0623-2815-MTDC: Wilderness and Backcountry Site Restoration Guide




T&D > T&D Pubs > Wilderness and Backcountry Site Restoration Guide Table of Contents Back \| Next \| Cover Page Wilderness and Backcountry Site Restoration Guide Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Purpose of This Guide Special Wilderness Considerations Goals of This Guide Target Audiences Nomenclature Chapter 1: The Context for Wilderness Restoration 1.1 Wilderness Restoration in the Past, Present, and Future 1.1.1 The Past 1.1.2 The Present 1.1.2a Practical Methods of Restoration 1.1.2b How Restoration Fits With Wilderness Management 1.1.3 The Future 1.1.3a Skills Development 1.1.3b Holistic Planning 1.2 Impacts of Recreation and Similar Small-Scale Disturbances 1.2.1 What Are the Impacts of Recreational Use? 1.2.1a Trampling 1.2.1b Trampling Damage to Ecosystem Components 1.2.1c Campfire-Related Impacts 1.2.1d Damage to Standing Trees 1.2.1e Trail Impacts 1.2.2 Which Impacts Should Be Considered Problems? 1.2.3 Alternative Management Techniques 1.2.4 Incorporating Restoration Into Management 1.3 Overview of Plant and Soil Ecology 1.3.1 Environmental Components 1.3.1a Soil 1.3.1b Plants 1.3.1c The Life Stages of a Plant 1.3.1d Plant Characteristics That Influence Restoration 1.3.1e Genetic Considerations 1.3.1f Microclimate 1.3.1g Animals 1.3.2 Ecosystem Processes 1.3.2a Hydrologic Processes 1.3.2b Succession 1.3.2c Biotic Interactions 1.3.2d Plant-Plant Interactions 1.3.2e Plant-Soil Interactions 1.4 Concluding Thoughts Chapter 2: Planning for Restoration of Small Sites in Wilderness 2.1 Gathering the Information To Formulate a Plan 2.1.1 Using Your Land Management Plan and NEPA 2.1.2 Using the Minimum Requirements Decision Process 2.1.3 Planning Scale and Priorities 2.1.4 Forming an Interdisciplinary Team 2.1.5 Developing a Site Assessment 2.1.6 Assessing Historical Human Influences 2.1.7 Assessing Current Human Influences 2.1.8 Problem Statements 2.1.9 Scoping the Proposed Action 2.1.10 Selecting Management Actions To Meet Standards 2.1.11 The Minimum Tool 2.1.12 Types of Management Actions 2.1.12a Reducing Recreational Use 2.1.12b Changing Visitor Behavior With Information and Education 2.1.12c Intensive Site Management 2.1.12d Regulations and Enforcement 2.1.12e Regulations To Reduce Use Directly 2.1.12f Regulations To Reduce High-Impact Behaviors 2.1.13 Passive Restoration of Damaged Soil and Vegetation 2.1.14 Active Restoration of Damaged Soil and Vegetation 2.1.15 Adjusting Management Actions: A Tale of Two Lake Basins 2.2 Putting It All Together-Developing a Restoration Plan 2.2.1 Considering the Time Required for Plant Propagation 2.2.2 Research Opportunities 2.2.3 Identifying Research Needs 2.3 Concluding Thoughts Chapter 3: The Art and Science of Restoration 3.1 Developing Site Prescriptions Based on a Reference Site 3.1.1 Determining Reference Sites 3.1.1a Choosing a Reference Site 3.1.1b Identifying Undisturbed Reference Sites 3.1.1c Identifying Disturbed-But-Revegetated Reference Sites 3.1.2 Comparing the Reference Site and the Restoration Site 3.1.3 Evaluating the Surface Condition of Impacted Sites 3.1.3a Visual Clues for Evaluating Erosion 3.1.3b Evaluating Physical Soil Crusts 3.1.3c Evaluating Biological Soil Crusts 3.1.4 Soil-Water Relations 3.1.4a Soil Texture and Pore Size 3.1.4b Available Water-Holding Capacity 3.1.4c Determining Water-Holding Capacity 3.1.5 Determining Soil Texture 3.1.6 Evaluating Soil Compaction 3.1.6a Measuring Bulk Density 3.1.6b Interpreting Bulk Density 3.1.6c Evaluating Water Infiltration 3.2 Making Site Amendments Based on Site Evaluations 3.2.1 Soil Organic Matter and Mulch 3.2.2 Soil Nutrients, pH, and Salts 3.2.3 Rebuilding Damaged Soils 3.2.3a Scarification 3.2.3b RebuildingMissing LayersofSoil 3.2.3c AmendingAltered or Depleted Soils 3.2.3d EvaluatingSoil Nutrients andChemicalConditions 3.2.4 Application of Fertilizers or Soil Amendments 3.2.5 Restoring Soil Biota 3.2.5a Types of Mycorrhizal Fungi 3.2.5b Inoculating Plants With Mycorrhizal Fungi 3.2.5c Soil Bacteria 3.2.5d Restoring Soil Crusts 3.2.6 Solarization of Weedy Soils 3.3 Concluding Thoughts on Soil 3.4 Site Stabilization, Preparation, and Delineation 3.4.1 Reestablishing Site Contours 3.4.2 Stabilizing Gullies 3.4.3 Stabilizing Headcuts 3.4.4 Stabilizing Downcutting 3.4.5 Stabilizing Lateral Erosion Into Gully Banks 3.4.6 Surface Erosion Control 3.4.7 Subsurface Erosion Control 3.4.8 Nonliving Siltbars and Checkdams 3.4.8a Materials Used To Construct Siltbars and Checkdams 3.4.8b Installation of Checkdams 3.4.8c Crimping 3.4.9 Bioengineering Applications 3.4.9a Selecting and Installing Bioengineered Structures 3.5 Using Soil Binders 3.6 Using Icebergs 3.7 Site Delineation 3.7.1 Barriers 3.7.2 String Fences 3.8 Blending Restoration Projects Into Wilderness 3.9 Common Wilderness Campsite and Trail Problems 3.10 Plant Selection, Collection, and Propagation Techniques 3.10.1 Genetic Considerations for Restoration Projects 3.10.1a Determining a Local Collection Area 3.10.1b Preventing Unintentional Selection 3.10.1c Additional Information on Genetic Considerations 3.10.1d Nonnative Plants, Agronomic Varieties, or Native Cultivars 3.10.2 Plant Selection for Restoration Projects 3.10.2a Using the Reference Sites To Develop Plant Prescriptions 3.10.2b Additional Limiting Factors and Design Considerations 3.10.3 Determining Propagation Methods for Your Site and Species 3.10.3a Seed-Increase Programs 3.10.3b Propagation Methods and Stock Types 3.10.3c Noxious Weeds and Other Nonnative Invaders 3.10.4 Concluding Thoughts on Plant Selection 3.10.5 Comparison of Propagation Methods 3.10.6 Plant Collection Principles 3.10.7 Preventing Further Damage to the Project Area 3.10.8 Working With Seed 3.10.8a Seed Collection 3.10.8b Initial Processing of Seed 3.10.8c Hand-Processing Seed 3.10.8d Seed Storage 3.10.8e Seed Testing 3.10.8f Breaking Dormancy 3.10.8g Onsite Seeding Techniques 3.10.8h Seeding Rates 3.10.9 Working With Cuttings 3.10.9a Collecting and Handling Cuttings 3.10.9b Semihardwood Stem Cuttings 3.10.9c Hardwood Cuttings 3.10.9d Softwood and Herbaceous Cuttings 3.10.9e Root Cuttings 3.10.9f Leaf Cuttings 3.10.9g Leaf-Bud Cuttings 3.10.10 Divisions 3.10.11 Layering 3.10.11a Simple Layering 3.10.11b Mound Layering 3.10.11c Tip Layering 3.10.12 Transplanting Wildlings 3.11 Transplanting, Protecting, and Establishing Native Plantings 3.11.1 Timing of Transplanting 3.11.2 Transporting Nursery-Grown Plants to the Project Location 3.11.2a Jelly Rolls for Protecting Bareroot Stock 3.11.2b Moving Plants in Containers 3.11.2c Moving Container-Grown Plants Without the Container 3.11.2d Protecting Fragile Foliage 3.11.2e Moving Plants With Helicopters or Other Vehicles 3.11.2f Handling Plants After They Arrive at the Project Location 3.11.3 Transplanting Techniques 3.11.4 Salvaged Materials 3.12 Plant Protection and Establishment 3.12.1 Mulching 3.12.1a Advantages and Disadvantages of Mulching 3.12.1b Selecting a Mulch 3.12.1c Comparison of Different Types of Mulch 3.12.2 Irrigation 3.12.2a Water Delivery Systems 3.12.2b Obtaining Water 3.12.2c Superabsorbent Polymers 3.12.3 Preventing Animals From Damaging Plants 3.12.3a Protective Coverings 3.12.3b Reduced Fertilization and Irrigation 3.12.3c Animal Repellants 3.12.4 Signs 3.12.5 Regulations 3.13 Documentation, Monitoring, and Adaptive Management 3.13.1 Adaptive Management 3.13.2 Determining Levels of Monitoring 3.13.3 Establishing Monitoring Procedures for a Project 3.13.4 Incorporating Monitoring Into a Project 3.14 Project Maintenance 3.14.1 Site Management 3.14.1a Irrigation 3.14.1b Mulching 3.14.1c Soil Amendments 3.14.1d Stabilizing Erosion 3.14.1e Wildlife Damage 3.14.1f Frost Heave 3.14.1g Interplanting or Replanting 3.14.1h Exotic Species 3.14.2 People Management 3.14.2a Signs 3.14.2b Barriers 3.14.2c Replacing Structures That Fail 3.14.2d Maintaining Social Trails 3.14.2e New Impacts Caused by Displaced Use 3.14.3 Scheduling Maintenance 3.14.4 Concluding Thoughts on Maintenance Chapter 4: Restoration Program Development and Support 4.1 Funding, Workforce, and Partnerships 4.1.1 Funding 4.1.1a Forest Service Sources of Funding 4.1.1b Other Funding Sources 4.1.2 Budgeting 4.1.3 Workforce 4.1.4 Partnerships 4.1.5 National Sources for Recruiting Wilderness Volunteers 4.1.6 Using Professional Services 4.1.7 Learning From Others 4.2 Options for Growing Plants 4.2.1 Forest Service Nurseries 4.2.2 Plant Material Centers 4.2.3 Other Agency Nurseries 4.2.4 Contract Growers 4.2.5 School Horticulture Programs 4.2.6 Working With Contractors 4.2.7 General Principles for Successful Contracting Chapter 5: Tools of the Trade and Other Resources 5.1 Software 5.2 Government Web Sites 5.3 Organizational Web Sites 5.4 Restoration Tools and Products 5.4.1 Pick Hoes or Miniature Plowshares 5.4.2 U-Bar Diggers 5.4.3 Balanced Watering Cans 5.4.4 Systemic Repellants 5.4.5 Restoration Signs 5.4.6 Erosion-Control Blankets References Appendixes Appendix A-Treatments To Manage Factors Limiting Restoration Appendix B-Propagation and Establishment Requirements for Selected Plant Species (part 1) Appendix B-Propagation and Establishment Requirements for Selected Plant Species (part 2) Appendix C-Detailed Propagation Methods for Beargrass, Heather, Huckleberry, and Partridgefoot Appendix D-Case Studies Appendix E-Forms About the Authors Top Back \| Next \| Cover Page
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