Harnessing natural regeneration for cost effective rainforest - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Harnessing natural regeneration for cost‐effective rainforest restoration

Carla Catterall (Griffith University)

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NERP Tropical Ecosystems project 12.2

University of Queensland

Luke Shoo (University of Queensland)

WTMA/NERP Workshop. Rainforest Research Informing Wet Tropics Management. May 2014

Project leaders:

Harnessing natural regeneration for cost-effective rainforest restoration

Replanted sites Pasture Rainforest Regrowth

Ecological restoration:

• planted for environmental reasons;
• many tree species; high density,

mostly natives.

Autogenic regrowth

• establishes without assistance;
• trees native or exotic, variable

diversity/density.

Rainforest reforestation pathways:

need info on

• rates of development in active restoration vs passive regrowth
• how these are affected by landscape context

decision-support systems for targeting different actions

Can revegetation rescue declining rainforest biodiversity – in the face of fragmentation and climate change

?

& LOW COST & HIGH COST

What is the potential of naturally-regenerating rainforest (regrowth) for low-cost restoration of critical habitat over large areas, and how does this compare with replanting? NERP Tropical Ecosystems Project 12.2 Harnessing natural regeneration for cost-effective rainforest restoration

This project’s core question:

Builds on previous work:

• 1. Rainforest CRC 1999-2006: “Biodiversity values of rehabilitation &

restoration”

• inventory of reforestation activities
• biodiversity outcomes of different reforestation pathways

[ plants, structure, birds, reptiles, arthropod taxa ]

• restoration monitoring toolkit – version 1
• restoration significance of subtropical weedy regrowth
• 2. MTSRF 2007-2010: “Restoring tropical forest landscapes”
• rates of biodiversity development in “best practice” restoration

plantings

• carbon accumulation under different types of planting
• restoration monitoring toolkit – full version (v 2)
• resilience of rainforest remnants and plantings to cyclone impacts

Project 12.2 Harnessing natural regeneration for cost-effective rainforest restoration

• 1. New data on veg. development in regrowth – network of sites;

compare with previously-obtained data for tree plantings

Specific research components:

• 2. Interventions to accelerate forest regrowth in retired agricultural

land: literature review and field trials  3. Structured decision making – matching actions to goals and context  The current NERP project extends this work to look further at

• the significance and management of regrowth
• decision processes and landscape context

Relevance to Qld government priorities

• understanding biodiversity, incl. resilience of threatened species
• optimal resource allocation
• building resilience to climate change (effectiveness of revegetation

in mitigation and adaptation)

• monitoring of vegetation and biodiversity
• tools for education and decision support
• 1. Builds an evidence base which will contribute to several State

science research priorities:

• offsets – information about their potential environmental values
• NatureAssist, support and info for effective landholder action
• 2. Info relevant to specific EHP initiatives:

Stakeholder –focused outputs – previous examples

Incorporated in Qld State offsets assessment protocols (still?) Version 3 - 2010:

• recording site establishment
• condition assessment
• vegetation structure
• floristic composition
• bird species composition
• carbon sequestered
• analysis

www.rrrc.org.au/ publications/biodiversity_monitoring3.html

Revegetation monitoring toolkit

(Kanowski, Catterall, Freebody, Freeman & Harrison 2010)

Written to assist practitioners. Designed to be as simple as possible while still useful

Stakeholder –focused outputs – previous examples

Rainforest restoration: approaches, costs and biodiversity outcomes. <www.rrrc.org.au/publications/tnq_factsheets.html>

Fact sheet on revegetation

(Catterall & Kanowski 2010)

6 pp – overview of different reforestation pathways and factors which affect their biodiversity outcomes

 Outcomes and findings of this NERP project

Natural regeneration and rainforest restoration

• outcomes, pathways and

management of regrowth

See new draft fact sheet on regrowth

(Catterall, Shoo & Freebody 2014)

8 pp – overview of regrowth pathways, outcomes, interventions and decisions

Discussions and consultations

WTMA (Max Chappell, Deb Pople, Steve Goosem) Terrain (Sharlene Blakeney Deb Harrison) DERM (Jeanette Kemp, Rod Fensham, Michael Ruckert) CVA (Alice Crabtree, Dave Hudson) FNQROC (Travis Sydes) SFS (Amanda Freeman, Rohan Wilson) TRC (Larry Crook TRU; Alistair Hart ATGIS unit) TKMG (Mark McCaffrey, David Hudson) TREAT (Barb Lanskey, Angela McCaffrey) Universities (Sue Laurance JCU, Miriam Goosem JCU, Robyn Chazdon U Conn)