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David Cole - Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
Cooperators: Cathy Zabinski - University of Montana; U.S. Forest Service, Missoula Technology Development Center
BACKGROUND
Recreation impacts in wilderness are often severe. Consequently, wilderness managers often seek to close and restore damaged sites, generally because they are unacceptably impacted or because the impacts are occurring in inappropriate places (e.g. close to lakeshores). Where natural recovery rates are slow, managers often employ various restoration techniques in an attempt to accelerate recovery. These efforts are often costly, in terms of both time and money, and frequently are not very successful.
One prominent reason for lack of success is inadequate understanding of factors that limit the rate of natural recovery and of the effectiveness of techniques designed to accelerate recovery. A second reason is inadequate documentation and sharing of the knowledge and understanding that does exist. This suggests a three-pronged effort is needed. We have been,
- conducting basic research on factors that limit natural recovery,
- experimenting with and evaluating the effectiveness of alternative restoration techniques, and
- helping compile and share experiential knowledge about restoration.
Most of this work has been conducted on campsites in subalpine forests, where recreation impacts are severe and natural recovery rates are extremely slow.
Identification of factors that limit recovery and experimentation with treatments designed to gain insight into the relative importance of these factors were the goals of a research project conducted in Idaho and Montana. Click here to read more about the research and available publications.
Common restoration treatments were experimented with on closed campsites in subalpine forests in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon. Soils were amended with organic matter, composted sewage sludge and a native soil inoculum, transplanted and seeded with local, native species and covered with a biodegradable erosion control blanket. Success of the varied treatments has been followed for ten years. Results suggest that recovery rates can be substantially increased using some or all of these techniques. Click here to read more about the research and available publications.
In cooperation with the Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center, we successfully proposed that the Missoula Technology Development Center fund development of a site restoration manual. David Cole wrote several sections of the manual which was compiled and written primarily by Lisa Therrell.
Click Here for information on how to download or order the Wilderness and Backcountry Site Restoration Guide.
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