Reference conditions and ecological restoration: a southwestern ponderosa pine perspective

Moore, Margaret M. and Covington, W. Wallace and Fule, Peter Z. (1999) Reference conditions and ecological restoration: a southwestern ponderosa pine perspective. Ecological Applications, 9 (4). pp. 1266-1277. ISSN 1051-0761

Preview

Text Moore_MM_etal_1999_Conditions_restoration_southwest_ponderosa(1)(1).pdf Download (234kB) | Preview

Abstract

Ecological restoration is the process of reestablishing the structure and function of native ecosystems and developing mutually beneficial humanwildland interactions that are compatible with the evolutionary history of those systems. Restoration is based on an ecosystems reference conditions (or natural range of variability); the difference between reference conditions and contemporary conditions is used to assess the need for restorative treatments and to evaluate their success. Since ecosystems are highly complex and dynamic, it is not possible to describe comprehensively all possible attributes of reference conditions. Instead, ecosystem characteristics with essential roles in the evolutionary environment are chosen for detailed study. Key characteristics of structure, function, and disturbanceespecially fire regimes in ponderosa pine ecosystemsare quantified as far as possible through dendroecological and paleoecological studies, historical evidence, and comparison to undisrupted sites. Ecological restoration treatments are designed to reverse recent, human-caused ecological degradation. Testing of restoration treatments at four sites in northern Arizona, USA, has shown promise, but the diverse context of management goals and constraints for Southwestern forest ecosystems means that appropriate applications of restoration techniques will probably differ in various settings.

Item Type:	Article
Publisher’s Statement:	Copyright by the Ecological Society of America. Moore, M.M. and Covington, W.W. and Fule, P.Z. (1999) Reference conditions and ecological restoration: a southwestern ponderosa pine perspective. Ecological Applications, 9 (4). pp. 1266-1277. ISSN 1051-0761
ID number or DOI:	10.1890/1051-0761(1999)009[1266:RCAERA]2.0.CO;2
Keywords:	Ecological Restoration, Ecosystem classification, Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), ERI Library
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences S Agriculture > SD Forestry
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Faculty/Staff
Department/Unit:	Research Centers > Ecological Restoration Institute College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Science > School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Science > School of Forestry
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2016 19:12
URI:	http://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/1406

Actions (login required)

IR Staff Record View

Downloads