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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