Using Ecological Site Concepts to Assess Restoration Success: A Case Study on MLRA 98 Mucky Depressions

Transcription

1 Soil Science Division Using Ecological Site Concepts to Assess Restoration Success: A Case Study on MLRA 98 Mucky Depressions August, 2018 Skye Wills, National Resource Soil Scientist Greg Schmidt, Ecological Site Specialist Matt Bromley, MLRA office leader

2 Resource Question

3 Study Design: Sample According to DSP Guidance

4 DSP Guidance Dynamic Soil Properties properties that change with land use, management and disturbance. Soil survey focuses on properties that change on the human time scale (~decades). Guidance: for this project Soil Change Guide, current Ch. 9 Both rely on space-for-time substitution (based on ecological site concepts) and multi-scale replication

5 Ecological Site - frames inference space and comparisons

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7 Hoping to have STM to add

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9 Reference condition sets benchmark conditions (soil properties and vegetation)

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11 Alternate Conditions

12 AM - Actively Managed Agricultural Land ER Established Restoration > 5 years RR Recently Restored Wetlands < 5 years

13 Replication

14 1 project (ecological site defines the entire relevant area) 4 conditions Reference Recent Restoration Established Restoration Agriculture Replicate locations across each condition 3 5 locations in each Plot assessment of species composition and cover Replicate pedons at each location One center pedon Four satellite pedons Vegetation data collected within plot formed by pedons

15 Results

16 Water CNRatio Calcium Potassium Magnesium Phosphorus Nitrogen Carbon Nitrate Sulfur phcacl2 EC Db fiberr FiberU Enzyme Acer.rubrum Cirsium.arvense Eupatorium.perfoliatum Euthamia.graminifolia Eutrochium.maculatum Ilex.verticillata Leersia.oryzoides Osmunda.cinnamomea Phalaris.arundinacea Symphyotrichum.puniceum Symplocarpus.foetidus Vaccinium.corymbosum Verbena.hastata Water CNRatio Calcium Potassium Magnesium Phosphorus Nitrogen Carbon Nitrate Sulfur phcacl2 EC Db fiberr FiberU Enzyme Acer.rubrum Cirsium.arvense Eupatorium.perfoliatum Euthamia.graminifolia Eutrochium.maculatum Ilex.verticillata Leersia.oryzoides Osmunda.cinnamomea Phalaris.arundinacea Symphyotrichum.puniceum Symplocarpus.foetidus Vaccinium.corymbosum Verbena.hastata

17 Water CNRatio Calcium Potassium Magnesium Phosphorus Nitrogen Carbon Nitrate Sulfur phcacl2 EC Db fiberr FiberU Enzyme A b y Water Osmunda.cinnamomea Phalaris.arundinacea Symphyotrichum.puniceum

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23 Conclusions

24 Dynamic Soil Properties were significantly different by condition The RR sites were more similar (successful) than ER sites at restoring DSPs to reference conditions despite being more recently restored, the newer techniques gave better results neither treatment was as wet as the reference. The abundance of invasive Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) in the restored sites was not related to treatment, but was associated with changed DSPs Decades of tree development are required before restored sites resemble reference vegetation.

25 Next Steps

26 Complete State and Transition Model Update guidance to incorporate complex systems in sampling scheme

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29 Michigan Natural Features Inventory Group Alliance Association Southern Hardwood Swamp Central Hardwood Flatwoods & Swamp Forest Red Maple - Ash - Swamp White Oak Swamp Forest Swamp Forest Rich Tamarack Swamp Rich Conifer Swamp Hardwood-Conifer Swamp Prairie Fen Prairie Fen Southern Wet Meadow Emergent Marsh Inundated Shrub Swamp Southern Shrub-carr Southern Wet Meadow Emergent Marsh none Laurentian-Acadian- Appalachian Alkaline Swamp Laurentian-Acadian- Appalachian Alkaline Swamp Laurentian-Acadian- Appalachian Alkaline Swamp Midwest Prairie Alkaline Fen Midwest Prairie Alkaline Fen North-Central & Northeastern Seep Eastern North American Freshwater Marsh Eastern North American Shrub Swamp Eastern North American Shrub Swamp Midwest Wet Prairie & Wet Meadow Eastern Ruderal Wet Meadow & Marsh Eastern Ruderal Wet Meadow & Marsh Black Ash - Red Maple Swamp Forest Northern White-cedar - Red Maple Swamp Forest Acer (rubrum, saccharinum) - Fraxinus spp. - Ulmus americana Larix laricina - Acer rubrum / (Rhamnus alnifolia, Vaccinium corymbosum) Swamp Forest Larix laricina - Thuja occidentalis Swamp Forest Northern White-cedar - Red Thuja occidentalis - Fraxinus nigra Maple Swamp Forest Swamp Forest Cornus amomum - Salix spp. - Toxicodendron vernix - Rhamnus Midwest Prairie Fen lanceolata Fen Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda / Carex sterilis - Andropogon gerardii - Midwest Prairie Fen Arnoglossum plantagineum Fen Symplocarpus foetidus - Mixed Northern Calcareous Seep Forbs Seep Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani - Typha spp. - (Sparganium spp., Bulrush - Cattail Shallow Marsh Juncus spp.) Marsh Buttonbush - Swamp-loosestrife Cephalanthus occidentalis / Carex Shrub Swamp spp. Northern Shrub Swamp Red-osier Dogwood - Willow Cornus sericea - Salix spp. - (Rosa Shrub Swamp palustris) Shrub Swamp Midwest Sedge - Bluejoint Wet Carex stricta - Carex spp. Wet Meadow Meadow Ruderal Non-tidal Common Phragmites australis ssp. australis Reed Marsh Eastern Ruderal Marsh Eastern Ruderal Reed Canarygrass Marsh Phalaris arundinacea Eastern Ruderal Marsh