2008 Assessment of existing project and proposal for new work

 

I. ASSESSMENT

You have been assigned a plot from the 2004 forest restoration area south of Wahkiakum Lane. Your job is to determine how well the project is doing, what has worked, what has not worked, and what management actions need to be taken. The basic strategy for the site is to create shade with trees, and to then take advantage of the shade to plant understory plants into the shaded areas where weeds do not do well.   

 

ASSESS THE CONDITION OF THE SITE

  1. What is the nature of the vegetation on-site today? (Include composition, vigor, success of establishment.)
  2. What weeds encroach, and at what densities?
  3. How successful was the planting of shrubs and trees (at what densities do they exist under various treatment regimes)?
  4. Have constructed or installed features survived? Are they still functioning? (These may include mulches, stones, cages, protectors, fences, signs, drainage pipes, dams, ditches, etc.)
  5. What maintenance tasks a) are now necessary, b) have apparently been necessary for quite a while, c) will become necessary at some time in the future or d) should be performed on a regular basis?
  6. Is there any herbivory at the site?
  7. Do any of the blue tubes need to be removed?

 

 

ASSESS THE SUCCESS OF THE RESTORATION

1. Have planted species survived?

2. Have weeds been suppressed?

3. How successful is the mulch treatment?

4. How wet are various parts of your plot, and how wet do you think they will be in the summer?

5. What is the soil like? Is it over-compacted, does it contain organic material, is it rocky, is it layered, is it flooded?

6. Are plants in good condition?

7. What needs to be fixed?

8. Are densities of plantings adequate?

9. Does the site look good?

10. Is succession occurring to your satisfaction?

11. Is the site adequately interpreted using signage?

 

II. PROPOSAL

 

Previous classes have planted several species of deciduous trees (and a few conifers) in the area at the intersection of the loop trail and Wahkiakum Lane.  This site was becoming overrun with blackberry in the 1990’s, so an annual mowing regime was begun in the summer of 1998.  About 1000 trees were first planted in 2004, and dead ones were replaced in 2005.

 

Your task will be to do what is necessary to take the site to the next step in restoration.  You will need to remove blackberries, determine where more trees need to be planted to create shade, and to determine where there is sufficient shade to plant sub-canopy shrub species.

  • Discuss what you will do about weeds.
  • Explain what you will do about the site in general (weeding, planting, benign neglect, mulching, seeding, etc.) Give reasons.
  • List the plant species and types (seed, container, whips, etc.) that you propose to use (you can make recommendations although you will be given a set plant list).
  • What materials will you need? (Wood chips, gravel, plastic film, stakes, herbicides, etc.). Tree shelters have been ordered; we recommend that you use them.

 

The proposal will be due on the Proposal Peer Review page on Feb 4, but you should feel free to start working on your site as soon as you have had discussions with your instructor or TA.  One proposal per group, please.

You will be asked to review two other groups’ proposals on the Peer Review Board.  This is to help them with new ideas, and to give you new ideas you might get from reading their proposals. The reviews should be posted by Feb 11.

 

The deciduous trees planted originally at the site include:

Choke cherry Prunus virginiana

Bitter cherry Prunus emarginata

Oregon ash Fraxinus latifolia

Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides

Paper birch Betula papyrifera

Big leaf maple Acer macrophyllum

Sitka willow Salix sitchensis

Black cottonwood Populus balsamifera ssp trichocarpa

Red alder Alnus rubra

 

III.  REPORT

At the end of the course, on March 19, you will need to turn in a report that outlines the work you have done.  The format that we request for the report can be found by clicking on the Report link on the Syllabus page.  We would like it as a Word document, which we will convert to a .pdf file and post on the course website.