Parallel sessions with abstracts
Parallel sessions
Parallel sessions are organized on the themes of the conference. Contributed oral presentations will have no more than 15 minutes, following by 5 minutes of questions and times of each parallel session will be strictly manage by a chair.
Tuesday 24 August (11.20 – 12.40 am)
1. Restoration as the bridge builder (1/4)
2. Restoration of herbaceous ecosystems (1/6)
3. Restoration of peatlands, bogs, fens, mires, etc. (1/4)
5. Restoration of industrial areas and mines (1/4)
6 Special session 1. Food quality as bottleneck for fauna communities (1/1)
7. Restoration of rivers and riparian ecosystems (1/4)
8. Workshop 1. Water Hyacinth, problems and opportunities (1/7)
Tuesday 24 August (2.50 – 4.10 pm)
9. Restoration as the bridge builder (2/4)
10. Restoration of herbaceous ecosystems (2/6)
11. Restoration of peatlands, bogs, fens, mires, etc. (2/5)
12. Restoration of heathlands and artic ecosystems (1/1)
13. Restoration of industrial areas and mines (2/4)
14. Use of prescribed burns and fires in ecological restoration (1/1)
15. Restoration of rivers and riparian ecosystems (2/4)
16. Workshop 1. Water Hyacinth, problems and opportunities (2/7)
Tuesday 24 August (5.10 – 6.30)
17. Restoration as the bridge builder (3/4)
18. Restoration of herbaceous ecosystems (3/6)
19. Restoration of peatlands, bogs, fens, mires, etc. (3/4)
21. Restoration of industrial areas and mines (3/4)
22. Restoration of marine ecosystems (1/1)
23. Restoration of rivers and riparian ecosystems (3/4)
24. Workshop 1. Water Hyacinth, problems and opportunities (3/7)
Wednesday 25 August (10.30 – 12.30 am)
25. Restoration as the bridge builder (4/4)
26. Restoration of herbaceous ecosystems (4/5)
27. Restoration of peatlands, bogs, fens, mires, etc. (4/4)
28. Special session 2. Ecological restoration based on biogeochemical key processes (1/1)
29. Restoration of polluted mines and industrial areas (4/4)
30. Special session 3. Restoration and sustainable development of high elevation ecosystems (1/1)
31. Restoration of rivers and riparian ecosystems (4/4)
32. Workshop 1. Water Hyacinth, problems and opportunities (4/7)
Thursday 26 August (10.30 – 12.30 am)
33. Fragmentation, connectivity, and ecological restoration in Europe (1/1)
34. Restoration of herbaceous ecosystems (5/6)
35. Restoration of coastal and dune ecosystems (1/2)
36. Restoration of forest ecosystems (1/2)
37. Special session 4. Plant introduction in ecological restoration – opportunities and risks (1/1)
38. Worshop 2. Exchange of experiences on restoration and conservation of critical sites for migratory birds (1/3)
39. Special session 5. Sustainable management and restoration of Mediterranean riparian zones: the importance of International cooperation (1/1)
40. Workshop 1. Water Hyacinth, problems and opportunities (5/7)
Thursday 26 August (2.50 – 4.10 pm)
41 Socio-economic, policy and design issues in ecological restoration (1/2)
42 Restoration of herbaceous ecosystems (6/6)
43. Restoration of coastal and dune ecosystems (2/2)
44. Restoration of forest ecosystems (2/2)
45. Special session 6. Farming for Restoration: building bridges for native seeds (1/2)
46. Workshop 2. Exchange of experiences on restoration and conservation of critical sites for migratory birds (2/3)
47. Special session 7. Future of the best ecological restoration practices in European Atlantic rivers (1/2)
48. Workshop 1. Water Hyacinth, Problems and opportunities (6/7)
Thursday 26 August (5.10 – 6.30)
49 Socio-economic, policy and design issues in ecological restoration (2/2)
50. Key-species and facilitation in restoration ecology (1/1)
53. Special session 6. Farming for Restoration: building bridges for native seeds (2/2)
54. Workshop 2. Exchange of experiences on restoration and conservation of critical sites for migratory birds (3/3)
55. Special session 7. Future of the best ecological restoration practices in European Atlantic rivers (2/2)
56. Workshop 1. Water Hyacinth, problems and opportunities (7/7)
Friday 27 August (10.30 – 12.30 am)
57. Atmospheric nitrogen as a constraint to ecological restoration (1/1)
58. Restoration of Mediterranean ecosystems and arid lands (1/1)
59. Restoration of wetlands, lakes and ponds (1/1)
60. Linking restoration and ecological succession (1/1)
61. Workshop 3. Defining and sharing success criteria for single-species reintroduction
62. Workshop 4. Eyes wide open: building bridges and crossing them (1/1)
63. Special session 8. Eroded areas: ecological restoration or not? Different solutions for different ecological and socio-economic issues in river catchments (1/1)
64. Workshop 5. Addressing a Ramsar need through the identification and assessment of available practical guidance for the restoration of wetlands (1/1)
Program Overview
Tuesday 24 August (11.20 – 12.40 am)
Parallel session 1 (Conclave)
11 : 20 Is ecological science really sufficient to effectively restore Mediterranean ecosystems?
Carla Khater, Valerie Raevel, John Thompson, Mouin Hamze, Arnaud Martin
11 : 40 Linking restoration evaluation and knowledge exchange to combat desertification
Susana Bautista, Barron Joseph Orr, V. Ramón Vallejo
12 : 00 From ‘Why ?’ to ‘What ?’ and ‘How ?’: developing intercultural principles and strategies in ecological restoration
Tiemo Timmermann
12 : 20 Reaching a favourable conservation status within the EU: making ecological restoration a ‘hot’ issue
An Cliquet
Parallel session 2 (Cellier Benoît XII)
11 : 20 Assisted migration in urban demolishing sites: conversion of wasteland into low-maintenance meadows
Leonie K. Fischer, Moritz von der Lippe, Ingo Kowarik
11 : 40 Long-term assessment of grassland restoration by topsoil removal and diaspore transfer with hay – the importance of environmental filters and founder effects
Norbert Hölzel
12 : 00 Do nutrient-rich soils impede the restoration of species-rich mesophilous grassland? Long-year experiences on hay transfer in lowland and mountainous meadows
Rainer Buchwald, Tim Rosskamp, Luisa Steiner, Melanie Willen
12 : 20 Wet grassland restoration: effects of soil type, rewetting and techniques on recruitment and ground light availability
Jelte Pieter Dijkstra, Rudy van Diggelen, Jan van der Burg, Alex Verschoor, Bram van Ballaer, Hans Backx
Parallel session 3 (Paneterie 1)
11 : 20 Restoring key-biogeochemical features of groundwater-fed rich fens: a pilot study
Rudy Van Diggelen, Camiel Aggenbach, Ab Grootjans, Fons Smolders, Leon Lamers
11 : 40 Restoration of fens and peat lakes: a biogeochemical approach
Jeroen Geurts, Fons Smolders, Jan Roelofs, Leon Lamers
12 : 00 Control of seepage flux and soil organic matter dynamics on restoration of basiophilous fen meadows
Camiel Aggenbach, Ab Grootjans, Pieter Stuyfzand, André Jansen, Bikila Dullo
12 : 20 Restoration of drained mires in the Šumava National Park, Czech Republic
Ivana Bufková, Frantisek Stibal, Eva Mikulaskova
Parallel session 5 (Paneterie 3)
11 : 20 Influence of large scale topography on plant colonisation of post-industrial spoil
Barbra Harvie, Graham Russell, Colin Legg
11 : 40 A geomorphic reclamation model of ‘catchments on slopes’ for the ecological restoration of surface contour mining
María Feria, José Francisco Martín Duque, Cristina Martín Moreno, José Manuel Nicolau, Miguel Ángel Sanz Santos, Luis Balaguer
12 : 00 Construction wastes, green waste compost and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) used for landfill cover restoration
Lubomir Ruzek, Michaela Ruzkova, Karel Vorisek, Martin Koudela
12 : 20 General discussion
Parallel session 7 (Chambre du trésorier)
11 : 20 Biodiversity in riverbank techniques for erosion control: assessment of animal and plant species diversity along a natural gradient
André Evette, Paul Cavaillé
11 : 40 Applying river restoration knowledge in flood mitigation schemes: RIVERSCAPES as supports for dialog between dry dam designers and biologists
Christine Poulard, Michel Lafont, Anna Lenar-Matyas, Marta Kapuszek, Jerzy Ratomski, Céline Jézéquel, Pascal Breil
12 : 00 Characterization of the cost of aquatic ecosystems restoration for river basin management under the Water Framework Directive in Spain
Marta Catalinas Pérez, M. Estrella Alonso Tejedor, Ángel García Cantón
12 : 20 River Meuse restoration project from the air
Kris Van Looy, Herman Gielen
Tuesday 24 August (2.50 – 4.10 pm)
Parallel session 9 (Conclave)
14 : 50 Green Infrastructure as a tool for a new European Biodiversity Strategy
Ladislav Miko
15 : 10 Enhancing social and economic sustainability of restored areas: case studies from Brazil
Vera Lex Engel, John A. Parrotta
15 : 30 Community-based restoration: a case study from the Camargue
Lisa Ernoul, Nicolas Beck
15 : 50 Grassland and wetland restoration of Olsavica Valley (Eastern Slovakia)
Jan Seffer, Viera Sefferova Stanova, Rastislav Lasak
Parallel session 10 (Cellier Benoît XII)
14 : 50 Regrassing with regional seed mixtures in the Bile Karpaty Mountains, Czech Republic
Ivana Jongepierová, Jonathan Mitchley
15 : 10 Grassland restoration in floodplains of East German rivers
Armin Bischoff, Guido Warthemann, Nadja Winter
15 : 30 Ecological restoration of a wet meadow on peat soil: a case study in the estuary of Seine River (France
Fabrice Bureau, Chockri Mchergui, Estelle Langlois, Michael Aubert, Marthe Akpa-Vinceslas, Aurélie Husté, Pierre Margerie, Matthieu Chauvat, Sandrine Samson
15 : 50 Ecological recreation of a wet meadow on peat soil: comparison of vegetation natural dynamics, sowing, mowing and transplantation experiment
Estelle Langlois, Pierre Margerie, Fabrice Bureau, Estelle Forey, Michael Aubert, Aurélie Husté, Matthieu Chauvat, Sandrine Samson
Parallel session 11 (Paneterie 1)
14 : 50 Fluctuating water tables as potential restoration measure for floating rich fens
Casper Cusell, Annemieke Kooijman, Leon Lamers
15 : 10 The effects of peatland restoration on water-table depth, elemental concentrations and vegetation: 10 years of changes.
Tuomas Haapalehto, Harri Vasander, Sinikka Jauhiainen, Teemu Tahvanainen, Janne Kotiaho
15 : 30 Blanket bog water tables: How much of an impact did drains have, and what influences responses to restoration ?
Lorraine
15 : 50 Restoring drained blanket bogs: involving and informing the hill farming community
Mike Morris, Lorraine Wilson, Ian Johnstone, Jared Wilson
Parallel session 12 (Paneterie 2)
14 : 50 From arable fields to lowland heathland supporting Silver Studded Blue butterfly
Philip Putwain, Stephen Lewis, Gill Haynes
15 : 10 Restoration options for a Thames Basin heath
Mike Le Duc, Philip Putwain
15 : 30 Impacts of phenological shifts on the restoration of upland heath ecosystems in Scotland: practical problems and moral dilemmas
Barbra Harvie
15 : 50 Growth of rare plant with “home” and “away” mycorrhizal fungal assemblages
Maarja Öpik, Merili Simmer, Kadri Karp, Ülle Reier
Parallel session 13 (Paneterie 3)
14 : 50 What are the main influential factors on vegetation succession on reclaimed coal wastes in Spain
Josu Gonzalez Alday, Rob H. Marrs, Carolina
15 : 10 Hay transfer, mulch seeding and spontaneous succession – ten years after slope restoration in a post-mining site
Annett Baasch, Anita Kirmer, Sabine Tischew
15 : 30 Strategies for natural woodland development in mined sites based on germination and establishment studies with Betula pendula Roth
Antje Lorenz, Sabine Tischew, Sven Wagner
15 : 50 Ecological restoration of grassland on alkaline, sodic industrial residue
Ronan Courtney, Tom Harrington
Parallel session 14 (Cubiculaire)
14 : 50 Use of prescribed burning for restoration and maintenance of ecological conditions: Predicting and managing fire injury and tree mortality
Kevin Ryan, Eric Rigolot, Francisco Rego, Herminio Botelho, Jose Antonio Vega Hildago, Paulo Fernandes, Tatiana Sofronova
15 : 30 Effects of post-fire silvicultural treatments related to the burned wood on the soil nutrient availability and soil carbon sequestration
Sara Marañón-Jiménez, Jorge Castro, Andrew S. Kowalski, Regino Zamora
15 : 50 An experimental test of the impact of post-fire salvage logging on community regeneration
Jorge Castro
Parallel session 15 (Chambre du trésorier)
14 : 50 Ecological responses to management actions: flow alteration – vegetation response relationships
María Dolores Bejarano, Christer Nilsson, Marta González del Tánago, Miguel Marchamalo
15 : 10 River and watershed restoration through the assessment of ecosystem services
Francisco A. Comín, R. Sorando, B. Miranda, L. Guaras, S. Molinero, A. Calvo
15 : 30 Restauration hydroécologique de la Veyle au droit de la gravière de St-Denis-les-Bourg, département de l'Ain, France
Julien Corget, Philippe Adam
15 : 50 La revitalisation de l’Aire (Genève, Suisse)
François Gerber, Alexandre Wisard
Tuesday 24 August (5.10 – 6.30)
Parallel session 17 (Conclave)
17 : 10 Adjusting restoration actions to the community’s needs and preferences
Thorunn Petursdottir, Asa Aradottir
17 : 30 Wetland restoration in the Hunter River Estuary NSW Australia
Peggy Paradice
17 : 50 Brittany "Grand Site" rehabilitation: material and immaterial consideration
Yann Le Fur, Frédérique Chlous-Ducharme
18 : 10 Landuse as foundation for ecological restoration - development of a methodological Framework
Albin Blaschka, Thomas Guggenberger
Parallel session 18 (Cellier Benoît XII)
17 : 10 Restoration of agricultural landscape diversity by creation of small water ponds and perennial grassland habitats
Jurate Sendzikaite, Romas Pakalnis, Dalia Aviziene, Leonas Jarasius
17 : 30 Promoting target plant species on former agricultural land by soil inoculations
Vanesa Carbajo Vázquez, Gerlinde B. De Deyn, Wim H. van der Putten
17 : 50 Evaluation of the hydroseeding as indoor plant restoration technique in slopes of roads in southern Bolivia
Kelly Garcete, Francisco Serrano-Bernardo, María Beltrán-Hermoso, Jose J. de la Torre-Betts , Jose L. Rósua-Campos
18 : 10 Twenty-eight years of vegetation monitoring in four permanent Plots on the Montagne Saint-Pierre (Belgium
Martine Lejeune, Willy Verbeke
Parallel session 19 (Paneterie 1)
17 : 10 Spontaneous vegetation succession in extracted peatlands: a multi-site study
Petra Konvalinkova
17 : 30 Success of peatland restoration in northern Finland
Anne Tolvanen, Marja-Leena Päätalo, Anna Laine, Mirva Leppälä, Oili Tarvainen
17 : 50 Long-term monitoring of the structure and diversity of the vegetation of a peat-bog after restoration (Québec Canada)
Francis Isselin-Nondedeu, Line Rochefort, Monique Poulin
18 : 10 Restoration of raised bogs: Don’t forget the species and habitat diversity
Gert-Jan van Duinen, Hein van Kleef, Wilco Verberk
Parallel session 21 (Paneterie 3)
17 : 10 Soil fauna in mine restoration: example of endemic earthworms in a New Zealand coal mine
Stephane Boyer, Stephen Wratten
17 : 30 Less obvious interaction in plant succession on derelict sites – effect of soil fauna and dominant trees
Ondrej Mudrak, Jan Frouz
17 : 50 Molecular diet analysis of keystone snail species associated with mine rehabilitation
Stephane Boyer, Steve Wratten, Andrew Holyoake, Robert Cruickshank, Jawad Abdelkrim
18 : 10 Soil carbon storage in post mining site, the effect of vegetation and soil fauna
Jan Frouz
Parallel session 22 (Cubiculaire)
17 : 10 Algal forests and the replenishment of Mediterranean rocky fishes
Adrien Cheminée, Luisa Mangialajo, Patrice Francour
17 : 30 Marine vegetation restoration in coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea
Luisa Mangialajo, Patrice Francour, Alexandre Meinesz, Heike Molenaar, Marie-Lucie Susini, Thierry Thibaut
17 : 50 BioRestore : a 3-Step Process to Restore Marine Ecosystem Integrity, Resilience and Biodiversity
Gilles Lecaillon, Séverine Pristchepa, Eric Blin
18 : 10 Marine restoration in Florida (USA): how to scoring the ecosystemic function losses and the gains from compensatory restoration?
Sylvain Pioch, Harold Levrel
Parallel session 23 (Chambre du trésorier)
17 : 10 Role of phosphorus in recolonisation processes after restoration of connectivity in Rhine side channels
Albin Meyer, Isabelle Combroux-Lazar, Michèle Trémolières
17 : 30 Potential impact of dam levelling onto controlled equilibrium of nutrient availability in river
Rudy Nicolau, Bastien Doraphe, Christophe Jeannin, Yoann Brizard
17 : 50 Vegetation dynamics after restoration of connectivity in Rhine side channels
Isabelle Combroux-Lazar, Albin Meyer Corinne Grac, Michèles Trémolières
18 : 10 Restoration of fluvial dynamics in ancient stream channels of the Danube floodplain in Bavaria (Germany)
Kathrin Kiehl, André Schwab
Wednesday 25 August (10.30 – 12.30 am)
Parallel session 25 (Conclave)
10 : 30 Boundary work in ecological restoration and conservation
Jac. A.A.Swart, Henny J. van der Windt
10 : 50 The processes of social participation in the projects in river restoration adaptative management models (Spain )
Lara L.Rodríguez, Pérez M.A. Fernández, Mora P. Mc Ginity
11 : 10 Stakeholder views on restoring depleted cereal fallows in arid Tunisia
Marjolein Visser
11 : 30 An evaluation of restoration actions using ecosystem services in a semi-arid steppe
Mchich Derak, Jordi Cortina
11 : 50 Initiatives of Polish artists shaping respective attitude towards nature – importance of tree in ecological art
Magdalena Worlowska, Maria Marko-Worlowska
12 : 10 Is ecological restoration an option for Lebanese calcareous quarries rehabilitation? From legal framework to field applications
Layla Saad, Grégory Mahy, Benoit Delpeuch, Patricia Chedrawi, Antonio Francis, Carla Khater
Parallel session 26 (Cellier Benoît XII)
10 : 30 Restoration and management to conserve biodiversity at the landscape scale
Szabolcs Lengyel, Katalin Varga, Eszter Déri, László Lontay Aggtelek, Béla Tóthmérész
10 : 50 Restoration of species-rich grasslands on former arable land by spontaneous colonization and hay transfer and with grazing of megaherbivores
Sandra Mann, Sabine Tischew
11 : 10 Is large-scale, low-intensity grazing an applicable tool for promoting biodiversity in river valleys?
Joachim Schrautzer, Veronika Breuer, Michael Breuer, Kai Jensen
11 : 30 Impact of soil, seasonality and consumers on biomass quality in chalk grasslands
Till Kleinebecker, Heidi Weber, Norbert Hölzel
11 : 50 Exclosure as restoration technique for degraded arid rangelands
Ahmed Aidoud, Halima Slimani, Françoise Rozé
12: 10 General discussion
Parallel session 27 (Paneterie 1)
10 : 30 Evaluating large-scale, open-ended habitat creation projects: the example of the Wicken Vision Project, Cambridgeshire, UK
Francine Hughes, Pete Stroh, William M. Adams
10 : 50 Relationships between age, the soil seed bank and standing vegetation across a landscape-scale wetland restoration project
Pete Stroh, Francine Hughes, Owen Mountford, Tim Sparks
11 : 10 Restoration of fen grasslands by mulching – experriments on alkaline fens in Slovakia
Dobromil Galvánek, Tomáš Dražil, Daniel Díti, Rudolf Šoltés Poprad, Anna Leskovjanská Spišská Nová Ves, Marta Mutianová, Ján Ripka
11 : 30 Cutaway bog rehabilitation and habitat creation in Ireland
Catherine Farrell
11 : 50 The spontaneous re-vegetation of the milled and block-cut peatlands on the example of Rabivere and Viru bogs in northern Estonia
Edgar Karofeld, Triin Triisberg, Jaanus Paal
12 : 10 Planning for restoration of disturbed peatlands in Australia – a triage approach incorporating resilience assessments, peat profiling and hydrological modelling
Anita Wild
Parallel session 29 (Paneterie 3)
10 : 30 Soil-plants relations diversity in extreme ecosystems and implications for restoration: the case of the cupriferous vegetation, in Katanga (DRC)
Maxime Seleck, Lebrun Julie, Guillaume Arielle, Piqueray Julien, Mahy Grégory
10 : 50 Biodiversity conservation and mining: a study case of ecosystem reconstruction in Katanga (DRC)
Julie Lebrun,Semereab Ezana, Rensonnet Audrey, Handjila Guylain, Malaisse François, Grégory Mahy
11 : 10 Restoration of nature by the post mining land use strategies, suggestions for Kure Copper Mine
Ayse Kalayci
11 : 30 May rare metallophytes benefit from disturbed soils following mining activity ?
Michel-Pierre Faucon, Ingrid Parmentier, Grégory Mahy, Gilles Colinet, Michel Ngongo Luhembwe, Pierre Meerts
11 : 50 Restoration of mining sites in New Caledonia
Adrien Wulff, Laurent L'Huillier, Jacques Rabier, Bruno Fogliani
12 : 10 Soil seed bank of calamine sites in Belgium
Jean-philippe Bizoux, Grégory Mahy
Parallel session 31 (Chambre du trésorier)
10 : 30 Riparian vegetation metrics as tools for guiding ecological restoration in riverscapes
Francisca Aguiar, Teresa Ferreira, Rosário Fernandes
10 : 50 River restoration of small lowland streams: evaluation of the success for macrofauna and fish
Bram Van Ballaer, Chris Van Liefferinge, Olivier Beauchard, Eric de Deckere, Patrick Meire
11 : 10 Individuation of fluvial areas needing restoration through the analysis of a target species, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra L.)
Maria Teresa Carone, Tiziana Simoniello, Anna Loy, Maria Laura Carranza
11 : 30 Protocole d'éradication de l'écrevisse de Californie par stérilisation mécanique des mâles
Théo Duperray
11 : 50 Ecologie et perspectives de restauration et de valorisation d’écosystèmes envahis par des Ludwigia sp. : Etat de l’art
Imen Smida, Jean Le Petit, Claude Charpy-Roubaud
12 : 10 General discussion
Thursday 26 August (10.30 – 12.30)
Parallel session 33 (Conclave)
10 : 30 Restoring the web of life – Ecological networks for more biodiversity in the Alps
Yann Kohler
10 : 50 Surveys and evaluation of restoration operations
Sébastien Gallet, Jérôme Sawtschuk, Frédéric Bioret
11 : 10 Certification for ecological restoration practitioners
Sasha Alexander, John Stanley, Andre Clewell
11 : 30 Implementing the habitats directive: management planning in Germany
Anne Böhnke-Henrichs, Torsten Lipp
11 : 50 Limitations of large-scale nature restoration practices for species typical for the protected Natura 2000 habitats - the Dutch perspective
Agata Klimkowska, Han van Dobben
12: 10 General discussion
Parallel session 34 (Cellier Benoît XII)
10 : 30 Extinction debt and colonization credit? When both phenomena are mingled
Julien Piqueray, Sara Cristofoli, Emmanuelle Bisteau, Rodolphe Palm, Grégory Mahy
10 : 50 Restoration of calcareous grassland on ex-arable land: the importance of establishment microsites and longer-term management
Markus Wagner, Jodey Peyton, Lucy Hulmes, Sarah Hulmes, Ben Woodcock, Matt Heard James Bullock, Richard Pywell
11 : 10 Preliminary results of multi-treatments steppe restoration processes in La Crau (Provence, France)
Renaud Jaunatre, Elise Buisson, Thierry Dutoit
11 : 30 The fate of herbaceous seeds during topsoil stockpiling: germination rate and viability
Desirée Rivera Garcia, Berta Jáuregui, Gabriel De la Rosa , Begoña Peco
11 : 50 Restoration of rupestrian fields, physiognomy of Cerrado threatened by land use changes
Soizig Le Stradic, Elise Buisson, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
12 : 10 Transfer of one population of a rare orchid in Corsica
Richard Franck, Kaczmar Michaël, Laetitia Hugot, Schatz Bertrand
Parallel session 35 (Paneterie 1)
10 : 30 The importance of restoring dynamic coastal sand dunes for fauna
Bart Wouters
10 : 50 Evaluation of Dutch coastal wetlands restoration: effects of weather conditions
Bikila Warkineh Dullo, Ab Grootjans
11 : 10 Rate of soil organic matter accumulation: a key factor in succesfull restoration of dune slacks on the Dutch Wadden Sea Islands
Rohani Shahrudin, Bikila Warkineh Dullo, Ab Grootjans
11 : 30 Elucidating the beneficial and toxic endpoints of a soil conditioning agent (commercial humic acid) in coastal plant restoration
Jonathan Willis, Michael Dupuis, Christine Pickens, Mark Hester
11 : 50 Evaluation of humic acid amendment in facilitating plant establishment in coastal environments
Mark Hester, Mike Dupuis, Christine Pickens, Jonathan Willis
12 : 10 Suitable site selection for sustainable coastal tourism based on ecological criteria (with GIS and delphi method). Case study: Caspian Sea Coast of Southern Iran
Mahsa Hakimi Abed, Masood Monavari, Abdolreza Karbasi
Parallel Session 36 (Paneterie 2)
10 : 30 Assessment of forest stand history using pedoanthracology: a precious tool to definite a forest system “reference”, at the local scale
Vincent Robin, Oliver Nelle, Brigitte Talon
10 : 50 Characteristics of reference ecosystems in defining restoration targets: static vs. dynamic approach
Ekaterina Shorohova, I. Vanha-Majamaa
11 : 10 Conservation and restoration models of non-homogenous forest habitats
David Hladnik, Lado Kutnar
11 : 30 Can we restore natural habitats after plant invasion? Lessons from years of management
Gwenn Frisson, Mathieu Halford, Emmanuel Delbart, Grégory Mahy
11 : 50 Restoration of plant populations and communities – does arbuscular mycorrhiza matter?
Martin Zobel, Mari Moora, Maarja Öpik, Kadri Koorem
12 : 10 General discussion
Thursday 26 August (2.50 – 4.10)
Parallel session 41 (Conclave)
14 : 50 Intervention ecology: managing and restoring ecosystems in the 21st century
Richard Hobbs
15 : 10 Determining environmental investment priorities – a new framework
Melanie Strang, David J. Pannell, Anna M. Roberts, Geoff Park, Jennifer Alexander
15 : 30 Wild Design: principles to guide ecological restoration in protected natural areas
Eric Higgs, Richard Hobbs
15 : 50 Ecological restoration in Belgium, a practical approach by an NGO
Willem Laermans, Tom Andries
Parallel session 42 (Cellier Benoît XII)
14 : 50 Comparative examination of potential biotic and abiotic influences on the dynamic of dry grasslands in Brandenburg, Germany
Kristin Meier, Torsten Lipp,Volker Otte
15 : 10 Subordinate plant species and mycorrhizal fungi: preferential symbiosis association?
Pierre Mariotte, Claire Meugnier, Charlotte Vandenberghe, Edward Mitchell, Alexandre Buttler
15 : 30 Preliminary results of monitoring the changes in field layer of restored wooded meadow
Elle Roosaluste
15 : 50 Pioneer conditions are steering for river grassland restoration
Kris Van Looy
Parallel session 43 (Paneterie 1)
14 : 50 The role of drought years in forecasting restoration success – case studies from Hungary
Katalin Török, Rebeka Szabó, Katalin Szitár, Balint Czúcz, Tibor Szili-Kovács
15 : 10 Restoration of the tidal lagoon of the Zwin
Jean-Louis Herrier
15 : 30 A long term ecological restoration project for the dune habitats in northern Tuscany
Antonio Perfetti, Leonardo Lombardi, Francesca Logli, Luca Puglisi, Linda Colligiani, Andrea Porchera, Olga Mastroianni, Mariaceleste Labriola
15 : 50 Environmental filters effects in spontaneous succession. What implications for restoration of maritime cliff-top vegetation?
Jérôme Sawtschuk, Fréderic Bioret, Sébastien Gallet
Parallel session 44 (Paneterie 2)
14 : 50 Chemical and biochemical properties of the soil as potential tools for monitoring woodland restoration in south western Western Australia
Katarzyna Bialkowski, Robert Archibald, Giles Hardy, Treena Burgess
15 : 10 Resilience of the transition forest following slash-and-burn cultivation near Andohahela National Park, Southeastern Madagascar
Melissa De Wilde, Elise Buisson, Fidisoa Ratovoson, Richard Randrianaivo, Jimmy Andrianirina, Stéphanie M. Carrière, Pete P. Lowry II
15 : 30 Post-logging ban timber tree planting in south-eastern Asia: cases of Philippines & Thailand
15 : 50 General discussion
Thursday 26 August (5.10 – 6.30 pm)
Parallel session 49 (Conclave)
17 : 10 Role of adjacent surrounding vegetation during succession in sites disturbed by mining: additional potential for restoration?
Klára Rehounková, Romana Trnková, Petra
17 : 30 Reed margins along drainage dikes in an intensive agricultural landscape: valuable or negligible ecological structures for marshland invertebrates ?
Kris Decleer, Johan Baetens, Patrick Grootaert, Didier Drugmand, Leon Baert, Wouter Deconinck, Marc Pollet, Rudy Van Diggelen, Dries Bonte
17 : 50 Mapping, avoidance, mitigation and restoration in environmental impact assessments
Annebeth Hoffmann, Anne Eiby, Jan Rasmussen
18 : 10 Biological and technical variables associated with successful plant reintroduction programmes
Sandrine Godefroid, Thierry Vanderborght
Parallel session 50 (Cellier Benoît XII)
17 : 10 Ranking of plant species: from dominant to subordinate, what's effect of root competition?
Pierre Mariotte, Charlotte Vandenberghe, Alexandre Buttler
17 : 30 Restoration of Mediterranean dry grasslands by sowing structuring species
Clémentine Coiffait-Gombault, Elise Buisson, Thierry Dutoit
17 : 50 Physical and biological structure of woody patches determine establishment success of a Mediterranean key species
Beatriz Amat, Jordi Cortina
18 : 10 Role of rangeland shrubs as safe sites for the restoration projects
Mohammad Jankju, Hamid Ejtehadi
Friday 27 August (10.30 – 12.30 pm)
Parallel session 57 (Conclave)
10 : 30 Cumulative effects of nitrogen deposition on dry inland dune ecosystems
Marijn Nijssen
10 : 50 Early indicators of atmospheric nitrogen deposition impact on lichen-rich, coastal dune grasslands
Eva Remke, Emiel Brouwer, Jan G.M. Roelofs, Irmgard Blindow, Annemieke Kooijman
11 : 10 Ecological restoration in grey dunes: the role of N-deposition in different soils
Kooijman A.M., Noordijk, H., Hinsberg, A. van, Cusell, C., Til, M. Van
11 : 30 Butterfly population response to reduced nitrogen deposition and site restoration
Alan Feest
11 : 50 General discussion
12 : 10 General discussion
Parallel session 58 (Cellier Benoît XII)
10 : 30 Restoring South African mediterranean-type ecosystems following alien plant invasion
Karen Esler
10 : 50 Effects of light and exogenous plant growth regulators on seedling establishment of four autochthonous shrubby plants from high Mediterranean mountain, Sierra Nevada (S Spain)
Francisco Serrano-Bernardo, Kelly Garcete, María Beltrán-Hermoso, José Juan de la Torre-Betts , José Luis Rosúa-Campos
11 : 10 Multi-criteria evaluation of forest restoration projects in the northern Mediterranean
Anahi Ocampo-Melgar, Susana Bautista, Jose Antonio Alloza, Barron Joseph Orr, Ramon Vallejo
11 : 30 Environmental drivers of seedling performance in Quercus ilex plantations
Jaume Tormo, Jorge Monerris, Jordi Cortina
11 : 50 Dendroecological and genetic population analyses to assist decision making in dryland restoration
Lucía DeSoto, Karen Disante, Beatriz Amat, María J. R. da Silva, Jaume Tormo, Jordi Cortina
12 : 10 Ecological strategy of species involved and water availability modulate the outcome of grass-shrub interactions in degraded semi-arid systems
Santiago Soliveres, Pablo García-Palacios, Fernando T. Maestre, Jorge Monerris, Jordi Cortina, Adrián Escudero, Fernando Valladares
Parallel session 59 (Paneterie 1)
10 : 30 Aménagement écologique de l’Alzette au Dumontshaff
Micha Bunusevac, Jean-Claude Kirpach
10 : 50 Ecological restoration of coastal wetlands in the central Mediterranean area
Atonio Perfetti, Stefano Cavalli, Leonardo Lombardi, Pietro Gattai, Pasquale Vernina, Mariaceleste Labriola, Olga Mastroianni, Alessio Favilla, Luca Puglisi
11 : 10 Restoration of an old agricultural estate in Doñana National Park (SW Spain): a six year vegetation study of a transformed marsh
Alberto Vélez-Martín, Carlos J. Luque, Manuel Coca, Anthony J. Davy, Eloy M. Castellanos
11 : 30 Long term effects of liming on biogeochemistry of Norwegian softwater lakes: restoration of the vegetation by introducing an eco-engineer
Esther C.H.E.T. Lucassen, Alfons J.P., Jan G.M. Roelofs
11 : 50 Recovery of anuran community diversity following habitat replacement II: A long term survey allows
Alain Pagano, F. Foussard, D. Lesbarrères
Parallel session 60 (Paneterie 2)
10 : 30 Measuring the restoration process: the mean species trait approach
Isabelle Le Viol, Christian Kerbiriou
10 : 50 Near-natural restoration of mining sites. A multi-site comparison
Karel Prach
11 : 10 Restoration of target communities in the course of spontaneous succession in old fields: a multi - site study from central Europe
Alena Jírová
11 : 30 Secondary succession in roadside slopes: the role of plant-soil interactions to improve ecosystem restoration
Pablo García-Palacios, Fernando T. Maestre, Santiago Soliveres, Fernando Valladares, Adrián Escudero
11 : 50 Investigation of communities in mining areas at different scales: the organisms’ potential as bio-indicators and for accelerating the secondary succession
Virgil Iordache, Marilena Onete, Mihaela Pauca, Ioana Gomoiu, Dorina Purice, Ioana Cobzaru, Liliana Oromulu, Viorica Honciuc, Aurora Neagoe
12 : 10 General discussion
ABSTRACTS
Is Ecological Science really sufficient to effectively restore Mediterranean ecosystems?
Carla Khater, Valerie Raevel, John Thompson, Mouin Hamze, Arnaud Martin
Mediterranean landscapes are complex units where complex mosaics of natural and man made ecosystems dominated by socio-economic, cultural, and land-use changes. While current land use planning practices are rather based on the utilitarian role of ecosystems, while scientists discuss ecological sciences, and practionners focus on economically sound and short terms outputs, we present the two dichotomies underlying the effective restoration of Mediterranean ecosystems as an inherent need for a double integration of disciplines (1) the one between ecological theory and management practice and (2) the one between ecology and socioeconomy. The resulting Mediterranean trilogy requires innovative methods for restoration that will acknowledge not only the need to integrate much firmer ecological foundation for developing and implementing restoration programs but also the fact that habitat restoration in the Mediterranean should admit and account for human activity and in extenso, ecosystem services. Aiming to set up and implement an ecologically sound, economically feasible, and socially acceptable restoration programme, we identify ways to more efficiently integrate ecological knowledge into effective restoration practice for Mediterranean ecosystems.
Linking restoration evaluation and knowledge exchange to combat desertification
Susana Bautista, Barron Joseph Orr, V. Ramón Vallejo
Essential knowledge on the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of prevention and restoration actions to combat desertification remains scarce. There is a growing demand for land management assessment, which ultimately can provide essential inputs for decision-making. To address these needs, we have launched a multinational project (PRACTICE - Prevention and Restoration Actions to Combat Desertification. An Integrated Assessment), funded by the European Commission. PRACTICE approach is to link project assessment and evaluation with training, education, and knowledge exchange through a participatory process involving scientists, managers, financial officers, and members of the public who are/were impacted by the restoration projects. PRACTICE assessment protocol assumes the mutual human-environment interactions in land-use change and simultaneously considers both biophysical and socio-economic attributes. The protocol is based on (1) key common indicators that represent overall ecosystem and human-environmental system functioning, (2) site-specific indicators identified by local stakeholders that are relevant to the objectives and the particular context conditions, and (3) stakeholder perspectives. Site-specific indicators are grouped into categories representing ecosystem services and biodiversity. Multicriteria decision models are used for integrating the information provided by the various indicators and for integrating the stakeholder perspectives. The process is iterative, provides a framework for knowledge exchange and a path towards consensus building. The participatory assessment process is developed through local meetings and, where possible, internet-based communication. It captures scientific and local knowledge while documenting the changes in perceptions and learning that take place throughout the process.
From ‘Why ?’ to ‘What ?’ and ‘How ?’: Developing intercultural principles and strategies in ecological restoration
Tiemo Timmermann
The global view on restoration practices shows a large variety of target ecosystems and specific ecological services, restoration strategies and tools. Responsible for this are not only the large differences of the ecosystem types, land use methods and specific threats but also different cultural backgrounds, motivations and traditions. This paper focuses this variety by relating several case studies of restoration practice from Europe and
Reaching a favourable conservation status within the EU: making ecological restoration a ‘hot’ issue
An Cliquet
The main aim of nature conservation legislation in the European Union (EU), the Birds and Habitats Directives, is to reach a favourable conservation status of species and habitats within the EU. Most member states are currently involved in a process of developing conservation measures for designated protected sites under the Natura 2000 network. As a lot of habitats and species are in an unfavourable status of conservation, measures for ecological restoration will be required in order to fulfil the EU obligations. A lot of ecologists involved in the process of the management of Natura 2000 areas are confronted with the precise scope of legal obligations. This presentation will elaborate on the legal obligations in the EU relating to ecological restoration. More particularly the presentation will focus on the following items (defining conservation objectives and priorities; species and habitats for which measures must be taken; measures outside the Natura 2000 sites (connectivity); evaluation of the conservation status (legal requirements on the level of evaluation); EU guidelines for assessing favourable conservation status; legal obligations for restoration in case of local extinction; legal obligations for restoration in case of a partial deterioration of a site; transboundary management of Natura 2000 sites). The research for this presentation is based on EU legislation, interpretation guides by the European Commission, case law by the European Court of Justice and legal literature.
Assisted migration in urban demolishing sites: conversion of wasteland into low-maintenance meadows
Leonie K. Fischer, Moritz von der Lippe, Ingo Kowarik
Species-rich meadows are sharply decreasing within many cultural landscapes due to intensified agricultural practices. Simultaneously, enormous free spaces evolve in shrinking cities. We hypothesise that these areas have great potential for developing extensively managed meadows because conservation objectives can here be combined with the aim of low-maintenance greening. In a long-term project, we assessed whether disused urban areas can serve as substitute habitats for species of extensively managed meadows. Our field experiment is situated directly in large-scale housing areas in
Long-term assessment of grassland restoration by topsoil removal and diaspore transfer with hay – the importance of environmental filters and founder effects
Norbert Hölzel
Restoration measures aiming at the recreation of low productive alluvial grassland by topsoil removal and the transfer of various types of seed containing hay from target communities have been monitored for 12 years between 1998 and 2009. Overall vegetation development during the first four years was characterized by a rapid decline of ruderals followed by a constant and ongoing spread of species transferred with hay. Origin of plant material and flooding frequency as an environmental filter were key factors for the differentiation of vegetation within the restoration site. After 12 years species composition strongly resembled those of the donar sites and up to now only a limited exchange between treatments that received hay from different origin was observed. More than 110 species could establish from the transferred hay, among them numerous endangered target species. Some species, especially sedges, showed a strongly delayed establishment whereas only single species disappeared after successful recruitment. During the second half of the observation period a massive spread of N-fixing legumes such as Genista tinctoria and Ononis spinosa occurred, reflecting the strong nutrient impoverishment by topsoil removal. Overall, the obtained results approved topsoil removal combined with hay transfer being an extremely successful method for the long-term establishment of species-rich nutrient poor grassland ecosystems.
Do nutrient-rich soils impede the restoration of species-rich mesophilous grassland? Long-year experiences on hay transfer in lowland and mountainous meadows
Rainer Buchwald, Tim Rosskamp, Luisa Steiner, Melanie Willen
From 2004 to 2008 we carried out 24 hay transfer measures from species-rich mesophilous donor meadows (belonging mostly to Arrhenatherion and Trisetion) to species-poor meadows and former or actually used fields in SW- and NW-Germany. The recipient sites showed a great variability in chemical parameters of the upper soil layers, like pH, content of K and P as well as C/N-relation. The pH values extend from rather low (3,9 4,7) to moderately alkaline (6,8-7,3), while the contents of soluble potassium vary from low (4-11mg) to very high (45-50mg) K2O per 100g soil. Furthermore, we found low (4-11mg) to very high (37-45mg) concentrations of soluble phosphate (P2O5 per 100g soil) in the recipient sites. However, the amplitude in the N contents are clearly smaller, extending from soils rich in nitrogene (C/N 9,7-11,4) to rather poor (C/N 23,7-28,4, one site 40,5). We assessed the success of the 24 transfer measures by means of some parameters, as the number of transferred plant species and the floristic similarity between the donor meadow and the restored meadow some years after hay transfer. We found that the success of hay transfer does not strongly depend on the soil chemistry of the recipient site, while the technique of the transfer as well as the phonological stage and the floristical composition of the donor sites might be of great importance. From the four soil chemical parameters, probably the content of phosphate is the most relevant factor as regards the restoration success.
Wet grassland restoration: effects of soil type, rewetting and techniques on recruitment and ground light availability
Jelte Pieter Dijkstra, Rudy van Diggelen, Jan van der Burg, Alex Verschoor, Bram van Ballaer, Hans Backx
The aim of an experiment on former agricultural grassland was analysis of measures for their efficiency to oppose the major biotic bottlenecks in grassland restoration: limitation in seed dispersal, recruitment and light competition by swards. Treatments were: 3 soil types, propagule introduction (hay vs. seeds) of 6 vegetation types, 3 contrasting recruitment conditions and 3 rewetting regimes. During 4 years of monitoring, 76% of the species recorded at donor sites were found at receiving sites and could be attributed to propagule introduction. However, in 3m x 3m subplots, mean proportions of transferred species at year 4 were small: 6%, 12% and 11% for the three chosen soil types: clay-on-peat, peat-on-sand and sand. For recruitment conditions, top soil removal showed highest proportions of transferred species as well as highest frequencies of species rare in donor sites and in the
Restoring key-biogeochemical features of groundwater-fed rich fens: a pilot study
Rudy Van Diggelen, Camiel Aggenbach, Ab Grootjans, Fons Smolders,
Rich fens belong to the most species-rich communities and are categorized as EU priority habitats. Because of heavy deterioration fen restoration has a high priority in the
Restoration of fens and peat lakes: a biogeochemical approach
Jeroen Geurts, Fons Smolders, Jan Roelofs,
Worldwide, fens and peat lakes are being threatened by multiple environmental problems, such as desiccation, eutrophication, pollution and global warming (Gorham, 1995; Smolders et al., 2006). This has led to increased peat decomposition and sludge production, disappearance of macrophyte species, biodiversity losses and hampered terrestrialization (Roelofs, 1991; Koerselman et al., 1995; Lamers et al., 2002; Laiho, 2006). This presentation emphasizes the essential role of biogeochemical knowledge in the ecological restoration of fens and peat lakes. The regulation of PO4 mobilization, SO4 reduction, sulphide toxicity and peat decomposition all have important implications for water and sediment quality, and for vegetation development. As indicators of both biogeochemical processes and potential biodiversity, sediment and sediment pore water ratios provide valuable diagnostic and prognostic tools for the restoration of fens and peat lakes. These ratios are not only useful for risk assessment, but also for selecting the most promising measures. In many cases, however, it turns out to be difficult to tackle the high P concentrations present by P immobilization methods or dredging. Besides decreasing the influx of nutrient-rich water, it is therefore important to prevent the influx of alkaline and S-rich water, because this hydrological measure will slow down decomposition processes and internal mobilization of nutrients. It can be concluded that if the right measures are chosen on the basis of simple measurements, it is certainly possible to restore the biodiversity in declined fens and peat lakes.
Control of seepage flux and soil organic matter dynamics on restoration of basiophilous fen meadows
Camiel Aggenbach, Ab Grootjans, Pieter Stuyfzand, André Jansen, Bikila Dullo
In Europe much effort is invested in restoration of base-rich, mesotrophic wet meadows and fens, which are hot spots of biodiversity. This restoration is often focused on restoring groundwater discharge by hydrological measures and/or by removing the eutrophic and acidified top soil. In our study we deal with the interaction of soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics and base fluxes by seepage on the base chemistry of the top soil during 1-2 decades after restoration measures. We collected long term monitoring data on SOM accumulation and base chemistry from a wide range of restoration projects in fens and fen meadows carried out in the
Restoration of drained mires in the Šumava National Park, Czech Republic
Ivana Bufková, Frantisek Stibal, Eva Mikulaskova
About 70% of mires in the Šumava National Park have been influenced by past drainage for forestry, agriculture and peat extraction. Since
Influence of large scale topography on plant colonisation of post-industrial spoil
Barbra Harvie, Graham Russell, Colin Legg
Studies of vegetation succession and dynamics on post-industrial waste and spoil heaps rarely consider large-scale topography. These sites are typically high and steep-sided yet colonisation is habitually studied in relation to the soil chemistry and structure of the substrate and reclamation is planned accordingly. Floristic and environmental data collected from multiple industrial waste sites in West Lothian,
A geomorphic reclamation model of ‘catchments on slopes’ for the ecological restoration of surface contour mining
María Feria, José Francisco Martín Duque, Cristina Martín Moreno, José Manuel Nicolau, Miguel Ángel Sanz Santos, Luis Balaguer
This work describes an ecological restoration design which follows geomorphic principles and criteria. The model is designed for the ecological restoration of areas affected by mining activities, specifically when these are located on slope terrain. The restoration model, called ‘catchments on slopes’, relies on an expert management of open-cast mining runoff. But not through artificial measures, as it happens in the traditional mining reclamation practises, but through an integrated geomorphic reconstruction. The foundation of the model consists on the design of stable surfaces, which splits off the slope landforms in small catchemts. Thus, topographic remodeling, together with the reconstruction of spoils, surficial deposits and soils, return the hydro-balance of the system. The new conditions created after the restoration permit the establishment of soils and plant cover, the latter being favoured by the seeds’ dispersal from the vegetation communities in the vicinity. A clay slope quarry reclamation carried out under this model was executed during the Autumn of 2008 at
Construction wastes, green waste compost and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) used for landfill cover restoration
Lubomir Ruzek, Michaela Ruzkova, Karel Vorisek, Martin Koudela
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) was used as plant cover of the mixture consisting of clayey excavations (43% by weight), the finest fraction from demolitions (20% by weight) and green waste compost (37% by weight) during landfill cover restoration. The described mixture provides favorable conditions for Switchgrass roots development. Fresh root mass
Biodiversity in riverbank techniques for erosion control: assessment of animal and plant species diversity along a natural gradient
André Evette, Paul Cavaillé
Riverbanks are characterised by high levels of both species-richness and anthropic pressure. Erosion controls on riverbanks often involve installations to protect human investments (i.e. buildings, public amenitiesetc.). However, whether such installations can accommodate natural biodiversity has not been well assessed and subsequently seldom taken into account in the choice of technique. The aim of this study was to assess animal and plant species diversity on the natural gradient of various riverbank protection systems, from entirely stone riprap, through combined constructions (mixing riprap and bioengineering), to purely vegetative bioengineering structures. We compared plant species diversity and animal taxonomic diversity above ground (beetles) and below ground (mites) on five installations in each category. Vegetation was sampled along three longitudinal transects using the point contact method. Fauna were sampled in the soil, air and herbaceous layers by trapping (yellow bowl trap, pitfalls and Berlese-Tullgren extractor). The fifteen sites sampled were located in the Rhône-Alpes region (South East France). 148 plant species, 78 beetle genera and 8 mite families were recorded. We found a significantly lower animal and plant diversity in riprap constructions than in the other two types. Surprisingly, diversity was higher, even if not significantly, in combined works than in purely vegetative ones. Furthermore, riprap techniques were more subject to exotic invasions than techniques using bioengineering. This study gives new insights into the animal and plant biodiversity of riverbank protections against erosion, ranging from entirely mineral to purely vegetative constructions. It also provides useful information to help practitioners choose techniques in relation to their future impact on biodiversity.
Applying river restoration knowledge in flood mitigation schemes: RIVERSCAPES as supports for dialog between dry dam designers and biologists
Christine Poulard, Michel Lafont, Anna Lenar-Matyas, Marta ?apuszek, Jerzy Ratomski, Céline Jézéquel, Pascal Breil
River restoration benefits from the increasing knowledge on the relationships between geomorphological contexts, habitats, biodiversity and river systems functions. However, this knowledge should be used more widely, in particular for flood mitigation projects. Indeed, except mostly for research projects, the impact on a project on the environment is merely assessed after the design is completed. We state that flood mitigation project should be multidisciplinary from early stages to achieve a good compromise between flood protection and biodiversity preservation. In practise, involving specialists with very different backgrounds and objectives in a common project is easier said than done. Concretely, it requires to share common conceptual views; we suggest to use a case-specific typology of riverscapes and their associated biodiversity. Biologists will carry out a careful local analysis and formulate the results as riverscape types, both natural and artificial. For each type, they will describe the potential biodiversity and a view of the processes. This typology is a support for concrete and quick actions. Indeed, comparing the shift of types caused by different solutions will guide the technical choices. We defined a riverscape typology on Polish mountain rivers and applied it to study dry dams design. We checked that referring to riverscapes facilitates negotiations to reduce the impacts; they also serve as a basis to discuss further adaptations in cross-sections. We enlarged this use to river training, which cover a larger area, and are now applying the approach in other contexts, such a the Yzeron catchment nearby
Characterization of the cost of aquatic ecosystems restoration for river basin management under the Water Framework Directive in Spain
Marta Catalinas Pérez, M. Estrella Alonso Tejedor, Ángel García Cantón,
The Centre for Hydrographic Studies of the CEDEX has developed a characterization of the cost of aquatic ecosystems restoration at a planning level under a contract for the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs. The cost characterization is intended as a tool for the planning process under the Water Framework Directive and has been made available for the Spanish River Basin Authorities, who are to select the most cost-effective combination of measures to be implemented in the river basin management plans to achieve the environmental objectives of the Directive.The measures characterized regarding river restoration include embankment removal, river bank shaping, bioengineering techniques, instream habitat improvement, riparian vegetation restoration and fish passage construction, and those related to wetland restoration include activities related to morphology and hydrology restoration. Additionally, other measures characterized include the prevention and control of invasive alien species such as Dreissena polymorpha and Eichornia crassipes.The costs of the measures have been evaluated basically from data obtained from the detailed analysis of restoration projects developed in Spain (a total of approximately 200 projects have been analysed) or alternatively from schedules of rates of common application in Spain. The results obtained allow for cost estimation at a planning level, either from simple predictive models with parameters that can be estimated at the planning stage or from a reference to the order of magnitude of the cost, in both cases with different degrees of uncertainty depending on the measure considered.
River Meuse restoration project from the air
Kris Van Looy, Herman Gielen
A fascinating view from above with a set of aerial images shows the unique features of the Common Meuse restoration project; a project without equal for its size and measures. The
Surveys and evaluation of restoration operations
Sébastien Gallet, Jérôme Sawtschuk, Frédéric Bioret
The success of ecological restoration operations depends largely on the knowledge of the ecosystem, of local conditions as well as weff defined management objectives and appropriates tools. Nevertheless, this success can't be guaranteed and it is fundamental to envisage a procedure of surveys and evaluation. If various authors advanced for a long time the interest of long-term surveys, these are in fact rarely made, or only for a short period. This can be explained by various parameters. First, some devices of financing do not give the possibility of financing long term surveys. Moreover, collaborations between managers and scientists are not often enough developed. An important point is also the choice of the modalities of surveys. Indeed, scientists have a rather wide palette of tools which can be used. A complete and precise evaluation of the state of an ecosystem requires the implementation of all these tools and is quite often heavy and expensive. If these studies are fundamental for a better knowledge of the ecological processes, they are certainly not generalizable. Thus a balance has to be found between the needs of the site managers, the scientific rigor and the given means. Various examples will demonstrate the interests and limits of various methods based on the observation of the vegetation and how they could be twinned with approaches from other disciplines in order to give a global evaluation of ecological restoration operations.
Enhancing social and economic sustainability of restored areas: case studies from
Vera Lex Engel, John A. Parrotta
During the two last decades, we have observed an outstanding development of both science and practice of ecological restoration in
Community-based restoration: a case study from the Camargue
Lisa Ernoul, Nicolas Beck
Community-based conservation empowers local people in the management process through partnerships in planning and implementation of conservation projects in the hopes of creating accountability and ownership of conservation objectives. We have taken this concept a step further, using the principles of community-based conservation in the planning, implementation and monitoring of a wetland restoration project in Camargue (southern France). The Tour du Valat (scientists and landowner), with active collaboration from a local community, has recovered
Grassland and wetland restoration of
Jan Seffer, Viera Sefferova Stanova, Rastislav Lasak
The Olsavica Valley (
Regrassing with regional seed mixtures in the Bile Karpaty Mountains, Czech Republic
Ivana Jongepierová, Jonathan Mitchley
In the Bílé Karpaty (White Carpathians) Protected Landscape Area (PLA), regional seed mixtures have been used to re-create grasslands on ex-arable land since 1999. This programme was started in the early 1990s, led by a local NGO in collaboration with the PLA Administration, Zubrí Grassland Research Station, and several local farmers. In the first stage, seeds were collected in species-rich meadows and reproduced in seedbeds. Since
Grassland restoration in floodplains of East German rivers
Armin Bischoff, Guido Warthemann, Nadja Winter
Intensive management has resulted in a loss of plant diversity in European floodplain grasslands. Agri-environmental schemes have been implemented since the early 1990ies to restore the original species richness. However, recent research has shown that dispersal limitation and low establishment rates often hamper the re-establishment of target species. We established a long-term study to quantify dispersal and colonisation of target species from still existing source populations into restored grasslands. We further tested hay transfer as a method to overcome dispersal limitation and to accelerate the restoration of target communities. A factorial experiment was set up combining different transfer dates (early, late and both together) and soil disturbance treatments (control, harrowing, ploughing). Seed transfer rates were measured by analysing the number of transferred seeds counted in seed traps in relation to the corresponding seed density in the source community. Finally, we sowed a subset of target species to the different soil disturbance plots in order to examine establishment rates. The transect analysis showed a slow colonisation of restoration sites from adjacent species-rich reference communities with large populations of target species. Even nineteen years after re-conversion to traditional management, the density of target species was far below that of reference grasslands. Hay transfer was efficient in re-establishing a part of the target species. The number of transferred seeds was very promising while establishment rates were extremely low for several species. Both hay transfer and direct sowing were only successful when combined with previous soil disturbance.
Ecological restoration of a wet meadow on peat soil: a case study in the estuary of
Fabrice Bureau, Chockri Mchergui, Estelle Langlois, Michael Aubert, Marthe Akpa-Vinceslas, Aurélie Husté, Pierre Margerie, Matthieu Chauvat, Sandrine Samson
The restoration of biodiversity and its functions in human-disturbed wetlands is an important ecological topic today. As requested by the “Grand Port Maritime de Rouen”, we surveyed the ecological restoration of a sandpit in the low valley of the
Ecological recreation of a wet meadow on peat soil: comparison of vegetation natural dynamics , sowing, mowing and transplantation experiment
Estelle Langlois, Pierre Margerie, Fabrice Bureau,Estelle Forey, Michael Aubert, Aurélie Husté, Matthieu Chauvat, Sandrine Samson
The restoration of biodiversity and its functions in human-disturbed wetlands is an important ecological topic today. In accordance with the “Grand Port Maritime de Rouen”, we surveyed the ecological restoration of a sandpit in the lower valley of the
Fluctuating water tables as potential restoration measure for floating rich fens
The Netherlands is characterized by extensive peatland areas, which are eutrophicated and/or acidified by natural succession and human impact. To counteract these processes, the waterboard of National Park Weerribben-Wieden wanted to reintroduce more flexible water levels, after keeping them artificially constant for 80 years. Lower summer levels would supposedly reduce input of nutrient-rich water, and higher winter levels would result in inundation of floating fens with base-rich water. In theory, this would lead to lower eutrophication and improvement of base status. Field experiments started in
The effects of peatland restoration on water-table depth, elemental concentrations and vegetation: 10 years of changes.
Tuomas Haapalehto, Harri Vasander, Sinikka Jauhiainen, Teemu Tahvanainen, Janne Kotiaho
We studied the effects of restoration on water-table depth, element concentrations of peat and vegetation composition of peatlands drained for forestry in southern
Blanket bog water tables: how much of an impact did drains have, and what influences responses to restoration ?
Lorraine Wilson, Jared Wilson RSPB, Joseph Holden, Ian Johnstone, Mike Morris
Although peatland science increasingly focuses on the need to restore peatlands to achieve several potential benefits, there remains much uncertainty around both the extent of drainage impacts, and the ability of habitats to recover. The vast majority of restoration funding stems from legislative requirements to return designated habitats to ‘good ecological condition’, but the impact of drainage on vegetation communities is poorly documented, and restoration decisions are largely based on ecological assumptions. In common with many of the other hoped-for benefits of peatland restoration, such as Carbon storage and water quality improvements, habitat recovery is thought to depend on a reinstatement of high water tables. However, water table responses are hard to predict and mechanistic understanding of hydrological responses to restoration is limited. This study reports on vegetation and water table responses to drainage; and water table responses to drain blocking restoration of a Welsh upland blanket bog. An information theoretic approach to examining the data provided evidence of a ‘dry zone’ adjacent to grips that had exerted a detrimental effect on key blanket bog plants. We also demonstrate increases in water retention and water tables within the bog after restoration, and highlight the importance of small and large scale topography in determining the degree of these responses. Crucially, this study showed strong catchment scale differences in response, and a very gradual recovery of water tables, both of which highlight the need for more studies to be carried out at the landscape scale and over longer time periods.
Restoring drained blanket bogs: involving and informing the hill farming community
Mike Morris,
Although peatland science increasingly focuses on the need to restore peatlands to achieve several potential benefits, there remains much uncertainty around both the extent of drainage impacts, and the ability of habitats to recover. This in turn leads to uncertainty in its benefits to the farming community. This uncertainty, and specific concerns held by livestock managers, must be addressed if restoration is to become an accepted practice in hill farming areas. This study carried out extensive advocacy amongst the local hill farming community, to assess the priority concerns likely to hamper efforts to promote restoration. To address some of these issues, we report on vegetation and sheep responses to drainage on a Welsh upland blanket bog. An information theoretic approach to examining the data provided evidence that drainage has not, overall been successful in drying areas around ditches to match surrounding habitats and that drains installed in the blanket bog have not significantly increased the amount of palatable plants available to livestock. We also demonstrate that, though livestock usually avoid drained areas, when within these areas, they tend to stay near grips. This has significant implications on livestock safety in drained areas. It is possible to predict that restoration at this site is not going to have a detrimental impact on the grazing available to sheep. These results represent an important step in informing the farming community, work underway to address other key issues is also discussed.
From arable fields to lowland heathland supporting Silver Studded Blue butterfly
Philip Putwain, Stephen Lewis, Gill Haynes
Prees Heath Common Reserve in Shropshire, UK, supports the last colony of the Silver-Studded Blue butterfly (Plebeius argus) in the English Midlands on a small area of relict heathland. Large scale restoration of lowland heathland at Prees Heath commenced in March 2007. The aim is to create lowland heathland and acid grassland mosaic communities on former fertile arable land, on which crops of beans, wheat and potatoes were grown, in order to provide a greatly increased area of suitable habitat for the existing colony of Plebeius argus. Phase I of the programme of heathland re-creation commenced in March 2007. This involved deep ploughing an area of
Restoration options for a
Mike Le Duc, Phil Putwain
The English Thames Basin heaths are of high conservation priority. Piecemeal development in the surrounding land, and inadequate management response, has left a number of serious problems including weed invasion, eutrophication and fragmentation. This paper deals with a vegetation survey carried out to estimate the extent of the problems for conservation. The survey results uncovered some of the extent of damage to the heathland communities, and enabled recommendations for future management. The results suggested that the commonly used standard condition assessment methods reflect little of the actual problems.
Impacts of phenological shifts on the restoration of upland heath ecosystems in
Barbra Harvie
Growth of rare plant with “home” and “away” mycorrhizal fungal assemblages
Maarja Öpik, Merili Simmer, Kadri Karp, Ülle Reier
Root symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) affect plant performance and productivity in natural habitats. Growth and competitive ability of rare plants can be negatively influenced by the lack of suitable symbionts or presence of unsuitable ones. We investigated the effects of natural assemblages of AMF from present (“home”) and potential (“away”) habitats of rare Rubus arcticus L. on the growth of this plant in pot experiment conditions. Mycorrhizal inoculum was added as whole soil to include all naturally occurring AM fungi irrespective of their culturability and to include all types of propagules (spores, mycelium, root fragments). Micro-propagated plants originating from the same population as the “home” soil inoculum were used to exclude effect of plant genetic variability. Plant growth was strongly inhibited in the control treatment without mycorrhizal inoculation, indicating that this plant species is highly mycorrhiza dependent. Plants grew smaller with “home” inoculum than “away” inoculum, suggesting a potential negative feedback between the native assemblages of mycorrhizal fungi in the remaining few habitats of the rare plant. This finding suggests that reintroduction efforts of this rare plant species could benefit from changed mycorrhizal symbionts as compared to the native fungi in the plant’s present populations in order to ensure efficient establishment. This measure could be applied as inoculation of pre-grown micro-propagated plantlets.
What are the main influential factors on vegetation succession on reclaimed coal wastes in
Josu Gonzalez Alday, Rob H. Marrs,
Vegetation succession has been proved as a tool to solve the practical problems in ecological restoration. In this way, the inclusion of succesional concepts and processes in management actions are improving the restoration of self-sustaining ecosystems on degraded land. Here, we characterized the vegetation succession on reclaimed coal mines in Spain, relating the successional changes with common reclamation processes used and environmental and soil factors to identify limiting ones. The 31 coal mines comprised stages of different age from 1-40 years since reclamation started and had been reclaimed using two methods (topsoil addition or not). Over these mines vascular plant species cover was monitored. The reclamation method used affected plant succession; where topsoil was added succession was influenced by age since reclamation and soil pH, whereas when no topsoil was added only soil factors as sand and sodium were significant. At micro-scale the rockiness of plots reduced the number of species arresting the successional process. Our results suggest that the topsoil addition improved the restoration process, developing a native shrub community in 15 years and a young forest in 30 years. However, where topsoil was not added, the soil amelioration to improve water holding capacity and structure might assist succession.
Hay transfer, mulch seeding and spontaneous succession – ten years after slope restoration in a post-mining site
Annett Baasch, Anita Kirmer Sabine Tischew
The ecological restoration of highly disturbed areas, such as surface-mined land, is usually aimed at the purposeful acceleration and/or manipulation of vegetation development. Studies on primary succession have shown that rates and trajectories of vegetation development are not only affected by environmental site factors but also by the proximity to colonists and local dominance patterns. In the post-mining landscapes of
Strategies for natural woodland development in mined sites based on germination and establishment studies with Betula pendula Roth
Antje Lorenz,, Sabine Tischew, Sven Wagner
In Central Europe, Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) plays a decisive role in spontaneous woodland development in surface-mined land. On several dumped sites, a delayed colonization indicates difficulties in germination and / or establishment of Silver birch. Therefore, the identification and characterization of microsites favourable for the establishment of Silver birch was the objective of an experimental field study. In three mined sites in eastern
Ecological restoration of grassland on alkaline, sodic industrial residue
Ronan Courtney, Tom Harrington
The establishment of vegetation cover on a highly alkaline bauxite residue was assessed in trials over a 5-year period. Obstacles to achieving direct vegetation establishment included pH values of up to 12, high levels of exchangeable sodium (ESP) and poor nutrient status. The predominance of the fine fraction was an additional constraint, because low permeability hindered drainage and inhibited plant growth. In laboratory, greenhouse and field trials a methodology was developed for direct revegetation on amended residue. Amendments with gypsum, sand fraction and organic matter were found to support the growth of several grassland species on the residue. Substrate conditions achieved were dependant on initial residue characteristics, application rates of amendments, and the period of leaching. A variety of grassland species were established on the residue in pilot trials. After a 5-year period, revegetated areas were examined and assessed for substrate and vegetation quality. Selected substrate parameters had improved from previous levels. Additionally, grassland botanical diversity increased and invertebrate diversity and activity was enhanced on revegetated areas. On the basis of these trials, revegetation of the residue is now being demonstrated in a dedicated large-scale trial. A monitoring programme has been established that will assess ecosystem restoration success.
Use of prescribed burning for restoration and maintenance of ecological conditions: predicting and managing fire injury and tree mortality
Kevin Ryan, Eric Rigolot, Francisco Rego, Herminio Botelho, Jose Antonio Vega Hildago, Paulo Fernandes, Tatiana Sofronova
Managers and scientists often seek to use fire to restore and maintain historic or natural species composition, stand structure, wildlife habitat, landscape pattern and ecological functioning. Successful use of under-burning in forests and woodlands requires integration of fire behavior and fire effects knowledge into the planning, implementation, and monitoring of restoration projects. Trees consist of three highly integrated organs: crown, roots, and stem or bole. These organs have differing physiological functions and morphological properties that are important considerations in prescribed burning. Fires burning in various vegetative fuel complexes, and under differing weather conditions, have typical energy release characteristics and associated temperature histories, which when integrated with plant attributes can be used to predict fire effects. Managers need guidelines on how to safely and effectively apply fire to meet desired restoration goals. These guidelines need to be based on knowledge of the interactions between fuel consumption, fire behavior and tree morphological characteristics that confer resistance to thermal injury. Likewise knowledge is needed on how burn injuries affect survival and growth. This paper reviews and synthesizes the biophysical processes controlling fire injury and the physiological responses to injury. Models of fuel consumption, fire behavior and heat transfer are integrated with data from field burning experiments from Eurasia and
Effects of post-fire silvicultural treatments related to the burned wood on the soil nutrient availability and soil carbon sequestration.
Sara Marañón-Jiménez, Jorge Castro, Andrew S. Kowalski, Regino Zamora
Post-fire salvage logging is currently the most frequent silvicultural practice after wildfire in Mediterranean areas. However, the extraction of the logs and coarse woody debris implies the removal of nutrients contained in the burned wood that otherwise would be reincorporated to the soil through decomposition. In this study we intend to determine the role of the burned wood for nutrient cycling and soil fertility in a burnt forest area of a Mediterranean mountain (
An experimental test of the impact of post-fire salvage logging on community regeneration
Jorge Castro
There is an intense debate about the ecological impact of post-fire salvage logging, but scant support is available from experimental studies. We manipulated a burnt pine forest on a Mediterranean mountain to analyze the effect of salvage logging on several aspects related to post-fire regeneration. We used a randomized block design with three plots of ca.
Ecological responses to management actions: flow alteration – vegetation response relationships
María Dolores Bejarano, Christer Nilsson, Marta González del Tánago, Miguel Marchamalo
Water development has turned rivers into endangered ecosystems. Improving understanding of ecological responses to river management actions is a key issue for assuring a sustainable water management, which provides water to growing human populations and at the same time preserves freshwater ecosystems. However, very few studies have been published where ecological metrics have been quantified in response to various degrees of alteration. In this work, changes in natural riparian corridor woody species composition and distribution (as indicator of the ecological status of the fluvial ecosystem) were quantified at multiple sites along a flow alteration gradient (as indicator of impact), and based on the obtained relationships we propose a simple empirical model that predicts the riparian vegetation responses to intensity of flow regulation below a dam. For field measurements we selected two different regulated river reaches, one Boreal and the other
River and watershed restoration through the assessment of ecosystem services
Comín, F.A., R. Sorand, B. Mirand, L. Guara, S. Moliner, A. CalvoWhere reference sites are not available, the assessment of ecosystem services can be a useful strategy and methodology to define restoration actions. River Piedra (76 km long, watershed 1,545 km2), a Mediterranean river in the SW Ebro Basin (NE Spain), lacks typical river habitats because of intensive land-use for agriculture, many small dikes and gates, and a 80 Hm3 reservoir in the lower part of the river. Lack of riverine forests and water quality and habitat degradation are the major deficiencies of the river, after extension of agricultural areas close to the river channel, intensive use of fertilizers and multiple regulation of river flows. The assessment of ecosystem services using direct indicators (soil structure, mineral and organic contents, plant cover and habitat use for conservation, recreation, food and mineral production) and indirect estimates (gas and climate regulation, water runoff and soil erosion), applied to environmental units defined for the whole watershed (based on habitat types and land use) and the river (based on slope and riverside plant cover) identified major actions for restoration: a program for the abandonment of agricultural lands where soil erosion and water runoff is high and stimulating soil conservation and low fertilization agricultural practices; restoring degraded bush and forests with native plant communities; habitat diversification in the river bed by removing fine sediment, and providing shade through riverside forest plantation after widening the riverside through agreements with land owners. Preliminary actions developed in two river sites indicate that the ecological restoration of River Piedra and its watershed is possible through the integration of scientific/technical, social and economic aspects.
Restauration hydroécologique de
Julien Corget, Philippe Adam
La revitalisation de l’Aire (Genève, Suisse)
François Gerber, Alexandre Wisard
Le projet de revitalisation de la rivière Aire a débuté en 1999 avec le programme de renaturation des cours d’eau initié par l’Etat de Genève sous la forme d’un mandat d’études parallèle et se poursuit encore à l’heure actuelle. Le cours d’eau se situe en périphérie de Genève et prend sa source en amont de St.-Julien-en-Genevois. Il avait été fortement corrigé dans les années 1930 avec un tracé très rectiligne et des berges artificielles en béton. Le site a subi de graves inondations en 2002 et est très fréquenté par les gens de la ville comme lieu de promenade. Le débit de la rivière varie très rapidement allant de quelques litres par seconde à plus de 100 m3/s. Le projet, l’un des plus importants de Suisse, concerne une grande portion du territoire puisque le réaménagement est prévu sur un linéaire de
Adjusting restoration actions to the community’s needs and preferences
Thorunn Petursdottir, Asa Aradottir
Most of today’s restoration programs have multiple objectives: aiming for socio-economic as well as environmental benefits. Their monitoring and evaluation should therefore be based on measuring multidisciplinary indicators. In this study we examined the short term impacts of different restoration methods using ecological as well as visual/social measures. The study included five year old sites re-vegetated with grasses (native/non-native) and Nootka lupin (an introduced species) compared with control sites. Parameters measured included plant cover, species composition and soil C, N and pH. Furthermore, color photos were used to evaluate people’s perception on the different treatments where participants were asked five questions on the visual appearance of the sites. Vegetation cover was significantly higher for all restoration treatments (36-92%) than the cover on control plots (6%). Biological soil crust and mosses were mostly absent, and only minor differences were found in measured soil parameters. Visual appearance of fertilized sites was in all cases ranked higher than the control sites except the lupin sites. Photos that participants regarded as resembling natural vegetation forms ranked higher in all cases than the ones they perceived as artificial. We conclude that ecological indicators are essential in evaluating the success of ecological restoration because restoration of ecosystem functions and structure are fundamental for the achievement of other benefits. Social factors, such as perception of the restored sites are, however, also very important since restoration programs always need the support and acknowledgment of society and should generally be designed with societies’ needs and preferences in mind.
Wetland Restoration in the
Peggy Paradice
The remarkable natural productivity of the
Brittany "Grand Site" rehabilitation: material and immaterial consideration
Yann Le fur, Frédérique Chlous-Ducharme
Touristic Brittany sites which engaged Grand Site operation possess the common characteristics to be protected by the French law of 2nd May 1930 concerning “the protection of natural monuments and sites of artistic, historic, legendary or picturesque character” and be physically degraded by tourist frequentation. A documentary socio-historical analysis was realized. It emerges from it that these sites were popularized by romantic travelers of the 19th century who practiced them into the aim of meditation, a confrontation between human being and natural elements. This socially constructed freedom feeling of symbiosis with the wilderness has been spoiled by the mediatization of tourist guides and modern social attractiveness for littoral areas. In Grand Site operation projects, ecological restoration is mobilized to supply at first a technical answer to the stakeholders to rehabilitate the degraded ecosystems. From this ecological diagnosis, the landscape and aesthetic specialists try to reconcile good ecological state with good discovery conditions. Our communication wears the ambition to approach the implementing difficulties of the material and immaterial considerations, the contradictions between Grand Site operation philosophy and his application. Effectively, if notions like ecological and landscape quality or tourism management are now normalized, evaluable, it seems that technical tools take the ascendancy on coherent cultural policy. Natural site management is not the same that nature-culture site management. We indeed wonder even if ecosystems and landscape are restored, what it remains of the “sense of place” culturally and historically establish, still praised by tourist guides, when visitors are canalized on semi-artificial trails?
Landuse as Foundation for Ecological Restoration - Development of a methodological Framework
Albin Blaschka, Thomas Guggenberger
Landuse changes in
Restoration of agricultural landscape diversity by creation of small water ponds and perennial grassland habitats
Jurate Sendzikaite, Romas Pakalnis, Dalia Aviziene, Leonas Jarasius
In the second half of the 20th century, due to tendency to drain large areas of land for agriculture, intensively reconstructed landscape in
Promoting target plant species on former agricultural land by soil inoculations
Vanesa Carbajo Vázquez, Gerlinde B. De Deyn, Wim H. van der Putten
Restoration of plant species rich grassland communities on former agricultural land can help to counteract biodiversity decline. Plant-soil interactions are the foundation of effective and sustained restoration of terrestrial communities and ecosystems (Eviner, 2008). Topsoil removal is common practice to reduce soil nutrients in former agricultural land to similar levels as those in later successional stages. However, the biotic soil conditions will not resemble those of later successional stages and this may be a major constraint for the success of late successional target plant species. Here we test the hypotheses that soil fertility reduction in former agricultural land combined with introduction of later successional living soil can enhance the development of ecological succession towards a target ecosystem. The hypothesis is being tested in a greenhouse experiment with mixtures of six target grassland species (of the target type Gentiano Pneumonanthes-Nardetum), growing in arable top-soil or lower layer soil (receptor soils), inoculated with small or large amounts of living soil from grasslands in different stages of secondary succession (donor soils). Soil abiotic (nutrient levels, organic matter content and texture) and biotic (nematode communities, ergosterol content and mycorrhization) properties are/will be determined and related to plant growth responses. Expected results: Soil inoculation effects on target plant species depend on the conditions of receptor and donor soil and on the amount of inoculum. Treatments with more similar abiotic conditions between donor and receptor soil will promote the development of target communities most. The results will help to develop restoration practices of species rich grassland.
Evaluation of the hydroseeding as indoor plant restoration technique in slopes of roads in southern Bolivia
Kelly Garcete, Francisco Serrano-Bernardo, María Beltrán-Hermoso, Jose J. de
The processes of erosion in road slopes linear infrastructure projects, depends directly, among others, on the alterations affecting the soil layer that is exposed after clearing or boot cover. The behavior of plants used in the plant cover restoration projects, depends basically on the genetics of species and edaphoclimatic conditions in the area, such as temperature, availability of nutrients or soil moisture. This experience evaluated the behavior of the growth of two different plant species (grasses and legumes), used in the restoration of the soil cover by hydroseeding in different types of slopes in Desaguadero Corridor section - Bermejo (
Twenty-eight years of vegetation monitoring in four permanent plots on the Montagne Saint-Pierre (
Martine Lejeune, Willy Verbeke
The Montagne Saint-Pierre is situated along the river Meuse on the border between
Spontaneous vegetation succession in extracted peatlands: a multi-site study
The study was conducted in 17 peatlands in the
Success of peatland restoration in northern Finland
Anne Tolvanen, Marja-Leena Päätalo, Anna Laine, Mirva Leppälä, Oili Tarvainen
Almost one third, nearly 100 000 km2, of the total land area is covered by peatlands in Finland, which is a higher relative cover than in any other country in the world. Over a half of the peatland area has been drained for forestry, and many invaluable peatland habitats are severely degraded. Peatland restoration is carried out principally in protected areas in order to repair or rebuild endangered and valuable peatlands. Restoration measures involve the blocking of ditches and removal of trees. These measures have significant ecological impacts; both on the restored habitats themselves and on their environment. The research was carried out at 24 peatlands in northern
Long-term monitoring of the structure and diversity of the vegetation of a peat-bog after restoration (Québec Canada)
Francis Isselin-Nondedeu, Line Rochefort, Monique Poulin
Ecological restoration aims at recovering both the structure and the function of an ecosystem degraded by human activities. After peat exploitation, the ecosystem is deeply altered and it has lost for very numerous decades the structure and uniqueness of its vegetation (peat mosses diversity and abundance, microtopography, peatland shrubs…) and its functions (carbon sink, water filtering…). A common restoration practice is based on the complete inundation of the site, transforming it into wetland. Here we present the results of the restoration of a vacuum-mined peatland restored by a “paludification process” or “dry restoration process”. Vegetation recovery was surveyed during 8 years after the restoration. The
Restoration of raised bogs: don’t forget the species and habitat diversity
Gert-Jan van Duinen, Hein van Kleef, Wilco Verberk
Degradation of raised bog landscapes due to drainage, peat extraction and cultivation –and more recently increased nitrogen deposition- resulted in the loss of natural gradients from the extremely nutrient poor and acid bog habitats, via transitional mires and laggs to the nutrient richer, buffered surrounding landscape. Consequently, many species characteristic for those natural transitions in bog landscapes, like the dragonfly, Somatochlora arctica, the damselfly Coenagrion hastulatum and the butterfly Boloria aquilonaris have become endangered in several European countries. However, comparative studies between intact Estonian bog landscapes and bog remnants in the Netherlands on aquatic invertebrates also showed that some characteristic species had been able to survive the process of degradation, persisting as relic populations in bog remnants, or even profited from the changed hydrology and the increased availability of nutrients and minerals in the formerly extremely poor central raised bog. This study also showed that many of these species are unable to cope with rapid, large scale rewetting by means of retaining rain water. Bog rewetting generally focuses on restoration of wet and acid conditions typical for central raised bogs to favour Sphagnum recovery as a first step in ecosystem restoration, but may result in loss of populations of characteristic and threatened species. Therefore, the challenge for raised bog restoration is to consider opportunities for restoration of the regional groundwater system, that may restore both nutrient poor, acid bog habitats and minerotrophic parts of bog landscapes and conserve and restore the species diversity of complete raised bog landscapes.
Soil fauna in mine restoration: example of endemic earthworms in a New Zealand coal mine
Stephane Boyer, Stephen Wratten
Because soil is dramatically altered by opencast mining, soil fauna should be a major focus with regard to their restoration. Most restoration plans focus only on vegetation and above-ground macro-fauna, while the aim should be to restore functioning ecosystems above and below-ground. Among the potential soil species that are likely to be important early in mine restoration, earthworms are particularly good candidates. They provide ecosystem services that are likely to facilitate and accelerate the restoration of a functional ecosystem. These services include increasing topsoil fertility, providing food resource for a wide range of predators and the recycling of waste organic materials. Despite their ecological importance, earthworms have been poorly considered in mine restoration. With the aim of proposing recommendations for a better management of earthworm communities in post-mined soils, we evaluated the response of an endemic earthworm community to mining activities and rehabilitation treatments currently used in an opencast coal mine in
Less obvious interaction in plant succession on derelict sites – effect of soil fauna and dominant trees
Ondrej Mudrak, Jan Frouz
The understanding of the succession mechanisms can considerably improve our possibility for the restoration of ecosystems. We studied the plant succession on spoil heaps in Sokolov brown coal mining district (
Molecular diet analysis of keystone snail species associated with mine rehabilitation
Stephane Boyer, Steve Wratten, Andrew Holyoake, Robert Cruickshank, Jawad Abdelkrim
As part of an opencast coalmine rehabilitation on the West Coast of New Zealand, endemic carnivorous landsnails (Powelliphanta spp.) living within the mine area are removed ahead of mining and relocated to an adjacent undisturbed area. The success of this relocation may depend on appropriate food availability in the release area. However, feeding is difficult to observe for these small nocturnal animals. Because Powelliphanta landsnails are endangered, it is not practicable to sacrifice individuals in order to study their diet. Therefore snails’ faeces were examined. The morphological study of prey remains in snails’ faeces revealed the presence of earthworms’ chaetae but prey morphological identification at the species level was not possible. Therefore, molecular techniques targeting prey DNA remaining in predators’ guts and faeces appear to be good alternatives. They are potentially very precise in terms of species identification and applicable to soft-bodied prey. The main issue with faeces molecular analysis is the presence of DNA from different prey species, accidentally swallowed elements, bacteria from the predator’s gut and DNA from the predator itself all occurring in the same sample. Therefore, group-specific primers were designed to extract only earthworm DNA and 454-pyrosequencing was used to sequence of all earthworm DNA present in the faeces. This study confirmed the presence of earthworm DNA in landsnails’ faeces. Earthworm species identification was based on the DNA library of the species occurring in the snails’ distribution area.
Soil carbon storage in post mining site, the effect of vegetation and soil fauna
Jan Frouz
Carbon storage in aboveground tree biomass and soil organic matter (fermentation and humus layer) was studied in post mining sites in northwest of the Czech Republic covered by seven various types of forests: alder, lime, oak, larch, pine and spruce plantations, and unreclaimed sites dominated by aspen, birch and willow. No topsoil was applied in these sites, so carbon accumulation is was the result of in situ soil development. Carbon storage in soil organic matter varied from 4.5±3.7 38.0±7.1 to 38.0±7.1 4.5±3.7 t ha-1 (rate of C accumulation 0.15±0.05 to 1.28±0.34 t ha-1year-1). It decreased in order: lime, alder, larch, oak, pine, spruce and unreclaimed natural regeneration sites. Soil carbon storage positively correlated positively with aboveground tree biomass, however, general linear models indicate that differences between individual tree species are more important that tree biomass per se. No correlation was found between litter input and C storage in soil. Amount of carbon in mineral layer and total soil carbon also correlated positively with earthworm abundance and amount of earthworm casts in profile. Field and laboratory manipulation experiment support the hypothesis about significant effect of soil fauna bioturbation on carbon storage. Laboratory experiment shows that incorporation of litter in soil by earthworms result in stronger carbon storage than mechanical mixing of soil or no mixing. Results indicate that soil fauna development play important role in soil formation in post mining sites.
Algal forests and the replenishment of
Adrien Cheminée, Luisa Mangialajo, Patrice Francour
Fucoids forests (e.g. the canopy-forming Cystoseira spp.) structure the Mediterranean rocky infralittoral habitats, providing food, shelter, and nursery habitat for many organisms including fishes. In the last decades the decline of Cystoseira forests has been recorded in several Mediterranean areas, due to direct and indirect effects of human activity. The loss of Cystoseira forests leads to a severe transformation of the habitat, which loses its tri-dimensional structure. The goal of this study is to determine what are the consequences of this habitat transformation on rocky fish assemblages, and more specifically on their replenishment through juveniles’ settlement. Preliminary investigations during summer
Marine vegetation restoration in coastal ecosystems in the
Luisa Mangialajo, Patrice Francour, Alexandre Meinesz, Heike Molenaar, Marie-Lucie Susini, Thierry Thibaut
In the Mediterranean Sea, in the infralittoral zone, seagrasses and seaweeds (principally the Cystoseira genus) are the most important habitat formers, respectively on sedimentary and rocky bottoms. Most of these macrophytes are long-living organisms, endemic of the
BioRestore : a 3-Step process to restore marine ecosystem integrity, resilience and biodiversity
Gilles Lecaillon, Séverine Pristchepa, Eric Blin
ECOCEAN is an innovative French SME, and the world leader in sustainable post-larval capture and culture techniques for marine animals. Lyonnaise-des-Eaux is
Marine restoration in
Sylvain Pioch, Harold Levrel
Quantify the economics damage and restoration cost is a difficult task for a “right compensatory” to upset natural function losses from impacts (Milon et Dodge, 2001; Thompson, 2002). Since 20 years in
Role of phosphorus in recolonisation processes after restoration of connectivity in Rhine side channels
Albin Meyer, Isabelle Combroux-Lazar, Michèle Trémolières
During the last century chenalization of the
Potential impact of dam levelling onto controlled equilibrium of nutrient availability in river
Rudy Nicolau, Bastien Doraphe, Christophe Jeannin, Yoann Brizard
According to requirement of the European Water Framework Directive taken up by the concept of blue screen in the French “Grenelle de l’environnement”, the rate of staging courses water should decrease in order to achieve a good ecological status of waterbody. In this context the SABVM launched a study on the impact of cross-cutting structures and the role of sediments on ecological continuity. In addition to morphological restoration, this study aims to highlight the stock of nutrient and the potential leaching if dam is levelled or deled, on the watershed of the river Glane. Based on 33 dams, this study is expected to take into account the tracking stocks of phosphorus in addition to the requirements of the nomenclature ""water"" in order to lead to a shared management pattern of this river. A resuspension of sediment during the elimination of dam may release a large amount of P into the river and thus exacerbate a recurrent major problem posed by cyanobacteria on this watershed. As part of this restoration plan, 4 scenarios are considered depending on the particularities of each site: total or partial levelling, site development or maintenance.
Vegetation dynamics after restoration of connectivity in Rhine side channels
Isabelle Combroux-Lazar, Albin Meyer Corinne Grac, Michèles Trémolières
During the two past centuries, the
Restoration of fluvial dynamics in ancient stream channels of the Danube floodplain in Bavaria (Germany)
Kathrin Kiehl, André Schwab
The floodplain of the Danube river between Neuburg and Ingolstadt (Bavaria, Germany) has been disconnected from natural fluvial dynamics due to river straightening and embankment in the 19th century and building of barrages for hydropower plants in the 1970s. In spring 2010, former stream channels and oxbows of the Danube will be connected to the stream again by a water course of
Boundary work in ecological restoration and conservation
Jac. A.A.Swart, Henny J. van der Windt
The concept of boundary work is often used to point to activities linking scientific and societal domains, whether this involves demarcation or integration. Restoration and conservation are examples of boundary work par excellence because they require the reconciliation of objectives, paradigms, visions and the knowledge traditions of the actors involved if they are to be successfully socially embedded. One example of boundary work is the introduction of the concept of ‘natural boundaries’ in relation to the Dutch part of the
The processes of social participation in the projects in river restoration adaptative management models (
Lara L.Rodríguez, Pérez M.A. Fernández, Mora P. Mc Ginity
The fostering of the social participation for the improvement of the basin management is one of the main objectives of the Water Framework Directive and therefore of the Spanish Strategy in River Restoration. In the search for an adaptative management model in river restoration in Spain, it has been considered necessary by the Water Administration Bodies of each basin the implementation of various participation processes and techniques involving representatives of the public organisms, and associations, such as fishers associations, local farming farmers’ associations, aggregated mining associations, environmental and conservation associations as well as land owners. The participative methodology is based on the use of different tools and techniques which aim at bringing together the view of the local people and river users by the employment of working groups, formed by previously selected individuals who represent different interests and ways of understanding the river. One of the aims in the participative process is to obtain a change of mentality and a compromise of river users which might ensure the sustainability of the restoration projects. Therefore records of the commitments made by each participant in the group are kept, towards the establishment of coordination protocols and the design of long-term agreements. This work presents some of the results achieved in Extremadura (
Stakeholder views on restoring depleted cereal fallows in arid Tunisia: societal barriers and possible crevices
Visser Marjolein, Maughan Noémie, Ouled Belgacem Azaiez, Neffati Mohamed
All three Maghreb countries struggle with manmade dryland degradation and climate change will reinforce this trend. In arid
An evaluation of restoration actions using ecosystem services in a semi-arid steppe
Mchich Derak, Jordi Cortina
Desertification is one of the major environmental problems worldwide affecting 40% of the emerged lands and 25% of the population. Ecological restoration can play a relevant role in combating desertification and contributing to human welfare. But protocols to perform an integrated evaluation of restoration actions are still lacking. We adopted a multicriteria approach based on literature review and consultation of experts and stakeholders to evaluate ecologic, socioeconomic and cultural consequences of restoration actions in a semi-arid area in southeastern
Initiatives of Polish artists shaping respective attitude towards nature – importance of tree in ecological art
One of the most important problem in contemporary life is degradation of the environment, related to people’s disrespectful attitude towards nature. Since art has a power to influence mind and spirit, many artists have created works encouraging to be active in the domain discussed in the paper- the ecology. The artists presented in the paper create so-called ecological art, the fundamental assumption of which is to motivate to ecological actions The presented works of art emphasize the role of a tree as the crucial element of the environment, as well as investigate the relations between nature and culture. First example of the similarity between natural and cultural worlds is related to architecture. Example illustrating this problem is a project of the building entitled
Is ecological restoration an option for Lebanese calcareous quarries rehabilitation? From legal framework to field applications
Layla Saad, Grégory Mahy, Benoit Delpeuch, Patricia Chedrawi, Antonio Francis, Carla Khater
During the last decades,
Restoration and management to conserve biodiversity at the landscape scale
Szabolcs Lengyel, Katalin Varga, Eszter Déri, László Lontay Aggtelek, Béla Tóthmérész
Most landscapes in Europe have been influenced by centuries of intensifying use by humans. Restorations can theoretically reverse these processes, but in practice, are often limited in scope by socio-economic constraints. Here we present methods and results from a habitat restoration and management project that is exceptional in spatial scale in
Restoration of species-rich grasslands on former arable land by spontaneous colonization and hay transfer and with grazing of megaherbivores
Sandra Mann, Sabine Tischew
Since the seventies of the last century large areas with grasslands in floodplains have been meliorated, ploughed and used for intensive cropping in Germany – also in the “Wulfener Bruch” (Saxony-Anhalt). A local NGO works since 1996 successful in recovering a biotope-network of species-rich grasslands. Up to now, more than
Is large-scale, low-intensity grazing an applicable tool for promoting biodiversity in river valleys?
Joachim Schrautzer, Veronika Breuer, Michael Breuer, Kai Jensen
This study was carried out in the valley of the River Eider (
Impact of soil, seasonality and consumers on biomass quality in chalk grasslands
Till Kleinebecker, Heidi Weber, Norbert Hölzel
In chalk grasslands, low-intensive grazing is a widely-used management tool to conserve and restore the outstanding biodiversity of these ecosystems. Conservation management is cost-intensive and thus often hampered by limited financial resources. Thus, balancing necessities of nature conservation and requirements of livestock-keeping farmers is promising for sustainable and long-term conservation management. However, profound knowledge of non-intensively used grasslands with respect to biomass quality and its seasonal variation in relation to grazing is almost lacking. We analyzed the floristic composition, soil chemical characteristics and the chemical composition of the aboveground biomass in a sheep-grazed chalk grassland in NW Germany. Sampling took place in monthly intervals. To separate the impact of grazing on biomass quality an exclosure experiment was performed. Floristic composition of the studied calcareous grasslands was mainly affected by two gradients representing the trophic status and the long-term management intensity. Differences in abiotic site conditions were hardly reflected by the nutritional value of the aboveground biomass. Irrespectively of the abiotic site conditions, the chemical composition of the biomass showed a clear seasonal trend. Nutrient concentrations strongly declined from May to July but increased again in August, probably due to favourable current-year weather conditions. Grazing had a positive impact on the nutritional value of the aboveground biomass indicating that sheep grazing modifies the environment beneficially for the animals. We conclude that an early spring and a late summer grazing is an appropriate management scheme to combine both requirements of feasible livestock production and biodiversity conservation.
Exclosure as restoration technique for degraded arid rangelands
Ahmed Aidoud, Halima Slimani, Françoise Rozé
In Algeria, the arid steppic rangelands covering more than 20 million ha, suffered rapid desertification during the last few decades. Vegetation and soil reclamations were tested at local scale, mainly using planting trees and shrubs. However, the huge area affected by desertification requires techniques of low cost and assuring the acceptance of rangeland pastoralists and managers. Grazing exclosures were traditionally used for rangeland restoration and large portions of rangelands have been protected from livestock as the main measure recently taken to restore degraded steppes in
Evaluating large-scale, open-ended habitat creation projects: the example of the Wicken Vision Project, Cambridgeshire, UK
Francine Hughes, Pete Stroh, William M. Adams
In the intensively farmed landscape of lowland England, a number of new wetland restoration projects have been initiated at a ‘landscape-scale’. In this geographical context, the term ‘landscape-scale’ represents projects with more than 5 km2 of land, and encompassing whole hydrological sub-catchments. At one of these projects, the Wicken Fen Vision, an ‘open-ended’ restoration approach has been adopted. This approach has replaced one of strongly prescriptive land management and associated fixed targets, with one that visualises the present as part of a continuum of change over long time frames. It thus embraces a restoration paradigm in which habitat development reflects changing ambient environmental conditions and outcomes are transient along a trajectory of change. Within such restoration projects, monitoring and evaluation activities need to recognise that project goals are not defined in terms of habitat and species outcomes. At the Wicken Fen Vision, restoration goals are framed in terms of promoting natural processes, changing landscape mosaics and improved ecosystem services. Monitoring has focussed on the physical processes that underpin the development of habitat mosaics, on the way those mosaics change through time and on species that can indicate different landscape attributes of connectivity and scale. It should also include monitoring ecosystem service benefits and stakeholder response since this restoration approach is unusual in the
Relationships between age, the soil seed bank and standing vegetation across a landscape-scale wetland restoration project
Pete Stroh, Francine Hughes, Owen Mountford, Tim Sparks
Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve (NNR) in
Restoration of fen grasslands by mulching – experiments on alkaline fens in Slovakia
Dobromil Galvánek, Tomáš Dražil, Daniel DítI, Rudolf Šoltés Poprad, Anna Leskovjanská Spišská Nová Ves, Marta MutIanová, Ján Ripka
First results of mulching experiment carried out on alkaline fen grasslands in northern Slovakia are presented. The aim of our experiment is to test mulching as a technique for restoration of fen grasslands overgrown by trees and shrubs and possible technique for their long-term management. The experiment was established in in 3 different degradation types of fen grasslands: in fen grassland overgrown by young willows (W), in fen grassland dominated by reed (R) and in relatively well-preserved fen grassland invaded by young birches (B). First year (2007), all plots were only mulched in the summer and from second year (2008) the mulch is removed from the half of the plots after mulching. Changes of species composition after mulching in 2007 were tested by RDA. Impact of mulch removal from 2008 was tested by RDA as well. Significant changes of species composition in all three parts (W, R, B) were observed after restoration mulching, the highest explained varibility by TIME factor was in part W (26,9%) and in part B (26,6%). Fen indicator species react to the treatment differently, some reactions were positive, some negative. Negative reactions may be caused by the fact, the amount of mulch from cut willlows or birches was enormous and limited the growth of some species. Mulch removal from second year of the experiment has no significant effectso far on the vegetation comparing to the unremoved parts.
Cutaway bog rehabilitation and habitat creation in
Catherine Farrell
Bord na Móna (the Irish peat company) is a significant land owner in
The spontaneous re-vegetation of the milled and block-cut peatlands on the example of Rabivere and Viru bogs in northern Estonia
Edgar Karofeld, Triin Triisberg, Jaanus Paal
The spontaneous re-vegetation of mined peatlands is a chaotic and time-consuming process because of the destroyed plant cover and diaspores and unfavorable environmental conditions. We aimed to determine the regularities in the re-vegetation of the block-cut peat extraction area, milled peat fields and milled fertilized peat fields in two bogs in
Planning for restoration of disturbed peatlands in Australia – a triage approach incorporating resilience assessments, peat profiling and hydrological modelling
Anita Wild
Alpine peatlands are uncommon in Australia and listed as endangered due to their limited distribution and threats from environmental factors such as fire and alterations in hydrology. Whilst most peatlands in
Soil-plants relations diversity in extreme ecosystems and implications for restoration: the case of the cupriferous vegetation, in Katanga, DRC
Maxime Seleck, Lebrun Julie, Guillaume Arielle, Piqueray Julien, Mahy Grégory
Katangan copper and cobalt hills in the D. R. Congo are isolated ecosystems on highly toxics substrates (>10.000 ppm Cu, with strongly marked gradients). As a result, those outcrops host singular vegetal communities – with a diversity of specialized metallophytes species – related to soil metals content. Recent resumption of mining activities in the area threatens those ecosystems. To allow the restoration of those communities a fine understanding of the relationship maintained with the edaphic factors is required, as well as a characterization of the intra and inter sites variation. Three outcrops have been studied on the basis of a systematic grid, following the a priori trace elements gradient. In 1m² quadrats, a composite soil sample (0-
Biodiversity conservation and mining: a study case of ecosystem reconstruction in Katanga (DRC)
Julie Lebrun,Semereab Ezana, Rensonnet Audrey, Handjila Guylain, Malaisse François, Grégory Mahy
The Katangan copper-cobalt deposits (Democratic Republic of Congo) are part of the Central African Copperbelt, one of the world’s greatest metallogenic province. The ore comes to the surface in a series of hills isolated in the miombo woodland. These unique ecosystems present high metals concentration levels where a specific vegetation develops. Flora comprises more than 600 species from which 30 are endemics. Due to the recent revival of mining activities in the region, copper plant communities of
Restoration of nature by the post mining land use strategies, suggestions for
Ayse Kalayci
It is an obvious fact that mining has great importance on the industrial and economical development of a country. But when the mining activities are done without considering the natural environment, it can be a threat for the ecological system of that region. To consider all the effects of the mining to the environment, and to plan the post mining land use type for that area is vital to sustain the natural resources and transfer them to the next generations. Kure Copper Mine is located in
May rare metallophytes benefit from disturbed soils following mining activity ?
Michel-Pierre Faucon, Ingrid Parmentier, Grégory Mahy, Gilles Colinet, Michel Ngongo Luhembwe, Pierre Meerts
Cuprophytes are plants that mostly occur on Cu-rich soil. In South Central Africa, these species are threatened by intensive mining exploitation destroying their habitats. Crepidorhopalon tenuis (Scrophulariaceae) is a tiny annual cuprophyte endemic to the Zambesian center of endemism and is particularly abundant in the
Restoration of mining sites in
Adrien Wulff, Laurent L'Huillier, Jacques Rabier, Bruno Fogliani
New Caledonia is a French overseas authority in the Pacific ocean; 1/3 of its emerged lands is covered by peridotite, an ultramafic rock which contains nickel, representing up to 20 to 30% of the worldwide resources of this metal. The history of mining in
Soil seed bank of calamine sites in
Jean-philippe Bizoux, Grégory Mahy
Metalliferous sites often host rare, ecologically endemic taxa adapted to high levels of heavy metals in soils. In
Riparian vegetation metrics as tools for guiding ecological restoration in riverscapes
Francisca Aguiar, Teresa Ferreira, Rosário Fernandes
Riparian ecosystems are recognized amongst the most degraded ecosystems worldwide, and the need to enhance these systems towards its natural functioning has motivated numerous restoration efforts. However, restoration decisions often lack the scientific knowledge of the ecosystems’ dynamics and the prevailing cross-interactions with the riverine landscape, as well as the knowledge of the desired ultimate riparian communities. There is still a need to develop successful methodologies to identify restoration goals, to characterize previous ecological quality condition and to monitor and evaluate the success of the restoration efforts. We suggest a stepwise methodology over spatial scales, from the landscape to local scale levels. Description and quantification of spatial patterns of riparian vegetation using high resolution imagery improves awareness of riparian structural-functional associations, inasmuch as spatial patterns can influence ecological processes affected by riparian patch configuration, connectivity, and distribution. Therefore, imagery and riparian patches will be used to identify segments to be restored. At a lower scale, field data allow the quantification of the ecological condition through riparian vegetation metrics. The degraded segments are characterized by a structured-based riparian index identifying features to be restored, as well as to evaluate the efficacy of the restoration. Such features would include for example complexity of the riparian strata, plant diversity and tree cover. Case-studies from Portuguese rivers are presented and discussed.
River restoration of small lowland streams: evaluation of the success for macrofauna and fish
Bram Van Ballaer, Chris Van Liefferinge, Olivier Beauchard, Eric de Deckere, Patrick Meire
In Flanders (Belgium) many river restoration projects are carried out in view of the European Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC) and Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). Even though the river managers have high ambitions and spend a great amount of time and money on these works, the follow up is mostly very meagre. At several sites evaluation of different restoration measures was carried out, to assess their effect on the fish and macro-invertebrate communities. Results show that small measures like eco-engineered bank reinforcement, pond connections and reconnecting meanders all have an effect on the presence of the macrofauna. Both increases in target species were seen, but also shifts in invertebrate populations. When comparing several measures in streams with a different degree of “naturalness” (eg. natural banks, willow branch reinforcement and gabion baskets), a clear shift in species was found. Not only the abundance of specific macro-invertebrates changed, but also the dominant traits of the total population. In the most vulnerable streams pre-evaluation now takes place, including assessing the current population (Lampetra planeri Bloch, Lota lota L. and Squalius cephalus L.), to assess the current habitat suitability and create a basic habitat dataset for post-restoration analysis of changes in habitat and fish population. This is an essential step to get a fully monitored restoration project, especially where endangered species are concerned.
Individuation of fluvial areas needing restoration through the analysis of a target species, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra L.)
Maria Teresa Carone, Tiziana Simoniello, Anna Loy, Maria Laura Carranza
Fluvial habitats are key ecosystems in maintaining landscape biodiversity for their role as corridors and filtering organisms. Since they are functionally linked to the surrounding territory, the health of riverine fauna populations depends on river/landscape equilibrium. Thus, due to the anthropic pressures that in last decades have damaged many fluvial environments, the identifying of scientifically based management strategies devoted to restore the river environmental sustainability has become urgent. Efficient restoration strategies may be valuable performed by analyzing the environmental needs of target species whose survival depends on the entire basin conservation status, e.g. the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). In this work we use a Habitat Suitability model (Ecological Niche Factor Analysis) for the Otter to evaluate the river basin functionality and to identify sectors needing restoration measures. The input data have been land covers (from LANDSAT-TM images), a DEM and a derived SLOPE map; the model was performed in the Otter core area of its Italian range, within a riparian buffer of
Protocole d'éradication de l'écrevisse de Californie par stérilisation mécanique des mâles
Théo Duperray, Aurélien Besnard
Pacifastacus leniusculus ne cesse d'accroitre sont aire de répartition (plus ou moins naturellement) depuis son introduction il y a une quarantaine d'année en France, c'est une des plus importante menace pour nos écrevisses indigènes et notamment Austropotamobius pallipes qu'elle concurrence et qu'elle contamine par l'aphanomycose. Devant ce constat et l'absence de solutions existantes T. DUPERRAY (puis sa société "Saules et Eaux") ont développé un protocole d'éradication par stérilisation (non chimique) des mâles pour les sites à forts enjeux. Capture d'un maximum d'individus, destruction des femelles et des petits mâles (non matures), remise à l'eau des gros mâles après stérilisation. Ceux-ci vont rechercher les femelles et s'accoupler avec elles, annulant ainsi leurs chances de reproduction pour l'année à venir. Des essais sont menés en bassins depuis 5 ans et en rivière depuis 2 ans. Les essais en cours sont très prometteurs : en bassins la probabilité de procréation pour une femelle et de 33% avec mâle témoin et 4.4% avec mâle stérilisé (Besnard 2009). Une expérimentation en milieu naturel avec le Parc National des Cévennes et encadrement scientifique du CNRS est lancée depuis 2009 sur un ruisseau ou persistent les deux espèces avec estimation (par CMR) des tailles des deux populations deux fois par an et début de la stérilisation en 2010 avec suivi des Pacifastacus par puces électroniques implantées, protocole sur 4 ans.
Restoring the web of life – Ecological networks for more biodiversity in the Alps
Yann Kohler
In response to decreasing biodiversity and phenomena such as climate change, a transnational approach aimed at creating a pan-alpine ecological network has been developed during the last few years in the
Green infrastructure as a tool for a new European biodiversity strategy
Ladislav Miko
The assessment of the delivery of the current 2010 biodiversity policy states that even though much progress has been achieved the EU has not met the 2010 target of halting biodiversity loss. Across its frontieres,
Certification for Ecological Restoration Practitioners
Sasha Alexander, John Stanley, Andre Clewell
The Society for Ecological Restoration International (SER) is creating a certification program for practitioners of ecological restoration. A new corporation named the SER International Practitioners Institute (SERIPI) will administer the SER Practitioners Certification Program (PCP). SER PCP goals are to: 1) Provide practitioners of ecological restoration with the credentials needed to improve consumer confidence in the profession; 2) Improve the quality of ecological restoration projects worldwide; 3) Foster the incorporation of the principles of ecological restoration, as embodied in SER foundation documents, into the decision-making process of ecological restoration practitioners; 4) Develop a community of practitioners who are actively engaged in the continued improvement of their individual abilities and of their profession; 5) Create standards for practitioners of ecological restoration; and 6) Stimulate growth of the profession of ecological restoration. The results of a “Standards of Practice Survey” conducted in the spring of 2009 are being used to guide the design of the certification program. The SER PCP will certify practitioners based on their overall professional competence taking into consideration their education, training, experience, and professional involvement. Three levels of certification that will be offered: Certified EcologicalRestoration Practitioner In-Training (CERPIT), Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP), and Certified Senior Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CSERP). Specific requirements for certification vary depending on the level of certification. SERIPI will begin accepting applications for certification in 2011. This presentation will discuss specific elements of the program. We will welcome input from the conference attendees regarding the program.
Implementing the Habitats Directive: Management Planning in
Anne Böhnke-Henrichs, Torsten Lipp
(1) Introduction. The Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) is part of the European nature conservation policy. To implement the Habitats Directive and reach its conservation objectives management of designated special areas of conservation is one essential key point. On the example of
Limitations of large-scale nature restoration practices for species typical for the protected Natura 2000 habitats - the Dutch perspective
Agata Klimkowska, Han van Dobben
An assessment of the quality of the Natura 2000 habitats in the
Extinction debt and colonization credit? When both phenomena are mingled
Julien Piqueray, Sara Cristofoli, Emmanuelle Bisteau, Rodolphe Palm, Grégory Mahy
Calcareous grasslands are among the most species-rich ecosystems in temperate countries. These ecosystems suffered a high fragmentation process during the last century. Fragmentation can lead to the creation of an extinction debt in remaining habitat patches. In our study site, it was shown in a previous study that Fragmented habitat patches (area loss since 1965 >80%) exhibited an extinction debt in comparison to Stable habitat patches (area loss since 1965 <80%). However, human activities also created new habitat patches in the landscape and provided therefore opportunities for calcareous grassland plant species to colonize new sites. They also provide opportunities for studying species colonization abilities in the context of habitat restoration. We analyzed species richness in these new patches in comparison to old patches in order to detect colonization credit. When taking as reference Fragmented patches (that exhibit an extinction debt) or all old patches (Fragmented and Stable), we concluded to the occurrence of a colonization credit in New patches. However, when the reference is Stable patches (the less likely to exhibit an extinction debt) alone, no colonization credit could be detected. Moreover, correspondence analysis revealed that New patches were similar to old patches in term of species composition. These results are encouraging for restoration programs. They also showed that the presence of an extinction debt in reference habitats can lead to mistaken conclusion in restoration monitoring. Extinction debt occurrence should be taken into account in the choice of reference habitats for evaluation of restoration success.
Restoration of calcareous grassland on ex-arable land: the importance of establishment microsites and longer-term management
Markus Wagner, Jodey Peyton, Lucy Hulmes, Sarah Hulmes, Ben Woodcock, Matt Heard James Bullock, Richard Pywell
Restored grasslands often fail to achieve the high species richness of their target communities. It is usually the habitat specialists from such target communities that tend to fail in restorations, whereas habitat generalists characterised by wide ecological amplitudes perform much better. The poor performance of specialist species in restoration projects may often be due to failure to create suitable microsites for their establishment during the initial phase of a project or failure to maintain such microsites in the longer term, thus effectively preventing the continued regeneration of habitat specialists. We established a large-scale experiment in species-poor grassland on ex-arable land to investigate a range of techniques and management options for creating and maintaining microsites.. Results from the first two years of the project indicate that the specific establishment requirements of individual species strongly depend on whether they were introduced as seed or as small plants that were nursery-grown. Successful establishment from seed tends to require more open microsites, e.g. created by strong mechanical disturbance, whereas successful establishment from nursery-grown plants requires more sheltered microsites, e.g. created by the band-spraying of herbicides. Results from the second year indicate that initial survivorship may not necessarily be a good indicator of longer-term performance.
Preliminary results of multi-treatments steppe restoration processes in
Renaud Jaunatre, Elise Buisson, Thierry Dutoit
The
The fate of herbaceous seeds during topsoil stockpiling: germination rate and viability
Desirée Rivera, Berta Jáuregui, Gabriel De
Topsoil removed during linear infrastructure construction is one of the most valuable resources for the ecological restoration of roadslopes, as it contains the highest concentration of micro-organisms, nutrients and seeds in the soil. During construction work, topsoil is stockpiled in a way that can harm seed germination and survival capacity. In order to assess the effects of topsoil storage time and seed burial depth on germination rates and viability, an experiment with three replicas was conducted using two factors: time (1 to 6 months) and burial depth (0, 5, 30 and
Restoration of rupestrian fields, physiognomy of Cerrado threatened by land use changes
Soizig Le Stradic, Elise Buisson, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Rupestrian fields or campos rupestres, located in eastern Brazil, are a more or less continuous herbaceous stratum with sclerophyllous evergreen small shrubs between rocky outcrops which occurs between 800m and 2000m. It is the largest vegetation formation of the
Transfer of one population of a rare orchid in Corsica
Richard Franck, Kaczmar Michaël, Laetitia Hugot, Schatz Bertrand
Orchids are often emblematic species, which are protected at different level. Fine interactions with pollinators for their reproduction, with mycorrhizal fungi for their nutrition and with their habitat for their life history are important constraints for restoration operations. Here, we reported a case in which a population of a rare and protected species, Ophrys eleonorae, was directly threatened by a planned road extension. This population was then displaced in three population in similar and nearest habitat. All individuals flowered the year after transfer, but they are only 10% to do it 10 years after in spite of a good level of pollination. A 10 year survey shows that we also observed variations among populations in the individual survival. Since few studies reported cases of transfer for orchid populations, this operation allowed us to evaluate conditions of success of such population transfer.
The importance of restoring dynamic coastal sand dunes for fauna
Bart Wouters
The original highly heterogeneous landscape of dry coastal dunes once inhabited a tremendous biodiversity due to a patchwork of different habitat types. These were shaped by windblown sand, rabbit grazing and land-use, causing a continuous habitat rejuvenation. However, since the mid-1950s many characteristic animal species decreased profoundly or even have disappeared totally from Dutch coastal dunes. High depositions of atmospheric nitrogen and a decreased intensity of rabbit grazing stimulate tall competitive grasses and shrubs to spread, homogenizing the original patchwork of habitats. Ultimately, changes in vegetation cause this dynamic landscape to stabilize, by blocking sand-dynamics as one of the main drivers of the ecosystem. In the authors’ point of view, the use of redynamisation of sand-dynamics as a measurement tool is the most promising measure since it functionally restarts one of the main drivers of dune ecosystems. We hypothesize that a frequent burial with fresh dune sand restores soil properties and microclimate conditions, beside plant quantity and quality. Together, these processes establish a prime habitat for dune fauna. The authors illustrate the positive effects of redynamisation of sand-dynamics on development and reproduction of characteristic dune fauna species in various examples. Sandy dune grasslands have for instance a 10-
Evaluation of Dutch coastal wetlands restoration: effects of weather conditions
Bikila Warkineh Dullo, Ab Grootjans
Successful restoration of coastal wet lands and their corresponding plant communities is a complex process that requires a comprehensive approach based on a thorough knowledge of dune systems. This paper investigates the effect of weather fluctuation i.e. an increase or a decrease of precipitation on basiphilous dune slack species. We hypothesized that the observed meteorological change has caused an accelerated succession toward more productive but species poor stages that have become much more common all along the Dutch coast. We investigated the relationship between measured environmental variables such as pH, organic matter, different management regimes, groundwater levels and precipitation regimes by using a multivariate analysis (CANOCO 4.5). Our result shows a rapid acidification process owing to intense spring or summer rainfall, high rate of organic matter accumulation within few years and a rapid establishment of competitive tall grass species and scrubs. Therefore, an increase in precipitation could lead to a feed-back mechanism by raising the water level, reducing soil pH and facilitating organic matter acculturation and thus facilitating the establishment of competitive species. We conclude that restoration projects should take into account the unpredictability of weather conditions and should aim to more dynamic approaches.
Rate of soil organic matter accumulation: a key factor in succesfull restoration of dune slacks on the
Rohani Shahrudin, Bikila Warkineh Dullo, Ab Grootjans
One of the main objectives in coastal wetland management is to preserve pioneer plant communities since they have a high conservation value. Interdunal wetlands or dune slacks harbour a large number of plant and animal species that elsewhere in
Elucidating the beneficial and toxic endpoints of a soil conditioning agent (commercial humic acid) in coastal plant restoration
Jonathan Willis, Michael Dupuis, Christine Pickens, Mark Hester
Commercial humic acid is a soil conditioning agent that has shown promise in improving the quality of marginal soils in agricultural and horticultural environments by increasing nutrient availability and soil organic matter, among other mechanisms. Preliminary investigations of the benefits of humic acid amendment to the establishment and growth of dune and swale, as well as back barrier marsh vegetation in soils typical of barrier island restorations have been initiated. However, further refinement of this technology is needed to better incorporate this methodology into coastal plant community restoration efforts. The effect of nutritive elements and compounds on organisms can generally be described as a dose-response relationship, with no effect, beneficial, and toxic responses occurring as the concentration of the nutritive element or compound increases. Thus, a key step towards the effective employment of emerging restoration technologies that use novel amendments is determining the range of doses at which the optimal effects occur for critical species. In this study, several plant species that are frequently employed in coastal restoration efforts in the southeastern
Evaluation of humic acid amendment in facilitating plant establishment in coastal environments
Mark Hester,Mike Dupuis, Christine Pickens, Jonathan Willis
The restoration and protection of barrier islands and other sandy coastal habitats requires that plant communities are rapidly and effectively established. The rapid establishment and expansion of vegetative cover is crucial in dune, swale, and back-barrier marsh habitats where vegetation serves to trap and bind sand and sediment, thereby providing increased stability to storm and overwash events. Although humic acid has been reported to minimize the impacts of environmental stressors associated with growing crops in marginal soils, its reported use in the peer-reviewed literature of restoration science is very limited. We conducted a series of controlled experiments in which we investigated potential benefits of humic acid amendment on the growth responses of key dune species (sea oats, Uniola paniculata; bitter panicum, Panicum amarum; seashore paspalum, Paspalum vaginatum), swale/high marsh species (marshhay cordgrass, Spartina patens; groundsel bush, Baccharis halimifolia; saltgrass, Distichlis spicata) and salt marsh species (smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora; black mangrove, Avicennia germinans). Results to date indicate significant differences among species in their growth responses to humic acid amendments. In general, woody species (groundsel bush, black mangrove) and species with slower establishment times (sea oats) have not displayed the level of growth enhancement observed in faster growing species. Field trials at barrier island restoration sites in
Suitable site selection for sustainable coastal tourism based on ecological criteria (with GIS and
Mahsa Hakimi Abed , Masood Monavari , Abdolreza Karbasi
In this survey and for appropriate site location in regard to coastal tourism and sustainable development and restoration, required environmental and natural criteria as well as limiting factors such as climate, topography, soil texture, types of flora and fauna and slope have been identified and categorized. Then, using G.I.S. information (data) layers as well as appropriate sites for coastal tourism have been identified and provided. Next, considering social and economic criteria and by means of
Assessment of forest stand history using pedoanthracology: a precious tool to definite a forest system “reference”, at the local scale
Vincent Robin, Oliver Nelle, Brigitte Talon
Restoration projects need to definite an aim towards which to restore the target system. To do that it is important to observe the target system in its spatial-temporal context. Indeed, the current state of ecological systems (i.e. resilience and stability potentialities) is the result of processes occurring at different and complementary spatial and temporal scales. This is why the assessment of ecological systems should be done through their various scales. In restoration context it is especially important to determine what is natural (i.e. which processes, dynamics, disturbances regimes, etc., are natural?). Several palaeoecological approaches allow investigating forest dynamics along time and space, but these approaches are relevant in different ways on different spatial-temporal resolution. But, the possibility to use one of those is highly dependent on the presence of archives which record environmental change by conserving relevant palaeo-indicators, e.g. lakes for pollen analysis. This limits essentially the usage of palaeoecological investigations connected to restoration projects. However, the pedoanthracological approach (analysis of charcoals from soils) is a relevant and useful tool is this context, due notably to its spatial and temporal resolution. In this communication we present pedoantharcological investigations on three different study sites in
Characteristics of reference ecosystems in defining restoration targets: static vs. dynamic approach
Ekaterina Shorohova, I. Vanha-Majamaa
We study the impact of variable retention felling on ground vegetation dynamics and natural regeneration and assess sources of variation - weather, within-stand site diversity, stand age, structure and successional stage, natural disturbance and management history - in boreal Norway spruce dominated forest stands used as 'controls'. The results are based on two case studies: MONTA - complex forest management and restoration experiment in
Conservation and restoration models of non-homogenous forest habitats
David Hladnik, Lado Kutnar
In the last decades, several efforts in sustainable management of forests and in environmental conservation stimulated changes in forest policy and legislation and in forest management practices throughout the world. The general aim of new management and ecological restoration systems in forestry, influenced strongly by Central European developments in forest management based on natural processes, was the encouragement of structural diversity and uneven-aged structure on a fine spatial scale. Despite the political declarations and actions, which have established a solid ground for growth and diversity in today’s forests, the criteria and indicators for maintenance, conservation and appropriate enhancement of biological diversity in forest ecosystems and cultural landscapes have been primarily undertaken on the national scale. The processes in historical development of today’s fine-grained, open, semi-natural and cultural landscapes in Mediterranean and Central European countries have hidden or have made impossible the implementation of quantitative descriptors to be used in restoration efforts or for the conservation of habitats that are in ecosystem functions or species composition comparable to existing reference sites. The intent of the study was to present the spatial model based on landscape ecological reference points for an assessment of disturbances in agricultural and forested landscapes induced by human land use in
Can we restore natural habitats after plant invasion? Lessons from years of management
Gwenn Frisson, Mathieu Halford, Emmanuel Delbart, Grégory Mahy
Negative impacts of invasive plants on natural habitats have been widely demonstrated. Hence, the management of invasive plants, aiming at eradicating, or at least controlling their spread, is being more and more developed. For this purpose, we need to identify the most efficient management techniques which could lead to the restoration of invaded ecosystems. Up to now, management methods mentioned in literature were pragmatic tools and often lacked scientific assessment. For several years, we have tested similar mechanical and chemical management techniques in the field on highly invasive plant species, representative of different life forms and invaded habitats: herbaceous rhizomatous perennial Fallopia japonica, ligneous rhizomatous Spiraea spp., ligneous root suckering Acer rufinerve and ligneous stoloniferous Cotoneaster horizontalis. We investigated the efficiency, cost and feasibility of these techniques, and their effects on the restoration of invaded ecosystems. The best performing management technique was found to be highly species specific and was also influenced by the invaded habitat type. For these perennial species, long-term management must be considered, to reduce their competitive capacities with repeated mechanical or chemical techniques (cutting or pulling out several times a year, injection combined with mechanical methods, etc.). For species with sexual reproduction, like Acer rufinerve and Cotoneaster horizontalis, seed bank and seed dispersal must also be taken into account to avoid dissemination when managing. We can conclude invasion plant management is usually expensive and hard to implement but some results are encouraging and show the importance to carry on research on invasive plant management methods.
Restoration of plant populations and communities – does arbuscular mycorrhiza matter?
Martin Zobel, Mari Moora, Maarja Öpik, Kadri Koorem
Performance of natural plant species in experiments depends on symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) living in their roots. However, the understanding the role of AMF in structuring plant communities is limited because we know very little about their natural distribution. We first summarise global distribution data of AM fungi, based on published information of fungal SSU rRNA gene sequences and show that highly disturbed ecosystems are characterised by low diversity of AMF. Second we show that association between host plant species and AMF may be more specific than thought earlier. We then present data about AMF diversity in boreonemoral forest, obtained with novel pyrosequencing technique. We found that specialised forest plants had diverse AM fungal communities with many locally distributed fungal taxa in their roots. In contrast, the roots of generalist plant species were colonised by a low number of widely distributed fungal species. We conclude that the occurrence of plant species characteristic to undisturbed natural communities might be critically dependent on the presence of particular symbiotic fungi. The restoration of populations of narrowly distributed plant species, as well as of biodiverse plant communities might thus require the presence of specific AM fungi, which should be introduced to the site. Finally we present the preliminary results of a field experiment where we established old forest species into disturbed sites with and without associated AMF. We conclude that the role of AMF in determining the success of restoring plant populations and communities might be more significant than earlier recognized.
Intervention ecology: managing and restoring ecosystems in the 21st century
Richard Hobbs
The world is changing more rapidly and more comprehensively than ever before in human history. Abiotic conditions are changing with changing climates, land use and human inputs and extractions from ecosystems, and biotic compositions are changing through range shifts, invasions and local extinctions. These changes are leading to a reconsideration of what the goals for management, conservation and restoration can and should be. In addition, there is increased recognition that active intervention in ecosystem dynamics will be required to ensure the continuation of ecosystem service provision and biodiversity conservation. Such intervention will increasingly have to take multiple factors into account in a more meaningful way. On-ground management and restoration programs are currently wrestling with these issues and can provide useful test-beds for new ideas and approaches. There is a strong need for the development of a more effective ecology that facilitates the analysis and management of ecosystems in a rapidly changing world. I suggest that restoration ecology needs to extend its reach to become a more comprehensive “intervention ecology” which couples conceptual and empirical studies with on ground application. When, how and where should intervention be implemented, and what types of intervention are likely to be most effective? I provide examples of this type of approach from
Determining environmental investment priorities – a new framework
Melanie Strang, David J. Pannell, Anna M. Roberts, Geoff Park, Jennifer Alexander
Environmental problems are much larger than the budgets allocated for addressing them, and programs are often not achieving cost-effective outcomes for public investment. Certainly this is the case in
Wild design: principles to guide ecological restoration in protected natural areas
Eric Higgs, Richard Hobbs
In an era of rapid environmental and ecological change restorationists are asked to make timely judgments about interventions that stray far from experience and from the comfort zone of traditional ethical practice. For instance, should species near the limits of their present range be assisted in moving to new locations? How much intervention is justified, and on what basis? What is the risk of doing harm in attempting to correct a problem? I apply a version of design practice, wild design, to ecological restoration, and outline a framework based on seven principles (clarity, fidelity, resilience, restraint, respect, responsibility, and engagement). Design is the intention and planning behind any action. Wild design refers to intentions and plans that recognize and support free-flowing ecological processes. Thus, there is a critical tension between unrestrained processes (wild) and human intervention (design) in wild design. Protected areas are an exquisite test for wild design. Managers are willing to go more slowly, attend more carefully to the qualities of the thing or ecosystem, invest greater energy in finding durable approaches, and recognize all the while that posterity is at stake. Therefore, protected areas provide the greatest challenge for working out how to restore appropriately, if in fact restoration is ultimately appropriate. They are also places where there are the greatest restrictions on and resistance to resolute ecological restoration.
Comparative examination of potential biotic and abiotic influences on the dynamic of dry grasslands in Brandenburg, Germany
Kristin Meier, Torsten Lipp,Volker Otte
In Brandenburg as well as in Central Europe dry grasslands belong to the highly endangered habitats. The federal state of
Subordinate plant species and mycorrhizal fungi: preferential symbiosis association?
Pierre Mariotte, Claire Meugnier, Charlotte Vandenberghe, Edward Mitchell, Alexandre Buttler
Plant communities are composed of dominant and subordinate species with a well-established hierarchy for which soil organisms and particularly Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) could have an important role. In pasture communities, 80% of plant species are colonized by this kind of fungi (10 to 30 species in meadows). Recent studies show that subordinate species could be more mycorrhizal dependant and have specific or symbiotic interactions with fungi. This relationship between plant species and soil organisms could contribute importantly to ecosystem functioning. The aim of our study is to test the role of AMF in growth of subordinate and dominant species and bring to light a preferential symbiosis between subordinates and AMF. Two dominant species and two subordinates, determined by relative cover in the field (Swiss Jura,
Preliminary results of monitoring the changes in field layer of restored wooded meadow
Elle Roosaluste
Fennoscandian wooded meadows are one type of seminatural grasslands that have been considered to be extremely rich-in-species plant communities. During last decades their area has dramatically decreased due to changed agricultural activities and nowadys wooded meadows belong into the list of seriously threatened ecosystems. The restoration and following management of wooded meadows is subsidized by European Union and local governments but by many reasons this process has not been very successful. Restoration and management of seminatural communities is more continuous on protected areas but usually some difficulties are met there too. The present study has been proceeded on small island that belongs to the Hiiumaa Islets Landscape Reserve. The island was settled for hundred years and managed by traditional way (grazing animals, mowing, cultivating land) but now abandoned already for 40 years. The administration of reserve started with restoration of wooded meadows on this island in 2005. During 5 years the tree and shrub layer has been gradually removed and partly the aim – plant community with sparse oak stand –has been achieved. For long-term monitoring of changes in the field layer in summer 2005 20 permanent sample plots (1 x
Pioneer conditions are steering for river grassland restoration
Kris Van Looy
Major challenge in restoration projects is increasing the diversity and abundance of indigenous species. For the restoration of a specific plant community with its diversity and composition, the question is whether and to what extent the initial floristic composition is determining the success of the final recovery. Over an extensive set of newly created restoration sites for dry river grasslands along the River Meuse, a multilevel experiment design was drawn. Different restoration techniques were compared for the realised diversity at different scale levels. The spatially nested sampling design allowed to distinguish between spatial and local factors determining the developments. Based on our results, we conclude that the regional species pool and aspects of dispersal limitation and river influence are much stronger reflected in the pioneer vegetation than the local topography and soil conditions. The applied restoration practices proved successful in the recovery of target species. They showed significant effect for species richness yet did not affect vegetation cover nor richness or abundance of non-native species. As the enhanced restoration practices of sowing and topsoil translocation might hamper the expression of the local species pool and the river influence, uncertainty remains for the effectiveness of these practices with respect to the development of the target communities.
The role of drought years in forecasting restoration success – case studies from Hungary
Katalin Török, Rebeka Szabó, Katalin Szitár, Balint Czúcz, Tibor Szili-Kovács
The area and habitat diversity of Pannonic inland dune habitats and sand steppes have considerably decreased in the past century in Hungary due to intensive agricultural production and the dropping level of groundwater. The socio-economic transition in the 1990s together with the water shortage induced broad scale landuse changes: abandonment of cultivation on nutrient-poor soils, further expansion of alien tree plantations and spread of invasive species on degraded areas. Open sandy grassland and other sandy steppe habitats were particularly affected by these changes. Therefore different restoration methods had to be applied in order to regain some of the former area of these Natura 2000 priority habitat types. Effect of restoration treatments was analyzed by comparing trajectories of vegetation development in control and treated plots. A general influence of summer drought was detected for each treatment. Drought response of species life history types was different, resulting in altering succession trajectories during restoration trials. Vegetation composition was altered according to the severity of drought. As climate change models predict higher temperatures and less precipitation in summer for the lowland of
A long term ecological restoration project for the dune habitats in northern Tuscany
Antonio Perfetti, Leonardo Lombardi, Francesca Logli, Luca Puglisi, Linda Colligiani, Andrea Porchera, Olga Mastroianni, Mariaceleste Labriola
A four-year project was realized in an ecologically complex area, with 8 dune habitats and 7 hygrophyl habitats included in the Natura 2000 network. The project involved about
Chemical and biochemical properties of the soil as potential tools for monitoring woodland restoration in south western Western Australia
Katarzyna Bialkowski, Robert Archibald, Giles Hardy, Treena Burgess
Forest certification is encouraging Australian plantation companies to manage biodiversity within their estates, especially within native woodland remnants which serve as important habitat for fauna and flora. However, many remnants have been degraded by soil nutrient enrichment and weed invasion, and so support less native biodiversity. We investigated the suitability of a range of chemical and biological measures to monitor the condition of the soil in degraded woodland remnants so that the effectiveness of restoration treatments can be accurately assessed. Remnants were within Eucalyptus globulus plantations from south western
Resilience of the transition forest following slash-and-burn cultivation near
Melissa De Wilde, Elise Buisson, Fidisoa Ratovoson, Richard Randrianaivo, Jimmy Andrianirina, Stéphanie M. Carrière, Pete P. Lowry II
Prior to implementing a restoration project, the need for restoration must first be identified. Gathering baseline ecological information on the reference ecosystem and studying its resilience are thus priority tasks in restoration planning. Resilience is defined as the time period or the process through which an ecosystem (or community) returns to its reference trajectory after a disturbance. The current study investigates the influence of now-abandoned rice or manioc/corn slash-and-burn cultivation on resilience of a transition forest. The study sites are located in the transitional zone midway along a precipitation/altitudinal gradient across a corridor between two large parcels of
Post logging ban timber tree planting in Southeast Asia: Cases of
Yonariza
Two decades ago,
Role of adjacent surrounding vegetation during succession in sites disturbed by mining: additional potential for restoration?
Klára rehounková, Romana Trnková, Petra Karešová, Helena DvoIáková, Karel,Prach
Species composition of (semi-)natural vegetation in close surroundings of disturbed sites is expected to influence the course of succession. However, the exact evaluation of similarity between particular successional stages and surrounding vegetation has only rarely analysed. We present results of several case studies in which surrounding vegetation was considered influencing succession in disused gravel-sand pits, spoil heaps from coal mining and quarries. The mining sites represented stages from 1 to 100 years since abandonment. Nearly 100 mining sites were surveyed and for each of them species composition of surrounding semi-natural vegetation up to
Reed margins along drainage dikes in an intensive agricultural landscape: valuable or negligible ecological structures for marshland invertebrates?
Kris Decleer, Johan Baetens, Patrick Grootaert, Didier Drugmand, Leon Baert,Wouter Deconinck,Marc Pollet, Rudy Van Diggelen, Dries Bonte
On 16 locations we sampled the invertebrate fauna of reed vegetations along drainage dikes in an area dominated by intensively used arable land on clay soil. The average width of the reed fringes was 2.5 ± 0.8m. Sampling was done with 3 pitfalls and 3 white water traps on each location. The results were compared with the invertebrate fauna of 6 medium-sized and 6 larger reed marsh habitats along old creeks or remnants of creeks in the same area (“Meetjeslandse kreken”,
Biological and technical variables associated with successful plant reintroduction programmes
Sandrine Godefroid, Thierry Vanderborght
Reintroduction of native species has become increasingly important in conservation worldwide. However, few studies have reported the outcome of reintroduction efforts in plant species. Using data from the literature combined with a questionnaire survey, we analysed 249 plant reintroductions worldwide (involving 172 taxa belonging to 62 families) by assessing the methods used and the results obtained from these reintroductions. The objectives were: (1) to examine how successful plant reintroductions have been so far in establishing or significantly augmenting viable, self-sustaining populations in nature; (2) to determine the conditions under which we might expect plant reintroductions to be most successful; (3) to make the results of this survey available for future plant reintroduction trials. Results indicate that survival, flowering and fruiting rates of reintroduced plants are generally quite low. Furthermore, our results show a downward trend with time. We identified various parameters influencing plant reintroduction outcomes, e.g., material type, number of individuals introduced, provenance of material introduced, demographic status of source population, introduction method and management of the out-planting site. The detection of the effects of these variables on reintroduction success is of considerable importance for conservation management. This study also revealed shortcomings of common experimental designs that greatly limit the interpretation of plant reintroduction studies. We therefore conclude by suggesting improvements for the design of future experiments.
Ranking of plant species: from dominant to subordinate, what's effect of root competition?
Pierre Mariotte, Charlotte Vandenberghe, Alexandre Buttler
Plant community are composed out of dominant and subordinate species which participate to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning but which factors are playing an important role in explaining the relative abundance of plant species in grassland communities? Dominance may be the result of traits for competitive dominance and/or traits for tolerating environment and it is important to disantangle these two situations. In our study, we explore the importance of root competition in dominance and show how it can play a role in the hierarchy of dominant to subordinate species. Five dominant and three subordinate species, determined on the field (Swiss Jura,
Restoration of Mediterranean dry grasslands by sowing structuring species
Clémentine Coiffait-Gombault, Elise Buisson, Thierry Dutoit
When an ecosystem is damaged, one of the key factors slowing down natural restoration is weeds recolonizing the disturbed area as they prevent the establishment of characteristics species by covering soils. To restore such ecosystem the best solution is to eliminate weed plant species and change the trajectory by seed introduction. The Nature Reserve “des Coussouls de Crau” is a French Mediterranean dry grassland created by the combination of a dry climate, particular soil properties and 6,000 years of extensive sheep grazing. During this last century, this ecosystem has been submitted to a lot of damages reducing its area to
Physical and biological structure of woody patches determine establishment success of a Mediterranean key species
Beatriz Amat, Jordi Cortina
Woody patches are key components of semi-arid ecosystems. In Stipa tenacissima steppes, patches of sprouting species as Quercus coccifera, Pistacia lentiscus, Rhamnus lycioides, Ephedra fragilis and Juniperus oxycedrus have been positively related to ecosystem functioning and community composition; but S. tenacissima steppes may be impoverished in woody patches as a result of past land use and species failure to establish under current environmental conditions. Restoration practices aimed at increasing the cover of patch-forming species have been promoted in recent years. However, information on patch dynamics and their ability to incorporate new individuals is scarce. Here, we evaluate the effect of woody patches on the establishment of a key patch-forming species, Pistacia lentiscus, and explore the relationship between patch physical and biological traits and seedlings establishment. We planted P. lentiscus seedlings in four microsites: underneath woody patches, on the northern and southern edges of these patches, and in open areas and measured seedling survival and growth for one year. First-year survival was two-fold higher in seedlings planted under patches than in those planted elsewhere. Survival underneath patches was mainly explained by slope, patch height and projected area (63% of the variability explained). Survival was also associated with dominant species: most seedlings planted near Ephedra fragilis survived, whereas those planted near Rhamnus lycioides died. Our study highlights the influence of microsite on establishment success, and provides new insights on population dynamics of patch-forming species. This information will enhance the efficiency of restoration practices in degraded S. tenacissima steppes.
Role of rangeland shrubs as safe sites for the restoration projects
Mohammad Jankju, Hamid Ejtehadi
Nurse shrubs may increase the establishment and survival of their understory plants, by providing a favorable microclimate or by protecting them against herbivores. However, there are suspicions about their capabilities as safe sites. Series of field studies were conducted from 2003-
Restoration of the tidal lagoon of the Zwin
Jean-Louis Herrier, Marc Leten
The tidal floodplain of the Zwin between Knokke (
Ecologie et perspectives de restauration et de valorisation d’écosystèmes envahis par des Ludwigia sp. : Etat de l’Art
Imen Smida, Jean Le Petit, Claude Charpy-Roubaud
La colonisation des plans d’eaux par les Ludwigia spp., hydrophytes amphibies invasives, provoque une dystrophie des écosystèmes aquatiques, un effondrement de la biodiversité des taxons indigènes et la mort des macro-invertébrés et des poissons. Leur développement exubérant entraîne donc la destruction des habitats, provoquant d’importantes nuisances écologiques, et également socio-économiques par leurs impacts sur les activités humaines, qu’elles soient touristiques ou professionnelles (pêche, chasse, agriculture, industries). L’invasion des milieux par les herbiers est très rapide et s’étend peu à peu sur tout le territoire français et les pays avoisinants. La problématique est préoccupante et divers acteurs s’investissent à résoudre les nuisances engendrées par l’envahissement des herbiers de Ludwigia sp. : Ministères, Administration de Région, chercheurs, diverses Associations, professionnels, touristes. Un état des lieux est dressé sur la biogéographie des Ludwigia spp., les connaissances sur l’écologie de cette plante, l’impact des herbiers sur la biodiversité des biotopes et, au-delà, celle des écosystèmes. Le réel impact des recherches développées et des différents moyens mis en œuvre actuellement, de même que ceux prospectés, pour limiter l’expansion de ce fléau et pour restaurer les milieux envahis sont analysés. Par ailleurs, les prospectives de valorisation biotechnologique de cette plante à des fins de développement durable sont également abordées, de même que les bénéfices socio-économiques qui en résulteraient.
Mapping, avoidance, mitigation and restoration in environmental impact assessments
Annebeth Hoffmann, Anne Eiby, Jan Rasmussen
Restoration of the ecological functionality in an area impacted by a project, is an important aspect of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). In order to find out what is impacted and how this is avoided or mitigated, it is necessary to make detailed mapping of occurences of animals and plants in the given area. This mapping is used in analysis of population structures and ecological connectivity in the area. The analysis forms the basis of the assessment of impacts and the incorporation of relevant mitigation measures in the project. The mapping also forms the basis of a possible monitoring program, a programme which is not required for EIA, and therefore rarely carried out. The work is presented using a case study from a Danish EIA for a road project that has a potential severe impact on locally rare plants and amphibians.
Ecological restoration in Belgium, a practical approach by an NGO
Willem Laermans, Tom Andries
Civil society plays an important role when it comes to actions related to ecological restoration. Different stakeholders are interested in the scarce open space that’s still available. Hunters, nature organisations, farmers, local residents, tourists, they all use the landscape. How can we overcome the usual problems and unite our powers on this issue? Natuurpunt is a Belgian NGO (Flemish region) involved with nature conservation which gives volunteers the ability to engage themselves for a better environment. A key factor is to give these volunteers responsibility in local management of sites. These people are organised in local management teams and are supported by professional employees. This volunteer based management gives the local people the responsibility to acquire land and start up the management of the site. Because these people are embedded in the local social network they are the best “voluntary employees” you can have. For decades they managed to establish strong coalitions with farmers. This creates as win-win situation: the nature management is done and the farmers can use the NGO's land for grazing en mowing. Agreements with local entrepreneurs are made to produce local products for example the biol-labelled meat of special nature management cows. Working with these volunteers is at first time consuming but in the long term it pays back (surveillance, local network building, raising public awareness,..). A part of the solution to tackle the loss of biodiversity can be found on the local level and an important base for strong coalitions with stakeholders can be made.
Cumulative effects of nitrogen deposition on dry inland dune ecosystems
Marijn Nijssen
High levels of nitrogen deposition is one of the major threats to dry, nutrient poor ecosystems. Effects on soil chemistry and development or structure and composition of the vegetation are often described but effects on fauna are mostly unclear. In an interdisciplinary research project on inland dunes or ‘drift sands’ in The Netherlands effects of nitrogen deposition on aeolian dynamics, soil, vegetation and fauna were analysed. It turned out that fauna was affected by high nitrogen deposition via several indirect ways. Nitrogen increased stabilisation of aeolian dynamics and subsequent vegetation succession. This changed vegetation composition on landscape level and thereby altered soil fauna composition. Moreover, nitrogen deposition also affected soil fauna within identical vegetation types and had a negative effect on food quality of Grey Hairgrass Corynephorus canescens, the main herbivore food source. Cumulative effects of all these pathways resulted in low prey availability for the insectivorous bird species Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe. Restoration of aeolian dynamics can counteract these negative effects partly and can therefore be an important ecological tool for restoration of dry dune ecosystems.
Early indicators of atmospheric nitrogen deposition impact on lichen-rich, coastal dune grasslands
Eva Remke, Emiel Brouwer, Jan G.M. Roelofs, Irmgard Blindow, Annemieke Kooijman
Despite reductions in atmospheric depositions during the last three decades, depositions still form a permanent threat to oligotrophic and weakly buffered ecosystems. An example is lichen-rich coastal dune grasslands, a priority habitat under the European Habitats Directive. At moderate loads of nitrogen deposition, dry coastal dunes become dominated by a dense sward of only Carex arenaria, especially lichen species richness decreases. Thus, critical loads for these acid dunes have to be adjusted to 5-
Ecological restoration in Grey dunes: the role of N-deposition in different soils
Kooijman A.M., Noordijk, H., Hinsberg, A. van, Cusell, C., Til, M. Van
Grey dunes (H2130) have lost many species due to grass-encroachment. Increased atmospheric N-deposition is a major cause, and obstacle to ecological restoration. In 75% of the Dutch dunes N-deposition has supposedly decreased below critical levels. However, actual values may have been seriously underestimated. Measured concentrations of ammonia were 2-4 times higher than modeled ones, and critical loads may be lower than assumed, or overestimated for particular areas, because sensitive dune grasslands were combined with less sensitive Buckthorn. In calcareous dunes, high atmospheric deposition has also led to increased acidification and P-availability. Decalcification by atmospheric deposition was estimated as 4-
Butterfly population response to reduced nitrogen deposition and site restoration
Alan Feest
The theoretical basis behind the dynamics of population recovery and restoration following an environmental impact is explored showing that impact on populations and their recovery are not mirror images. Nitrogen deposition in
Restoring South African mediterranean-type ecosystems following alien plant invasion
Karen Esler
Following global trends, invasive alien plants are an increasingly large problem in South Africa where growing evidence links invasive alien plant transformation to declines in ecosystem integrity and services. Invasion ecology is a thriving field of plant science research in
Effects of light and exogenous plant growth regulators on seedling establishment of four autochthonous shrubby plants from high Mediterranean mountain, Sierra Nevada (S Spain)
Francisco Serrano-Bernardo, Kelly Garcete, María Beltrán-Hermoso, José Juan de
The Sierra Nevada (S Spain) constitutes a unique mountain system among Mediterranean high mountains for its richness in endemic species. The ski station on the mountain has gravely altered the landscape, making recovery measures necessary for the vegetation cover. Several experiments were made under controlled conditions using seeds from four autochthonous shrubby plants of
Multi-criteria evaluation of forest restoration projects in the northern Mediterranean
Anahi Ocampo-Melgar, Susana Bautista, Jose Antonio Alloza, Barron Joseph Orr, Ramon Vallejo
There is a consensus on the need for the evaluation of restoration actions, and there is a growing demand for standardized methods to evaluate restoration efforts. Approaches that integrate biophysical and socio-economic indicators are particularly requested. Since the real outcome of a forest restoration project can most effectively be evaluated comprehensively over the longer term, the reforestation projects implemented during the last century in the northern Mediterranean offer a unique opportunity to assess the potential of reforestation initiatives for restoring Mediterranean forests. We assessed 38 reforestation projects that were implemented from 1860 to 1989. Data were obtained from the REACTION Database (www.ceam.es/reaction), an open-access database that compiles evaluation data from forest restoration projects implemented in the northern Mediterranean region. The wide variety of biophysical and socio-economic indicators used were organized in categories that represent the structural and functional quality of the restored system and relate to the main categories of ecosystem services recommended by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. We applied a multi-criteria approach to analyse the available data from the selected projects. Although most projects succeeded in terms of achievement of original goals, the current quality of the restored ecosystems varies significantly between sites. To some extent, all the evaluated projects enhanced ecosystem services as compared with previous conditions, though very few of them had a sustained impact on the well-being and stability of rural populations. However, in most cases, the restoration actions produced certain indirect socio-economic benefits, such as the enhancement of tourism in the project sites.
Environmental drivers of seedling performance in Quercus ilex plantations
Jaume Tormo, Jorge Monerris, Jordi Cortina
Despite increasing efforts to improve the success of forest plantations in Mediterranean areas, uncertainties are still large. Very often, the effects of nursery practices and planting techniques on seedling performance are small compared to the effects of site conditions. The identification of local drivers of seedling establishment and suitable indicators of these drivers should be a priority to increase plantation success and improve the efficiency of restoration programs. We explored the drivers of the establishment of a common Mediterranean tree species, Quercus ilex, in a karstic landscape in N Alicante (
Dendroecological and genetic population analyses to assist decision making in dryland restoration
Lucía DeSoto, Karen Disante, Beatriz Amat, María J. R. da Silva, Jaume Tormo, Jordi Cortina
Patches of woody vegetation are key components of semi-arid ecosystems worldwide, as they strongly affect community composition and ecosystem processes. In semi-arid Stipa tenacissima steppes of the western Mediterranean, woody patches affect water, carbon and nutrient fluxes and the richness of vascular plants, soil fauna and biological soil crusts. Thus, patch-forming species as Quercus coccifera, Pistacia lentiscus and Rhamnus lycioides have been frequently used to restore degraded steppes. However, the long-term dynamics of these species and their ability to cope with future climatic conditions are poorly known. We performed a fine-scale dendroecological study of P. lentiscus, Q. coccifera and R. lycioides, combined with a study of the spatial genetic structure of the two former species by using polymorphic microsatellite loci in a small catchment in southeastern Spain. Our objectives were (i) to study individual growth patterns and population structure and dynamics, and identify their major drivers, (ii) to examine the relationship between genetic and geographic distance, and (iii) to identify founder individuals, source areas and dispersal paths. Our results provide new insights on the ability of keystone species to colonize degraded S. tenacissima steppes and improve the efficiency of future restoration programs.
Ecological strategy of species involved and water availability modulate the outcome of grass-shrub interactions in degraded semi-arid systems
Santiago Soliveres, Pablo García-Palacios, Fernando T. Maestre, Jorge Monerris, Jordi Cortina, Adrián Escudero, Fernando Valladares
Equilibrium between the establishment of an herbaceous cover for soil protection and the establishment of woody species to foster succession is crucial for restoration success in semi-arid degraded slopes. We studied the effect of the ecological strategy of species involved and different water availability levels on the outcome of these interactions in two different experiments. We report the response of six different woody species to herbs presence under two different levels of water availability (experiment 1), and the effects of the changes in water amount and frequency, predicted with climate change, on the final outcome of a particular grass-shrub combination (experiment 2). Our results show that the grass-shrub interactions response to different water availabilities are species-specific. While increase in the amount of water compensated herbs competition for the more competitive species, the contrary happened with the stress-tolerant species, where increase in herbs competition had stronger effects than the benefits of increasing water availability per se. Increases in the abundance, but not the frequency, of water availability turned the interaction from negative to neutral in the second experiment. The combination of both experiments suggests neutral interactions between these two groups at mid stress levels, but competitive in both sides of the water availability gradient when stress-tolerator woody species are involved. A monotonical increase of competition with water stress is expected when seedlings follow competitor strategies. The use of herbs as nurse plants is only recommended under very high water availability scenarios, which are unlikely to occur in semi-arid Mediterranean environments.
Aménagement écologique de l’Alzette au Dumontshaff
Micha Bunusevac, Jean-Claude Kirpach
(1) Introduction, Situé dans la « Zone de protection spéciale pour les oiseaux sauvages », le projet de revalorisation écologique de l’Alzette au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, issu du partenariat entre 5 communes et les ministères étatiques compétents, est soutenu par
Ecological restoration of coastal wetlands in the central Mediterranean area
Atonio Perfetti, Stefano Cavalli, Leonardo Lombardi, Pietro Gattai, Pasquale Vernina, Mariaceleste Labriola, Olga Mastroianni, Alessio Favilla, Luca Puglisi
The Regional Park of Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli has about
Restoration of an old agricultural estate in Doñana National Park (SW Spain): a six year vegetation study of a transformed marsh
Alberto Vélez-Martín, Carlos J. Luque, Manuel Coca, Anthony J. Davy, Eloy M. Castellanos
For a period of 6 years, since the beginning of the restoration actions of ‘Los Caracoles Estate’, the vegetation changes ocurred in their previous farmland have been recorded. The study site is an area of more than
Long term effects of liming on biogeochemistry of Norwegian softwater lakes: restoration of the vegetation by introducing an eco-engineer
Esther C.H.E.T. Lucassen, Alfons J.P., Jan G.M. Roelofs
Softwater lakes are generally nutrient-poor and contain very low amounts of dissolved inorganic carbon in the water column. As a result, the submerged vegetation is often dominated by isoetids that posses several morphological and physiological adaptations to these circumstances. Many southern Scandinavian lakes became acidified in the 1970s as a result of increased atmospheric sulphuric acid deposition. Surprisingly hardly any negative impact on the submerged vegetation was found. To protect fishes from aluminum toxicity, thousands of Scandinavian acidified lakes and streams were limed yearly since the 1970s. This resulted in a massive explosion of Juncus bulbosus and a decline of the isoetid vegetation (Roelofs et al., 1994). J. bulbosus is capable of profiting from the higher nutrient concentration in the limed sediment in combination with the temporal higher carbon dioxide concentration in the surface water following re-acidification (Lucassen et al., 1998). Dense mats of J. bulbosus eventually died back and are still deposited on the sediments. Several elodeid species established in the limed lakes under which Sparganium angustifolium that can use benthic CO2 (Lucassen et al., 2009). Recovery of the original isoetid vegetation hardly took place as germination is inhibited in anaerobic sediment. However, re-introduction of Litorella uniflora mats turned out to be successful as this plant species can reproduce vegetatively. L. uniflora may act as an eco-engineer by having high radial oxygen losses so improving sediment chemistry and stimulating germination of other isoetid species. This may ultimately result in a recovery of the original vegetation in limed lakes.
Recovery of anuran community diversity following habitat replacement II: A long term survey allows.
Alain Pagano, F. Foussard, D. Lesbarrères
The success of many pond restorations is often poorly documented. Following construction of a highway in western
Measuring the restoration process: the mean species trait approach
Isabelle Le Viol, Christian Kerbiriou
Although biases and pitfalls of biodiversity indicators are recurrently debated, their ecological meaning and their relevance for restoration evaluation are often not clearly established. In this context, a new type of biodiversity indicators, reflecting variations in explicit species-specific traits in species assemblages has been proposed (Mean Species Traits, MST). Here, we highlight the strengths and weaknesses of MST indicators both from practical and ecological perspectives. We use the vegetation dynamics after extraction of littoral turfs in a community specialisation index as a case-study. This turf was used as fuel for traditional cooking in a Biosphere Reserve and the recent increase of this practice resulting from tourism demand has been identified as a threat for biodiversity conservation. Through the comparison of vegetation communities of different successionnal stages after perturbation (109 stations, 0-23 years), we show that this metric is relevant in restoration survey, both sensitive to duration after perturbation and to different environmental factors. We further compare this metric with more classical indices (richness, diversity, rarity index, composition similarity index). Our results show the relevance of such mean species trait indicator in restoration evaluation. Overall, our results show that such metric, based on the ecological niche theory, highlight biological processes.
Near-natural restoration of mining sites. A multi-site comparison
Karel Prach
Possibilities and limitations in using spontaneous succession, either manipulated or not, in restoration projects are analyzed. Sites disturbed by mining were surveyed in the
Restoration of target communities in the course of spontaneous succession in old fields: a multi - site study from central Europe
Alena Jírová
After three decades, a repeated sampling in the old fields was made in two regions in the
Secondary succession in roadside slopes: the role of plant-soil interactions to improve ecosystem restoration
Pablo García-Palacios, Fernando T. Maestre, Santiago Soliveres, Fernando Valladares, Adrián Escudero
Ecosystem succession is a suitable framework to guide restoration efforts aiming to recover plant communities and soil processes because it incorporates the temporal dynamics of the ecosystems, and the barriers to their development. Plant-soil interactions are of major importance to understand the role of biodiversity in controlling ecosystem processes and properties. Therefore, to understand the temporal dynamics of plant-soil interactions is crucial to improve restoration projects aiming to recover the ecosystem functioning in the long term. We discuss the results of several studies conducted in the herbaceous communities characterizing roadside slopes in center (semiarid climate) and south
Environmental filters effects in spontaneous succession. What implications for restoration of maritime cliff-top vegetation?
Jérôme Sawtschuk, Fréderic Bioret, Sébastien Gallet
As in many touristical regions, in Brittany impacts of human activities have resulted in the destruction of coastal cliff-top heathland and grassland vegetations in touristic sites. The awareness of loss of these natural habitats has led land-managers to reduce human pressure. In many degraded sites, access to the area has been restricted for vegetation restoration by spontaneous succession. A description of such passive restorations process allows assessing the key factors limiting system development in aims to develop a minimum intervention restoration approach. In coastal cliff-top degraded vegetation, these key factors are based on the nature and intensity of the degradation, but are also linked to the high-stress environmental conditions linked to the sea proximity. Succession rates are subject to the influence of factors that affects recruitment and growth and tend to be slower in unfavorable environments where new species must pass environmental filters. Environmental filters effects were studied in touristic sites of Belle-Île and Groix islands, where restoration operations have just started. Vegetation surveys were located on transects starting next to the cliff top where stress exposure is maximum and going inland to compare spontaneous succession according to stress exposure. Various degradation levels were surveyed to describe initial degradation effect, with compaction and seed bank measurement. Significant correlations exist between vegetation changes and distance to the sea and initial degradation level. These results contribute to explain observed differences in passive restoration operations. It also stressed on that a slow restoration of cliff top vegetation must not be systematically seen as a failure, especially in stress-exposed site.
Investigation of communities in mining areas at different scales: the organisms’ potential as bio-indicators and for accelerating the secondary succession
Virgil Iordache, Marilena Onete, Mihaela Pauca, Ioana Gomoiu, Dorina Purice, Ioana Cobzaru, Liliana Oromulu, Viorica Honciuc, Aurora Neagoe
We investigated the structure of biological communities at ecosystem and landscape scale in four small catchments including in their structure contaminated areas resulted from mining and processing of heavy metals ores. The contaminated hot spots (ecosystems) were mining dumps, tailing dams and areas polluted by atmospheric deposition around a smelter. The groups of organisms have been selected such as to reflect information about the properties of the biotope from small scale (soil microorganisms, oribatid mites), to average scale (plants, thysanopthera, carabid beetles), and large scale (birds). The objectives of the research have been to characterize the secondary succession in heavy metals contaminated ecosystems of different types and ages, to characterize the potential of each group of organisms as bio-indicator of the ecosystem state, and to identify the native plant species appropriate for phyto-remediation (acceleration of secondary succession) in the contaminated ecosystems. The overall structure of the community was a result of sub-ecosystem, ecosystem and landscape scale structural characteristics. Soil microorganisms and oribatid mites were useful indicators of the heterogeneity of the abiotic conditions within the investigated ecosystems, but less for comparison with surrounding reference systems. Plants, thysanopthera, carabid beetles were good indicators of the ecosystem state as compared to the reference ecosystems from the surrounding landscape. Birds were not sensitive to the state of the contaminated ecosystems, but rather to the structure of the integrating landscape. A set of native plants have the potential to be used for accelerating the secondary succession in combination with soil microorganisms (especially mycorrhizal fungi).