Application of a Model of Ecological Succession to Conservation and Land-use Management

Abstract

Ecological succession theory can be used in land-use planning to develop self-maintaining systems that meet conservation needs. This paper presents a management succession model and outlines methods that can be applied to regional land-use, rangeland, and agro-ecosystem, management. Traditionally, succession has been viewed as a repeatable and deterministic change in an ecosystem. Unlike the traditional view, the management succession model suggests that the successional process can be regulated to develop management designed communities. The model is based on current succession theory and consists of five steps; designed disturbance, selective colonization, inhibitory persistence, removal, and regeneration. Through the steps of the model, community interactions, life-history characteristics, and those abiotic factors that are to some extent controllable, are manipulated. The objective in manipulating these factors is to regulate successional sequences and rates of species replacement.To implement these steps a management practice, such as burning, can be used as a designed disturbance. The timing, intensity, and extent, of burning are regulated to insure that ‘selected colonizers’ become established. The design of the disturbance, and the selection of species and proportions of colonizers, is based upon the type of community structure that is wanted. Often a stable, persisting community is the goal. How long a community persists can be controlled by planned removal, which deliberately interrupts a successional sequence. The removal process can, in itself, be considered a type of disturbance, and can be used to regulate subsequent successional sequences and rates of replacement. In some instances a regenerating community is the goal, and management efforts can be adjusted to prevent successional sequences from occurring.

Increasing native diversity of cheatgrass-dominated rangeland through assisted succession

“…In wildland restoration, 3 basic components of succession may be used to determine the suitability of land for intervention: site availability, species availability, and species performance (Rosenberg and Freedman 1984, Pickett et al 1987, Luken 1990, Sheley et al 1996. Each of these may be initiated, modified, or curtailed by restorationists with the aim of affecting the trajectory of succession.…”

New Species Diversity Revealed from Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Gall-InducingCalophyaspp. (Hemiptera: Calophyidae) from Brazilian Peppertree

“…Those processes with the highest probability of causing change in the desired direction will be modified to produce predictable results (Sheley and Krueger-Mangold 2003). This approach, which is referred to as 'successional weed management', requires a basic understanding of the three general causes of plant succession: disturbance, colonization and species performance (Rosenberg and Freedman 1984). Sheley and Pinella (2001) noted that .…”

Calophya latiforceps, a New Species of Jumping Plant Lice (Hemiptera: Calophyidae) Associated withSchinus terebinthifolius(Anacardiaceae) in Brazil

“…Those processes with the highest probability of causing change in the desired direction will be modified to produce predictable results (Sheley and Krueger-Mangold 2003). This approach, which is referred to as 'successional weed management', requires a basic understanding of the three general causes of plant succession: disturbance, colonization and species performance (Rosenberg and Freedman 1984). Sheley and Pinella (2001) noted that .…”