Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Environmental Management 1/2022

29-04-2022

Rock structures improve seedling establishment, litter catchment, fungal richness, and soil moisture in the first year after installation

Authors: Trace E. Martyn, Albert Barberán, Joseph C. Blankinship, Mary Miller, Ben Yang, Albert Kline, Elise S. Gornish

Published in: Environmental Management | Issue 1/2022

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

Grasslands are essential natural and agricultural ecosystems that encompass over one-third of global lands. However, land conversion and poor management have caused losses of these systems which contributed to a 10% reduction of net primary production, a 4% increase in carbon emissions, and a potential loss of US $42 billion a year. It is, therefore, important to restore, enhance and conserve these grasslands to sustain natural plant communities and the livelihoods of those that rely on them. We installed low cost rock structures (media lunas) to assess their ability to restore grasslands by slowing water flow, reducing erosion and improving plant establishment. Our treatments included sites with small and large rock structures that were seeded with a native seed mix as well as sites with no seed or rock and sites with only seed addition. We collected summer percent cover for plants, litter, and rock and spring seedling count data. We also collected soil for nutrient, moisture, and microbial analysis. Within the first year, we found no change in plant cover between rock structures of two rock sizes. We did find, however, an increase in soil moisture, litter, fungal richness, and spring seedling germination within the rock structures, despite a historic drought. This work demonstrates that rock structures can positively impact plants and soils of grasslands even within the first year. Our results suggest that managers should seriously consider employing these low-cost structures to increase short-term plant establishment and possibly, soil health, in grasslands.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
go back to reference Boix-Fayos C, Martínez-Mena M, Calvo-Cases A et al. (2005) Concise review of interrill erosion studies in SE Spain (Alicante and Murcia): Erosion rates and progress of knowledge from the 1980’s. Land Degrad. Development 16(6):517–528. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.706CrossRef Boix-Fayos C, Martínez-Mena M, Calvo-Cases A et al. (2005) Concise review of interrill erosion studies in SE Spain (Alicante and Murcia): Erosion rates and progress of knowledge from the 1980’s. Land Degrad. Development 16(6):517–528. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​ldr.​706CrossRef
go back to reference Callegary JB, Norman LM, Eastoe CJ et al. (2021) Preliminary Assessment of Carbon and Nitrogen Sequestration Potential of Wildfire-Derived Sediments Stored by Erosion Control Structures in Forest Ecosystems, Southwest USA. Air, Soil and Water Research 14. https://doi.org/10.1177/11786221211001768 Callegary JB, Norman LM, Eastoe CJ et al. (2021) Preliminary Assessment of Carbon and Nitrogen Sequestration Potential of Wildfire-Derived Sediments Stored by Erosion Control Structures in Forest Ecosystems, Southwest USA. Air, Soil and Water Research 14. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1177/​1178622121100176​8
go back to reference Fish SK (1984) Prehistoric Agricultural Strategies in the Southwest. Tech. rep., Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ Fish SK (1984) Prehistoric Agricultural Strategies in the Southwest. Tech. rep., Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
go back to reference Jodaugiene D, Pupaliene R, Marcinkevičiene A et al. (2012) Integrated evaluation of the effect of organic mulches and different mulch layer on agrocenosis. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum, Hortorum Cultus 11(2):71–81 Jodaugiene D, Pupaliene R, Marcinkevičiene A et al. (2012) Integrated evaluation of the effect of organic mulches and different mulch layer on agrocenosis. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum, Hortorum Cultus 11(2):71–81
go back to reference King DM (1991) Costing out restoration. Restor Manag Notes 9(1):15–21 King DM (1991) Costing out restoration. Restor Manag Notes 9(1):15–21
go back to reference Lenth RV (2021) emmeans: Estimated marginal means, aka least-squares means. Lenth RV (2021) emmeans: Estimated marginal means, aka least-squares means.
go back to reference Loayza AP, Herrera-Madariaga MA, Carvajal DE et al. (2017) Conspecific plants are better ’nurses’ than rocks: Consistent results revealing intraspecific facilitation as a process that promotes establishment in a hyper-arid environment. AoB PLANTS 9(6):1–11. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plx056CrossRef Loayza AP, Herrera-Madariaga MA, Carvajal DE et al. (2017) Conspecific plants are better ’nurses’ than rocks: Consistent results revealing intraspecific facilitation as a process that promotes establishment in a hyper-arid environment. AoB PLANTS 9(6):1–11. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1093/​aobpla/​plx056CrossRef
go back to reference Moebius-Clune B, Moebius-Clune D, Gugino B et al. (2016) Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health - The Cornell Framework Manual, Edition 3.2 Moebius-Clune B, Moebius-Clune D, Gugino B et al. (2016) Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health - The Cornell Framework Manual, Edition 3.2
go back to reference NRCS (2021) Altar Valley, NRCS Long-term Survey Data NRCS (2021) Altar Valley, NRCS Long-term Survey Data
go back to reference Sparling GP (1992) Ratio of microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon as a sensitive indicator of changes in soil organic matter. Soil Res 30(2):195–207CrossRef Sparling GP (1992) Ratio of microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon as a sensitive indicator of changes in soil organic matter. Soil Res 30(2):195–207CrossRef
go back to reference Wang N, Jiao JY, Jia YF et al. (2011) Soil seed bank composition and distribution on eroded slopes in the hill-gully Loess Plateau region (China): Influence on natural vegetation colonization. Earth Surf Processes Landf 36(13):1825–1835. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.2209CrossRef Wang N, Jiao JY, Jia YF et al. (2011) Soil seed bank composition and distribution on eroded slopes in the hill-gully Loess Plateau region (China): Influence on natural vegetation colonization. Earth Surf Processes Landf 36(13):1825–1835. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​esp.​2209CrossRef
go back to reference Zeedyk B, Clothier V (2014) Let the water do the work: Including meandering, and evoloving method for restoring incised channels. Chelsea Green Publishing Zeedyk B, Clothier V (2014) Let the water do the work: Including meandering, and evoloving method for restoring incised channels. Chelsea Green Publishing
go back to reference Zeedyk BD, Walton M, Gadzia T (2014) Characterization and restoration of slope wetlands in New Mexico. Tech. rep., Quivira Cooalition Zeedyk BD, Walton M, Gadzia T (2014) Characterization and restoration of slope wetlands in New Mexico. Tech. rep., Quivira Cooalition
Metadata
Title
Rock structures improve seedling establishment, litter catchment, fungal richness, and soil moisture in the first year after installation
Authors
Trace E. Martyn
Albert Barberán
Joseph C. Blankinship
Mary Miller
Ben Yang
Albert Kline
Elise S. Gornish
Publication date
29-04-2022
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Environmental Management / Issue 1/2022
Print ISSN: 0364-152X
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1009
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01651-6

Other articles of this Issue 1/2022

Environmental Management 1/2022 Go to the issue