Restoration of ecosystem health in southwestern forests : comprehensive report October 1, 1995 to September 30, 2000

146 Pages·2000·20.4 MB·English

by  Waltz, Amy compiler

BLM LIBRARY
88070353
RESTORATION OF ECOSYSTEM
HEALTH SOUTHWESTERN
IN
FORESTS
Comprehensive Report
October 1, 1995 to September 30, 2000
Submitted to:
Bureau ofLand Management, Arizona Strip District
Submitted by:
W. Wallace Covington, Director
Ecological Restoration Institute
Northern ArizonaUniversity
Compiled by:
Amy Waltz, Peter Fule, Greg Verkamp
September 30, 2000
SD
411.52
.395
R47
2000
O'
,0^^cqo3S3
5^
^((
.
,S%
•RM?-
RESTORATION OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH
SOUTHWESTERN FORESTS
IN
Comprehensive Report
October 1 , 1 995 to September 30, 2000
Submitted to:
Bureau ofLand Management, Arizona Strip District
Submitted by:
W. Wallace Covington, Director
Ecological Restoration Institute
College ofEcosystem Science and Management
Northern Arizona University
Compiled by:
Amy Waltz, Peter Fule, Greg Verkamp
September 30, 2000
BLM
Library
Denver Federal vCenter
Bldg. 50,OCo2
!
P.O. Box 25047
CO
Denver, 80225
'AA '"'
M
t'^: , :v.’,i4' -:ix . 4 ^.f. >^Vf ftT’r K'^r'V ' 'i''i
.
'M
'.i.
\i\
v^’7
^
<'"’-»U:.,jiifJ i'V-.; ^ S'~i ’’f <'{
!70i. . :''4 Y'^^',/v. ;. , '.
;Hk>’; .i; .Tli.Y'.'^ l^'it'i ~jJ:r 'i ' !* ‘ ^
>..:>>', v:,:;i\YA • ;
I
>
. 17’V5'tV' ' _
. Xk ' ^-S:. m':t ^
vtmcILI MJII
;k’) .0^ .^biS “t:
’U)cl' x^)8 .O.'^
cSlOH OD;rw?r)a :(A’-.J
^•Vl'...
'Mn
Restoration of Ecosystem Health- Comprehensive Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
INTRODUCTION
2
Overview 2
AdaptiveResearch andManagement 4
Plant CommunityRestoration 12
Wildlife CommunityResponse 14
LookingAhead 15
References: 17
RESEARCH PROJECTS
19
l. Monitoring changes in southwesternforests: 19
DendroclimaticReconstruction 19
Fire ecology andforeststructure in northern Mexico 19
FireHistory 23
High IntensityFireStudy 24
ModelingForestStructural Change 26
Mt. Logan Wilderness ForestStructure 27
Phytolith Assemblages andSoil Characteristics 28
II. CulturalChanges in SouthwesternForests and SocialImplications: 30
Indigenous LandManagementPractices 30
Mt. Logan WildernessRestoration Study: SocialImplications 35
m. Landscape LevelResponsetoRestoration: 35
Ecosystem MonitoringProject 37
ExperimentalBlockStudy 38
A Potential Wilderness Treatment: Restoration Without WoodRemoval 39
IV. VegetationResponsetoRestoration: 40
AlternativeFuel TreatmentStudy 40
EffectofThinning andSprouting on Gambel Oak (Quercusgambelii) 41
Inventory andAssessmentoftheMt. TrumbullSnagResource 42
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Removal Treatment 42
TheSoilSeedBank: ImplicationsforEcologicalRestoration 44
Seeding vs. NaturalRegeneration 46
V. Arthropod, Avian andMammalResponse: 47
BirdAbundance andDiversitypriorto Restoration Treatments 47
ButterflyResponse to Ecosystem Restoration 50
Habitatrelationships oftheKaibab squirrelandothersciurids 51
Predictingthe effects ofecosystemfragmentation andrestoration: managementmodelsfor
animalpopulations 52
Response ofsmallmammalcommunities andSin Nombre virus 54
Utilization andSignificance ofDowned Woodas Habitatfor TwoSpecies ofMice 56
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
57
Mt. Trumbull Collaboration 57
Mt. Trumbull WildernessRestoration Collaboration 58
II
%
s i ^
y
'eS „1ifl
’“'
, ,. ' ' • ' . , •: ^ y;,
’ '. '' ' >. :^' ’. * , ‘ . ' "'
&?
yd
•E ;
;.'. • -i:,-A'':^'^'';E.v%.'-a\.
,/iv^.,'Vi'V'' ";: '' ..I’.
.. ''' 't-, «'E r iV
i> 'jri' ' V V^.e'.- ,*‘-x
• J
::( A- -,j^
yury ;-
'
:i. ', r
V ,/ *>"::' yd ICV', f i ,J
/
, .V,; ysoii ...
,. #'>'•'• '. VId. v.'idr« fE|yi>^LVic
Er--»^=^yysj!w:4 ^ -A E; ''. ;.. '^,
^ ; , i_, ' ,
•<d ,i'3v' < •' V-•
-•'
,< '-<E„ 1 -^,^.•rf;'>r.|'i, 'V.. '/V , -..o
•.•...E' ty: ': y< my km
i^'yy
-J\VE
'y
' ’'i-k'k'ir'-' %'K%
0'
'.':y 'U0yM-\.Ai’hk
«:3> ^EHvA;f»‘iiy-^
, ','4'l'.V»‘ki5;/,'.\ V> ¥:vyy«i«'t
•V-. ,:-#!:.-' •'Sif‘*4' V» ' • y
.', ' ,I,_'i.,,.-I.,, , ;,f*i,i^..,,,,..,ij
,• ‘ • iK,.* .‘' , , ' _'^3SjV'.,
,-rV)- -'wH' •
.i>
Restoration of Ecosystem Health- Comprehensive Report
OUTREACH
58
CONTRIBUTORS
60
SPECIAL THANKS
60
PRESENTATIONS AND PAPERS
61
Presentations 6i
Papers 66
III
m
- J .
,r- t' ' • r,{,
a^aaruig
.^Mmmm’frih'*''
‘tkfix'i V}or’<<<r*.^*-* Vfp, >H» • • ....
V,”'V,(.At'r
'»-, . I
‘ i'Kf.< • - I >*'*
yP- ^
s
iL
Restoration of Ecosystem Health- Comprehensive Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Restoration of Ecosystem Health in elsewhere. A series of complementary studies
Southwest Forests project was initiated in at Mt. Trumbull and other sites addressed non-
1995 to develop the scientific basis for experimental questions, especially through
ecological restoration of southwestern retrospective dendroecological techniques.
ponderosa pine forests. Fire exclusion, grazing
Researchers continue to monitor forest
and logging over the past 120+ years have
and fuel conditions, as well as the response of
caused contemporary southwestern forests to
arthropod, small mammal, and avian
become dense with small trees and heavy fuels,
populations to restoration treatments. Data
at the expense of the diverse native plant
from both experimental and retrospective
community. Instead ofthe low intensity surface
studies have been used to improve restoration
fires that burned fi-equently prior to Euro-
treatments and techniques through the adaptive
American settlement, current fuel loads now
management process. Collaborative planning
support stand-replacing crown fires. These
efforts for restoration of designated Wilderness
unnatural conditions are not sustainable, as
are also underway. Five years marks only the
evidenced by the increasing size and severity of
beginning of the restoration process at Mt.
forest fires. Extensive research suggests that
Trumbull; the research is designed for long-
active restoration is needed to regain natural
term study with permanent monitoring systems
ecological structure, composition, and function.
and designated control areas.
Jointly sponsored by the Bureau of
This large, integrative project is
Land Management (Arizona Strip District),
developing into an intensive, comprehensive
Ecological Restoration Institute (Northern
study of ecosystem restoration on a landscape
Arizona University) and the Arizona Game and
scale. The Mt. Trumbull site has been featured
Fish Department, the project sampled forests
in national restoration debates and has been the
across the Southwest and relict stands in
focus of intensive scrutiny by media and
northern Mexico to establish a range of
interest groups. Outreach has been extensive.
variability in forest types and past disturbance
To date, a total of 28 papers or posters have
history. Contemporary disturbance by severe
been presented at national meetings, and 33
wildfires was also examined. The central focus
papers have been published in symposia and
ofthe project has been to establish experimental
peer reviewedjournals.
studies of ecological restoration treatments on
BLM
lands at Mt. Trumbull, Grand Canyon-
Parashant National Monument, Arizona. These
studies have been and will continue to be used
to examine ecosystem responses, including
plants, arthropods, birds and mammals, to
ponderosa pine restoration treatments.
By 2000, restoration experiments
include a replicated experimental block design
of treated and control forests nested within an A lupine blue fPlebejus icarioides) basks on
pusseytoey/owersfAntennaria parviflora) in a
ecosystem-level landscape restoration at Mt.
restoredunit.
Trumbull, Arizona. Monitoring protocols are
documented and standardized for comparison
with other sites across the Southwest and
1
m
j- .;•; r'“ - A ytyi-Ayyk \ 'm •irf'T
; C' '' '•' ij *' 'C nt Jrjttoiq
'
O..... 2i*f>4 *r>j' O’ vvrv'I
•;.'f'.’t ••. "jo flO?7ri?Ot«9'J
n). »;.v 'i .'.Jtotf.Jj TVf«^i
/ ' '';i.,Vi
IT'W •'-.. , ..*(5ry.‘:- v:;i ',^’y ;•»•/#^-r! ru'ir; .. -j-asi. tnii v.vf^ 'au\
t.f tVjvj
bi;!!'? .iyAi-’ -'y :.
7'jil- A -jy J :7 .itTW )
innUf •‘svbsvi v.nr? ’;b ':»«: io 3^o&t|Ki? -•d3 :;-
i: *•:'' J7-.7
to
'>' J.-' v'.?/’ 'v;' -y-y yyybiy^
of‘i lj':jiyhA brij iy^7:i
'J. .-'f'. '.: - 'VV> ':' -.'''it'y./ii
'f<Ar abvt'J VO'..i'K-/0 ,:C,vr!;?«U]rj^
•;rc;r^if7 .?VT.i' =•.>«.••-.i ;v ^tOOqi3>
••L' .'jb'iinir'bv'i .j;nfio
; !• - ' ,(: ri77yy : y'ly {d b-AP^A .
. ;
yj 7-.,.: :;' ./.s^ -sw'f?
.'V- -;ni' >; :. ;.^ ‘i!?. T'in''rr '
• '7"A'f y: bl’b-f '' : ' Ky''y'Ab-yi 'v/ilOti
.. '• '" i ff r.--:‘ >' 7. yj, S'.fj .-or,- /"> !v>%;TJi? Uo.iu/-loiK»
\V:\AViQ nf-n** 'S\binA/ bi!*}.!
' , ^;;s i-'i' :,y'i < ,)t
>!' ' J yy.-' ' t'-.
" '• ' ^riT .sn’O?' r.u-; •;:•• y-'^w'v :...••> i .<i ry^lrbi Uivyiij.
•:•' -'./vii ‘'/iv.ir?.;- ’; y.b\:yy.-: 'b{'*i
p{ i-bfi-..*- i'y-Cki :.. 53?l2
\.i i' v'=>v.}\'! y '*r> i
'. '7.1 * “-'I ..>U’.C‘;y-feu •;t&,, ?vi#; i>.;;T-yj :h ajiv
v-'i :b vOj??f!
• , ', '.. -Jyy b.Yr;.y.j JiJUAi oeiA tfA-f
*«.••jii -
V •••-' '.vkh^ '•'’bio
'iOV^ritj . Vii*'’:,- iii' -'’ij(jI1 '/? Iji tt'jiOi
b’io%i i fi i;.‘ 7in-n)iK7i Tm •• f?rvu ,ro‘y;[ • *iU‘ *s»ftu5.-
,|r biy;!4i-i I fX'7>^'/pxi^ y-'.^'yy cA
•j' -dT&siii'iitiW i>.u: irbv.a /'hoqn^d.ui ,?in£:kj
uuaf f^yjnbnrn
!y;7::kdyyi ',:H'
fiUmk 'yyotd K.'«ij.'j'*‘va7X& s -ihiihm
y\ k
,r;'. C!;;'.' vs uiml-iR h-jf>Mi7dfym 'yts-oo bnii to
•iM •» bvrI n-^u
4v;T.4^>T(>;q aniJ'-'inybi JbicimiTTf
bjOviliTf l)itS b'i,?;v'^’,*7inob
bilK 31-^t- S^f7.}h 'iyi’TO .-ijivv