Wednesday, August 8, 2007: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
C1&2, San Jose McEnery Convention Center
OOS 31 - Grassland restoration: Ecosystem recovery across space and time
Current understanding of ecosystem development over decadal and century time scales can be largely be attributed to studies that have used temporal sequences of primary or secondary successional systems. Ecosystem studies using chronosequence designs have also accumulated in restored systems, particularly grasslands, where community development, and consequently, ecosystem change occurs rapidly. Numerous studies are currently aimed at evaluating recovery of above- (diversity and productivity) and belowground (soil organic matter accrual, fluxes of nitrogen, microbial community composition, etc.) ecosystem attributes during grassland restoration. These studies encompass a broad range of grasslands, from mesic tallgrass prairie to xeric short-grass steppe, and provide an excellent basis for a developing a broad perspective of grassland recovery. Therefore, the primary theme of this organized oral session is the recovery of above- and belowground ecosystem structure and function through ecological restoration across space and time in grasslands. A secondary theme of the session is the common approach of assessing system recovery rates through chronosequence studies. The focus on these two themes is intended to reveal interactions among state factors (e.g. climate and soil texture) that regulate above- and belowground productivity and play an important role in the recovery of ecosystem structure and processes. The group of invited speakers will represent a variety of disciplines involved in restoration ecology at the ecosystem scale (soil, microbial and plant ecology). The collection of presentations will elucidate feedbacks among plant community establishment, soil structural development, organic matter dynamics and stabilization, microbial community composition, and concomitant changes in the fluxes of nutrients as grass dominated ecosystems develop as a result of restoration actions. Thus, the overall objective of this organized oral session is to initiate synthesis of commonalities across space and time, inspire investigation of uncertainties, and elucidate potential mechanisms limiting or contributing to restoration success at the ecosystem scale.
Organizer:Sara G. Baer, Southern Illinois University
Co-organizer:Johan Six, University of California, Davis
Moderator:Johan Six, University of California, Davis
1:30 PMOOS 31-1Carbon sequestration during prairie restoration
Jianwu Tang, Chicago Botanic Garden
1:50 PMOOS 31-2Restoration of spatial heterogeneity and ecohydrological processes in semi-arid grassland: Influence of timing and landscape context on long-term changes in soil and vegetation
Sandy Tartowski, Jornada Experimental Range, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Jornada Experimental Range, Albert Rango, Jornada Experimental Range
2:10 PMOOS 31-3Ecosystem changes during restoration using an extended chronosequence of restored grasslands
Sara G. Baer, Southern Illinois University, Clint K. Meyer, Plant Biology, Johan Six, University of California - Davis
2:30 PMOOS 31-4Which state factors influence soil organic matter accumulation?
Kendra K. McLauchlan, Dartmouth College, Heather L. Throop, New Mexico State University
2:50 PMOOS 31-5Influence of prairie age and soil order on carbon sequestration in Wisconsin CRP lands
Christopher J. Kucharik, University of Wisconsin
3:10 PM Break
3:20 PMOOS 31-6Belowground carbon and nitrogen dynamics following wet meadow restoration
Clint Meyer, Southern Illinois University, Sara G Baer, Southern Illinois University, Matt R Whiles, Southern Illinois University
3:40 PMOOS 31-7Plant community and ecosystem properties in a semi-arid grassland chronosequence
Seth M. Munson, Colorado State University, William K. Lauenroth, Colorado State University
4:00 PMOOS 31-8Using a grassland chronosequence to identify the strength of various plant community and soil factors on soil microbial community structure and function
R. Michael Miller, Argonne National Laboratory, Victoria Allison, Landcare Research, Julie D. Jastrow, Argonne National Laboratory, Roser Matamala, Argonne National Laboratory
4:20 PMOOS 31-9Microbial community responses to tallgrass prairie restoration
Vicky L. McKinley, Roosevelt University
4:40 PMOOS 31-10Restoration of grasslands after agriculture: Insights from regional chronosequences
Rebecca L. McCulley, University of Kentucky, Noah Fierer, University of Colorado-Boulder, Robert B. Jackson, Duke University

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See more of The ESA/SER Joint Meeting (August 5 -- August 10, 2007)