Disturbed areas are often characterized by soils that are nutrient depleted and missing critical microbial communities [1][2]. Planting or seeding in areas that are low in important soil components can limit restoration success. However, adding amendments to the soil, such as fertilizer or compost, often increases soil nitrogen and disproportionately benefits invasive species. Adding soil from healthy habitat can be helpful, but this approach can result in damage to undisturbed areas and should only be employed on very small scales. Native arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can be an effective amendment, when accessible, but its effects are highly species specific [3]. Soils that are characterized by high saline should not be inoculated with fungi as the survival of the inoculants is likely to be very low [4]. Innoculating a restoration site with small amounts of soil from sites characterized by healthy native plant communities is also a good way to jumpstart the recolonization of beneficial bacteria and fungi.
Resources
- Topsoil Quality Guidelines for Landscaping | USU
- Problem Soil and Rock Hazards | Utah Geological Survey
- Preparing and Improving Garden Soil | USU
- Are Organic Matter Soil Amendments Created Equal? | USU
- Activated Carbon Helps Restore Native Plant Communities | USU
- Biochar for Forest Restoration in Western States | USU
- Managing Caliche in the Home Yard
- Using Gypsum and Other Calcium Amendments in Southwestern Soils
- Guide for making and using biochar for gardens in southern Arizona
- Guidelines for using non-traditional soil additives
- Your Guide to Healthy Desert Soils for Productive Landscapes
- Fertilizing Home Gardens in Arizona | Arizona Cooperative Extension
References
[1] Biondini ME, Bonham CD, Redente EF. Secondary successional patterns in a sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) community as they relate to soil disturbance and soil biological activity. Vegetatio. 1985 [accessed 2022 Dec 22];60(1):25–36. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20146195
[2] Johnston FM, Johnston SW. Impacts of road disturbance on soil properties and on exotic plant occurrence in subalpine areas of the Australian Alps. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. 2004 [accessed 2022 Dec 22];36(2):201–207. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1657/1523-0430%282004%29036%5B0201%3AIORDOS%5D2.0.CO%3B2.
doi:10.1657/1523-0430(2004)036[0201:IORDOS]2.0.CO;2
[3] Graham PH. Practices and issues in the inoculation of prairie legumes used in revegetation and restoration. Ecological Restoration. 2005 [accessed 2022 Dec 22];23(3):187–195. https://dist.lib.usu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.43442970&site=eds-live
[4] Koziol L, Bever JD. The missing link in grassland restoration: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation increases plant diversity and accelerates succession. Journal of Applied Ecology. 2017 [accessed 2022 Dec 22];54(5):1301–1309. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1365-2664.12843. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12843