Restoration effects on N cycling pools and processes. Vose, J., Geron, C., Walker, J., & Raulund-Rasmussen, K. Stanturf, John A, 2005.
Restoration effects on N cycling pools and processes. [pdf]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
We have presented two different aspects of evaluating the effects of restoration on biogeochemical cycling and aquatic ecosystems. The first examined the direct responses of nutrient cycling pools and processes to restoration efforts aimed at improving nitrogen retention and processing in degraded riparian zones. The second, stream NO3? responses to restoration burning, examined responses to restoration efforts that do not target biogeochemical cycling per se, but directly or indirectly influence nutrient cycling pools and processes. We presented an approach to evaluate short- and long-term responses of restoration on biogeochemical cycling using the resistance and resilience analogy. Our adaptation of the resistance/resilience analogy to evaluate restoration responses focused on three key attributes. First, the complexity of ecosystem biogeochemical cycling requires the determination of key indicators of response. In our example, we focused on N cycling pools and processes because N is often tightly conserved, responds to changes in physical and biological conditions, limits productivity in many ecosystems, an is toxic in some forms and concentrations. Second, evaluation of responses (direct or nontarget) can be approached by assessing response magnitude and duration. Restoration effectiveness can be assessed in terms of how quickly pools and processes return to desired conditions and how long they stay with desired boundary conditions. Finally, variable responses should be expected since the impacts of degradation may impact pools and processes differently. For example, pools and processes that depend primarily on changes in biological parameters may respond quite differently than those dependent on changes in physical parameters.

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