Ecological Factors Preventing Restoration of Degraded Short Tussock Landscapes in New Zealand’s Dryland Zone
Biotic factors such as the presence of invasive animal and/or plant species are well known as major causes of ecological degradation and as limiting either natural or assisted (human-induced) ecological restoration. However, abiotic aspects of the landscape, such as water availability and soil physi...
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2017-08-01
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2017-0048 |
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doaj-2783a5b3a3944cfdb2b76b711ba2133d2021-09-05T20:51:15ZengDe GruyterOpen Agriculture2391-95312017-08-012144245210.1515/opag-2017-0048opag-2017-0048Ecological Factors Preventing Restoration of Degraded Short Tussock Landscapes in New Zealand’s Dryland ZoneRodrigues Anna P.0Moltchanova Elena1Norton David A.2Turnbull Matthew3New Zealand School of Forestry, College of Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New ZealandSchool of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New ZealandNew Zealand School of Forestry, College of Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New ZealandBiotic factors such as the presence of invasive animal and/or plant species are well known as major causes of ecological degradation and as limiting either natural or assisted (human-induced) ecological restoration. However, abiotic aspects of the landscape, such as water availability and soil physical/chemical conditions can also potentially limit restoration and should be considered. Dryland ecosystems are amongst the world’s most threatened and least protected. New Zealand’s drylands have been drastically changed, initially through burning, agricultural and grazing practices and the impacts of introduced herbivores and plants. This research aimed at identifying some of the key environmental factors preventing the reestablishment of native woody species in a New Zealand dryland ecosystem. The experiments involved a combination of shading, irrigation and grazing exclusion. The results showed that supplemental water was not beneficial for the survival and growth of the native seedlings, unless combined with shade. Fencing proved important for establishment, even though the species used are regarded in the literature as unpalatable to herbivores. The results indicated that the presence of shade was fundamental for the establishment and growth of the native seedlings likely due to improvements in the microclimate, soil aeration, and water availability to seedlings.https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2017-0048drylandecological restorationseedlinggrazingirrigation |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Rodrigues Anna P. Moltchanova Elena Norton David A. Turnbull Matthew |
spellingShingle |
Rodrigues Anna P. Moltchanova Elena Norton David A. Turnbull Matthew Ecological Factors Preventing Restoration of Degraded Short Tussock Landscapes in New Zealand’s Dryland Zone Open Agriculture dryland ecological restoration seedling grazing irrigation |
author_facet |
Rodrigues Anna P. Moltchanova Elena Norton David A. Turnbull Matthew |
author_sort |
Rodrigues Anna P. |
title |
Ecological Factors Preventing Restoration of Degraded Short Tussock Landscapes in New Zealand’s Dryland Zone |
title_short |
Ecological Factors Preventing Restoration of Degraded Short Tussock Landscapes in New Zealand’s Dryland Zone |
title_full |
Ecological Factors Preventing Restoration of Degraded Short Tussock Landscapes in New Zealand’s Dryland Zone |
title_fullStr |
Ecological Factors Preventing Restoration of Degraded Short Tussock Landscapes in New Zealand’s Dryland Zone |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ecological Factors Preventing Restoration of Degraded Short Tussock Landscapes in New Zealand’s Dryland Zone |
title_sort |
ecological factors preventing restoration of degraded short tussock landscapes in new zealand’s dryland zone |
publisher |
De Gruyter |
series |
Open Agriculture |
issn |
2391-9531 |
publishDate |
2017-08-01 |
description |
Biotic factors such as the presence of invasive animal and/or plant species are well known as major causes of ecological degradation and as limiting either natural or assisted (human-induced) ecological restoration. However, abiotic aspects of the landscape, such as water availability and soil physical/chemical conditions can also potentially limit restoration and should be considered. Dryland ecosystems are amongst the world’s most threatened and least protected. New Zealand’s drylands have been drastically changed, initially through burning, agricultural and grazing practices and the impacts of introduced herbivores and plants. This research aimed at identifying some of the key environmental factors preventing the reestablishment of native woody species in a New Zealand dryland ecosystem. The experiments involved a combination of shading, irrigation and grazing exclusion. The results showed that supplemental water was not beneficial for the survival and growth of the native seedlings, unless combined with shade. Fencing proved important for establishment, even though the species used are regarded in the literature as unpalatable to herbivores. The results indicated that the presence of shade was fundamental for the establishment and growth of the native seedlings likely due to improvements in the microclimate, soil aeration, and water availability to seedlings. |
topic |
dryland ecological restoration seedling grazing irrigation |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2017-0048 |
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