Mojave Desert Ecosystem Recovery: Potency of Biotic and Abiotic Restoration Methods in Low Elevation Plant Communities
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UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 12-15-2019 Mojave Desert Ecosystem Recovery: Potency of Biotic and Abiotic Restoration Methods in Low Elevation Plant Communities Mary Amanda Balogh Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons Repository Citation Balogh, Mary Amanda, "Mojave Desert Ecosystem Recovery: Potency of Biotic and Abiotic Restoration Methods in Low Elevation Plant Communities" (2019). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 3781. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/18608583 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. 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MOJAVE DESERT ECOSYSTEM RECOVERY: POTENCY OF BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC RESTORATION METHODS IN LOW ELEVATION PLANT COMMUNITIES By Mary Amanda Balogh Bachelor of Environmental Science Loyola Marymount University 2015 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Master of Science – Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences College of Sciences The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2019 Copyright By Mary Balogh, 2020 All Rights Reserved i Thesis Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas November 8, 2019 This thesis prepared by Mary Amanda Balogh entitled Mojave Desert Ecosystem Recovery: Potency of Biotic and Abiotic Restoration Methods in Low Elevation Plant Communities is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science – Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences Scott Abella, Ph.D. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D. Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Dean Stanley Smith, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Matthew Petrie, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Haroon Stephen, Ph.D. Graduate College Faculty Representative ii Abstract Mojave Desert ecosystem recovery: potency of biotic and abiotic methods in low elevation plant communities By Mary Amanda Balogh Dr. Scott Abella, Examination Committee Chair Assistant Professor University of Nevada, Las Vegas The historic and current state of land in the Mojave Desert, including land managed by the National Park Service with fundamental goals of natural resource conservation and preservation, been severely degraded by a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. Due to increasingly sporadic and unpredictable precipitation patterns, land managers struggle to implement restoration projects with high success rates and are resource-limited for post- treatment monitoring. In this study, I examined success rates of biotic (outplanting, seeding) and abiotic (soil manipulation, vertical mulch) restoration treatments on various disturbance types in the creosote-bursage (Larrea tridentata-Ambrosia dumosa), blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), and Joshua tree woodland (Yucca brevifolia) plant communities. Sites were surveyed in springs of 2018 and 2019 for annual and perennial plant species richness, percent cover, and perennial density to determine the effect size between unrestored, treatment, and reference (undisturbed) plot types. Sites were compared to determine what restoration treatment is most successful based on plant community, disturbance type, and the time since restoration or disturbance. Both biotic and abiotic treatments typically exhibited positive rather than negative restoration responses. Biotic treatments tended to have a more positive restoration success response than abiotic treatments. A large number of perennial effects were sensed while annual iii effects were often undetected. This study aims to provide evidence-based decision tools for land managers to choose restoration methods in an ecologically and economically effective manner. iv Acknowledgements There could be no greater pleasure than learning from, and working with, the people I have met over the past two years. Each individual’s incandescent passion for our planet synergizes into a radiating force that rivals the energy emitted by the Mojave Desert sun. When I reflect on all of the fellow scientists that I wish to acknowledge, I am happy to say our interests as ecologists are so diverse that we seem to represent a complete array of the components in an ecosystem (a reference ecosystem, of course). I want to thank all of you: from the edaphologists, microbiologists, and hydrologists, to the entomologists, botanists, and herpetologists, up to the landscape ecologists and geographers! I am so grateful to my thesis committee advisor, Dr. Scott Abella. He considered my interests, strengths, and even quirks, and insightfully shaped a thesis project that was quintessentially Mary. My other committee members showed me positivity, patience, and encouragement. I used their advice that contained their specific field knowledge to better my work, by adding wholeness to my thesis. I hope I can confer my full appreciation and respect to Dr. Matthew Petrie, Dr. Stan Smith, and Dr. Haroon Steven. I may still very well be botanizing in the middle of the desert if it weren’t for the focus, guidance, and steadfastness shown to me. Without Lindsay Chiquoine, my data would never have moved from the datasheet to meaningful figures and discussion. Thank you for maintaining helpful experimental dialogue and your statistical work. That being said, for your sake, I am sorry that I was given the closest possible office to yours. I want to recognize recent past members of the Abella Applied Ecology lab and current members, Vivian Sam and Dominic Gentilcore for their support as we persevered through this undertaking together. To Katie Laushman and Carlee Coleman, thank you for v bearing difficult conditions while still providing thoughtful suggestion and hard work and even harder laughs. I am convinced that field ecologists develop some of the most bizarre and sincere friendships. A special and loving mention is in order to very long-time editor, Steve T. Balogh, Sr. Finally, I would like to recognize the National Park Service for permission and access to the field sites. Several employees in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Joshua Tree National park, and the Mojave National Preserve provided invaluable information that made this thesis possible. Figure 1. If not ecology, then what? Photo Credit: Stephen T. Balogh, Jr. vi vii Dedication F O R R A N G E R J A M E S Cactus Cop Post-Fieldwork Support Staff Rattlesnake Whisperer \ viii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................. v Dedication ...................................................................................... viii Table of Contents ................................................................................ix List of Tables ..................................................................................... xv List of Figures ................................................................................. xvii Chapter 1. An Introduction: Humans and the eastern Mojave Desert have a rich history and interconnectedness, but an accurate and holistic understanding of Arid Restoration Ecology is essential to restore the harmonious mutualism that has long been lost. ..................................... 1 1.1 Project Introduction ......................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose and Justification of Research ............................................................. 3 1.3 Further Notes ................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2. A synthesis of six Mojave Desert sites with biotic and abiotic restoration treatments: quantitative restoration success measurements ix within sites enables qualitative comparisons across sites and create a composite picture of successful arid restoration ecology ........................ 5 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Society for Ecological Restoration International Primer Attributes ................ 6 2.3 Background, Experimental Theory, & Design .............................................. 12 2.4 Methods.......................................................................................................... 27 2.4a Selection Criteria and Field Study Area Description ............................... 27 2.4b Experimental Set Up and Monitoring Protocol ........................................ 28 2.4c Data analyses ............................................................................................ 30 2.4d Climate data .............................................................................................. 31 2.5 Results ...........................................................................................................