The Emerald Horizon: The History of Nature in Iowa

6. Restoring Nature’s Systems

6 RestoringNature’sSystems [If restoration succeeds,] we can have hope that children . . . for millennia to come . . . will be able to lie quietly in the grass on a sunny prairie hillside filled with flowers, watch bumblebees visit shooting-stars and pasqueflowers, hear dickcissels and meadowlarks call in the sky, and be ever enchanted and empowered by that great symphony we call life. —Hugh Iltis, 2000 Restoration ecology is the art and science of healing nature by reinstituting the native biodiversity and ecological processes that once defined a given region. As ecologist Don Falk writes, “Restoration uses the past not as a goal but as a reference point for the future . . . not to turn back the evolutionary clock but to set it ticking again” (1990: 71). Restoration thus aims to reassemble our fractured native communities so they can once again function as diverse, self-sustaining units. In the last few decades of the twentieth century, restoration ecology took holdasascientificdisciplinethatcountermandedpreviouspreservationistsentiments emphasizing that nature could take care of itself. With the elimination of fire and other natural processes, such attempts at self-care had often allowed native remnants to degrade into simplified assemblages of the most aggressive alien species. Many of the finest native qualities and species were being lost. Restoration ecology accepts that even in remote areas, humans may need to take a knowledgeable and considered hands-on approach in ensuring nature’s integrity. People need to encourage native species and processes, as indeed firesetting Native Americans had done for thousands of years. Today restoration efforts are undertaken by professionals and amateurs alike, on everything from garden-size plots to far-flung landscapes. Restoration Primer Restoration often refers to rehabilitating remnants, areas where some natural elements and species remain, albeit in a degraded state. However, one can also Restoring Nature’s Systems | 191 reconstruct a native community on bare ground. (Reconstructed wetlands are referred to as “created wetlands.”) All these efforts must be followed by ongoing management that enhances native diversity. This book uses the term “restoration” to embrace all these activities: working with remnants, reconstructing (or creating) communities from scratch, and managing natural communities in perpetuity. All restoration efforts follow the same general principles, which are broadly outlined below. First, determine your goals. Many restorationists attempt to return natural areastotheirpresettlementcondition,thatis,toasemblanceofwhatexistedjust before the cataclysmic changes invoked by Euroamericans. Others may want to maximize bird diversity, encourage game, or even consider economic gains through timber harvest. Goals come in many forms; all are to be applauded if they encourage appropriate natural biodiversity and, conversely, do no harm to existing native systems and species. Second, evaluate your site. Get to know your land, its inhabitants, its fire history, and its previous use, so that restoration techniques and species can be properly matched to the site. Historic features can be deciphered in many ways, including the examination of early land surveys, photographs, maps, and other historic records and interpretation of environmental features (see Egan and Howell 2005). You also should observe a site for at least one growing season, noting variations in soils, topography, growth patterns, seeps and moisture, and so on, and identifying native and invasive plants. This will allow realistic evaluation of your site’s needs and potential. Longer-term observations will continue to deepen your understanding of your land and teach simple truths—for example , that common dandelions die out naturally in prairie restorations but sweetclover does not. Next, create a restoration and management plan appropriate to your site. For example, if new plants are to be introduced, place moisture-loving species lower on slopes and drought-tolerant ones higher up. Your plan should clearly identify your goals. It should consider the timing of efforts and your dedication to the project, as well as your personal capabilities. Badly degraded sites will require considerably more effort; you may want to work on less-disturbed or smaller sections of such a site first. Any level of restoration activity should be seen as positive. Incorporating a diversity of management techniques will help create heterogeneity and maximize diversity. Several sources of information can be tapped when developing and implementing a restoration plan. Organizations such as the Iowa Natural Heritage 192 | Restoring Nature’s Systems Foundation, the Nature Conservancy’s Iowa chapter, county conservation boards, nature centers, and local land trusts can provide connections or recommend sites to visit. Groups such as the Iowa Native Plant Society and Iowa Prairie Network discuss restoration at...