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EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH CULTIVATING THE SOIL ECOSYSTEM FOR RESTORATION Rodney Pond PhD 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! CLIMATE ORGANISMS RELIEF PARENT MATERIAL TIME SOIL HORIZONS O, A, E, B, C O A B C SOIL AS GROWTH MEDIUM SOIL PROVIDES PLANTS PHYSICAL SUPPORT WATER NUTRIENTS REPRODUCTIVE 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 ECOSYSTEM AGRICULTURE 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, SELFSUFFICIENT, 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 ASSESSMENT FIELD 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 AMENDMENTS REPLACING 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 TREATMENTS PROTECTION EROSION CONTROL MOISTURE RETENTION TEMPERATURE MODERATION SOIL ECOLOGY SEED GERMINATION SOIL BIOTA HABITAT NUTRIENTS ORGANIC MATTER ORGANIC MULCHES INORGANIC MULCHES WOODY DEBRIS STONE FORMS EFFECTS OF PREPARATION ON SOIL DEVELOPMENT INCREASED MOISTURE ORGANIC MATTER BIOTIC ACTIVITY AVAILABLE NITROGEN DECREASED BULK DENSITY WATER LOSS TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION EROSION 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 INCREASING GERMINATION & SURVIVAL PREPARE SOIL SURFACE SOW SEED UNDER MULCHES BROADCAST LIGHT SEED WITH MOIST SAND OR SOIL OVERSEED TO ANTICIPATE LOW GERMINATION SOILS & INVASIVE CONTROL REMOVAL TECHNIQUES 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