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Promoting seedling physiological performance and early establishment in degraded Mediterranean-type ecosystems

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Abstract

Mediterranean climate ecosystems (MCEs) are amongst the most heavily degraded ecosystems worldwide. Restoration efforts are challenged by high vulnerability to extreme drought, which is projected to become more frequent with future climate change. The aim of our study was to determine whether restoration efforts could be enhanced through the individual and combined effects of the site preparation technique of soil ripping and the addition of fertilisers. We tested the effects of ripping and fertiliser (±surfactant) on survival, shoot height, crown health, root biomass and leaf physiology of Eucalyptus gomphocephala seedlings in degraded MCEs in Western Australia. Restoration treatments had a much stronger impact under closed canopy (forest) compared to open canopy (woodland) conditions. In the forest, soil ripping doubled seedling survival and together with fertiliser application enhanced shoot height 2.35-fold relative to control seedlings. Ripping resulted in more favourable leaf water potentials and enhanced stomatal conductance suggesting increased water availability compared to unripped soil. In the woodland, fertilisation improved seedling survival and stimulated shoot height (+45 %) and root biomass (>2-fold). Our results demonstrate that restoration techniques targeting the co-limitation by water and nutrients can greatly increase chances of successful restoration in these types of ecosystems.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr Jerome Chopard, Dr Marleen Buizer, Idger Zwiers, SunPalm Australia, The Department of Parks and Wildlife, Ralph Sarich, the Friends of Island Point, Men of the Trees (Peel Branch), The Forest Products Commission, and the City of Mandurah. Soil ripping was undertaken by staff of a private landowner and the Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Funding

This study was undertaken as part of the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health, based at Murdoch University. Conflict of interest: the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest, nor does this research involve human participants and/or animals. Fertilisers were provided by Sunpalm Australia, however, this company had no role in the study design, data collection or writing of the report.

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  1. Martin K.-F. Bader

    Present address: New Zealand Forest Research Institute (SCION), Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park, 49 Sala Street, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua, 3046, New Zealand

  2. George Matusick

    Present address: The Nature Conservancy, Georgia Chapter, Chattahoochee Fall Line Conservation Office, Fort Benning, GA, 31905, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia

    Katinka X. Ruthrof, Martin K.-F. Bader, George Matusick, Sonja Jakob & Giles E. St. J. Hardy

  2. Western Australian State Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health, School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Sonja Jakob

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Correspondence to Katinka X. Ruthrof.

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Ruthrof, K.X., Bader, M.KF., Matusick, G. et al. Promoting seedling physiological performance and early establishment in degraded Mediterranean-type ecosystems. New Forests 47, 357–376 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-015-9520-6

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