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Bailey EC, Thacker E, Monaco TA, Veblen KE. Transplanted sagebrush "wildlings" exhibit higher survival than greenhouse-grown tubelings yet both recruit new plants. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:50. [PMID: 38649814 PMCID: PMC11034100 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02236-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Land uses such as crop production, livestock grazing, mining, and urban development have contributed to degradation of drylands worldwide. Loss of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) on disturbed drylands across the western U.S. has prompted massive efforts to re-establish this foundational species. There has been growing interest in avoiding the severe limitations experienced by plants at the seed and seedling stages by instead establishing plants from containerized greenhouse seedlings ("tubelings"). In some settings, a potential alternative approach is to transplant larger locally-collected plants ("wildlings"). We compared the establishment of mountain big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. vaseyana) from tubelings vs. wildlings in southeastern Idaho. A mix of native and non-native grass and forb species was drill-seeded in a pasture previously dominated by the introduced forage grass, smooth brome (Bromus inermis). We then established 80 m x 80 m treatment plots and planted sagebrush tubelings (n = 12 plots, 1200 plants) and wildlings (n = 12 plots, 1200 plants). We also established seeded plots (n = 12) and untreated control plots (n = 6) for long-term comparison. We tracked project expenses in order to calculate costs of using tubelings vs. wildlings as modified by probability of success. RESULTS There was high (79%) tubeling and low (10%) wildling mortality within the first year. Three years post-planting, chance of survival for wildlings was significantly higher than that of tubelings (85% and 14% respectively). Despite high up-front costs of planting wildlings, high survival rates resulted in their being < 50% of the cost of tubelings on a per-surviving plant basis. Additionally, by the third year post-planting 34% of surviving tubelings and 95% of surviving wildlings showed evidence of reproduction (presence / absence of flowering stems), and the two types of plantings recruited new plants via seed (3.7 and 2.4 plants, respectively, per surviving tubeling/wildling). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that larger plants with more developed root systems (wildlings) may be a promising avenue for increasing early establishment rates of sagebrush plants in restoration settings. Our results also illustrate the potential for tubelings and wildlings to improve restoration outcomes by "nucleating" the landscape via recruitment of new plants during ideal climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Bailey
- Dept. of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
- Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
- SWCA Environmental Consultants, 7210 Placid St, Las Vegas, NV, 89119, USA
| | - Eric Thacker
- Dept. of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Thomas A Monaco
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Kari E Veblen
- Dept. of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA.
- Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA.
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Ngwenya DK, Holmes PM, Geerts S, Esler KJ. Scaling up restoration efforts by simulating the effects of fire to circumvent prescribed burns when preparing restoration sites in South African fynbos ecosystems. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Duduzile K. Ngwenya
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1 Matieland South Africa
- Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Natural Sciences Building, Private Bag X1 Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
| | - Patricia M. Holmes
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1 Matieland South Africa
- Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Natural Sciences Building, Private Bag X1 Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
| | - Sjirk Geerts
- Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Natural Sciences Building, Private Bag X1 Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences Cape Peninsula University of Technology Cape Town South Africa
| | - Karen J. Esler
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1 Matieland South Africa
- Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Natural Sciences Building, Private Bag X1 Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
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Is it best to add native shrubs to a coastal sage scrub restoration project as seeds or as seedlings? PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262410. [PMID: 35134054 PMCID: PMC8824352 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological restoration frequently involves the addition of native plants, but the effectiveness (in terms of plant growth, plant survival, and cost) of using seeds versus container plants has not been studied in many plant communities. It is also not known if plant success would vary by species or based on functional traits. To answer these questions, we added several shrub species to a coastal sage scrub restoration site as seeds or as seedlings in a randomized block design. We measured percent cover, density, species richness, size, survival, and costs. Over the two years of the study, shrubs added to the site as seeds grew more and continued to have greater density than plants added from containers. Seeded plots also had greater native species richness than planted plots. However, shrubs from containers had higher survival rates, and percent cover was comparable between the planted and seeded treatments. Responses varied by species depending on functional traits, with deep-rooted evergreen species establishing better from container plants. Our cost analysis showed that it is more expensive to use container plants than seed, with most of the costs attributed to labor and supplies needed to grow plants. Our measurements of shrub density, survival, species richness, and growth in two years in our experimental plots lead us to conclude that coastal sage scrub restoration with seeds is optimal for increasing density and species richness with limited funds, yet the addition of some species from container plants may be necessary if key species are desired as part of the project objectives.
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St. Clair SB, St. Clair EA, St. Clair SB. Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Joshua Tree Stand Structure and Regeneration Following Mojave Desert Wildfires. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.667635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eastern Joshua tree (Yucca jaegeriana) plays a central role in the ecology of the Mojave Desert ecosystem. However, the emergence of invasive grass fire-cycles in the last several decades brings into question Joshua trees’ tolerance and resilience to changing fire regimes. This study’s objective was to examine the effects of wildfires on the structure and regeneration potential of Joshua trees forests. We examined the density, size class structure, and regeneration response of Joshua tree populations on a network of one kilometer transects along the boundaries of four independent wildfires and the interior of the largest fire that occurred 15 years ago (2005) in the northeast Mojave Desert. Burned edge and burned interior transects had 23- and 4.1-fold lower Joshua tree stand densities than unburned transects. The more robust recovery of stand density along burned interior transects compared to burned edge transects appears to be primarily driven by more prolific vegetative sprouting. Our data show that Joshua trees can sprout vegetatively following fire, but it is not a strong or consistent post-fire resprouter. Limiting the spread of invasive annual grasses and novel fire regimes will be critical to maintaining healthy Joshua tree populations into the future, particularly on the edge of its ecological range.
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Peng L, Huang X, Qi M, Pritchard HW, Xue H. Mechanistic insights derived from re-establishment of desiccation tolerance in germinating xerophytic seeds: Caragana korshinskii as an example. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1029997. [PMID: 36420023 PMCID: PMC9677110 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1029997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Germplasm conservation strongly depends on the desiccation tolerance (DT) of seeds. Xerophytic seeds have strong desiccation resistance, which makes them excellent models to study DT. Although some experimental strategies have been applied previously, most methods are difficult to apply to xerophytic seeds. In this review, we attempted to synthesize current strategies for the study of seed DT and provide an in-depth look at Caragana korshinskii as an example. First, we analyze congenital advantages of xerophytes in the study of seed DT. Second, we summarize several strategies used to study DT and illustrate a suitable strategy for xerophytic species. Then, based on our previous studies work with C. korshinskii, a feasible technical strategy for DT re-establishment is provided and we provide illustrate some special molecular mechanisms seen in xerophytic seeds. Finally, several steps to unveil the DT mechanism of xerophytic seeds are suggested, and three scientific questions that the field should consider are listed. We hope to optimize and utilize this strategy for more xerophytic species to more systematically decipher the physiological and molecular processes of seed DT and provide more candidate genes for molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Peng
- The Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xu Huang
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree breeding and Ecological remediation, College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Manyao Qi
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree breeding and Ecological remediation, College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Hugh W. Pritchard
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Botany, Kunming, China
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst, West Sussex, United Kingdom
| | - Hua Xue
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree breeding and Ecological remediation, College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Hua Xue,
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Ede F, Greet J. Post‐sowing weed control technique can affect woody seedling numbers, with early hand‐weeding potentially more beneficial than early spraying. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Drivers of seedling establishment success in dryland restoration efforts. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1283-1290. [PMID: 34294898 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01510-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Restoration of degraded drylands is urgently needed to mitigate climate change, reverse desertification and secure livelihoods for the two billion people who live in these areas. Bold global targets have been set for dryland restoration to restore millions of hectares of degraded land. These targets have been questioned as overly ambitious, but without a global evaluation of successes and failures it is impossible to gauge feasibility. Here we examine restoration seeding outcomes across 174 sites on six continents, encompassing 594,065 observations of 671 plant species. Our findings suggest reasons for optimism. Seeding had a positive impact on species presence: in almost a third of all treatments, 100% of species seeded were growing at first monitoring. However, dryland restoration is risky: 17% of projects failed, with no establishment of any seeded species, and consistent declines were found in seeded species as projects matured. Across projects, higher seeding rates and larger seed sizes resulted in a greater probability of recruitment, with further influences on species success including site aridity, taxonomic identity and species life form. Our findings suggest that investigations examining these predictive factors will yield more effective and informed restoration decision-making.
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Castro J, Morales‐Rueda F, Navarro FB, Löf M, Vacchiano G, Alcaraz‐Segura D. Precision restoration: a necessary approach to foster forest recovery in the 21st century. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Castro
- Department of Ecology University of Granada Granada 18071 Spain
| | | | - Francisco B. Navarro
- Area of Agriculture and Environment, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training Government of Andalusia Camino de Purchil s/n Granada 18004 Spain
| | - Magnus Löf
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Lund 23422 Sweden
| | - Giorgio Vacchiano
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science University of Milan 20133 Italy
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Native Plant Production in Chile. Is It Possible to Achieve Restoration Goals by 2035? LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Facing rapid loss of biodiversity as a consequence of climate change, Chile has formally pledged to restore 600,000 ha of native forest by 2035. This effort, however, has not considered the amount and quality of native plants required to meet this pledge. Thus, we examined data collected during the annual, government-conducted census of small- and medium-sized nurseries from central Chile, which account for 78% of the nation’s total plant production, to assess if current production is sufficient to meet Chile´s restoration needs. We coupled this with data collected during our series of ongoing research projects to determine if nurseries are currently meeting minimum seedling quality standards based on morpho-physiological attributes. Our four-year analysis (2016–2019) shows that the number of native seedlings has increased by only 4%, but because only 19% of nursery managers have training, just 29% of all seedlings meet quality criteria for restoration. Thus, under the current rate and quality of plant production, meeting restoration pledges desired by the year 2035 would not be achieved until 2181. This timeline can be accelerated through an urgent expansion of nursery space, implementation of a continuous program for technology and knowledge transference, and strong support through governmental policies.
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Yu Y, Zhao W, Martinez-Murillo JF, Pereira P. Loess Plateau: from degradation to restoration. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:140206. [PMID: 32660774 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
United Nations established 2021-2030 as the decade for ecosystem restoration and "prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide". Ecosystem and land degradation are a global phenomenon. As a consequence of land degradation, in the late 1990s, the "Grain for Green Program" (GFGP) was established in Loess Plateau (China). It converted slope farmlands to forest or grassland over the, resulting in a visible "greening" trend. Other effects of GFGP on soil properties, land production, hydrological conditions, ecosystem services, and policy implications are the topics of this Special Issue. This Special Issue includes 17 contributions that cover recent research carried out in Loess Plateau in the mentioned topics at different spatial and temporal scales. The collection of papers presented in this Special Issue discusses critical issues in vegetation restoration and sustainable land management in the region. This Special Issue will contribute to United Nations strategy for ecosystems restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation & Desertification Combating, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Jixian National Forest Ecosystem Research Network Station, CNERN, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Department of Sediment Research, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Wenwu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Juan F Martinez-Murillo
- Departamento de Geografía, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n, Málaga 29071, Spain; Instituto de Geomorfología y Suelos, Universidad de Málaga, Ampliación Campus de Teatinos, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Laboratory, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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Pedrini S, Balestrazzi A, Madsen MD, Bhalsing K, Hardegree SP, Dixon KW, Kildisheva OA. Seed enhancement: getting seeds restoration‐ready. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Pedrini
- ARC‐Centre for Mine Site Restoration, Department of Environment and AgricultureCurtin University Kent Street Bentley 6102 Australia
| | - Alma Balestrazzi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘L. Spallanzani’University of Pavia via Ferrata 1 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Matthew D. Madsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife SciencesBrigham Young University Provo UT 84602 U.S.A
| | - Khiraj Bhalsing
- ARC‐Centre for Mine Site Restoration, Department of Environment and AgricultureCurtin University Kent Street Bentley 6102 Australia
| | | | - Kingsley W. Dixon
- ARC‐Centre for Mine Site Restoration, Department of Environment and AgricultureCurtin University Kent Street Bentley 6102 Australia
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Greet J, Ede F, Robertson D, McKendrick S. Should I plant or should I sow? Restoration outcomes compared across seven riparian revegetation projects. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Pérez DR, Pilustrelli C, Farinaccio FM, Sabino G, Aronson J. Evaluating success of various restorative interventions through drone‐ and field‐collected data, using six putative framework species in Argentinian Patagonia. Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Pérez
- Laboratory of Rehabilitation and Ecological Restoration of Arid and Semiarid Ecosystems (LARREA) National University of Comahue CP 8300 Neuquén Argentina
| | - Claudio Pilustrelli
- Laboratory of Rehabilitation and Ecological Restoration of Arid and Semiarid Ecosystems (LARREA) National University of Comahue CP 8300 Neuquén Argentina
| | - Fernando M. Farinaccio
- Laboratory of Rehabilitation and Ecological Restoration of Arid and Semiarid Ecosystems (LARREA) National University of Comahue CP 8300 Neuquén Argentina
| | - Guillermo Sabino
- Faculty of Economy and Administration National University of Comahue CP 8300 Neuquén Argentina
| | - James Aronson
- Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd St. Louis MO 63110 U.S.A
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