Society for Ecological restoration Liverpool 2000 Reflections on the past directions for the future Abstracts PREFACE This volume contains the 332 abstracts of all the contributions, whether oral or poster, to SER 2000. They give an excellent overview of what restoration ecology is about at the start of the new millenium. It is clear that there is a wealth of opportunities for restoration, to which a wealth of ideas are being applied. Restoration is no longer, in most cases, just putting back a plant cover of any sort, but putting back a carefully constructed mixture of species which restores original biodiversity and is self sustaining This cannot be done without the support of good science, careful application of established and new techniques, and the wise involvement of people. There is, however, an understandable tendency amongst practitioners who want to get on with the job, who perhaps form the majority of the membership of SER, to get on with the job and record little about what was done. By this we can all gain personal experience, but learn little from each other’s mistakes and successes. These abstracts, which record, if only briefly, what has worked and what has not, therefore have great value. With the remarkable wealth of offers it has not been possible for everyone to make an oral presentation, and many have opted for a poster presentation anyway. So no distinction is made between the two sorts of offers because none is deserved. The posters merit as much attention as the oral papers, and will be given excellent exposure in Liverpool’s great St Georges Hall, before the Conference Dinner. The abstracts would not have been assembled without the hard work of the SER2000 office, Richard Scott, Vicky Keen and Alex Kraberg, to whom we should all be very grateful. We hope there are no errors but if there are, please forgive us - time was not on our side. Tony Bradshaw Chair SER 2000 Programme Committee Abstracts from SER 2000 : Reflections on the Past - Directions for the Future THOMAS M. ALCOZE attempts to produce containers that accommodate these large root Northern Arizona University systems, but they are impractical. An alternative strategy is to develop Ecological restoration and indigenous conservation a container system that promotes rapid root regeneration. Examples are knowledge: fire, life and human traditions in root trainers and spring-rings. Eucalyptus viminalis seedlings were landscape management grown in normal containers, Spring-rings and root trainers, of This presentation will focus on historic and contemporary practices comparable volume but very different in shape. Above ground growth using prescribed burning as a landscape management tool. Fire as an did not vary much between these, but spring-rings lose water faster attribute of human identity, will be traced to evolutionary indications than the other containers and need more care in the nursery. Specimens of humans as fire specialists adn the complex and sophisticated fire were field-trialled in Kuwait. After one year there were no significant technologies used by original nations across the globe. The presenter differences in measurable growth parameters, but the root system from will emphasize landscape scale management strategies and cultural the spring-rings had a more desirable root architecture and appeared practices that reflect the conservation knowledge of such diverse First more likely to succeed in the long term. Nurseries may be slow to Nations as the Chippewa, Iroquois and Paiute of North America. adopt these containers as they are expensive and more difficult to Benefits of fire management for ecosystem restortion and for humans manage, and benefits are not seen for several years. (Topic 3.6) will be explored. Specific focus will be on the consequences of human fire use for increased biodiversity and edge habitats. The Habitat PENNY ANDERSON, KATHARINE LONGDEN Mosaic Model of Ecological Restoration will be offered as a Penny Anderson Associates, Buxton, Derbyshire restoration design that integrates the traditional knowledge of original Restoring high altitude, eroding, blanket bog nations with modern ecological restoration applications. The issues and In 1980, the Peak District’s Moorland Management Project reported on benefits of fire ecology will be tied to examples of indigenous fire use the extent and likely causes of the very extensive area of bare peat and in North America, Australia, Africa and Europe thus indicating the regolith present within the moorland environment of this English relevance of traditional knowledge to modern, global perspectives of National Park. Formerly mostly blanket mire or dwarf shrub heath environmental conservation and ecological restoration. (Topic 3.5) moorland, the main damaging factor was identified as fire, mostly in dry summers. After revegetation trials set up by the project in 1981 RK ALONSO, R. LOCKWOOD failed to restore eroding deep peat at one site at 530m, various surface English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA stabilisers were evaluated. A geojute mesh was chosen in 1989 to hold Tomorrow’s Heathland Heritage: delivering the UK the puffy, mobile peat in place, while grass seed, lime, fertiliser and BAP targets for heathlands heather (Calluna vulgaris) seed were added. The experiment examined the efficacy of applying 100% and 50% geojute cover, and 3 different Tomorrow’s Heathland Heritage is an exciting, forward looking fertiliser combinations. Monitoring of the vegetation cover and species initiative, which aims to significantly increase the coverage of lowland composition has continued for 10 years, and the paper will present the heathland in the UK, contributing to the delivery of the Lowland results to date. Having been fenced from sheep grazing for 9 years, the Heathland Biodiversity Action Plan targets for restoration and re- fence has now disintegrated. The likely future of the plot and the creation. We use “restoration” to refer to habitat management and general applicability of the technique to other areas will be discussed. maintenance, and “re-creation” for those areas recovered from (Topic 4.3) woodlands, conifer plantations, arable, grassland or mineral extraction sites which occupy historic heathland areas. The THH umbrella SHIMON C ANISFELD, MARCIA J TOBIN, GABOURY scheme is being funded by over £18m, with £14m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. There are currently five tranches of projects in various BENOIT Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, stages of assessment and approval for funding. The habitats cover dry, Connecticut 06511 wet and coastal lowland heathland. A project has to demonstrate its contribution to meeting BAP targets, including associated species. Sedimentation rates in flow-restricted and restored Each project should provide an increase in access, education, salt marshes in Long Island Sound awareness and enjoyment of heathland by the public, local community Many salt marshes in densely populated areas have been subjected to a involvement a strategic geographical approach and a holistic approach reduction in tidal flow. In order to assess the impact of tidal flow including historical, archeological and landscape interests. Field restriction on marsh sedimentation processes, sediment cores were restoration and re-creation methods used in THH projects include tree collected from flow- restricted salt marshes along the Connecticut clearance (both plantations and invasive scrub), bracken and gorse coast of Long Island Sound. Cores were also collected from control, provision of cattle grids and stock fencing, (re)introduction of unrestricted reference marshes and from a marsh that had been grazing, reprofiling of waste tips, collection and spreading of seeds of previously restricted but was restored to fuller tidal flushing in the heathland species and linking of heathland fragments by corridors. 1970’s. High bulk densities and low C and N concentrations were (Topic 4.3) found at depth in the restricted marsh cores, which we attribute to a period of organic matter oxidation, sediment compaction, and marsh HANI ALZALZALLEH, TONY KENDLE surface subsidence upon instal- lation of flow restrictions (between Department of Horticulture and Landscape, University of Reading 100 and 200 years before the present, depending on the marsh). Recent Optimising plant stock production systems for plant sedimentation rates at the restricted marshes (as determined by 137Cs establishment on arid soils and 210Pb dating) were positive and averaged 78% (137Cs) and 50% (210Pb) of reference marsh sedimentation rates. The accumulation of Trees on arid soils often rely upon extensive or deep rooting habits to inorganic sediment was similar at the restricted and reference marshes, survive. Containerised planting material often suffers from root- perhaps because of the seasonal operation of the tide gates, while spiralling. In the long term, spiralled roots can lead to decline, organic sediment accretion (and pore space) was significantly lower in instability or even premature death of the trees. There have been the restricted marshes, perhaps because of higher decomposition rates. Abstracts from the 2000 SER International Conference in Liverpool, England. ©2002 Society for Ecological Restoration International Abstracts from SER 2000 : Reflections on the Past - Directions for the Future Sedimentation rates at the restored marsh were significantly higher landscapes and their love of gardening , however when a member of than at the reference