EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH CULTIVATING THE SOIL ECOSYSTEM FOR RESTORATION Rodney Pond PhD Student – Restoration Ecology College of Forest Resources – University of Washington

WHAT IS SOIL?  A GROWTH MEDIUM FOR PLANTS  A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEM  THE EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH!

SOIL FORMATION  CLORPT!  CLIMATE  ORGANISMS  RELIEF  PARENT MATERIAL  TIME  SOIL HORIZONS  O, A, E, B, C O A B C

SOIL AS GROWTH MEDIUM SOIL PROVIDES PLANTS  PHYSICAL SUPPORT  WATER  NUTRIENTS  REPRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT

SOIL AS GROWTH MEDIUM AGRICULTUREHORTICULTURERESTORATION WATERSUBSIDIZED HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED HEAVILY TO INFREQUENTLY OFTEN SUBSIDIZED ONLY UNTIL ESTABLISHMENT NUTRIENTSSUPPLIMENTED TO MAXIMIZE PRODUCTION SUPPLIMENTED FOR HEALTH & SURVIVAL PHYSICAL SUPPORT STRUCTURE MANAGED FOR SEASONAL GROWTH STRUCTURE MANAGED FOR LONG TERM GROWTH STRUCTURE MANAGED FOR AUTOGENIC PROCESSES REPRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT HIGHLY CONTROLLED & MANAGED FOR CONSISTENT GERMINATION DEPENDS ON LANDSCAPE; USUALLY NOT MANAGED FOR REPRODUCTION MANANGED TO CREATE FAVORABLE SOIL MICROCLIMATES

A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEM

AGRICULTUREHORTICULTURERESTORATION SOIL BIOTAEITHER PATHOGENIC OR MINOR COMPONENT OF TILTH INTEGRAL TO FUNCTION AND SUPPORT OF WHOLE ECOSYTEM SOIL STRUCTURE HOMOGENIZED FOR PREDICTABILITY, DISTURBED OFTEN MANAGED FOR COMPLEXITY, DISTURBANCE KEPT TO MINIMUM PLANT-SOIL INTERACTION PLANT PRODUCTION FOCUS, OM HARVESTED PLANT HEALTH (AESTHETIC) FOCUS, OM OFTEN REMOVED MUTUALISTIC, SELF- SUFFICIENT, DYNAMIC, OM LEFT IN PLACE SYSTEM COMPLEXITY SIMPLIFIED MANAGED FOR INCREASED COMPLEXITY

SOIL DISTURBANCES  Compaction  Less O2, infiltration, root penetration, biota  Erosion  Loss of organic topsoil, lack of biotic activity, altered hydrology  Clearcutting  Rapid changes in soil temp, initial loss of nutrients, drier  Invasive species  Altered nutrient cycling, altered hydrology, sediment accumulation, altered fire regime  Fire  Soil heating, death of biota, loss of nutrients, root kill, loss of OM, decreased infiltration  Pollution  Decreased biotic activity due to toxicity, slowed nutrient cycling, water repellency

SOIL MANANGEMENT FOR RESTORATION  ASSESSMENT  CONSERVATION  TOPOGRAPHIC ALTERATIONS  AMENDMENTS  SURFACE TREATMENTS

SOIL ASSESSMENT FIELD OBSERVATIONS ASSESS SOIL STATE (DIG SOIL PITS!)  SOIL HORIZONS  MOISTURE  TEXTURE  ROOT ZONE  SURFACE STRUCTURE  PLANT COMMUNITY  CRITTERS! ASSESS DISTURBANCES  EROSION  MASSIVE FAILURE  COMPACTION  FLOODING  SEDIMENTATION  CONTAMINATION  INVASIVE PLANTS INSPECT SOILS UNDER DIFFERING CONDITIONS AND PLANT COMMUNITIES ON YOUR SITE

SOIL CONSERVATION PRESERVE INTACT NATURAL SOILS  RESTRICT ACCESS  EROSION CONTROL  TEMPORARY COVERING  STOCKPILING THE INTACT SOILS ON YOUR SITE CONTAIN LIVE CULTURES!

TOPOGRAPHIC ALTERATIONS FORMS OF ALTERATION  RECONTOURING  ORIGINAL  NOVEL  CONSTRUCTED FEATURES  HYDROLOGY DOES THE TOPOGRAPHY OF YOUR SITE SUPPORT YOUR INTENDED PLANT COMMUNITY?

SOIL AMENDMENTS REPLACING WHAT’S MISSING  ORGANIC MATTER  SOURCES  C:N RATIO  MOISTURE RETENTION  INOCULANTS  MYCORRHIZAE  NITROGEN FIXERS  INORGANIC MATTER  CLAY, SAND, SILT  GRAVEL, COBBLE  COVER CROPS  NITROGEN FIXING  OM ACCUMULATION

SURFACE TREATMENTS PROTECTION  EROSION CONTROL  MOISTURE RETENTION  TEMPERATURE MODERATION SOIL ECOLOGY  SEED GERMINATION  SOIL BIOTA  HABITAT  NUTRIENTS  ORGANIC MATTER FORMS  ORGANIC MULCHES  INORGANIC MULCHES  WOODY DEBRIS  STONE

EFFECTS OF PREPARATION ON SOIL DEVELOPMENT  INCREASED  MOISTURE  ORGANIC MATTER  BIOTIC ACTIVITY  AVAILABLE NITROGEN  DECREASED  BULK DENSITY  WATER LOSS  TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION  EROSION

SOILS & PLANT INSTALLATION CORRECT PLANTING TECHNIQUE  PREPARE ADEQUATE SIZE HOLE  PRESERVE SOIL LAYERS, DON’T MIX  DON’T AMEND HOLE  CHECK FOR GOOD ROOT STRUCTURE  PLACE PLANT ON MOUND  ROOT CROWN EVEN WITH SOIL SURFACE  BACKFILL WITH NATIVE SOIL  AMEND SURFACE  KEEP MULCH & AMENDMENTS AWAY FROM STEM

SOILS & SEEDING INCREASING GERMINATION & SURVIVAL  PREPARE SOIL SURFACE  SOW SEED UNDER MULCHES  BROADCAST LIGHT SEED WITH MOIST SAND OR SOIL  OVERSEED TO ANTICIPATE LOW GERMINATION

SOILS & INVASIVE CONTROL REMOVAL TECHNIQUES  TOPSOIL REMOVAL  BURNING  HERBICIDE  CUTTING  MANUAL REMOVAL  SUFFOCATION BARRIERS TO RE-ESTABLISHMENT  THICK MULCH APPLICATION  LOW NUTRIENT CONDITIONS  CONSERVATIVE WATERING

EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH! “I BEQUEATH MYSELF TO THE DIRT TO GROW FROM THE GRASS I LOVE, IF YOU WANT ME AGAIN LOOK FOR ME UNDER YOUR BOOT-SOLES. YOU WILL HARDLY KNOW WHO I AM OR WHAT I MEAN, BUT I SHALL BE GOOD HEALTH TO YOU NEVERTHELESS, AND FILTER AND FIBRE YOUR BLOOD.” ~WALT WHITMAN, LEAVES OF GRASS