Transcript No Slide Title - Michigan State University

Ecological Restoration
FOR 406 Silviculture
Harvest
Regenerate
Tend
Harvest
Regenerate
Tend
What is a “natural” ecosystem?
• Native (indigenous) species interact in a selfsustaining manner
• Species persist through natural recruitment
rather than managed reproduction
• Population dynamics are regulated internally
• Disturbance regimes function within their predisruption range of variability
• Trophic dynamics are sustainable over time
• Usually equated with some pre-existing
condition; e.g., “pre-European settlement”
Attainable?
Porcupine Mountains State Park
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
What is an “unnatural” ecosystem?
• High proportion of nonnative (exotic) species
• Exhibits wide swings in population dynamics,
thereby requiring continual management
actions
• Dominated by disturbance regimes far different
than those present before degradation
• Difficult or impossible to restore to natural
conditions
What is a “degraded” ecosystem?
• Somewhere in between natural and unnatural
conditions
• Potentially restorable to a more natural
condition
Degraded
Restoration
Natural ecosystems
ecosystems
Unnatural ecosystems
“Historical ecology”
“Historical ecology”
• The desired future condition is a past
condition
• How far past is past?
• The goal should be to achieve a
historical range of variability
• Therefore, not only species and
structures must be restored, but also
processes
How can pre-existing conditions be
defined?
• Extrapolation from “undisturbed” natural
ecosystems
Toumey Woods
Newton Woods
Estivant Pines
How can pre-existing conditions be
defined?
• Extrapolation from “undisturbed” natural
ecosystems
• Matching species with habitat
Shade tolerance
Deep
shade
Tolerant
Shade
Partial
shade
Moderately
tolerant
Intermittent
sun
Moderately
intolerant
Full sun
Intolerant
How can pre-existing conditions be
defined?
• Extrapolation from “undisturbed” natural
ecosystems
• Matching species with habitat
• General Land Office (GLO) survey records
One township
6
5
4
3
2
1
7
8
9
10
11
12
18
17
16
15
14
13
19
20
21
22
23
24
30
29
28
27
26
25
31
32
33
34
35
36
One section
15
S 16
S 15
S 21
S 22
Historic forest composition changes at a
location in Cheboygan County Michigan
(Data from Palik & Pregitzer 1992)
Species group
Pine
Hemlock
Beech
Maple
Paper birch
Aspen
Red oaks
ca. 1850s
1992
. . . . . % of total trees . . . . .
21
7
44
-22
<1
5
11
4
6
1
67
2
8
How can pre-existing conditions be
defined?
• Extrapolation from “undisturbed” natural
ecosystems
• Matching species with habitat
• General Land Office (GLO) survey records
• Written descriptions by early settlers &
scientists; native oral traditions
J.W. Wing, 1839
How can pre-existing conditions be
defined?
• Extrapolation from “undisturbed” natural
ecosystems
• Matching species with habitat
• General Land Office (GLO) survey records
• Written descriptions by early settlers &
scientists; native oral traditions
• Old photographs & maps
State Archives
of Michigan
MSU Archives &
Historical Collections
MSU Archives & Historical Collections
MAC Exp. Sta. Bulletin 162 (1898)
How can pre-existing conditions be
defined?
• Extrapolation from “undisturbed” natural
ecosystems
• Matching species with habitat
• General Land Office (GLO) survey records
• Written descriptions by early settlers &
scientists; native oral traditions
• Old photographs & maps
• Micro-fossil (pollen) record
Pollen diagram from a bog in Lapeer County
How can pre-existing conditions be
defined?
• Extrapolation from “undisturbed” natural
ecosystems
• Matching species with habitat
• General Land Office (GLO) survey records
• Written descriptions by early settlers &
scientists; native oral traditions
• Old photographs & maps
• Micro-fossil (pollen) record
• Dendrochronology
Ring width (mm)
226 years of radial growth in a northern
white cedar swamp near Escanaba
Year
~1890--tree
120 years old
The
Restoration
Arsenal
The
Restoration
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The
Restoration
Arsenal
Area of Michigan occupied by savanna communities
circa 1800 (data from MNFI)
1000
900
~2.2 million acres
Thousands of acres
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Lakeplain
openings
Oak barrens
Pine-oak
barrens
Bur oak
savanna
Inland oak
openings
Area of Michigan occupied by savanna communities
today
1000
900
Thousands of acres
800
+1 thousand acres?
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Lakeplain
openings
Oak barrens
Pine-oak
barrens
X X
Bur oak
savanna
Inland oak
openings
The
Restoration
Arsenal
Use of herbicides in restoration
Post-emergents
(selective placement):
• Foliar spray
• Stump application
• Bark application
Pre-emergents:
• Spot seeding or
plantings
• Large-area seeding
(broadcast)
The
Restoration
Arsenal
The
Restoration
Arsenal
The
Restoration
Arsenal
The enemy!
The
Restoration
Arsenal
Begin the restoration, and they will come…
Light the fire, and they will come…
The
Restoration
Arsenal
Restoration Time Frame
Fully
restored
Natural Ecosystem
Degraded
0
Years
100
50
10
?
No mon, no fun…
•
•
•
•
Agency, corporate, or unit budgets
Government or foundation grants
Private or corporate contributions
Fund-raising events, auctions, or
merchandise sales
• Entrance fees or donations
• All of the above
Since
1902