Research
Issues:
M
Soils and Biota
Mycorhizae
Seed Production and Plant Conditions
Greenhouse Practice
Genetic Diversity
Species Used in Restoration
Ecosystem Changes Resulting from Dam Removal
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Soils
and Biota:
Background:
Treatment of soils and monitoring of soil processes at restored sites have
generally been very limited. Early restoration efforts focused on the practicality
of propagating native plants and successfully transplanting them in remote sites.
Many sites were compacted, but did not have much erosion. Transport of soil to
backcountry sites is expensive, logistically difficult, and potentially disruptive
to park visitors and wildlife, and before the 1980s, restoration programs did
not consider it feasible to import large quantities of soil. If sites were eroded,
peat was used to add organic matter and to help bring the surface level of the
sites back up to the original grade. Peat, rather than soil, was selected for
use at these sites based on the assumption that lost organic matter needed to
be replaced, and because peat is lightweight and easy to carry. Recent evaluations
of some early sites seem to indicate that revegetation is failing because: 1)
soil was not added to the sites, and 2) too much peat was added, resulting in
poorly drained water-saturated soils unable to support heather meadows.
Historically, damaged sites in NOCA and OLYM have minor levels of erosion, and
the manipulation of substrates during restoration efforts is minimal. Sites were
scarified and sometimes amended with peat to restore organic matter content. Only
recently, along Ross Lake has NOCA started to salvage soil (silt loam to scree)
from the lake bottom to bring sites up to grade. However, at MORA severe erosion
has long necessitated aggressive treatment of restoration sites. Prior to revegetation
of these areas, sites are stabilized and filled to grade with soil, rock, and
gravel to restore original topographic patterns. Sites less than 12" deep are
filled with soil purchased from outside the park. The soil is custom mixed to
match the organic matter content, soil texture, and pH of native soils, and it
is steam-sterilized to reduce invasion by exotic plant species. On sites greater
than 12" deep, a layer of gravel or rocks is added prior to the addition of soil.
Generally, fertilizers are not used in any park because they may facilitate establishment
of exotic species or reduce establishment of mycorrhizae.
Park Focus:
Mount Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Research Needs:
Do the physical and chemical properties of restored sites change over time?
How do these soils compare to those in undamaged sites?
What invertebrates are present in undisturbed sites? What species are present
in restored sites? Are there key species that can be used to assess the condition
of restored sites?
What role do soil treatments play in the success of restoration projects? Is the
addition of peat the best treatment of sites with minimal soil loss?
What is the minimum effective level of soil treatment on restoration sites?
Should soil treatment differ between coastal, lakeshore, and subalpine sites?
What affect does steam pasturization have on soil? Does this destroy native biota
along with introduced seeds and pests?
If substrates are not amended, can plants be expected to survive? Specifically,
are plants failing to thrive at Cascade Pass (NOCA) because soil was never added
to eroded sites?
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Mycorhizae:
Background:
Although mycorrhizal associations are known to be an important component
of plant associations, restoration programs in the three parks have developed
without specific data about or attention to these associations. In some instances,
native soil has been mixed into greenhouse media to facilitate inoculation, but
no monitoring has been conducted to determine if inoculation has occurred. Most
target species have been propagated successfully and exhibited high survival rates
when transplanted in the field. However, we don't know if growth or survival rates
would have been higher with additional treatment. Most restoration sites have
been small, and we have assumed that mycorrhizae will invade without our interference,
but in the last five years, MORA has restored some fairly large sites (1-5 acres)
and the question of unassisted inoculation has been raised. Questions that we
are aware of are listed below and are not meant to be all-inclusive.
Park Focus:
Mount Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Research Needs:
What mycorrhizal species are associated with plant species used in restoration?
To what degree are these associations determined by site characteristics versus
host species?
How do mycorrhizal associations change with site? How many mycorrhizal species
are found in our native plant communities?
During which stage of plant development does mycorrhizal inoculation need to occur?
Are mycorrhizal species associated with seedling establishment the same as for
mature communities?
How do our restoration practices affect or limit mycorrhizal infection of plants
or habitats?
How does the size of the restoration site affect mycorrhizal innoculation?
How does inoculation affect short-term versus long-term success of restoration
(i.e., are growth rates/root and shoot greater over the long-term)?
What are effective methods of site inoculation?
What is the genetic diversity of mycorrhizal species?
Should we consider innoculation of sites or during propagation activities?
Could our greenhouse operations be the source of new mycorrhizal species to field
sites?
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Seed
Production and Plant Conditions:
Background:
Restoration sites in all plant communities are generally seeded and planted
with greenhouse plants or salvaged plants. Although we often track the volumes
of seed we use on these sites, we have not analyzed existing data or experimented
with different amounts of seed. We are interested in research that will help increase
our success in revegetation by seed (on-site).
Park Focus:
Mount Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Research Needs:
Do some species typically have mast years and can these be predicted using climatic factors?
What are the germination and viability rates of species we propagate? How do these rates change over time with seed storage?
What are natural levels of seed rain in the plant communities of our sites?
What species and quantities of seeds are stored in seed banks?
Does the use of mulches limit seed rain to restoration sites?
How do mulches influence seed germination?
How do mulches affect soil temperatures, soil mositures, soil nitrogen levels, and mycorrhizae? Should we use different types of mulches at different elevations or different sites within each park?
What volumes of seeds are optimal for revegetation?
What species are most successfully seeded?
What is the condition of plants in restored sites? Are these species reproducing? Are root systems spreading?
How does watering influence plant survival? How long is watering needed to substantially increase survival or growth rates?
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Greenhouse Practices:
Background:
All three parks use greenhouse propagated plants extensively within their restoration programs. Greenhouse programs have become very successful at growing plants, but we still wonder what influence our plants have on native ecosystems and how we can become more successful.
Park Focus:
Mount Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Research Needs:
How do greenhouse practices influence the success of restoration programs?
Do we introduce non-native invertebrates to restoration sites on greenhouse propagated plants?
How can horticultural practices improve field survival of greenhouse plants?
What are the effects of greenhouse preconditioning on field performance of native plants?
What are the effects of introduced soil components (e.g., perlite, vermiculite, pumice, sand) on native soil and invertebrates, mycorrhizae, water movement between native and imported soil, soil freezing and movement, root behavior?
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Genetic Diversity:
Background:
National Park Service policies direct that we will strive to protect the full range of genotypes by perpetuating natural processes and minimizing our influence on these processes. Generally, once a restoration project is initiated, we have already substantially altered extant communities and interrupted natural processes. Most sites require active revegetation either because of their size, the short growing season, or to provide some evidence to visitors that the site is being restored. Since active revegetation involves direct seeding or greenhouse plants, knowledge of patterns of genetic diversity and the potential influence our collection activities may have on these patterns is a high priority for research. Currently, research has only been conducted on four species of concern: Aster alpigenus, Carex spectablis, Phyllodoce empetriformis, and P. glanduliflora.
Park Focus:
Mount Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Research Needs:
What are the patterns of genetic diversity in species we propagate?
How does genetic diversity change across elevation, habitat, or distance gradients?
What adaptive variations do species used in restoration exhibit?
How do our restoration practices alter natural patterns of diversity?
At NOCA, what are the genetic diversity patterns of low-elevation plant species, used in restoration, along the Ross Lake shoreline? Can species be moved across the lake? How far should plant materials be moved up and down the lake?
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Species Used in Restoration:
M
Click here for a table representing the species used in restoration.
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Ecosystem Changes Resulting from Dam Removal
:
Background:
The Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act (the Elwha Act) of 1992 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams and to fully restore the river's ecosystem and native anadromous fisheries. Olympic National Park is interested in conducting research to document baseline ecosystem conditions in the Elwha Basin and using these data to identify indicators for long-term monitoring of changes in these conditions. This information would be compared to data collected after the dams are removed to document ecosystem responses to dam removal.
The Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams are located on the Elwha River, which flows on the Olympic Peninsula of northwestern Washington State. Elwha Dam was completed in 1913 at river mile (RM) 4.9, and includes a 108-foot-high concrete gravity section, gated spillways on both abutments, and a powerhouse with four generating units rated at a combined capacity of 14.8 megawatts (MW). Glines Canyon Dam was completed in 1927 at RM 13.4 and includes a 210-foot-high concrete thin arch section, a gated spillway on the left abutment, a thrust block on the right abutment, and a powerhouse with a single generating unit rated at 13.3 MW. Elwha Dam impounds Lake Aldwell, which has a surface area of 267 acres and a storage capacity of 8,100 acre-feet at elevation of 197.0 feet. Glines Canyon Dam impounds Lake Mills, which has a surface area of 415 acres and a storage capacity of 40,500 acre-feet at elevation of 590.33 feet. Both dams were acquired by the Federal government on February 29, 2000. They are being operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, with National Park Service oversight, until they are removed.
The Elwha River ecosystem and native anadromous fisheries will be restored through the removal of both dams and implementation of fisheries restoration and revegetation. The dams were installed without fish passage facilities on the Elwha River, so they obstruct upstream fish migration beyond the first 4.9 miles of the river. Before the dams were built, the Elwha River produced an estimated 380,000 anadromous (migrating) salmon and trout. Salmon and steelhead once filled over 70 miles of mainstem and tributary habitat in the Elwha. Their carcasses fed more than 22 species of wildlife and supplied the entire aquatic ecosystem with organic material, phosphorus and nitrogen. The construction of Elwha Dam blocked access to 93% of Elwha River habitat for these anadromous fish and began what became a precipitous decline in the native populations of all 10 runs of Elwha salmon and sea-going trout. Now, populations of primarily hatchery fish return to only the 4.9 miles of river below the Elwha Dam to spawn in crowded, unnatural and poor quality conditions. Both the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are less productive and varied as a result.
Park Focus:
Olympic National Park
Research Needs:
What are the patterns of genetic diversity in species we propagate?
How does genetic diversity change across elevation, habitat, or distance gradients?
What adaptive variations do species used in restoration exhibit?
How do our restoration practices alter natural patterns of diversity?
At NOCA, what are the genetic diversity patterns of low-elevation plant species, used in restoration, along the Ross Lake shoreline? Can species be moved across the lake? How far should plant materials be moved up and down the lake?
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