Revegetation after disturbance in high-altitude meadow ecosystems

Abstract

Restoration Ecology is the science of techniques in which environmental degradation can be reversed and the previously existing ecosystems can be reestablished. Revegetation is a common restoration technique and I chose to investigate whether it could be applied to disturbed areas in high-altitude meadow ecosystems in Gothic, Colorado. I transplanted 100 plants, 20 of each of five native species: Potentilla gracilis, Linum lewisii, Fragaria virginiana, Erigeron speciosus, and Achilea millefolium and tested the effect of varying amounts of sunlight, plant size prior to transplant, and species on the development of new growth and reproductive success. I found that the best species for future revegetation projects are Erigeron speciosus and Fragaria virginiana and that, although Achillea and Potentilla were fairly successful at developing new growth and flowers, they might benefit more from reseeding as a restoration technique. I also surveyed plant communities in previously disturbed areas and found no relationship between plant diversity and time since disturbance and a marginally significant positive relationship between invasive plant cover and time since disturbance. 1

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