basal area. Animal seed dispersers played a vital role in the colonization of grasslands by forest tree species. Résumé On a étudié la succession forestière dans quatre plots d'anciennes prairies dans la zone de recherche de Ngogo, dans le Parc National de Kibale, en Ouganda. Ces plots étaient situés dans des endroits qui avaient été protégés du feu pendant 0, 58, 25, 9 et ± 30 ans pour les plots 1, 2, 3 et 4 respectivement. La richesse en espèces reflétait la durée pendant laquelle le plot avait été protégé du feu ; elle était maximale dans le plot 4 et minimale dans le plot 1. La densité des espèces n'était pas différente dans les plots 2 et 3. De même, les plots 2 et 4 ne différaient pas en ce qui concernait la densité des pousses ou la surface basale. Les animaux qui dispersent les semences ont joué un rôle vital dans la colonisation des prairies par les espèces d'arbres de forêts. [source]

Forest change and stream fish habitat: lessons from ,Olde' and New England

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 2005
K. H. Nislow
The North Atlantic region has a long history of land use change that has influenced and will continue to influence stream ecosystems and fisheries production. This paper explores and compares the potential consequences of changes in forest cover for fish production in upland, coldwater stream environments in New England, U.S.A. and the British Isles, two regions which share important similarities with respect to overall physical, biotic and socio-economic setting. Both regions were extensively deforested and essentially no extensive old-growth forest stands remain. In New England, recovering forests, consisting almost entirely of naturally-regenerated native species, now cover >60% of the landscape. Associated with this large-scale reforestation, open landscapes, common in the 19th and first half the 20th century, are currently rare and declining in this region. In the British Isles, forests still cover <20% of the landscape, and existing forests largely consist of exotic conifer plantations stocked at high stand densities and harvested at frequent rotations. While forest restoration and conservation is frequently recommended as a fisheries habitat conservation and restoration tool, consideration of the way in which forests affect essential aspects of fish habitat suggests that response of upland stream fish to landscape change is inherently complex. Under certain environmental settings and reforestation practices, conversion of open landscapes to young-mature forests can negatively impact fish production. Further, the effects of re-establishing old-growth forests are difficult to predict for the two regions (due to the current absence of such landscapes), and are likely to depend strongly on the extent to which critical ecosystem attributes (large-scale disturbances, fish migrations, keystone species, large woody debris recruitment) are allowed to be re-established. Understanding these context-dependencies is critical for predicting fish responses, and should help managers set realistic conservation, management and restoration goals. Management may best be served by promoting a diversity of land cover types in a way that emulates natural landscape and disturbance dynamics. This goal presents very different challenges in New England and the British Isles due to differences in current and predicted land use trajectories, along with differences in ecological context and public perception. [source]

Spontaneous Vegetation on Overburden Piles in the Coal Basin of Santa Catarina, Brazil

RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2008
Robson Dos Santos
Abstract The objective of this work was to select indigenous vegetal species for restoration programs aiming at the regeneration of ombrophilous dense forest. Thirty-five spoil piles located in the county of Sideropolis, Santa Catarina, that received overburden disposal for 39 years (1950,1989) were selected for study because they exhibited remarkable spontaneous regrowth of trees compared to surrounding spoil piles. Floristic inventory covered the whole area of the 35 piles, whereas survey on phytosociology and natural regeneration studies were conducted in 70 plots distributed along the 35 piles. Floristic inventory recorded 83 species from 28 botanical families. Herbaceous terricolous plants constituted the predominant species (47.0%), followed by shrubs (26.5%), trees (19.3%), and vines (7.2%). Results from surveys on phytosociology and natural regeneration, focused on shrubs and trees, recorded incipient ecological succession. In addition, the most adapted species recorded on the overburden piles, as ranked by index of natural regeneration (RNT) plus importance value index (IVI), were as follows: Clethra scabra (RNT = 23.93%; IVI = 17.28%), Myrsine coriacea (RNT = 20.93%, IVI = 11.26%), Eupatorium intermedium (RNT = 7.56%, IVI = 0.40%), Miconia ligustroides (RNT = 5.84%, IVI = 2.37%), Ossaea amygdaloides (RNT = 3.84%, IVI = 1.30%), Tibouchina sellowiana (RNT = 3.29%, IVI = 1.94%), Eup. inulaefolium (RNT = 2.65%, IVI = 0.80%), and Baccharis dracunculifolia (RNT = 2.28%; IVI = 0.56%). High values of IVI and RNT exhibited by the exotic species Eucalyptus saligna (IVI = 21.73%, RNT = 51.41%) indicated strong competition between exotic and indigenous species. Severe chemical (acidic pH and lack of nutrients) and physical (coarse substrate and slope angle of 40,50°) characteristics displayed by the overburden piles constituted limitations to floristic diversity and size of indigenous trees, indicating the need for substrate reclamation prior to forest restoration. [source]

Experimental Native Tree Seedling Establishment for the Restoration of a Mexican Cloud Forest

RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2004
Claudia Alvarez-Aquino
Abstract The cloud forests of Mexico have been degraded and severely fragmented, and urgently require restoration. However, progress with restoration has been constrained by a lack of information concerning the seedling ecology of native tree species. An experiment was therefore conducted to assess the influence of different environmental factors on the seedling survival and growth of four native tree species (Fagus grandifolia var. mexicana, Carpinus caroliniana, Symplocos coccinea, and Quercus acutifolia). The seedlings were established on three sites, in two contrasting environments: inside forest fragments and on adjacent agricultural land. Highly significant differences were recorded in seedling survival and growth among sites, environments, species, and interactions between these factors. Highest survival was recorded for Quercus, which uniquely among the four species displayed the same survival percentage inside and outside the forest. Survival of the other species was higher inside the forest. In contrast, growth rates of all four species were higher outside the forest. The most important cause of mortality outside the forest was desiccation, although significant seedling predation was also observed on two sites. Results indicate that all four species can be established successfully both within forest fragments and in neighboring agricultural areas, emphasizing the scope for forest restoration. However, the interactions observed between species, sites, and environments highlight the importance of accurate species,site matching if optimum rates of growth and survival are to be obtained. Quercus spp. have great potential for establishment on agricultural sites. [source]

Riparian Forest Restoration: Increasing Success by Reducing Plant Competition and Herbivory

Forest Regeneration in a Chronosequence of Tropical Abandoned Pastures: Implications for Restoration Ecology

RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
T. Mitchell Aide
Abstract During the mid-1900s, most of the island of Puerto Rico was deforested, but a shift in the economy from agriculture to small industry beginning in the 1950s resulted in the abandonment of agricultural lands and recovery of secondary forest. This unique history provides an excellent opportunity to study secondary forest succession and suggest strategies for tropical forest restoration. To determine the pattern of secondary succession, we describe the woody vegetation in 71 abandoned pastures and forest sites in four regions of Puerto Rico. The density, basal area, aboveground biomass, and species richness of the secondary forest sites were similar to those of the old growth forest sites (>80 yr) after approximately 40 years. The dominant species that colonized recently abandoned pastures occurred over a broad elevational range and are widespread in the neotropics. The species richness of Puerto Rican secondary forests recovered rapidly, but the species composition was quite different in comparison with old growth forest sites, suggesting that enrichment planting will be necessary to restore the original composition. Exotic species were some of the most abundant species in the secondary forest, but their long-term impact depended on life history characteristics of each species. These data demonstrate that one restoration strategy for tropical forest in abandoned pastures is simply to protect the areas from fire, and allow natural regeneration to produce secondary forest. This strategy will be most effective if remnant forest (i.e., seed sources) still exist in the landscape and soils have not been highly degraded. Patterns of forest recovery also suggest strategies for accelerating natural recovery by planting a suite of generalist species that are common in recently abandoned pastures in Puerto Rico and throughout much of the neotropics. [source]

Effects of pioneer shrubs on the recruitment of the fleshy-fruited tree Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata in Afromontane savanna

APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 1 2006
Raf Aerts
Abstract Question: Is seedling recruitment of a fleshy-fruited tree in degraded Afromontane savanna dependent on shelter from pioneer shrubs, and is shelter availability related to shrub traits? Location: Degraded montane savanna in northern Ethiopia (13°36,N, 39°21,E). Method: Nurse plants of Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata seedlings were recorded using T-square plotless sampling and clustered according to shrub traits, using Ward's method after Principal Components Analysis. Facilitation was further examined through experimental planting and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Results: Both in grazed and protected areas, Olea recruits were found exclusively under shrubs, primarily under Euclea racemosa although Acacia etbaica was more abundant. Olea recruitment is distributed randomly at landscape scale, but depends on shelter at patch scale. Shelter ability is related to shrub shape and species identity. Dense multi-stemmed shrubs with a wide base and crown on a mulch-rich mound are key recruitment foci. Euclea shrubs have these favoured traits and probably act as preferential perching sites for avian seed dispersers. Soil and organic matter accumulation under Euclea shrubs may also create favourable conditions for Olea germination and survival. Experimentally planted seedlings had a better chance for survival under Euclea. Conclusions:Olea regeneration is probably subject to both passive (disperser-mediated) and active facilitation. Small changes of shrub traits can alter the suitability of a patch for Olea recruitment. Protection of shrubs can increase facilitation for seedlings, while pruning may reduce competition for saplings and thus enhance forest succession. Planting of raised Olea seedlings under Euclea shrubs in years with a good rainy season may further assist forest restoration. [source]

Applying forest restoration principles to coral reef rehabilitation

AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 5 2003
N. Epstein
Abstract 1.Forest restoration through silviculture (gardening) programs revives productivity, biodiversity, and stability. As in silviculture approaches, the coral ,gardening' strategy is based on a two-step protocol. 2.The first step deals with the establishment of in situ and/or ex situ coral nurseries in which corals are farmed (originating from two types of source material: asexual [ramets, nubbins], and sexual [planula larvae, spat] recruits). 3.The second is the reef rehabilitation step, where maricultured colonies are transplanted into degraded sites. 4.We compare here the rationale of forest restoration to coral reef ecosystem restoration by evaluating major key criteria. As in silviculture programs, a sustainable mariculture operation that focuses on the prime structural component of the reef (,gardening' with corals) may promote the persistence of threatened coral populations, as well as that of other reef taxa, thus maintaining genetic diversity. In chronically degrading reef sites this may facilitate a halt in biodiversity depletion. 5.Within the current theoretical framework of ecosystem restoration, the recovery of biodiversity indices is considered a core element since a rich species diversity provides higher ecosystem resilience to disturbances. 6.The gardening measure may also be implemented worldwide, eliminating the need to extract existing colonies for transplantation operations. At degraded reef sites, the coral gardening strategy can assist in managing human and non-human stakeholders' requirements as is done in forest management. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]