Assessing Seed Handling Processes to Facilitate a Community-Engaged Approach to Regional Forest Restoration
In the Midwestern United States, there is a strong management impetus toward reforestation to replace trees lost to due to tree mortality and to establish forests on previously cleared properties. Here, we describe a public outreach and volunteer effort that aimed to generate positive, community-eng...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-04-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/474 |
| _version_ | 1797569841167597568 |
|---|---|
| author | Meredith Cobb Michaela J. Woods Ryan W. McEwan |
| author_facet | Meredith Cobb Michaela J. Woods Ryan W. McEwan |
| author_sort | Meredith Cobb |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the Midwestern United States, there is a strong management impetus toward reforestation to replace trees lost to due to tree mortality and to establish forests on previously cleared properties. Here, we describe a public outreach and volunteer effort that aimed to generate positive, community-engaged restoration outcomes and report on a practical experiment involving seed handling. We obtained tree seeds that were donated by members of the community to local land managers. We evaluated the size of the seeds collected and tested the influence of common stratification media (none, sand and vermiculite) and seed size on germination success of three tree genera involved in restoration efforts: <i>Quercus</i>, <i>Carya</i> and <i>Juglans</i> (oak, hickory and walnut). We found a species-specific effect of media on germination, such that <i>Carya</i> and <i>Quercus</i> showed little response to their stratification media, but <i>Juglans</i> had higher germination rates when stratified with vermiculite. Further, all genera of seeds germinated faster when stratified with either media than without. Thus, we suggest stratifying these seeds with media to promote germination success. We also tested for seed size as a predictor of mortality during stratification, following the logic that a size-based selection criterion might save time and space during stratification. We found species-specific impacts of seed size on germination, but relationships were highly variable, and we suggest avoiding screening seeds based on their size. In addition to these scientific results, we describe the broader forest restoration project, which may be a useful model for engaging the community in restoration efforts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:17:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-48a156aee5bc4a4da2047382d1209560 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:17:14Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-48a156aee5bc4a4da2047382d12095602023-11-19T22:29:40ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-04-0111447410.3390/f11040474Assessing Seed Handling Processes to Facilitate a Community-Engaged Approach to Regional Forest RestorationMeredith Cobb0Michaela J. Woods1Ryan W. McEwan2Five Rivers Metroparks, 409 E. Monument Ave, Dayton, OH 45402, USADepartment of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USADepartment of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USAIn the Midwestern United States, there is a strong management impetus toward reforestation to replace trees lost to due to tree mortality and to establish forests on previously cleared properties. Here, we describe a public outreach and volunteer effort that aimed to generate positive, community-engaged restoration outcomes and report on a practical experiment involving seed handling. We obtained tree seeds that were donated by members of the community to local land managers. We evaluated the size of the seeds collected and tested the influence of common stratification media (none, sand and vermiculite) and seed size on germination success of three tree genera involved in restoration efforts: <i>Quercus</i>, <i>Carya</i> and <i>Juglans</i> (oak, hickory and walnut). We found a species-specific effect of media on germination, such that <i>Carya</i> and <i>Quercus</i> showed little response to their stratification media, but <i>Juglans</i> had higher germination rates when stratified with vermiculite. Further, all genera of seeds germinated faster when stratified with either media than without. Thus, we suggest stratifying these seeds with media to promote germination success. We also tested for seed size as a predictor of mortality during stratification, following the logic that a size-based selection criterion might save time and space during stratification. We found species-specific impacts of seed size on germination, but relationships were highly variable, and we suggest avoiding screening seeds based on their size. In addition to these scientific results, we describe the broader forest restoration project, which may be a useful model for engaging the community in restoration efforts.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/474seed sizeoakhickorywalnutrestorationgermination |
| spellingShingle | Meredith Cobb Michaela J. Woods Ryan W. McEwan Assessing Seed Handling Processes to Facilitate a Community-Engaged Approach to Regional Forest Restoration Forests seed size oak hickory walnut restoration germination |
| title | Assessing Seed Handling Processes to Facilitate a Community-Engaged Approach to Regional Forest Restoration |
| title_full | Assessing Seed Handling Processes to Facilitate a Community-Engaged Approach to Regional Forest Restoration |
| title_fullStr | Assessing Seed Handling Processes to Facilitate a Community-Engaged Approach to Regional Forest Restoration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing Seed Handling Processes to Facilitate a Community-Engaged Approach to Regional Forest Restoration |
| title_short | Assessing Seed Handling Processes to Facilitate a Community-Engaged Approach to Regional Forest Restoration |
| title_sort | assessing seed handling processes to facilitate a community engaged approach to regional forest restoration |
| topic | seed size oak hickory walnut restoration germination |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/474 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT meredithcobb assessingseedhandlingprocessestofacilitateacommunityengagedapproachtoregionalforestrestoration AT michaelajwoods assessingseedhandlingprocessestofacilitateacommunityengagedapproachtoregionalforestrestoration AT ryanwmcewan assessingseedhandlingprocessestofacilitateacommunityengagedapproachtoregionalforestrestoration |