Testing a facilitation model for ecosystem restoration: Does tree planting restore ground layer species in a grassy woodland?

Nichols, Peter W.; Morris, E. Charles; Keith, David A.

doi:10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.02095.x

Cited by 29 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Eucalyptus species), or reflect biases in tubestock availability. Biased patterns of growth‐form recovery have been commonly observed in active restoration of other vegetation types (Munro et al ; Nichols et al ; Garcia et al ). Our results suggest that, when mature, vegetation structure in plantings may be less complex than remnant stands, which has been shown to reduce the maximum carbon that can be stored as woody biomass (Ford & Keeton ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Comparing the recovery of richness, structure, and biomass in naturally regrowing and planted reforestation

Staples

Mayfield

England

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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The clearing of natural vegetation for agriculture has reduced the capacity of natural systems to provide ecosystem functions. Ecological restoration can restore desirable ecosystem functions, such as creating habitat for animal conservation and carbon sequestration as woody biomass. In order to maintain these beneficial ecosystem functions, restoration projects need to mature into self‐perpetuating communities. Here we compared the ecological attributes of two types of restoration, “active” tree plantings with “passive” natural forest regeneration (“natural regrowth”) to existing remnant vegetation in a cleared agricultural landscape. Specifically, we measured differences between forest categories in factors that may predict future restoration failure or ecosystem collapse: aboveground plant biomass and biomass accrual over time (for regrowing stands), plant density and size class distributions, and diversity of functional groups based on seed dispersal and growth strategy traits. We found that natural regrowth and planted forests were similar in many ecological characteristics, including biomass accrual. Despite this, planted stands contained fewer tree recruit and shrub individuals, which may be due to limited recruitment in plantings. If this continues, these forests may be at risk of collapsing into nonforest states after mature trees senesce. Lower shrub density and richness of mid‐story trees may lead to lower structural complexity in planting plots, and alongside lower richness of fleshy‐fruited plant species may reduce animal resources and animal use of the restored stand. In our study region, natural regrowth may result in restored woodland communities with greater conservation and carbon mitigation value.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Comparing the recovery of richness, structure, and biomass in naturally regrowing and planted reforestation

Staples

Mayfield

England

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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“…Overstory species may also influence the environment for understory species, modifying microclimatic conditions through reducing light availability and soil temperatures and by increasing soil moisture (Vetaas 1992; Eldridge & Freudenberger 2005). Furthermore, in accordance with successional theory, developing cover provided by trees and shrubs may facilitate the growth of understory native species within revegetated systems (Davies & Christie 2001; Nichols et al 2010). Canopy species therefore play an important role in the successful rehabilitation of riparian communities, and are often the focus of follow‐up monitoring (Alpert et al 1999; Close & Davidson 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

How Does Restoration of Native Canopy Affect Understory Vegetation Composition? Evidence from Riparian Communities of the Hunter Valley Australia

Harris

Leishman

Fryirs

et al. 2011

Restoration Ecology

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Restoration of native vegetation often focuses on the canopy layer species, with the assumption that regeneration of the understory elements will occur as a consequence. The goal of this study was to assess the influence of canopy restoration on the composition and abundance of understory plant species assemblages along riparian margins in the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia. We compared the floristic composition (richness, abundance, and diversity) of understory species between nonrevegetated (open) and canopy revegetated plots across five sites. A number of other factors that may also influence understory vegetation, including soil nutrients, proximity to main channel, and light availability, were also measured. We found that sites where the canopy had been restored had lower exotic species richness and abundance, as well as higher native species cover, but not native species richness, compared with open sites. Multivariate analysis of plots based on plant community composition showed that revegetated sites were associated with lower total species diversity, light availability, and exotic cover. This study has found that the restoration of the canopy layer does result in lower exotic species richness and cover, and higher native species cover and diversity in the understory, a desirable restoration outcome. Our results provide evidence that restoration of native canopy species may facilitate restoration of native understory species; however, other interventions to increase native species richness of the understory should also be considered as part of management practice.

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“…; Nichols et al . ). As an alternative, based on the results and observations from the field experiment, we propose a ‘bottom‐up’ restoration approach for CPW sites degraded by African Olive invasion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Given the expense of the seed of less common species, it may be more efficient to trial appropriate pre-treatments for this species and/or add shrub and tree tubestock at later stages as restoration proceeds. Restoration efforts at degraded sites commonly rely on the replanting of locally occurring trees and shrubs; however, this 'topdown' approach does not necessarily result in a long-term improvement of understorey plant diversity in grassy woodland ecosystems (Wilkins et al 2003;Munro et al 2009;Nichols et al 2010). As an alternative, based on the results and observations from the field experiment, we propose a 'bottom-up' restoration approach for CPW sites degraded by African Olive invasion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recovery after African Olive invasion: can a ‘bottom‐up’ approach to ecological restoration work?

Cuneo¹,

Leishman²

2014

Eco Management Restoration

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Summary African Olive (Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata) is a densely crowned evergreen small tree, native to eastern Africa that is highly invasive in areas where it has been introduced, including Hawaii and Australia. Invasion by African Olive threatens Cumberland Plain Woodland, a critically endangered grassy eucalypt woodland from western Sydney, Australia, through the formation of a dense mid‐canopy excluding the regeneration of native species. We established a 3‐year field experiment to determine the effectiveness of direct seeding and fire, as techniques for early stage restoration of a 2 ha historically cleared and degraded Cumberland Plain Woodland site after the removal of African Olive. Direct seeding was able to re‐establish a native perennial grass cover which was resistant to subsequent weed invasion and could be managed as an important first stage in woodland restoration with fire and selective herbicide. Fire was able to stimulate some germination of colonising native species from the soil seed bank after 15 years of African Olive invasion; however, germination and establishment of native shrubs from the applied seed mix was poor. We propose a ‘bottom‐up’ model of ecological restoration in such highly degraded sites that uses a combination of direct seeding and stimulation of the soil seed bank by fire, which could be applicable to other degraded grassy woodland sites and plant communities.

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Testing a facilitation model for ecosystem restoration: Does tree planting restore ground layer species in a grassy woodland?

Cited by 29 publications

References 40 publications

Comparing the recovery of richness, structure, and biomass in naturally regrowing and planted reforestation

Comparing the recovery of richness, structure, and biomass in naturally regrowing and planted reforestation

How Does Restoration of Native Canopy Affect Understory Vegetation Composition? Evidence from Riparian Communities of the Hunter Valley Australia

Recovery after African Olive invasion: can a ‘bottom‐up’ approach to ecological restoration work?

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