EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH

CULTIVATING THE SOIL ECOSYSTEM FOR RESTORATION

Rodney PondPhD Student – Restoration Ecology

College of Forest Resources – University of Washington

WHAT IS SOIL?

A GROWTH MEDIUM FOR PLANTS

A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEM

THE EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH!

SOIL FORMATION

CLORPT! CLIMATEORGANISMSRELIEFPARENT MATERIALTIME

SOIL HORIZONSO, A, E, B, C

O

A

B

C

SOIL AS GROWTH MEDIUM

SOIL PROVIDES PLANTS

PHYSICAL SUPPORTWATERNUTRIENTSREPRODUCTIVE

ENVIRONMENT

SOIL AS GROWTH MEDIUM

AGRICULTURE HORTICULTURE RESTORATION

WATER SUBSIDIZED HEAVILY

SUBSIDIZED HEAVILY TO

INFREQUENTLY

OFTEN SUBSIDIZED ONLY UNTIL

ESTABLISHMENT

NUTRIENTS SUPPLIMENTED TO MAXIMIZE

PRODUCTION

SUPPLIMENTED FOR HEALTH &

SURVIVAL

SUPPLIMENTED FOR HEALTH &

SURVIVAL

PHYSICAL SUPPORT

STRUCTURE MANAGED FOR

SEASONAL GROWTH

STRUCTURE MANAGED FOR

LONG TERM GROWTH

STRUCTURE MANAGED FOR

AUTOGENIC PROCESSES

REPRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT

HIGHLY CONTROLLED & MANAGED FOR CONSISTENT

GERMINATION

DEPENDS ON LANDSCAPE; USUALLY NOT MANAGED FOR REPRODUCTION

MANANGED TO CREATE

FAVORABLE SOIL MICROCLIMATES

A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEM

A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEMAGRICULTURE HORTICULTURE RESTORATION

SOIL BIOTA EITHER PATHOGENIC OR

MINOR COMPONENT OF TILTH

EITHER PATHOGENIC OR

MINOR COMPONENT OF

TILTH

INTEGRAL TO FUNCTION AND

SUPPORT OF WHOLE

ECOSYTEM

SOIL STRUCTURE

HOMOGENIZED FOR PREDICTABILITY,

DISTURBED OFTEN

HOMOGENIZED FOR

PREDICTABILITY, DISTURBED OFTEN

MANAGED FOR COMPLEXITY, DISTURBANCE

KEPT TO MINIMUM

PLANT-SOIL INTERACTION

PLANT PRODUCTION FOCUS, OM HARVESTED

PLANT HEALTH (AESTHETIC)

FOCUS, OM OFTEN REMOVED

MUTUALISTIC, SELF-

SUFFICIENT, DYNAMIC, OM LEFT IN PLACE

SYSTEM COMPLEXITY

SIMPLIFIED SIMPLIFIED MANAGED FOR INCREASED COMPLEXITY

SOIL DISTURBANCES Compaction

Less O2, infiltration, root penetration, biota Erosion

Loss of organic topsoil, lack of biotic activity, altered hydrology Clearcutting

Rapid changes in soil temp, initial loss of nutrients, drier Invasive species

Altered nutrient cycling, altered hydrology, sediment accumulation, altered fire regime

Fire Soil heating, death of biota, loss of nutrients, root kill, loss of

OM, decreased infiltration Pollution

Decreased biotic activity due to toxicity, slowed nutrient cycling, water repellency

SOIL MANANGEMENT FOR RESTORATION

ASSESSMENT CONSERVATION TOPOGRAPHIC

ALTERATIONS AMENDMENTS SURFACE

TREATMENTS

SOIL ASSESSMENTFIELD OBSERVATIONS ASSESS SOIL STATE (DIG SOIL PITS!)

SOIL HORIZONS MOISTURE TEXTURE ROOT ZONE SURFACE STRUCTURE PLANT COMMUNITY CRITTERS!

ASSESS DISTURBANCES EROSION MASSIVE FAILURE COMPACTION FLOODING SEDIMENTATION CONTAMINATION INVASIVE PLANTS

INSPECT SOILS UNDER DIFFERING CONDITIONS AND PLANT COMMUNITIES ON YOUR SITE

SOIL CONSERVATION

PRESERVE INTACT NATURAL SOILS

RESTRICT ACCESS EROSION CONTROL TEMPORARY COVERING STOCKPILING

THE INTACT SOILS ON YOUR SITE CONTAIN LIVE CULTURES!

TOPOGRAPHIC ALTERATIONS

FORMS OF ALTERATION RECONTOURING

ORIGINAL NOVEL

CONSTRUCTED FEATURES

HYDROLOGY

DOES THE TOPOGRAPHY OF YOUR SITE SUPPORT YOUR INTENDED PLANT COMMUNITY?

SOIL AMENDMENTSREPLACING WHAT’S MISSING

ORGANIC MATTER SOURCES C:N RATIO MOISTURE RETENTION

INOCULANTS MYCORRHIZAE NITROGEN FIXERS

INORGANIC MATTER CLAY, SAND, SILT GRAVEL, COBBLE

COVER CROPS NITROGEN FIXING OM ACCUMULATION

SURFACE TREATMENTSPROTECTION

EROSION CONTROL MOISTURE RETENTION TEMPERATURE

MODERATIONSOIL ECOLOGY

SEED GERMINATION SOIL BIOTA HABITAT NUTRIENTS ORGANIC MATTER

FORMS ORGANIC MULCHES INORGANIC MULCHES WOODY DEBRIS STONE

EFFECTS OF PREPARATION ON SOIL DEVELOPMENT

INCREASEDMOISTUREORGANIC MATTERBIOTIC ACTIVITYAVAILABLE

NITROGEN

DECREASEDBULK DENSITYWATER LOSSTEMPERATURE

FLUCTUATIONEROSION

SOILS & PLANT INSTALLATION

CORRECT PLANTING TECHNIQUE

PREPARE ADEQUATE SIZE HOLE

PRESERVE SOIL LAYERS, DON’T MIX

DON’T AMEND HOLE CHECK FOR GOOD ROOT

STRUCTURE PLACE PLANT ON MOUND ROOT CROWN EVEN WITH

SOIL SURFACE BACKFILL WITH NATIVE SOIL AMEND SURFACE KEEP MULCH & AMENDMENTS

AWAY FROM STEM

SOILS & SEEDING

INCREASINGGERMINATION & SURVIVAL

PREPARE SOIL SURFACE SOW SEED UNDER

MULCHES BROADCAST LIGHT

SEED WITH MOIST SAND OR SOIL

OVERSEED TO ANTICIPATE LOW GERMINATION

SOILS & INVASIVE CONTROL

REMOVALTECHNIQUES

TOPSOIL REMOVAL BURNING HERBICIDE CUTTING MANUAL REMOVAL SUFFOCATION

BARRIERS TO RE-ESTABLISHMENT

THICK MULCH APPLICATION

LOW NUTRIENT CONDITIONS

CONSERVATIVE WATERING

EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH!

“I BEQUEATH MYSELF TO THE DIRT TO GROW FROM THE GRASS I LOVE, IF YOU WANT ME AGAIN LOOK FOR ME UNDER YOUR BOOT-SOLES.

YOU WILL HARDLY KNOW WHO I AM OR WHAT I MEAN, BUT I SHALL BE GOOD HEALTH TO YOU NEVERTHELESS, AND FILTER AND FIBRE YOUR BLOOD.”~WALT WHITMAN, LEAVES OF GRASS