Site Analysis - Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration - page 59

once recommended a mitigation of maintaining cattle on a portion of a large development to
maintain a vegetative state suitable for the continued presence of the Stephen's kangaroo rat.
The underlying principle to remember is that vegetation goes through a series of developmen-
tal stages and maturation and then, through some event, is returned to an earlier stage of develop-
ment. Fire and other methods are needed to replace the original effects of the grazing animals. A
site that may not be exposed to significant landscape-forming processes needs to be evaluated to
determine whether suitable replacement activity can be provided (Savory 1998).
Assess the Degree of Degradation. The very nature of ecological restoration is to manipulate
some parcel of land that is not fully functioning or is missing elements. Degradation activity may
be the result of a simple initial impact left to manifest itself into a more dramatic condition by
other forces, such as the track left in the desert by an off-road vehicle. Most of the time, site degra-
dation is very straightforward, with only human activity being responsible.
You will have to determine which impact deserves immediate attention and which can be de-
layed. Experts in the various fields of science may be called on to assist, but most likely it will fall
on you and a small team of individuals with varying skills and knowledge to make this determina-
tion. Learning to read the land is a talent that requires time and patience.
Invasive Alien Species. Invasive species have become an increasing problem for restoration
projects with the increase in the number and range of invasive alien species. The existence of
certain invasive alien species on or adjacent to your site may jeopardize the success of your resto-
ration program. Noxious weeds may crowd out or shade out your plantings or compete with your
plantings for soil moisture. Some weeds produce substances that deter the growth of other plants.
Habitat Values and Features. Often misunderstood or incorrectly applied, the term habitat
refers to the sum of the resources and conditions present in an area that produce occupancy by
an organism. There are numerous attributes of a habitat that are goals for restoration projects. It
is important to clearly identify what specific habitat value(s) or attribute(s) you are intending to
establish (Morrison 2009). Most common is the creation of foraging habitat. Although not clearly
defined, the implication is typically that the vegetation presence will permit the prey of forage
species to take up residence. Insects are the dominant group of prey species in terrestrial habitats.
Commonly, there are other components that should be addressed, such as birds needing roost
sites, singing sites, and nesting locations. Reptiles, especially lizards, need rocky outcropping or
logs where there is an elevation change that will provide suitable sites for courtship display. The
absence of these features may restrict the use of the site.
A common project goal is to provide habitat for a species requiring a mature physical feature.
Many creative ways exist to introduce these specific habitat features early on a site (chapter 6).
Time is important when addressing wildlife values. You will have to decide the habitat values to
be included for your site that are not dependent on vegetation. A significant contributor to these
decisions will be the goals and objectives of your project. Choosing which values that will be
appropriate for your site will largely depend on the habitat requirements of your targeted species.
Smaller projects will be more limited in the range of service they can provide.
Wildlife Resources. You should document the populations of wildlife that use the project site.
Some species may frequent the site only during migration; others, daily; and still others, only at night.