02116nas a2200241 4500008004100000245007000041210006900111300001300180490000700193520139600200653002401596653001401620653001701634100001701651700001501668700001501683700001901698700001901717700001801736700001901754700002401773856007701797 2008 eng d00aIntegrating soil ecological knowledge into restoration management0 aIntegrating soil ecological knowledge into restoration managemen a608 -6170 v163 a
The variability in the type of ecosystem degradation and the specificity of restoration goals can challenge restorationists’ ability to generalize about approaches that lead to restoration success. The discipline of soil ecology, which emphasizes both soil organisms and ecosystem processes, has generated a body of knowledge that can be generally useful in improving the outcomes of restoration despite this variability. Here, we propose that the usefulness of this soil ecological knowledge (SEK) for restoration is best considered in the context of the severity of the original perturbation, the goals of the project, and the resilience of the ecosystem to disturbance. A straightforward manipulation of single physical, chemical, or biological components of the soil system can be useful in the restoration of a site, especially when the restoration goal is loosely defined in terms of the species and processes that management seeks to achieve. These single-factor manipulations may in fact produce cascading effects on several ecosystem attributes and can result in unintended recovery trajectories. When complex outcomes are desired, intentional and holistic integration of all aspects of the soil knowledge is necessary. We provide a short roster of examples to illustrate that SEK benefits management and restoration of ecosystems and suggest areas for future research.
10aecosystem processes10afeedbacks10aSoil ecology1 aHeneghan, L.1 aMiller, S.1 aBaer, S.G.1 aCallaham, M.A.1 aMontgomery, J.1 aRhoades, C.C.1 aRichardson, S.1 aPauvo-Zuckerman, M. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00477.x