EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH

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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
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WHAT IS SOIL?

• A GROWTH MEDIUM FOR PLANTS
• A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEM
• THE EXCITED SKIN OF THE EARTH!

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SOIL FORMATION

• CLORPT!
• CLIMATE
• ORGANISMS
• RELIEF
• PARENT MATERIAL
• TIME
• SOIL HORIZONS
• O, A, E, B, C

O
A
B
C
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SOIL AS GROWTH MEDIUM

• SOIL PROVIDES PLANTS
• PHYSICAL SUPPORT
• WATER
• NUTRIENTS
• REPRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT

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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
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A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEM
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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, SELF-SUFFICIENT, DYNAMIC, OM LEFT IN PLACE
SYSTEM COMPLEXITY SIMPLIFIED SIMPLIFIED MANAGED FOR INCREASED COMPLEXITY
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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

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SOIL MANANGEMENT FOR RESTORATION

• ASSESSMENT
• CONSERVATION
• TOPOGRAPHIC ALTERATIONS
• AMENDMENTS
• SURFACE TREATMENTS

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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

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SOIL CONSERVATION

• PRESERVE INTACT
• NATURAL SOILS
• RESTRICT ACCESS
• EROSION CONTROL
• TEMPORARY COVERING
• STOCKPILING
• THE INTACT SOILS ON
• YOUR SITE CONTAIN
• LIVE CULTURES!

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TOPOGRAPHIC ALTERATIONS

• FORMS OF ALTERATION
• RECONTOURING
• ORIGINAL
• NOVEL
• CONSTRUCTED FEATURES
• HYDROLOGY
• DOES THE TOPOGRAPHY
• OF YOUR SITE SUPPORT
• YOUR INTENDED PLANT
• COMMUNITY?

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SOIL AMENDMENTS

• REPLACING WHATS
• MISSING
• ORGANIC MATTER
• SOURCES
• CN RATIO
• MOISTURE RETENTION
• INOCULANTS
• MYCORRHIZAE
• NITROGEN FIXERS
• INORGANIC MATTER
• CLAY, SAND, SILT
• GRAVEL, COBBLE
• COVER CROPS
• NITROGEN FIXING
• OM ACCUMULATION

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SURFACE TREATMENTS

• PROTECTION
• EROSION CONTROL
• MOISTURE RETENTION
• TEMPERATURE MODERATION
• SOIL ECOLOGY
• SEED GERMINATION
• SOIL BIOTA
• HABITAT
• NUTRIENTS
• ORGANIC MATTER
• FORMS
• ORGANIC MULCHES
• INORGANIC MULCHES
• WOODY DEBRIS
• STONE

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EFFECTS OF PREPARATION ON SOIL DEVELOPMENT

• INCREASED
• MOISTURE
• ORGANIC MATTER
• BIOTIC ACTIVITY
• AVAILABLE NITROGEN
• DECREASED
• BULK DENSITY
• WATER LOSS
• TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION
• EROSION

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SOILS PLANT INSTALLATION

• CORRECT PLANTING TECHNIQUE
• PREPARE ADEQUATE SIZE HOLE
• PRESERVE SOIL LAYERS, DONT MIX
• DONT 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

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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

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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

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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