A long-term evaluation of applied nucleation as a strategy to facilitate forest restoration

Corbin, Jeffrey D.; Robinson, George R.; Hafkemeyer, Lauren M.; Handel, Steven N.

doi:10.1890/15-0075.1

Cited by 20 publications

(33 citation statements)

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“…Our results show a stronger facilitation of woodland species colonization by planting potential seed sources in woodland islets than reported in earlier studies (Zahawi & Augspurger ; Holl et al ; Benayas et al ). Birch and willows are primarily wind dispersed and our results thus contrast with Corbin et al's () suggestion that applying seed sources may be more important for tree species dispersed by animals than wind. Turnbull et al (), however, propose that seed limitation may be strong in early successional habitats, which applies to our study site.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Eriksson & Ehrlén ; Duncan et al ; Garcia‐Meza & Martorell ), considerations of seed and microsite limitations are of key importance in the application of this strategy. Although several studies have assessed the effectiveness of woodland islets or applied nucleation (Zahawi & Augspurger ; Holl et al ; Benayas et al ; Corbin et al ), we are not aware of any studies that have addressed the potential role of microsite limitation in the subsequent woodland establishment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colonization of woodland species during restoration: seed or safe site limitation?

Aradóttir

Halldórsson²

2017

Restoration Ecology

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A strategy of assisted natural regeneration uses selective restoration interventions to remove potential barriers to passive natural regeneration and succession toward target ecosystems. In woodland restoration, this may involve the planting of woodland clusters that serve as seed sources for further colonization and/or site amelioration to enhance colonization and growth of the target species. We tested the importance of seed and safe site limitations for the colonization of birch and willows in experimental treatments representing a matrix of revegetation (+/−) and planted birch and willow clusters (+/−) on an eroded area in South Iceland. The revegetation was initiated in the fall of 1999 and clusters of birch and willows planted in 2002. Density of birch and willow seedlings and their distribution among microsites was surveyed in 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2015. Willow seedlings were first noted in 2006 but birch seedlings in 2010. In 2015, seedling density in revegetated plots with planted clusters was over 20 times greater than that of revegetated plots without clusters, indicating a strong seed limitation. No seedlings were found in plots that had not been revegetated, showing very strong microsite limitation. However, revegetation increased the cover of biological soil crust and other microsites favorable for seedling establishment. The results demonstrate that both seed and safe site limit the colonization of birch and willows, key species in woodland restoration, and highlight the importance of identifying barriers to spontaneous succession before selecting restoration strategies.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colonization of woodland species during restoration: seed or safe site limitation?

Aradóttir

Halldórsson²

2017

Restoration Ecology

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“…One combined approach is applied nucleation , which involves planting small patches of vegetation (often trees) that attract dispersers and facilitate establishment of new recruits, expanding the forested area over time. Applied nucleation has shown promise in restoring landfills (Corbin et al ), Mediterranean woodlands (Rey Benayas et al ), tropical forests (Corbin & Holl ; Holl et al ), and other ecosystems. Deciding on an appropriate approach or combination may not be self‐evident.…”

Section: Section 4—leading Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

International principles and standards for the practice of ecological restoration. Second edition

Gann

McDonald²,

Walder

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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1,150

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“…The creation of restoration islands incorporates this pattern of landscape recovery into land management, enhancing initial establishment through targeted, sometimes high‐input, plantings in the areas with an increased likelihood of successful plant establishment and persistence. This can involve seeding or planting transplants into remnant plant populations or creating new patches where remnant populations no longer exist (Huber‐Sannwald & Pyke ; Corbin & Holl ; Corbin et al ). A fundamental premise of most island plantings is that the initial patches of recovery will become sources of propagules that disperse outward across the landscape, facilitating additional recovery (Yarranton & Morrison ; Reis et al ), thus the common terminology of “assisted nucleation” and “nucleation planting” (Corbin & Holl ).…”

Section: Island Plantings In Dryland Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Island restoration methods are only attractive if they are economically efficient. Island seedings in nondryland ecosystems have shown similar, if not greater, amounts of biodiversity and species density relative to broadscale landscape restoration efforts, with much lower implementation costs and faster recovery rates than passive restoration (Benayas et al ; Corbin et al ). Despite these potential benefits, we found no research on the economic benefits or trade‐offs of using restoration islands in dryland ecosystems.…”

Section: Future Research and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration islands: a tool for efficiently restoring dryland ecosystems?

Hulvey

Leger

Porensky

et al. 2017

Restoration Ecology

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Restoration islands are concentrated plantings in strategic locations, created to efficiently use resources to achieve restoration goals. These methods have been used effectively in mesic ecosystems, particularly tropical forests, where the goal of island plantings is often to “nucleate” across a degraded area, providing a seed source for spread outside the planted area. Here, we consider how an island strategy might be used to achieve restoration goals in dryland ecosystems, where limited resources and large areas of degraded land make restoration extremely challenging. In contrast to more productive areas, spread or “nucleation” from restoration islands in drylands may not occur or occur more slowly than required by most management time frames. Despite this, small‐scale, more intensive island plantings may still be useful for achieving short‐term goals, such as weed control, fire management, erosion control, and creation of wildlife habitat. Over the long term, island plantings could serve the same nucleation function as in other ecosystems and serve as repositories for genetic diversity within highly fragmented native systems. Here, we highlight the opportunities for using these high‐intensity, targeted planting methods in dryland ecosystems, provide the guidelines for establishing islands to achieve short‐ and long‐term restoration goals, and identify the areas where additional research is needed to understand the value of restoration islands in dryland ecosystems.

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A long-term evaluation of applied nucleation as a strategy to facilitate forest restoration

Cited by 20 publications

References 0 publications

Colonization of woodland species during restoration: seed or safe site limitation?

Colonization of woodland species during restoration: seed or safe site limitation?

International principles and standards for the practice of ecological restoration. Second edition

Restoration islands: a tool for efficiently restoring dryland ecosystems?

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