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Inspire Session

Session: Where the rubber meets the road: comparing current challenges in ecological restoration across ecosystems

INS 8-9 - Variability as the rule: The challenges of restoring highly variable dryland ecosystem

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM EDT

Location: 520B

Presenting Author(s)

KY

Kristina E. Young

Utah State University, United States

Co-author(s)

BO

Brooke B. Osborne, PhD

Research Ecologist
U.S. Geological Survey, United States
BB

Brandon T. Bestelmeyer

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jornada Experimental Range
CC

Courtney M. Currier

PhD Candidate
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, United States
PH

Peter M. Homyak

Assistant Professor
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA, United States
HT

Heather L. Throop

School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, United States
SR

Sasha C. Reed

Research Ecologist
U.S. Geological Survey
Moab, UT, United States

Drylands are characterized by variability at multiple scales. Highly variable climate, parent material, and soil characteristics result in varied plant and soil community composition, ground cover, and function across a landscape. This variability, and the resultant lack of soil organic matter and biomass accumulation, make dryland regions susceptible to disturbance and difficult to restore. As the climate becomes more variable, the ecological and biogeochemical outcomes become even more challenging to predict. Here, we explore how drylands compare to other ecosystem types, the unique challenges of variability in restoration, and ways restoration actions can manipulate heterogeneity to achieve desired restoration outcomes.