SPEAKER: David Thomson, Restoration Specialists, USFWS Ecological Services, the Siuslaw NF & Oregon Coast NWRC
TOPIC: Learning by Watching the Grass Grow. Lessons from a decade of applied restoration research.
ABSTRACT: Ten years of preparing for and implementing projects made it abundantly clear, as each project was followed by the thought “I didn’t expect this result”, that Restoration Ecology is a very young science. The past decade started with simple questions like why are we only seeding grasses, entered some difficult territory trying to grow plants during a drought, and went off the rails a bit trying to downscale monitoring, partially in order to upscale acreages from tens to hundreds. Although restoration of herbaceous communities can take up to a decade to reach quasi-equilibrium (a state formerly known as climax) we did see clear signs of progress: we saw pioneer species perform well from seed, almost certainly reducing the ability of undesirable species to establish (aka direct competition); signs of succession, as perennial dominants expanded their range at the expense of said pioneer (mostly) annuals; natural recruitment of sown or planted species, the polite way to discuss reproduction; and more.
For the live broadcast of the VIRTUAL Thursday Seminar, visit:
https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/94555731151?pwd=RnJ6eVg0ODdzRUpVc0pQbUlIdUV3dz09
Password: 972587 or call +1-971-247-1195 US Meeting ID: 945 5573 1151
