Riparian Woodland Restoration Project
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to plant native woody species on a 15.6-acre parcel of land in the Lower Dry Creek area of Beale Air Force Base in Northern California, while simultaneously investigating some factors (plant age, plant protection) that are thought to contribute to efficient riparian restoration and to affect plant performance. The project was funded ($49,500.00) by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) for the period from Oct. 1999 to Sept. 2002. None of the factors investigated proved to be consistently associated with high survivorship or favorable plant growth: at one site the least expensive tree protector resulted in highest survivorship, while at the other site, the highest-input protector was most effective. Similarly, the effect of plant age varied from field to field. Not surprisingly, plant growth as measured in height was consistently greater with the taller tree protectors. Valley oak survival rates of 34% were attained in this study; a previous restoration conducted by the author in adjacent fields with similar methodology resulted in valley oak survival rates between 50 and 75%. The low survival rates and highly variable results between fields are attributed largely to herbivory (gophers and field mice) and weather-related effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA409811
Entities
People
- Patricia A. Delwiche
Organizations
- California State University, Chico