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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4>APWG:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4>Ecosystems are a reflection of the complex factors
that make up habitats, and some of these factors are going to be different and
change with time. Things like species composition are unlikely to quickly be the
same under change, and many known and unknown factors are involved. As Imlay has
pointed out, nothing is ever exactly the same, so the goal of "restoration"
can't sensibly be to "return" and ecosystem to what it was or may have been in
the past. The "restored" ecosystem may be different in the sense of conventional
measurements, but if it is self-sufficient it will still be an ecosystem. The
species composition will be a reconciliation of a number of forces, such as
climate and the organisms themselves, in varying amounts and ratios that change
with changing circumstances. Perhaps Imlay will elaborate on his earlier post.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4>Fire, grazing, and other disturbances all have
different effects depending upon uncountable and perhaps unknown or unknowable
variables. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4>As a practical matter, diversity tends to "wobble"
a bit, and that's one of its advantages. Under one set of circumstances, types,
species, and genes will "move" toward center-stage, as it were, and in another
recede. DeLeo is quite right in her observation that the availability of
propagules is an important factor, and introduction of seeds, spores, and other
elements necessary for the development of an historic ecosystem component may
need to be artificial--part of a restoration program. When natural sources
and/or dispersal agents are missing, the restoration program should consider
whether or not that piece of the puzzle should be left out or compensated for by
acting as a temporary vector. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4>Rodents and other fauna often play a seemingly
contrary role in restoration programs, but I have learned to look more deeply
into their role (Rodents, for example, are important in the soil-building
process.) in the ecosystem recovery process, which may take more time that
that arbitrarily "determined" by us. I have resorted to various tricks to
"restore" structure, for example (e.g., perching and nesting poles and
boxes, brush piles, etc.), which can have an indirect effect on faunal
activity and its effects on the developing ecosystem. If a site is so isolated
by development as to banish access and habitat for some top-predators like
coyotes, for example, raptors and other predator species might be employed to
limit the amplitude of boom/bust cycles. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4>WT</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=cdeleo@bouldercounty.org
href="mailto:cdeleo@bouldercounty.org">DeLeo, Claire</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=apwg@lists.plantconservation.org
href="mailto:apwg@lists.plantconservation.org">apwg@lists.plantconservation.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, February 27, 2012 2:28
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [APWG] [RWG] Ecosystem
Restoration Collapse</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=WordSection1>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">We
have done some fairly extensive grassland restoration of old ag fields in our
agency. Some of these restoration projects go back 15 years. One thing we
struggle with is managing our grassland restorations for disturbances that
grasslands are evolved with, such as fire and grazing. We don’t have the
ability to manage some of our restored grasslands in this way because of
prescribed fire restrictions or expense of fencing to allow grazing. When we
can’t manage this way, we see the weeds returning. We have to resort to
mowing, but it doesn’t really mimic natural grassland
disturbances.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">The
other thing we struggle with is diversity in our restorations. We are pretty
good at getting cool season grasses to establish, but warm season grasses and
forbs are much harder in our semi-arid climate. We aren’t seeing these species
come in on their own, probably because the seed source is not there in the
surrounding areas (too much development).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">I
have seen collapse of our grassland restorations when prairie dogs move in too
soon after restoration has been initiated. I’d like to hear from others what
the optimum time is for a grassland restoration to be able to support prairie
dogs? We have been saying at least 10 years, but we really don’t know.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">Thanks,
Claire<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face','serif'">Claire
DeLeo<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face','serif'">Plant
Ecologist<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face','serif'">Boulder
County Parks and Open Space<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face','serif'">5201 St.
Vrain Road<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face','serif'">Longmont,
CO 80503<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face','serif'">303-678-6205<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>PCA's Alien
Plant Working Group mailing
list<BR>APWG@lists.plantconservation.org<BR>http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org<BR><BR>Disclaimer<BR>Any
requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the opinion of
the individual posting the message.
<P>
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