I have found several guides for tree planting in riparian areas. These guides are mostly for the southeast (NC, SC, & GA) but the concepts presented can be used in other areas. Leave me a comment below if you found these sources helpful!
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Nemec, K.T., Allen, C.R., Helzer, C.J., & Wedin,D.A. (2013). Influence of richness and seeding density on invasion resistance in experimental tallgrass prairie restoration. Ecological Restoration, 31(2), 168-185. Summary: Researchers set out to better understand the role richness plays in reducing invasive species success in medium-sized plots. Results indicate that richness is more important at regulating invasive species colonization than density. Research Goals:
Richness was found to be more important than density of reducing the success of invasive species. This could be due to increases in richness allowing for more niches to be filled in the plots effectively reducing the availability of nutrients and space for invasive species to consume. This can help restoration planners by emphasizing the need to fill all available niches to reduce the chance of invasive colonization. Moreover, richness should be seen through different types of plants not just multiple species of a single type (ie: multiple species of grass). Questions:
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Mahoney, S., Mike, J.B., Parker, J.M., Lassiter, L.S., & Whitham, T.G. (2019). Selection for genetics-based architecture traits in a anative cottonwood negatively affects invasive tamarisk in a restoration field trial. Restoration Ecology, 27(1), 15-22. Summary: Researchers hypothesized that there would be a relationship between mean average maximum temperature transfer distance and cottonwood growth and that cottonwood growth would impact tamarisk invasion success. Findings indicate that their hypothesis was accurate and that the mean average maximum temperature transfer distance of stock cottonwoods plays an important role in cottonwood architecture which can help restoration strategies counteract tamarisk growth. Research Goals:
Researchers set out to better understand the relationships between cottonwood size and architecture and tamarisk growth. Cottonwoods from cooler areas tended to grow better than those from warmer areas. This has implications for climate change that may result in cottonwood trees that are unable to grow to the needed dimensions in order to counteract tamarisk invasion. Questions:
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Hess, M.C.M., Mesleard, F., & Buisson, E. (2019). Priority effect: Emerging principles for invasive plant species management. Ecological Engineering, 127, 48-57. Summary: Researchers set out to better understand the dynamics of invasive species priority effects and how those effects could be decreased. Results indicate while there are some known aids for native species recolonization, there is a lot that is still unknown and efforts must be made to better understand these complex relationships between species and environment. Research Goals:
Priority effects are how one species changes the ecosystem for other species or itself. These effects can be beneficial such as native species providing nutrients for the next stage of succession or they can be harmful such as invasive species shading out native species growth. It is not enough to just remove invasive species. However, removal is needed and must be coupled with revegation and may also require alteration of soils to promote native growth. Questions:
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Comin, F.A., Romero, J.A., Hernandez, O., & Menendez, M. (2001). Restoration of wetlands from abandoned rice fields for nutrient removal, and biological community and landscape diversity. Restoration Ecology, 9(2), 201-208. Summary: Researchers set out to determine if restored wetlands would increase nutrient retention, increase diversity, and support diverse bird populations at different successional stages. Results indicate that wetlands are effective at reducing nitrogen and (somewhat) phosphorous; however, no successional stage harbored more birds than another. Research Goals:
Researchers wanted to understand the efficiency of restored wetlands at removing N and P nutrients and how restoration impacted successional stages and bird diversity. They used data from their survey sites to provide suggestions on increasing landscape scale diversity. They found that N and P removal was possible within the wetlands. Also, to increase diversity of plants within the wetlands water would need to be deeper. Moreover, to establish landscape scale habitat, 100m surrounding wetlands should be restored. Questions:
Hamilton, S.K. (2012). Biogeochemical time lags may delay responses of streams to ecological restoration. Freshwater Biology, 57(1), 43-57.
Summary: The article set out to determine the time lags present in N and P movement through watersheds. Understanding the decade or longer time lags will help restoration implementers and monitors be better prepared for the amount of time the project will need before it is ‘successful’. Research Goals:
Rivers in the USA and UK have excess nutrients flowing through them. So much so, that a 90% reduction would be needed to return to a limited system. Understanding the decade or longer time scales at which these nutrients move through the catchment can aid restoration implementers with a better timeline to measure success by. Restoring systems to pre-loaded conditions will take decades or possibly much longer. Reducing nutrient loads added to systems is a must, but the act along will not rectify the issue immediately and this must be communicated with the public as well as restoration funders. Questions:
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Swan, C.M., & Brown, B.L. (2017). Metacommunity theory meets restoration: isolation may mediate how ecological communities respond to stream restoration. Ecological Applications, 27(7), 2209-2219. Summary: Researchers set out to better understand how/if species community assemblages would change with restoration. Results indicate that restored headwater reaches would benefit most from restoration than would mainstem reaches. Research Goals:
Restoration projects tend to focus on the field of dreams hypothesis. However, it is becoming more evident that restoration success depends on various surrounding factors. These factors include the environmental conditions of the surrounding landscape as well as the ability of species to disperse. Connectivity is vitally important. Questions:
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Kitto, J.A.J., Gray, D.P., Greig, H.S., niyogi, D.K., & Harding, J.S. (2015). Meta-community theory and stream restoration: evidence that spatial position constrains stream invertebrate communities in a mine impacted landscape. Restoration Ecology, 23(3), 284-291. Summary: Researchers set out to determine/quantify the importance of local-scale landscape conditions on macroinvertebrate community assembly and dispersal. Results indicate that landscape condition and habitat connectivity impact the biodiversity present in the stream. Research Goals:
Dispersal of macroinvertebrates is the limiting factor on recolonization and restoration success. Most restoration relies on the field of dreams hypothesis. Must involve multi-scale and regional-scale factors to improve chances of success. Meta-community framework is where species are regulated by local pressures and dispersal is regulated by different spatial scales. There are four models: 1) neutral model, 2) patch dynamics, 3)species sorting, and 4) mass effects. Questions:
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Sundermann, A., Stoll, S., & Haase, P. (2011). River restoration success depends on the species pool of the immediate surroundings. Ecological Applications, 21(6), 1962-1971. Summary: Researchers set out to understand the best methods for determining restoration success with regard to macroinvertebrates. Here, researchers discovered that the best method for predicting success is the recolonization potential of the area where surrounding communities provide the needed pool of species for the restored reach. Research Goals:
Habitat-specific desired species need to be found in surrounding communities. Species have different habitat requirements that must be met. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that species from low-order streams will colonize restored reaches in higher-order streams/rivers. Researchers estimated recolonization potential which takes into account the surrounding communities. Questions:
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Ostertag, R., Warman, L., Cordell, S., & Vitousek, P.M. (2015). Using plant functional traits to restore Hawaiian rainforest. Journal of Applied Ecology, 52, 805-809. Summary: Researchers set to develop a model for ecosystem restoration that incorporates various functional traits of species to best inform land managers which species to plant. They determined that hybrid restoration would meet the goals of the ecosystem by focusing on function capacity of the species planted. Research Goals:
Five steps for planning a restoration project were developed: 1) determine the objectives and constraints of the ecosystem, 2) determine the functional traits needed by the ecosystem, 3) determine the pool of species to be planted, 4) collect and prepare plant trait data, and 5) analyze the data and determine best-choices Intervention ecology is when restoration leds to a functioning ecosystem that had intact ecosystem services but with both historic and introduced species present. Some ecosystems cannot be returned to pre-civilization conditions and therefore, alternatives must be used. There is a difference between invasive and non-native. Invasive species will dominate the landscape and outcompete other species. However, non-native species are species that have been introduced that ‘fit in’ like historic species and have limited competition and thrive alongside historic species. Questions:
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