[APWG] ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION HowTo Re: [RWG] WEB: Shrub-Steppe &Grassland Restoration Manual for Columbia River Basin

[Wayne Tyson]

TH and APWG:

For the record, those questions are taken directly from the manual; they are 
not mine.

I think they are all good ones, except the last one. "What it looks like" is 
certainly what drives much of eco-illogical restoration, but it is at the 
core of the central error of ornamental horticulture, anthropocentrism, 
egocentrism, and human whim. "What it looks like" will be determined by the 
requirements of organisms and how- well or ill-fitted they are to the site, 
not some romantic or sentimental longing or aesthetic bias. How does it 
function? That should be the question.

As to "reference" sites, fragments of them can be found, and even some 
reasonably intact ones. Yes, this will take some training, but it isn't 
rocket science or brain surgery. The problem is getting past the 
horticultural/agronomic paradigms--they are almost 180 degrees out of phase 
with ecosystem requirements. It's not easy. It took me a minimum of fifteen 
years just to get to the point of understanding this, even in a vague way. 
But people who are heavily infested with those conventional paradigms will 
defend them until hell freezes over. That's what holds progress in ecosystem 
restoration and management back--a refusal to consider that one might have 
been wrong for years.

However, Nature is very forgiving, squishy, and resilient, and often will 
(or eventually will) prevail despite our best intentions and worst 
decisions. Ironically, it is this butt-saving feature that will sometimes 
come to the rescue of incompetent experts--it has saved mine many a time.

WT



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ty Harrison" <tyju at xmission.com>
To: "Wayne Tyson" <landrest at cox.net>; <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2012 7:02 PM
Subject: Re: [APWG] ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION HowTo Re: [RWG] WEB: Shrub-Steppe 
&Grassland Restoration Manual for Columbia River Basin


> Wayne et al.:  I've just reviewed the 100+ page restoration/revegetation 
> manual developed for the Columbia River Basin of eastern Washington 
> (http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01330/ ).
>    It was refreshing to see how wildlife specialist here in the arid west 
> are trying to revegetate abused lands dominated by weeds, crested, tall 
> and intermediate wheatgrasses with ecological suites of native species. 
> Although this manual relies on the typical "agronomic" approach, I think 
> the techniques are sound and appropriate and based on many years of 
> experience. I wish other regions of the arid west would have developed 
> similar manuals targeting wildlife and ecosystem function based on 
> experience with what works and appropriate for the areas.
>    Wayne's questions are certainly relevant.  What do I have?  What was 
> the historical condition? What does the site have going for it or against 
> it? What is a site capable of becoming?  What do I have to work with? What 
> do I want the site to look like?"
>   The section on the history and selection of a specfic or general 
> "reference ecosystem" (p. 31-33) was espectially noteworthy.  I'm 
> wondering how difficult it might be in some areas to even find 
> representative pre-settlement plant communities without a great deal of 
> ecological insight and training.  Ty Harrison
>
>
>
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus Database: 2113/4862 - Release Date: 03/10/12
>