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Lessons from Primary Succession for Restoration of Severely Damaged Habitats

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Lessons from Primary Succession for Restoration of Severely Damaged Habitats Applied Vegetation Science 12: 55–67, & 2008 International Association of Vegetation Science 55 Lessons from primary succession for restoration of severely damaged habitats Walker, Lawrence R.1Ã & del Moral, Roger2,3 1School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4004, USA; 2E-mail [email protected]; 3Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA; ÃCorresponding author; Fax111 702 895 3956; E-mail [email protected] Abstract land managers need immediate guidance, risky be- cause focusing any scientific pursuit strictly on Questions: How can studies of primary plant succession applicability of results can impede serendipitous increase the effectiveness of restoration activities? Can discovery. One beneficial application of successional restoration methods be improved to contribute to our lessons is to guide ecological restoration (sensu lato, understanding of succession? Aronson et al. 1993), which is essentially the purpo- seful manipulation of succession (Bradshaw & Results: Successional studies benefit restoration in six areas: site amelioration, development of community struc- Chadwick 1980; Walker et al. 2007a). Restoration ture, nutrient dynamics, species life history traits, species practices benefit from successional discoveries in at interactions, and modeling of transitions and trajectories. least six areas: site amelioration, development of Primary succession provides valuable lessons for under- community structure, nutrient dynamics, species life standing temporal dynamics through direct, long-term history traits, species interactions, and modeling the observations on severely disturbed habitats. These lessons transitions between successional stages and how assist restoration efforts on infertile or even toxic sub- those stages fit together into trajectories. Scientific strates. Restoration that uses scientific protocols (e.g., approaches to restoration also can clarify succes- control treatments and peer-reviewed publications) can offer insights into successional processes. sional processes and improve the predictability of succession, thus leading to reciprocal benefits be- Conclusions: A century of studying successional dy- tween the two fields. namics has provided modern restoration activities with Primary succession is species change on sub- many useful lessons that are not being fully utilized. strates where the disturbance has left a scant biological legacy (Clements 1916). Many classic Keywords: Disturbance; Life history; Models; Nutrients; studies of plant succession have been conducted on Retrogressive succession; Species interactions; Trajectory. primary seres (successional sequences). These in- clude dunes in Denmark (Warming 1895), Michigan, USA (Cowles 1901), and Australia (Coaldrake 1962); volcanoes in Indonesia (Ernst Introduction 1908), Alaska, USA (Griggs 1933), and Hawaii, USA (Eggler 1971); and glacial moraines in Alaska, Succession, the study of species change over USA (Cooper 1923) and New Zealand (Stevens & time, is a fundamental concept of ecology (McIntosh Walker 1970). Primary succession is integral to any 1999). It addresses ecosystem dynamics both during thorough examination of temporal dynamics for and beyond the life span of organisms. Formal several reasons. First, valuable long-term studies studies of plant succession have been conducted have been conducted at some of the study sites listed since 1895 (Warming 1895) and much has been above and on many other primary seres (Walker & learned about how ecosystems respond to a dynamic del Moral 2003). Direct observation over time is al- physical environment (Pickett & White 1985), how ways preferred over single measurements along the species colonize and interact (Glenn-Lewin et al. landscape (chronosequence) where assumptions of 1992), and how communities assemble and change similar development among differently-aged plots (Temperton et al. 2004). Applying these lessons to are problematic (Fastie 1995). Second, primary seres practical needs is urgent and risky – urgent because provide a contrast to studies of secondary succes- 56 WALKER,L.R.&DEL MORAL,R. sion that occur on more fertile and stable substrates Table 1. Examples of restoration tactics to address (e.g., old field succession; Cramer & Hobbs 2007). problems at crucial stages of the restoration process. Third, in many severely disrupted ecosystems, par- Restoration Goal Tactics ticularly those dominated by long-lived organisms topic such as trees, shifts in vegetative composition are Establishment Ameliorate Create safe sites to enhance survival slow (hundreds to thousands of years). Primary stress Install fences to trap seeds succession is an important approach to these long- Install perches to enhance dispersal term processes and helps to link successional pro- Appropriate fertilization Dense stocking rates to create ‘nurse cesses with even longer processes such as soil plant effect’ by mutual protection formation and development (Wardle et al. 2004). Carbon Accelerate Surface preparations (e.g., mulch, safe Finally, primary succession provides the most ap- accumulation development sites) Direct planting of mature individuals propriate tools for restoring heavily damaged Stabilize erosion (short-lived cover systems of both natural and anthropogenic origin plants) Limit grazing (e.g., fencing, thorny (del Moral et al. 2007). Ecosystems highly disrupted shrubs) by human activities can be unstable, infertile, or Nutrient Increase Adjust fertility by: use of N-fixing even toxic. Lessons from primary succession, in- dynamics availability species; adding carbon (e.g., sawdust) to immobilize excessive nutrients; add itially developed on naturally disturbed surfaces phosphorus and organic matter in with spontaneous recovery, are often relevant for later stages to provide nutrient restoration (directed recovery) of such anthro- retention Life history Enhance Consider local species pools (i.e., pogenic disturbances. diversity donors) and any seed bank In this paper, we highlight six ways that succes- Modify site for mix of growth forms planned sional studies in severely disturbed habitats have Select species based on its weakest contributed to the development of ecological prin- link (e.g., seedling survival or ciples and help to clarify the goals of ecological competitive ability, not its adult characteristics) restoration. The coverage of such a broad range of Species Self- Limit competition from nutrient- topics cannot be comprehensive, but we illustrate interactions sustaining responsive species through planned each topic with a few examples. We also briefly ex- species disturbances Include shade-tolerant species and N- amine how restoration can help advance the fixers understanding of succession. Our aim is to illustrate the usefulness of recognizing the tight, mutually beneficial links between succession and restoration. Biologists have long incorporated the impact of natural disturbances on populations of all organ- Site Amelioration isms, including humans. Now humans utilize at least 30% of all global net primary productivity (Vitou- Studies of primary succession describe and at- sek et al. 1986), with that value reaching 100% in tempt to explain how plant, animal, and soil some regions (Foley et al. 2007). Because we have communities respond in the aftermath of severe dis- profoundly affected all of Earth’s ecosystems turbances (Walker 1999a). Inevitably, this involves (Steffen et al. 2007), humans now trigger, enhance, evaluating the attributes of the original disturbance or are otherwise involved in disturbances in a positive (magnitude, severity) and of any subsequent occur- feedback loop that not only increases disturbances rences (frequency) and explaining the amelioration but also increases human risk (Fig. 1; Keys 2000; of the initial physical conditions by both abiotic and Diamond 2005; del Moral & Walker 2007). One way biotic processes (Walker 1999b). Restoration can to break this cycle is through changes in human be- use this information to accelerate the amelioration haviors that contribute to disturbance, for without of harsh conditions (Table 1). However, restoration such changes, restoration of severely damaged habi- must be placed in a human context. Prediction, as- tats may be only temporary. For example, sessment, and mitigation of natural disasters have stabilization of landslides triggered by road cutting been increasingly emphasized as human populations ultimately means that road construction should not expand and more human lives are at risk. Histori- continue unabated. However, lessons of natural re- cally, humans relied more on avoidance (Oliver- covery gleaned from successional studies can increase Smith & Hoffman 1999) but now disasters are the effectiveness of restoration of severely damaged analyzed by geologists, engineers, and sociologists habitats (Reice 2001; del Moral & Walker 2007), and, for their actual or potential impact on humans. at best, also inform policy and land management -RESTORATION OF SEVERELY DAMAGED HABITATS -57 Human geographic expansion Growth Risk to human lives Human population size Natural disturbances Anthropogenic disturbances Fig. 1. Human population growth leads to geographic expansion and both of these changes increase anthropogenic dis- turbances (e.g., agriculture, logging, urbanization) that precipitate and intensify natural disturbances (e.g., dune expansion, floods, landslides). Human lives are then increasingly at risk from the direct effects of larger population
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