Resource Database

Revegetation Equipment Catalog

This catalog provides descriptions, applications, photos, and vendors of equipment used for seed collection and cleaning, site preparation, revegetation, and vegetation management.

Playa Wetland Restoration Prioritization: Accounting for Legacy Effects of Hydrologic Modification and Intensifying Drought

Prioritizing resources for wetland restoration must increasingly account for the legacies of previous land-use practices and ongoing climate change. Playa wetlands provide critical seasonal habitat for wildlife, but may be impacted by historic hydrologic modifications and intensifying droughts. To support restoration planning, we asked: (1) what are the trends in playa inundation? (2) what are the factors influencing inundation? (3) how is playa inundation affected by increasingly severe drought? (4) do certain playas provide hydrologic refugia during droughts, and (5) if so, how are refugia patterns related to historical modifications? We evaluated a 30-year time series (1985 – 2015) of inundation using remotely-sensed surface-water data for 153 playas of the Great Basin, USA. Inundation likelihood and duration were greatest in modified playas and increased with wetter weather. Inundation probability was projected to decrease from 22% in average years to 11% in extreme drought, with a respective decrease in annual wetted duration from 1.7 to 0.9 months. We determined that only 4% of playas qualified as drought refugia (inundated for at least 2 months in each of the 5 driest years). Although refugial playas were larger and more likely to have been modified, this may be because land managers selected refugial playas for modification. These inundation patterns will inform efforts to restore and conserve wetland functions at sites across two large national wildlife refuges as the climate changes. In addition, the remote sensing methods employed allowed for landscape-scale habitat assessment, while also providing a framework for continued monitoring and evaluation.

Potential Applications of the Mutualism between Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and Ribbed Mussel (Geukensia demissa) for Restoration of Urban Wetlands

Efforts to restore degraded ecosystems often focus on the effects of single species on ecosystem processes while neglecting the influence of species interactions. Understanding these interactions can expedite the restoration process and prevent unforeseen negative outcomes. We measure the strength of mutualistic interactions between smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa), two dominant coastal wetland species in the eastern US, to determine their combined impact on sediment stability and nitrogen-removal services. Previous work has shown that the addition of mussels to a recently restored marsh in Jamaica Bay (New York, NY, USA) enhanced rates of nitrogen removal. However, in contrast to experiments performed in natural marshes, we observed no effect on plant growth. Here we consider the possibility that the mussel-cordgrass mutualism is context-specific, responding to local abiotic conditions such as nutrient availability and sediment supply. We plan to compare results of mussel additions between restored sites in Jamaica Bay and Randall’s Island, two sites in NY that have been the subject of recent restoration efforts but that differ in rates of sediment supply. We are also working to analyze georeferenced surveys of invertebrate populations conducted by the National Park Service in Jamaica Bay. We will use these data, in combination with archived aerial imagery, to detect trends in the abundances of S. alterniflora and G. demissa following restoration, relative to a stable extant marsh. We will synthesize the observational and manipulative components of our study to quantify the utility of the cordgrass-mussel mutualism in restoring urban ecosystems.

Priority areas for restoration in permanent preservation areas of rural properties in the Brazilian Amazon

Environmental degradation due to the misuse of natural resources has drastically changed landscapes in the Amazon. At the same time, discussion, knowledge, and actions on the conservation of forest remnants and restoration of degraded environments have increased worldwide. In this study, we propose to evaluate: (1) to evaluate the process of landscape change over the last 36 years (1984-2020); (2) to identify degraded environments within legally established permanent preservation areas (PPAs); and (3) to map environmental liabilities in degraded rural properties which, according to environmental regulations, must be recovered. The priority areas for restoration were defined considering: a) the environmental liabilities of each rural property; b) the remnant forest in each rural property; c) the rural properties’ boundaries; and d) the degraded PPAs in each rural property. Deforestation followed by land use change in Paragominas municipality increased from 12% (2,336 km2) in 1984 to 45% (8,783 km2) in 2020. Its water network had 20,149 km of rivers and 15,824 springs, and of this total, 4,416 km of rivers and approximately 6,157 springs were in areas under pressure. We identify 638.85 km2 of environmental liabilities, which, must be recovered. When producers protect PPA’s in properties, they conserve soil and water resources as well as contribute to biodiversity maintenance. Despite the consistent reduction over the last few years, forest loss and degradation in the Brazilian Amazon have begun to increase again under President Bolsonaro’s current government. In his statements, he has made it clear that he has no interest in the environment.

Project Upsculpt: Wetland Inspired Educational Art that Promotes Preservation

Ask a student which of Earth’s biomes are most “valuable” and you will likely get a response of rainforest, reef or even, simply, “the Ocean.” That is likely because these areas are “pretty” and desirable to visit. To these students, “value” has a very specific meaning equating to appearance and, tangibly, what the area can provide to them.

Ecological “value” has a specific, measurable, meaning. Ecological value of a biome is measured in what services will be lost or decreased through its degradation. It is this “value” that I redirect Students’ opinions to while studying our local biome, the tidal wetland. To a student, living in coastal New York, ironically the correct answer to my question is found at home. The ecological value of a wetland is considered the highest of any biome, singularly valued over 20%. It is a true powerhouse of services, ranging from nursery to flood control to water quality protection.

Through multiple on-site visits to our local wetland, my students learn to correctly “value” it and are thus less likely to engage in or support activities that will lead to its degradation. In an effort to then promote the value of a tidal wetland, and to help support these long-term goals, the students create original “upsculpted” artwork depicting wetland species and their trophic structures out of material collected within it. This “upsculpted art” will be the focus of my poster session. A discussion of technique and methodology will be provided. Artwork will also be on display.

Propagation of some indigenous plant species of the Maltese Islands.

The Mediterranean basin is a biodiversity hotspot but many of these species are under threat in many countries; the Maltese Islands are especially so due to habitat loss and degradation as a major impact of overpopulation. To stop biodiversity loss, a better understanding of the “know how” for in situ and ex situ propagation protocols is required. The aim was to investigate such protocols.

The seeds were collected, processed and stored in the Seed Bank at the Department of Biology, University of Malta. Seeds were sown in a 2:1ratio compost-perlite and tested under semi-controlled conditions as well as in greenhouse. For two critically endangered species propagation by cutting was also carried out.

The seeds of 18 indigenous plants namely Coronilla valentina, Erica multiflora, Eryngium maritimum, Fagonia cretica, Laurus nobilis, Pancratium maritimum, Pinus halepensis, Prasium majus, Quercus ilex, Tetraclinis articulata, Teucrium flavum, Drimia maritima, Phlomis fruticosa, Periploca angustifolia, Thymbra capitata, Euphorbia dendroides such as Euphorbia melitensis (endemic), Ferula melitensis (endemic) were germinated, and developed in mature plants.

The lack of seeds availability for Cheirolophus crassifolius and Helichrysum melitense, both endemic and critically endangered species, did not allow us to perform germination tests. On the other hand, the propagation by cuttings using 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid 0.6g/L as rooting hormone was successfully carried out on both species. Roots were developed in 90% of the cuttings, which were all acclimatize as independent plants.

All the plantlets produced will be reintroduced into degraded areas of Maltese Natura2000 protected areas as part of a habitat restoration process.

Reconstructing carbon function in boreal peatlands

Oil sands mining in Canada has disrupted large regions of boreal plains peatlands which contain some of the most carbon dense soils in the world. Here we present eight years of carbon dynamics from one of two large-scale watersheds (58 ha) constructed with the purpose of restoring boreal peatlands to the landscape. Utilizing salvaged peat from recently disturbed peatlands, and a design that maintains near-surface water tables, resulted in a limited loss of the carbon pool and the promotion of native wetland species habitat. The development of wetland species over the first three years also promoted rapid carbon uptake from the atmosphere while the saturated and anoxic soils limited oxidation of the organic matter. However, recent years have seen a large reduction in the amount of carbon sequestered. Fluorescence analysis of the dissolved organic matter suggests that the fraction of highly humified organic matter is increasing so the reductions in net primary production may be a result of changes to the vegetation community and not in the biogeochemical conditions that limit mineralization of the carbon pool in the peat substrate.

Recovery of a native tree after invasive tree removal in riparian systems of the western US

Removal of invasive species does not completely restore an ecosystem to its pre-invasion state, instead creating a novel ecosystem that can have variable recovery trajectories leading to a range of functional outcomes. Removal of Tamarix spp. in the American Southwest has had deleterious impacts on habitat availability for the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax extimus trailii, abbr. SWFL), which nests readily in Tamarix when native Salix canopy is not present. If we can identify conditions leading to more native vegetation cover as well as habitat protection for the SWFL, we can prioritize restoration efforts more effectively and reduce conflict between conservation goals. To determine whether reduction in the invasive tree led to more habitat, as measured by increased cover of Salix and specifically Salix exigua (the most common species), we compiled data on vegetation, soils, and geographic conditions in 243 sites where Tamarix had been subject to active removal and/or biocontrol and 172 reference sites. We found that (1) while decreased Tamarix cover is associated with an increase in Salix, the increase does not compensate for the overall losses in canopy cover. (2) We did not find a significant difference in Salix cover among Tamarix removal methods or relative to negative reference sites; however, sites where herbicide was applied at any point had higher Salix cover. (3) We found significant impacts of several environmental characteristics including soil properties, distance to water, and initial Salix cover on Salix and specifically S. exigua cover across sites. Our data reflect the fact that Salix and Tamarix occupy distinct environmental niches. Our findings demonstrate that removal of an invasive species does not necessarily lead to reestablishment of the native species it appeared to displace, and that this may be due to the invader occupying a different niche than the native species. We suggest that in the case of promoting habitat for SWFL and other birds, outcomes of restoration activity can be improved by focusing Tamarix removal on sites more likely to promote Salix growth based on environmental characteristics.

Respiration Dynamics in Post-Extracted Peatlands

Natural peatlands are important long-term sinks of carbon. However, the extraction of peat promotes an increase in organic matter decomposition and a decrease in soil moisture, leading to the mortality of many plant species adapted to wetter areas that would normally uptake a large amount of carbon. Extraction may also foster the establishment of sedge species (e.g. Eriophorum), whose expansive root structures allow them to tolerate larger temperature and moisture ranges than the typical plant species found in a natural peatland. A recent study that explored the carbon dynamics following extraction in an unrestored peatland, found the site to be an overall source of carbon; mainly from the vast cover of bare peat, but also from a small proportion (5%) covered by Eriophorum. Thus, we supplemented the results of that study with manual gas chamber measurements at a natural ombrotrophic bog in Eastern Ontario, which show that autotrophic respiration of Eriophorum contributes around 60% of the total ecosystem respiration. This suggests that should Eriophorum continue to spread across an extracted peatland, carbon emissions may be further exacerbated. The proposed goal of this project is to explore respiration and its sources at a newly restored site, that will most likely have a greater vascular plant cover and higher decomposition rates as compared to that of a natural peatland. Since restoration efforts aim to both restore the carbon sink functioning and to protect the residual peat from decomposition, this study will help managers assess the importance of peatland restoration.

Restoration and Monitoring of Hymenocallis coronaria in Stevens Creek, South Carolina

Hymenocallis coronaria, commonly known as the rocky shoals spider lily, is a rare and imperiled aquatic macrophyte that is endemic to fall line streams of the southeastern United States. H. coronaria is considered an indicator species for shoal habitat quality and its beautiful blooms are culturally important to local communities. Unfortunately, H. coronaria populations have been declining throughout their range due to flow modification, herbivory impacts, and anthropogenic water quality degradation, leading to increased interest in the restoration of this charismatic species. Therefore, a need exists to identify effective restoration methods and suitable habitat characteristics to inform future restoration and management actions. This study evaluated the effectiveness of different restoration methods across experimental plots within a shoal in Stevens Creek, South Carolina. Herbivory and water quality were monitored within two shoals, one with a robust H. coronaria colony and the other a declining colony. We hypothesize that outplanted greenhouse-propagated bulbs embedded in coir matting will have a higher survival rate than those outplanted directly into the shoal and that the plots will not be a significant source of variation. There currently are no observed differences in herbivory and preliminary analyses indicate that the shoal with a declining colony has a higher pH. Moving forward, our habitat research will be expanded to include water quantity and physical habitat characteristics. The restoration portion of our research will continue with spring and summer restoration efforts to further examine how season, life stage, habitat characteristics, and method affect restoration success of H. coronaria.

Restoration initiatives in the bauxite mining environment: contributions to Atlantic Forest conservation in Southeast Brazil

Brazil has the fourth largest reserve of bauxite in the world and is considered the fourth largest producer of this ore. For this reason, bauxite mining contributes significantly to the country’s socioeconomic development. To ensure sustainability, mining companies need to carry out forest restoration actions both in mined areas and in compensation areas, aiming to recover local biodiversity. The objective of this work was to summarize results of 12 peer-reviewed publications and 2 ongoing studies to access ecological impacts of restoration techniques on biodiversity recover in areas of the Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA) in Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. In the studies monitoring shrub and tree diversity in 5 restoration areas, 155 native species of the Atlantic Forest were found, 61 in the planting of seedlings, 106 in the inventories for evaluation of these plantings and 92 in natural regeneration. Moreover, 56.1% of all tree and shrub species are dispersed by animals and some of these species are threatened with extinction in native forest patches of the region due to the history of fragmentation of the landscape by the pressure of agriculture and livestock. In the studies monitoring bird community in 3 restoration areas, 85 bird species were found. Importantly, 32.9% of them are frugivorous and play a significant role in seed dispersal. Furthermore, 14.1% are endemic to the Atlantic Forest. Thus, these studies show how forest restoration in the bauxite mining environment is positively impacting biodiversity recover, which participate in fundamental ecological processes.

Restoration of boreal semi-natural grasslands in a complex floodplain landscape: social-ecological resilience at the farm level

In the light of grassland restoration, a focal unit in a hierarchy of social-ecological systems (SES) is a farm comprising grasslands as an ecological subsystem and a household as a social subsystem. Despite the long tradition of grassland conservation, there is little evidence on farm level SES, especially in complex landscapes and across long time scales.

Our objective was to evaluate the process and outcomes of semi-natural grassland restoration in a complex floodplain landscape over a period of 17 years in relation to a social-ecological resilience, and to identify the main challenges to achieve social-ecological resilience at the farm level.

Study site is a livestock farm with 70 ha of pasture located in the Gauja River floodplain, Latvia. Restoration started in 2004 with establishing grazing with beef cattle, and continued in the LIFE project LIFE16NAT/LV/000262, 2017–2023. We used the framework developed by Krievins et al. (2018) based on seven principles for building resilience of SES by Bigg’s et al. (2012). We interviewed farm manager and analysed project materials. Ecosystem resilience was evaluated in terms of vegetation diversity.

The principle ‘maintain diversity and redundancy’ was met after the initial continuous stocking system was transformed into adaptive stocking and a herd was transformed from intensive to extensive breed. Being a partner of long-term restoration initiatives the farm fulfilled principles ‘manage slow variables’  and ‘manage connectivity’. Four governance principles were challenging to evaluate, due to a lack of monitoring data on social subsystem. Floodplain moisture regime expressed in low pasture productivity and seasonal availability for pasturing was the main challenge for biodiversity management and sustainability of farm economics. The resilience of social subsystem was influenced by external factors such as frequently changing agri-environmental policy.

The SES framework enabled an in-depth detection of the farm level social and ecological challenges for a long-term sustainable restoration of semi-natural grasslands in a complex floodplain landscape. It highlighted the need for farm-level social and economic aspects to be included in the monitoring frameworks of restoration projects. SES framework was instrumental in identifying the importance of farm-economics for viability of ecological benefits beyond the lifetime of the restoration project implementation.

Restoration of degraded savannah woodland in Namibia

Background
Bush encroachment is a serious land degradation phenomenon affecting up to 45 million hectares of Namibian land. It has severe negative consequences on key ecosystem services, threatening biodiversity, water resources and the livelihoods of communities and farmers who depend on the land.

Objectives
To enable forest restoration via the application of responsible forest certification.

Methods
Implementation of the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) National Forest Stewardship Standard for Namibia and the FSC Ecosystem Services Procedure across private and community managed farms, applying the 10 Principles of responsible forest management.
Leverage the sale of the FSC certified products (charcoal) from certified farms to international markets.

Conclusion
There is a substantial international market demand for responsibly sourced charcoal and other biomass products globally. The use of biomass from encroacher and invasive tree species to fund its thinning and removal from landscapes which are degraded has proven to be a model to which can at least temporarily, restore rangelands whilst ensuring environmental and social values are protected. The sale of verified ecosystem services can provide additional financial benefits to farmers to fund restoration activities at the farm level.

Richness and abundance of bats and birds in 12-year-old restoration settings

After plant cover is recovered, it is assumed that flying animal will use restored areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate richness and abundance of bats and birds in 12-years-old restoration settings in the tropical rainforest of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. In 2006, cattle grazing was excluded from 24 30×30 m plots: eight plots were planted with 12 wind-dispersed tree species, eight plots were planted with 12 animal-dispersed species, and eight plots were left to undergo natural succession (no plantings). We use 18 plots to sample bats and birds in 2017 and 2018; two mist nets of 12 m were put in the 18 plots, 2 days per plot. For bats, nets were open at 18:00 hr for 5 hours while for birds, nets were open at 5:00 hr for 4 hours. With an effort of capture of 21,120 mt/hrs/net, we registered 509 bats from 16 species. With an effort of capture of 20,352 mt/hrs/net, we registered 180 birds from 46 species. Overall trophic guilds, richness and abundance of birds of were significantly higher in natural succession while insectivorous birds were also more abundant in natural succession. Overall trophic guilds, richness and abundance of bats were similar at all restoration treatments while a higher abundance of frugivorous bats was registered in the plantings of animal-dispersed species. Insectivorous birds found more resources in natural succession while frugivorous bats did so in plantings which included trees dispersed by bats of at least 16 planted or naturally recruited tree species.

Safeguarding success: Exploring community engagement strategies that support long-term restoration success in European wetlands

The effective engagement of local communities is essential to safeguard the long-term success of ecosystem restoration efforts. However, research efforts on understanding the effectiveness of community engagement strategies has predominantly focused on the community-based restoration of tropical forests, which has left other ecosystems understudied, including freshwater wetlands which also harbor high levels of biodiversity and act as carbon sinks.

By interviewing project managers, we explored community engagement strategies employed by nine previously completed freshwater wetland restoration projects across Europe, which were funded by the EU LIFE program between 2011 and 2015.

Qualitative content analysis of these interviews revealed commonly-used consultative and co-productive typologies of community engagement strategies. Furthermore, the perspective of the project managers emphasized five most important community engagement strategies to support the long-term success of restoration projects. These included (i) partnering with local governmental bodies to build upon pre-existing networks of trust; (ii) effectively empowering local communities and integrating their knowledge in decision-making processes; (iii) using context-adapted, relevant education of key stakeholders on the benefits of restoring biodiversity; (iv) building effective personal relationships through one-on-one meetings; and (v) maintaining high levels of engagement by starting similar restoration projects in adjacent areas.

Possible explanations for the effectiveness of these community engagement strategies in safeguarding restoration success are discussed using the Theory of Participation (Reed et al. 2018). These community engagement strategies may guide practitioners to enhance the long-term effectiveness of future wetland restoration efforts in Europe and beyond, for the benefit of the planet and its people.

Scaling Up Ecologically Appropriate Seed Supply in Canada: How the National Tree Seed Centre Can Help

The National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC) is Canada’s only national seed bank conserving the genetic diversity of temperate and boreal forest species. Since 1967, the NTSC has curated a living library for the global research community, with over 18,000 unique collections of 120 native woody species, detailed by collection coordinates. This diverse collection is available to anyone researching any aspect of ecology, biochemistry, breeding, genomics, restoration, reclamation, climate change or for educational purposes. Seed collections to protect and study herbaceous plant species at risk are also underway with First Nations, Parks Canada, NGOs and jurisdictional governments.

In this virtual workshop, NTSC staff will lead a tour of the seed bank, tissue culture and cryogenic facilities in Fredericton, New Brunswick. We will demonstrate the core collection activities, seed quality control, standard and exploratory testing, and 50 years of seed trait data available for restoration planning. Federal collaborators will present related research from the fields of genomics, Species at Risk recovery, and climate-based seed transfer.

The NTSC will engage SER2021 participants to help overcome challenges related to seed supply and conservation in Canada, before cumulative stressors accelerate. Key questions include “How can NTSC support your projects and supply chain of native plant materials?”, “How do we encourage policies requiring appropriate seed outside of industrial forestry?”, and “What Canadian species need a seed based action plan now?”. Workshop polling and post-conference surveys will harness the power of this conference to improve seed-based restoration outcomes in all temperate forest biomes.

Seed morphometrics as a tool to site-specific seed sourcing for population reinforcement

Seed-based ecological restoration requires a careful selection of the source genetic material when aiming at the conservation of an evolutionarily significant unit or a strict endemic species. The Mediterranean basin is a biodiversity hotspot, characterised by high endemism shaped by the history of the climatic events. Plant population restoration requires specific considerations when it comes to seed sourcing. Morphological description of a discriminant feature is the most commonly used taxonomic criteria, however, multivariate morphometrics detect intraspecific morphological variations. Phenotype characterisation provides an accessible argument in seed sourcing prior to site restoration.

Mericarps of the strict endemic Ferula melitensis (Brullo et al., 2018) were collected from three different sites in the Maltese Islands and subjected to multivariate morphometrics based on ImageJ analysis. The shape of the mericarps has an important taxonomic role for this genus, and elongation variability in the characteristic oblong shape of the mericarp is found to be the main discriminant feature between populations (Figure 1), highlighting the morphological variability of this species at small geographical scale.

These results complete the recent morphological and genetic analysis of Ferula melitensis, which have established it as a distinct species from the more widespread Ferula communis. Consideration of the phenotype of the target species is crucial for population reinforcement, and the implementation of this standardised methodology using open-access software (ImageJ, Particles8) ensures both replicability and application to a wide range of species. The results provide a crucial tool for the improvement of sourcing site-specific seed material for native population reinforcement.

Seed viability, germination, and early survival of Spartina alterniflora from the Bay of Fundy and Northumberland Strait for salt marsh restoration

Along the east coasts of North America, the saltwater cordgrass Spartina alterniflora is the bioengineer species of salt marshes, and essential for salt marsh restoration. However, at north temperate latitudes, little is known about its reproductive biology. Our research objective is to determine and compare seed viability, germination success and early seedling survival for different populations of S. alterniflora (both phenotypes: short and tall forms) in Maritime Canada. Specifically, we had short-form and tall-form S. alterniflora locations for each of 4 replicate salt marshes in each of the Bay of Fundy (macrotidal environment) and Northumberland Strait (microtidal environment). In September-October 2020, we collected ripe seeds (i.e., caryopsis) from each location once our shake test showed ~10 felled seeds. Seeds were stored for cold stratification, submerged in freshwater and 40 ppt saltwater at 4o C for ~12 wk. Following this, seed viability tested using tetrazolium chloride (TTC) was ~35–55%. Germination, under recommended diurnal thermoperiod conditions and scored using appearance of embryonic shoot (epicotyl) and root, was on average 35±1% after 2 wks and 45±2% after 1 mo (±SE, n=252 batches), with higher germination following freshwater (41–50% after 2 wks) than saltwater (22–26%) storage. Further, germination patterns were similar for short-form and tall-form phenotypes, but more variable and somewhat lower in the Northumberland Strait than in Bay of Fundy. Growth and survival of seedlings are being quantified in the greenhouse under three watering treatments: 0 ppt, 10 ppt, and incremental increases of 5 ppt/wk starting at 10 ppt, until full strength seawater is reached. Current average seedling survival after 8 wks in the greenhouse is 50.1%. Future plans include evaluating performance of seedling during outplanting in summer 2021. This research will contribute to creating a guide for salt marsh restoration and creation for Maritime Canada, by evaluating the strategy of using S. alterniflora seedlings.

Seeds of Success: Cultivating 20 Years of Plant Conservation

Seeds of Success (SOS) is a national native seed collection program in the US, led by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Agricultural Research Service and many non-federal partners. SOS is the first step in the native plant materials development process to increase the quality and quantity of native seed available for restoring and supporting resilient ecosystems. SOS collections of wildland native seed are used for seed research and development such as germination trials, common garden studies, and protocol establishment. Additional uses include germplasm conservation, seed production, and ecosystem restoration. Portions of each collection are also held in long-term storage facilities for conservation.

SOS was established in 2001 by the BLM and includes many partners, such as botanic gardens, arboreta, zoos, and municipalities. All SOS teams share a common protocol to coordinate seed collecting and species targeting efforts.

To date, SOS has made more than 26,000 native seed collections comprising 5,800 unique taxa from 43 states across the US. In 2015, BLM received a $3.5 million mitigation award because of Hurricane Sandy to collect seed in coastal habitats from Virginia to Maine. Current SOS priorities include ecoregional programs in the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and Mojave Desert. Efforts are also underway to expand partnerships in the Southeastern U.S. to preserve the incredible plant biodiversity of the region.

Soil stoichiometric characteristics of intact, drained and restored wetlands

The stoichiometric relationships between organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are important features of the functioning of wetlands. We conducted a synthesis of the C:N:P stoichiometry of soils in intact, drained and restored wetlands from literature and Canadian wetlands. Soil C:N ratio in freshwater marsh soils remains surprisingly constrained within a range of 10 to 30:1. Drainage and restoration show no significant effects on soil C:N ratio compared to intact wetlands, suggesting that C and N are lost and regained proportionally. Yet, soil C: P and N:P ratios are significantly smaller in drained and restored sites than intact wetlands, mainly induced by the decrease of C and N after drainage, instead of an enrichment of P. P concentrations are not consistent under any certain land management in our study and show very site-dependent, probably relevant to the soil texture, Al3+ and Fe3+ concentration and the parent material at different sites. Our results show that soil C:P and N:P ratios are positively related to soil C concentration (R2 = 0.86 and 0.79, respectively; both p < 0.001), suggesting the overriding control of soil OC on determining the soil stoichiometric characteristics in freshwater marshes.

Spatial planning for restoring populations of marine vertebrates and their habitats: A challenging management task

Integral ecosystem restoration actions must consider restoring fauna populations and their associated critical habitats. A unified ecosystem restoration demands the development of complementary and integral approaches to restore all seascapes’ elements, instead of working from narrow taxonomic perspectives.

Marine vertebrate populations are elements of high ecological and economical relevance for their ecosystems, such as in the Gulf of Mexico where multiple nations share marine resources. International treaties and national laws protect several of these species and foster the identification of their critical habitats for restoring their populations. Habitat suitability analysis and niche modelling is used to identify those critical habitats for management and restoring purposes.

We assessed the habitat suitability of the Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus), Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), and shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in the Gulf of Mexico, to identify overlapping areas of their high-suitability habitats to be proposed for special management and protection to restore their populations.

We used a Hutchinsonian approach for niche modelling, based on their occurrence records. Their distribution was associated to particular ocean conditions, and all models were statically significant (>0.7 AUC). We delimited highly suitable zones for them and defined their potential distribution polygons to propose strategic areas for management and restoration (wildlife refuge and no-take zones), according to Mexican legislation. The identification of the critical habitats for these species contributes with basic information for marine spatial management implementation and promotes ecosystem restoration strategies for species of high ecological and economical interest.

Species diversity induces idiosyncratic effects on litter decomposition in a degraded meadow steppe

Background & objectives: Litter decomposition is a fundamental path for nutrient cycling in a natural ecosystem. However, it remains unclear how species diversity, including richness and evenness, affects the decomposition dynamics in the context of grassland degradation.

Methods: Using a litter bag technique, we investigated the litter-mixing effects of two co-existing dominant species (Leymus chinensis Lc and Phragmites australis Pa), as monocultures and mixtures with evenness (Lc:Pa) from M1 (30:70%), M2 (50:50%), and M3 (70:30%), on decomposition processes over time (60 and 365 days). The litter bags were placed on the soil surface along a degradation gradient (near-pristine (NP), lightly degraded (LD), and highly degraded (HD)).

Results & conclusion: We found that (1) mass loss in mixture compositions was significantly and positively correlated with initial nitrogen (N) and cellulose contents; (2) litter mixing (richness and evenness) influenced decomposition dynamics individually and in interaction with the incubation days and the degradation gradients; (3) in GLM, non-additive antagonistic effects were more prominent than additive or neutral effects in final litter and nutrients except for carbon (C); (4) in nutrients (C, N, lignin) and C/N ratio, additive effects shifted to non-additive with incubation time. We speculated that the occurrence of non-additive positive or negative effects varied with litter and nutrients mass remaining in each degraded gradient under the mechanism of initial litter quality of monoculture species, soil properties of experimental sites, and incubation time. Our study has important implications for grassland improvement and protection by considering species biodiversity richness, as well as species evenness.

Stream-bank Restoration: New York Native Grasses, Sedges and Forbs in Gravel

Background: A failing 1990’s flood control structure along Fall Creek, a protected waterway, designed to preserve the integrity of the intact flood plain forest, and unique 8-acre natural area, needed attention to prevent its collapse. This historic natural area managed by Cornell Botanic Gardens and used by elementary through graduate students to study native plants, offered an opportunity to demonstrate a novel stream-bank restoration.

Objectives: The objectives were to stabilize the stream-bank and restore the site with drought tolerant herbaceous native plants capable of establishing and thriving in gravel: grasses, sedges, and forbs; to be a model for future habitat restoration; to be a teaching tool for classes; and to appeal aesthetically to students and visitors.

Methods: Working with Cornell University’s Environmental Engineering team, a gabion basket structure was modified, anchored, and fitted with additional drainage. The Natural Areas staff botanist, staff gardener and Finger lakes Native Plant Society steering committee member developed a restoration plan and a design for seeding and planting the site using locally sourced gravel and regionally sourced seeds.

Results: The stabilization of the new structure, with a rapidly thriving, drought tolerant native plant community representing both common and rare species of the New York flora, is aesthetically appealing to landscape architects, students, and visitors.

Conclusion: Within three years, an established community of plants has developed; site stabilization has been fully achieved; seedling recruitment is annually occurring; and aesthetic criteria have been met, demonstrating the positive impact of a created, functioning landscape.

The fate of biological soil crusts after fire: A meta-analysis

Fire is a global disturbance that is predicted to increase in frequency and severity in many parts of the world due to climate change. Biological soil crust (biocrust) communities are often overlooked in fire studies despite having a substantial effect on ecological function and the adjacent communities. The goal of this study is to synthesize and analyze existing data elucidating the recovery of biocrust cover following fire at the global-scale and suggest avenues for future research and restoration. We performed a meta-analysis of studies from 1984 to 2019 to address the response of biocrust after fire and determine the moderating factors governing their response. Overall, fire reduced biocrust cover by 50% and had a significantly negative effect on biocrusts classified as cyanobacteria or algal dominated. Additionally, as time since fire increased, total biocrust cover increased but this response was modulated by biocrust type indicating compliance with traditional biocrust successional models. However, there was significant unexplained heterogeneity within the meta-analysis. This reflects a critical need for more studies specifically addressing the effect of fire on biocrust communities as they are an ecosystem engineer in drylands around the world. We suggest more thorough characterization of biocrust organisms through field and laboratory studies to understand the mechanisms of biocrust response to fire. Additionally, research is needed across a broader geographic range to represent the known distribution of biocrust communities, particularly as fires increase in severity and scope.

The Ontario Tree Atlas Project: Using participatory science to map the occurrence of over 100 tree species in Ontario, Canada

The Ontario Tree Atlas Project began in 1994 in an effort to document, for the first time, the distribution and abundance of the major tree species in Ontario, Canada. At the time of the projects’ inception and still today, the distribution and abundance of Ontario’s trees had never been comprehensively determined, and the species range maps used in books and guides remain largely generalized. Throughout the data collection phase of the project, from 1995 to 2006, over 1,300 volunteers contributed 63,000 observations of species abundance, generating valuable information for the conservation and management of Ontario’s trees. As we reach twenty-five years since the project began, the Tree Atlas data can now serve as a historical point-in-time estimate of species occurrence. Pre-dating the advent of popular online participatory science platforms such as iNaturalist and others, the observations offer a comparison for how species occurrences have been altered by three decades of environmental change. Data from the Tree Atlas was shared publicly for the first time in 2021 through the publication of the Ontario Tree Atlas and will ultimately be made available through an online interactive mapping platform.

The Restoration and Forestry Observatory – A platform to monitor restoration in Brazil

The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration represents a great opportunity for job creation, food and water security, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. The goal of the decade is to restore 170 million hectares over the world. Brazil has committed to restore 12 million hectares by 2030.

Leaded by the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture, a movement that encompasses several important stakeholders on agribusiness sector and civil society organizations in the environmental area in Brazil, the Restoration and Forestry Observatory was developed to monitor and measure the progress of restored land in all 6 Brazilian biomes by allowing users to consult and account areas under restoration for different geographies, providing transparency and reliability to monitor the committed goals.

The compiled dataset compass three main types of information: restoration projects sites, naturally restored vegetation based on satellite imagery and forestry. The source of information varies widely from public, private or ONG sector, and scales (local, regional and national), nevertheless this effort aimed to provide information of most successful restoration techniques, passive or active, and to support public managers to design strategies for large scale forest restoration and forestry.

Despite of several challenges to develop the Observatory, such as data availability and accessibility, data integration at multiple-scales and different mapping sources, the Observatory will provide more completely understanding of restoration dynamics for different territories, also by providing visibility to the restoration projects and its organizations and it may induce appropriate environment to create new coalitions on the restoration agenda.

Tropical dry forest seedling growth and survivorship depends upon fertilization and irrigation

Tropical dry forests are critically endangered, as 97% of their area is threatened by human disturbances. Thus, countries like Colombia have prioritize its restoration establishing an ambitious project to restore 12,000 hectares of dry forest. Previous initiatives using passive restoration methods in this area were unsuccessful due to lack of precipitation, and soil nutrient depletion. That is why this project employs active interventions including large-scale planting of seedlings and management using fertilizers and irrigation. To test the efficacy of these practices we established a large-scale experiment in south-western Colombia on abandoned pastures to determine 1) if fertilizer application and irrigation increase seedling survivorship and growth and 2) if phosphorus is the only nutrient limiting plant growth. We also evaluated the costs of these practices. We planted 11,382 seedlings of 11 native species coupled with six treatments: 50g complete fertilizer+water, 25g complete fertilizer+water, phosphorus+water, 50g complete fertilizer-water, water, and a control. Survival and growth were measured seasonally over 1.5 years. Survivorship after 1.5 years ranged from 45%–97% among species. Treatments that lacked supplemental water experienced higher initial mortality, however, after 1.5 years no differences among treatments were found. Plants that received any complete fertilizer treatment had the highest growth rates, suggesting that phosphorus is not the only limiting nutrient. Our data show that water is key for early seedling establishment and fertilization with multiple nutrients increases seedling growth more than watering after seedling established. Importantly, high rates of fertilizer application had no additional benefit to growth compared to low doses.

Use of native pine species to recover degraded areas and increase their resilience in the Cointzio micro-watershed of the Municipality of Morelia Michoacán, Mexico

In the Cointzio micro-basin, the loss of forest cover has caused soil erosion, and silting of the Cointzio dam. The vegetation of the micro-basin favors water infiltration, which provides an important input of water to the city of Morelia. Thus, it is essential to carry out soil recovery actions through the introduction of native species.

The objective of the work was to evaluate the development of different pine species introduced in degraded areas, to avoid soil loss and to afford the ecosystem resilience.

In the community of El Escobal, the introduction of 250 one-year-old plants of P. pseudostrobus, P. oaxacana and P. patula was carried out by random planting in an area of gullies of 40 X 40 m. and one with secondary vegetation of 40 X 40 m. To relate the growth and survival of the seedlings, microclimate features were determined.

After eight months, the survival was 54%, being taller in the secondary vegetation (73%) and lower in gullies (27%). Height growth was higher in the gullies area and lower in the secondary vegetation area without significant differences, diameter growth was higher in secondary vegetation and lower in gullies with significant differences. Features of soil indicated differences in pH, organic material, soil moisture and, differences between nutrients phosphorous, calcium and magnesium concentrations. The difference in photosynthetically active radiation was consistent with the orientation and with the presence of plant cover of each area. Our results suggest the best species to recover degraded areas in this ecosystems, was P. pseudostrobus.

Using Floating Treatment Wetlands to Remove Nutrients and Restore Meadow Marsh Habitats in Wetland Systems in the northeastern United States

A significant threat that watersheds face is nutrient pollution, particularly excess phosphorus in freshwater systems. Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) can remove excess phosphorus by plant and microbial uptake directly in the water column. We examined phosphorus removal rates in a mesocosm setting using different combinations of four wetland plant species native to northeastern North America; Carex stricta (tussock sedge), Iris versicolor (northern blue flag), Juncus effusus (common rush), and Eleocharis palustris (common spikerush), two different substrate conditions; no substrate and coconut coir, and a control with no plants or substrate. Each substrate was paired with three different plant combinations, tussock species (Carex stricta and Iris versicolor), reed species (Juncus effusus and Eleocharis palustris), and a mixture. We determined the total phosphorus and orthophosphate removal rates along with changes over time in chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, and pH. Based on our results from week 1 and week 7 of this 9-week experiment, we found that tussock species with coconut peat substrate had the highest mean total phosphorus removal percentage at 76%. All three plant combinations with coconut peat substrate had mean removal percentages greater than 70%, while only one plant combination with no substrate had removal percentages over 70%. The treatment with the lowest total phosphorus removal percentage was the control at 55% removal. Future directions of this study include a field application of FTWs to determine nitrogen and phosphorus removal rates in aquaculture ponds, and testing the efficacy of transplanting FTW plants into wetlands to extend their lifecycle.

Using Google Earth for Planning, implementation and monitoring of invasive species management as a part of restoration initiative in and around Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka, India

Junglescapes, a non-profit based in Bangalore is carrying out ecological restoration in a Tiger landscape of southern India since the last 12 years. A key aspect of the project involves management of Lantana camara over a large heterogeneous area of over 8000 ha. A mapping using GIS tools to detect relative abundance of Lantana camara helped prioritize areas for management. However, management of invasive species requires micro-level planning and implementation considering the topography, presence of native vegetation and secondary invasive species, etc.  Lantana management demands a high level of customized treatment and rigour which is difficult to achieve in larger plot sizes. These were aspects aimed to be addressed by this methodology.

Land parcels of approximately 100 acres were selected using Google Earth in the priority areas. These were further divided into 10 to 12 acre grids. The grid map (polygons) and coordinates of the polygon corners were shared as KML / KMZ files and transferred to handheld GPS device. These grids were surveyed physically for documenting baseline conditions. This real time data in combination with photographs and Google image were used for developing the treatment plan for each grid. Use of Google Earth image with survey waypoints and photograph enabled virtual tour of the site which enabled coordination with field managers working on site. Post-implementation monitoring, resurgence of native vegetation and habitat use by fauna also were plotted in the Google Earth image, which provides an insight to the ecological role of the restored area as a wildlife life habitat in the larger context.