Revegetation of degraded lands at U.S. department of energy and U.S. department of defense installations: strategies and successes

摘要

Recent research has provided important principles to follow in successfully revegetating disturbed lands in arid climates. Sustainable revegetation needs to be accomplished within the confines of the existing ecosystem of the area. Revegetation planning, revegetation implementation, and evaluation and monitoring should be considered for each revegetation project. Planning includes conducting a site assessment, establishing goals and standards, determining site preparation requirements, selecting species, selecting revegetation techniques, selecting conservation and water management treatments, determining timing, and evaluating costs. Revegetation implementation begins with the selection of an on-site manager who will monitor adherence to the revegetation plan, conduct prejob meetings, and ensure revegetation is implemented as planned. Project evaluation and long-term management includes conducting on-site inspections, evaluating success, and implementing modification where necessary. Successful revegetation projects completed within the Great Basin and Mojave Desert ecoregions are presented. Seeding and transplanting prove to be successful in Great Basin ecoregion. Irrigation was used with highly predictable success in transition zone between Great Basin and Mojave Desert ecoregions. Seed pretreatment, irrigation, and various mulches show promise for successful revegetation in the drier Mojave Desert ecoregion.