RestoreNet: Distributed Field Trial Network for Dryland Restoration
Science Center Objects
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers and land managers are co-producing a network of restoration field trial sites on DOI and surrounding lands in the southwestern U.S. The network systematically tests restoration treatments across a broad range of landscape, soil, and climate conditions. Each site in the network is used to test suitable seed mixes and treatments that promote plant establishment and growth. The treatments include ground modifications (e.g. soil amendments, physical alterations, mulching), seeding vs. outplanting seedlings from a greenhouse, timing of planting, and herbicide treatments to suppress invasive species.
*Find out what happened on the Colorado Plateau after the first year of RestoreNet here!
RestoreNet Benefits Land Managers:
- Co-production of science where managers are involved from day 1 and get space and support for site specific questions.
- Demonstration sites for knowledge sharing and clear proof of concept.
- Low-risk small test plots to later support larger projects.
RestoreNet Improves Restoration Outcomes:
- Improving seed mixes: providing insight on priority species for restoration based on the relative performances of species in different environmental conditions.
- Advancing the science of dryland ecology and restoration.
- Demonstrating alternative restoration actions.
- Defining how restoration feeds into ecosystem function
Experimental Design and Monitoring (See figure below)
SPECIES: The experiment tests native grass, forb, and shrub species found within the garden’s ecoregion. There are two seed mixes, one adapted to hot/dry (red boxes) and one to cool/wet (blue boxes) conditions.
SEEDED PLOTS (top four rows): Seeds are broadcast with treatments to increase soil moisture (see green box on front of flyer).
OUTPLANTING (rows 5-8): Seedlings are planted from the greenhouse using the same species combinations above. There are single species (green boxes) and multiple species plots (multi-colored boxes). Black boxes show control plots.
LOCAL QUESTIONS (boxes with ‘?’): Each garden contains space for land managers to rigorously test locally-relevant restoration questions.
FUTURE EXPERIMENTS (bottom): Each garden contains space for future iterations of experiments that test restoration techniques on a small scale.
MONITORING: tracks plant establishment, growth, and survival, and effects on ecosystem properties (soil stability, nutrient availability, etc.).
Benefits of a Networked Experiment
The RestoreNet field trial network is integrating knowledge of plant responses to the environment with their effects on recovery of ecosystem services, allowing us to scale-up understanding of seed and native plant performance to restoration treatments. Conducting experiments at this intermediate scale provides a low-risk, high-reward setting for land managers to evaluate different seed sources and restoration treatments across a broad range of environmental conditions. We are developing a network of field trial experiments across the Colorado Plateau, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave Deserts. RestoreNet is providing novel insights into potential modifications or additions to priority species lists for restoration based on anticipated changes in climate, the performance of different seed resources and restoration treatments across environmental conditions, and how the interactive effects of site conditions and species composition influence ecosystem services. RestoreNet is fulfilling dual-purpose research and management support goals, allowing both advances in restoration science and demonstrations for land managers to see on-the-ground variation in seeding success, restoration treatments, and resultant ecosystem services. Easily accessible demonstration sites are critical for buy-in from land managers and practitioners who may be wary of modifying or adopting new practices without clear proof of concept.
The Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS) is providing coordination for network development and synthesis among collaborators, as well as organizing field trips and outreach activities to facilitate the transition from research to application.