Assessment of Growth Response and Patterns of Biomass Allocation by Panicum hemitomon Schultes: Implications for Thick-mat Floating Marsh Creation and Restoration

I carried out several large, manipulative greenhouse and controlled-setting experiments to elucidate Panicum hemitomon growth response as influenced by environmental conditions associated with restoring thick-mat floating marsh. Initially, Panicum hemitomon growth response was assessed in conjunction with manipulated nutrient availability and hydrology. Next, I assessed Panicum hemitomon growth response in conjunction with a suite of substrate and mat or containment materials. Finally, I evaluated Panicum hemitomon growth response, as well as overall created floating marsh vegetated development, using both a multi-species planting approach and a suite of Panicum hemitomon establishment techniques. All partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass (shoot, rhizome, and root material) were enhanced under nitrogen, and to a lesser extent, phosphorous enrichment. Saturated (not inundated) hydrologic conditions were most conducive for robust growth by all partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass. Substrate and mat or containment materials had a significant effect on Panicum hemitomon vigor, with peat and peat-containing blended substrate materials being most conducive for vigorous Panicum hemitomon growth. Duralast coconut fiber was the most suitable mat or containment material based not only on measures of plant vigor, but also for reasons associated with strength and stability, as well as buoyancy. The combination of Panicum hemitomon and Ludwigia peploides was superior to any other multi-species treatment tested. Ludwigia peploides was highly resilient to transplanting, grew vigorously in a lateral fashion, produced significantly more biomass than any other secondary species, and enhanced overall mat buoyancy, all key metrics regarding successful floating marsh restoration. Equally as important, the large amount of biomass attained by Ludwigia peploides was not totally at the expense of vigorous Panicum hemitomon growth. With respect to establishment technique, the positive response of Panicum hemitomon rhizome growth to humic acid amendment warrants further study. This research generated data that not only advance the body of general ecological knowledge pertaining to Panicum hemitomon, the dominant macrophyte of thick-mat floating marsh, but equally as important, data that are likely to augment or enhance the creation and restoration of this important freshwater marsh type

Assessment of Growth Response and Patterns of Biomass Allocation by Panicum hemitomon Schultes: Implications for Thick-mat Floating Marsh Creation and Restoration

I carried out several large, manipulative greenhouse and controlled-setting experiments to elucidate Panicum hemitomon growth response as influenced by environmental conditions associated with restoring thick-mat floating marsh. Initially, Panicum hemitomon growth response was assessed in conjunction with manipulated nutrient availability and hydrology. Next, I assessed Panicum hemitomon growth response in conjunction with a suite of substrate and mat or containment materials. Finally, I evaluated Panicum hemitomon growth response, as well as overall created floating marsh vegetated development, using both a multi-species planting approach and a suite of Panicum hemitomon establishment techniques. All partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass (shoot, rhizome, and root material) were enhanced under nitrogen, and to a lesser extent, phosphorous enrichment. Saturated (not inundated) hydrologic conditions were most conducive for robust growth by all partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass. Substrate and mat or containment materials had a significant effect on Panicum hemitomon vigor, with peat and peat-containing blended substrate materials being most conducive for vigorous Panicum hemitomon growth. Duralast coconut fiber was the most suitable mat or containment material based not only on measures of plant vigor, but also for reasons associated with strength and stability, as well as buoyancy. The combination of Panicum hemitomon and Ludwigia peploides was superior to any other multi-species treatment tested. Ludwigia peploides was highly resilient to transplanting, grew vigorously in a lateral fashion, produced significantly more biomass than any other secondary species, and enhanced overall mat buoyancy, all key metrics regarding successful floating marsh restoration. Equally as important, the large amount of biomass attained by Ludwigia peploides was not totally at the expense of vigorous Panicum hemitomon growth. With respect to establishment technique, the positive response of Panicum hemitomon rhizome growth to humic acid amendment warrants further study. This research generated data that not only advance the body of general ecological knowledge pertaining to Panicum hemitomon, the dominant macrophyte of thick-mat floating marsh, but equally as important, data that are likely to augment or enhance the creation and restoration of this important freshwater marsh type

A framework for the practical science necessary to restore sustainable, resilient, and biodiverse ecosystems

Demand for restoration of resilient, self-sustaining, and biodiverse natural ecosystems as a conservation measure is increasing globally; however, restoration efforts frequently fail to meet standards appropriate for this objective. Achieving these standards requires management underpinned by input from diverse scientific disciplines including ecology, biotechnology, engineering, soil science, ecophysiology, and genetics. Despite increasing restoration research activity, a gap between the immediate needs of restoration practitioners and the outputs of restoration science often limits the effectiveness of restoration programs. Regrettably, studies often fail to identify the practical issues most critical for restoration success. We propose that part of this oversight may result from the absence of a considered statement of the necessary practical restoration science questions. Here we develop a comprehensive framework of the research required to bridge this gap and guide effective restoration. We structure questions in five themes: (1) setting targets and planning for success, (2) sourcing biological material, (3) optimizing establishment, (4) facilitating growth and survival, and (5) restoring resilience, sustainability, and landscape integration. This framework will assist restoration practitioners and scientists to identify knowledge gaps and develop strategic research focused on applied outcomes. The breadth of questions highlights the importance of cross-discipline collaboration among restoration scientists, and while the program is broad, successful restoration projects have typically invested in many or most of these themes. Achieving restoration ecology's goal of averting biodiversity losses is a vast challenge: investment in appropriate science is urgently needed for ecological restoration to fulfill its potential and meet demand as a conservation too

Author Correction: Drivers of seedling establishment success in dryland restoration efforts

1 Pág. Correción errata.In the version of this Article originally published, the surname of author Tina Parkhurst was incorrectly written as Schroeder. This has now been corrected.Peer reviewe

Assessment of growth response and patterns of biomass allocation by Panicum hemitomon Schultes: Implications for thick-mat floating marsh creation and restoration

I carried out several large, manipulative greenhouse and controlled-setting experiments to elucidate Panicum hemitomon growth response as influenced by environmental conditions associated with restoring thick-mat floating marsh. Initially, Panicum hemitomon growth response was assessed in conjunction with manipulated nutrient availability and hydrology. Next, I assessed Panicum hemitomon growth response in conjunction with a suite of substrate and mat or containment materials. Finally, I evaluated Panicum hemitomon growth response, as well as overall created floating marsh vegetated development, using both a multi-species planting approach and a suite of Panicum hemitomon establishment techniques. All partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass (shoot, rhizome, and root material) were enhanced under nitrogen, and to a lesser extent, phosphorous enrichment. Saturated (not inundated) hydrologic conditions were most conducive for robust growth by all partitions of Panicum hemitomon biomass. Substrate and mat or containment materials had a significant effect on Panicum hemitomon vigor, with peat and peat-containing blended substrate materials being most conducive for vigorous Panicum hemitomon growth. Duralast coconut fiber was the most suitable mat or containment material based not only on measures of plant vigor, but also for reasons associated with strength and stability, as well as buoyancy. The combination of Panicum hemitomon and Ludwigia peploides was superior to any other multi-species treatment tested. Ludwigia peploides was highly resilient to transplanting, grew vigorously in a lateral fashion, produced significantly more biomass than any other secondary species, and enhanced overall mat buoyancy, all key metrics regarding successful floating marsh restoration. Equally as important, the large amount of biomass attained by Ludwigia peploides was not totally at the expense of vigorous Panicum hemitomon growth. With respect to establishment technique, the positive response of Panicum hemitomon rhizome growth to humic acid amendment warrants further study. This research generated data that not only advance the body of general ecological knowledge pertaining to Panicum hemitomon, the dominant macrophyte of thick-mat floating marsh, but equally as important, data that are likely to augment or enhance the creation and restoration of this important freshwater marsh type. Keywords. Panicum hemitomon, floating marsh, biomass allocation, multi-species approac

Overcoming topsoil deficits in restoration of semiarid lands: Designing hydrologically favourable soil covers for seedling emergence

Topsoil replacement is a standard procedure in restoration of mined landscapes as it provides a source of propagules via the soil seed bank, as well as provides favourable physical, chemical and microbiological properties for plant establishment. With the availability of topsoil frequently limited in mining, soil cover designs that maximise the use of this resource across the newly-created surfaces after mining should be considered. In this paper, we examine the use of different soil covers and their influence on seedling recruitment for restoration of a Threatened Ecological Community (TEC) with limited topsoil. The properties of a standard topsoil and topsoil diluted with waste-rock to optimise spread were compared between two topsoil sources with different textures and a fine-textured waste material that is a mining by-product. We studied the physicochemical and hydrological traits of five soil covers (unblended TEC topsoil; TEC topsoil mixed with waste rock; fines; fines mixed with waste rock, and waste rock) with two TEC topsoil sources (plateau and hillslope). Soil characterisation included texture, gravel content, soil surface crust strength, soil moisture and temperature, and surface infiltration. Finally, we quantified seedling emergence for four key taxa sown (Acacia acuminata, Allocasuarina acutivalvis Melaleuca nematophylla, Waitzia nitida) and the seedling community arising from the topsoil seedbank and naturally dispersed seeds, and related this emergence with the soil properties. The standard topsoil cover promoted the greatest seedling emergence showing marked differences between the two topsoil provenances. Importantly, the addition of waste rock to topsoil did not compromise the ability of topsoil to support seedling emergence and is therefore a useful strategy to maximise this resource. Overall, our results show the importance of hydrological properties of soil covers for seedling recruitment and highlight the importance of topsoil selection in restoration success

Drivers of seedling establishment success in dryland restoration efforts

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.6 month embargo; published: 22 July 2021This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]