Controlling Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris Arundinacea ) and Restoring Floodplain Forest in the Upper Mississippi River Valley
Controlling Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris Arundinacea ) and Restoring Floodplain Forest in the Upper Mississippi River Valley

Author: Maria DeLaundreau

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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Floodplain forest loss in the Upper Mississippi Valley is concerning because of the habitat these forests provide, especially for birds. Native floodplain forest systems are increasingly susceptible to reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinaceae; RCG) establishment and spread. Once invaded by RCG, ecological restoration of floodplain requires integrated treatments that reduce the existing RCG population, along with additional long-term control measures. A common secondary measure is tree or shrub plantings to provide shade and reduce the competitive ability of this shade-intolerant invader.

Suppression of Reed Canarygrass for Large-scale Floodplain Forest Restoration Across Four Sites in Southeast Minnesota, USA
Suppression of Reed Canarygrass for Large-scale Floodplain Forest Restoration Across Four Sites in Southeast Minnesota, USA

Author: William R. Kiser

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13:

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Experiments can provide insight on whether invasive plant dominance is caused by superior competitive ability (driver) or by environmental changes that facilitate plant invasion (passenger). Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea, hereafter RCG) displaces native plants and forms near-monocultures in North American wetlands. In the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) system, floodplain forests are negatively impacted by RCG invasion. We tested two RCG control techniques on a reforestation project at four sites in SE Minnesota. Treatments consisted of (1) applying glyphosate (Rodeo) herbicide and (2) mulching followed by applying sulfometuron methyl (Oust XP) herbicide. Treatments were applied in Fall 2016. We monitored herbaceous plant response and RCG performance over the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. We also calculated the number of days flooded in each plot for the 2017 growing season using linear interpolation of river gauge data. Both treatment methods significantly reduced RCG performance relative to controls during the 2017 growing season; however, RCG performance in treatment plots was similar to control plots during the 2018 growing season. Herbaceous plants increased in species richness and cover relative to control plots, although volunteer plant diversity varied among sites. These results indicate that follow-up herbicide applications are necessary to control RCG to facilitate tree establishment. Further, flooding and lack of native propagules may be factors in RCG invasions. Our results indicate that RCG may behave as a driver in some parts of the UMR and as a passenger in parts of the UMR that are more affected by hydrologic alteration.

New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration
New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration

Author: Richard J. Hobbs

Publisher: Island Press

Published: 2013-03-19

Total Pages: 366

ISBN-13: 1610911385

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As scientific understanding about ecological processes has grown, the idea that ecosystem dynamics are complex, nonlinear, and often unpredictable has gained prominence. Of particular importance is the idea that rather than following an inevitable progression toward an ultimate endpoint, some ecosystems may occur in a number of states depending on past and present ecological conditions. The emerging idea of “restoration thresholds” also enables scientists to recognize when ecological systems are likely to recover on their own and when active restoration efforts are needed. Conceptual models based on alternative stable states and restoration thresholds can help inform restoration efforts. New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration brings together leading experts from around the world to explore how conceptual models of ecosystem dynamics can be applied to the recovery of degraded systems and how recent advances in our understanding of ecosystem and landscape dynamics can be translated into conceptual and practical frameworks for restoration. In the first part of the book, background chapters present and discuss the basic concepts and models and explore the implications of new scientific research on restoration practice. The second part considers the dynamics and restoration of different ecosystems, ranging from arid lands to grasslands, woodlands, and savannahs, to forests and wetlands, to production landscapes. A summary chapter by the editors discusses the implications of theory and practice of the ideas described in preceding chapters. New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration aims to widen the scope and increase the application of threshold models by critiquing their application in a wide range of ecosystem types. It will also help scientists and restorationists correctly diagnose ecosystem damage, identify restoration thresholds, and develop corrective methodologies that can overcome such thresholds.

Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act
Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2001-11-06

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 0309133025

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Recognizing the importance of wetland protection, the Bush administration in 1988 endorsed the goal of "no net loss" of wetlands. Specifically, it directed that filling of wetlands should be avoided, and minimized when it cannot be avoided. When filling is permitted, compensatory mitigation must be undertaken; that is, wetlands must be restored, created, enhanced, and, in exceptional cases, preserved, to replace the permitted loss of wetland area and function, such as water quality improvement within the watershed. After more than a dozen years, the national commitment to "no net loss" of wetlands has been evaluated. This new book explores the adequacy of science and technology for replacing wetland function and the effectiveness of the federal program of compensatory mitigation in accomplishing the nation's goal of clean water. It examines the regulatory framework for permitting wetland filling and requiring mitigation, compares the mitigation institutions that are in use, and addresses the problems that agencies face in ensuring sustainability of mitigated wetlands over the long term. Gleaning lessons from the mixed results of mitigation efforts to date, the book offers 10 practical guidelines for establishing and monitoring mitigated wetlands. It also recommends that federal, state, and local agencies undertake specific institutional reforms. This book will be important to anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the "no net loss" issue: policy makers, regulators, environmental scientists, educators, and wetland advocates.