Title

MEADOW RESTORATION: WHAT DO WE REALLY GET OUT OF IT?

Document Type

Lecture

Publication Date

Summer 9-9-2020

Keywords

meadow restoration, Northeast Ohio, native plant communities, ecosystem

Abstract

Disturbed and degraded habitats are frequently restored with the goal of re-establishing native plant communities and restoring ecosystems. Usually, post-restoration assessment is focused on whether or not the new community has higher native diversity, but this information alone does not really tell us about how restored ecosystems function. Emily Rauschert and her colleagues assessed the progress of several meadow restoration efforts though the perspective of plant functional traits. These traits are a valuable tool to analyze restorations because of their relationship to how plant communities are structured and to the provisioning of ecosystem services. In this talk, Emily will present a regional perspective on meadow restoration in Northeast Ohio focused on how restoration impacts functional diversity and ecosystem functioning.

Streaming Media

Comments

Emily Rauschert is an associate professor in the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, and is an adjunct faculty member at Holden Forests and Gardens. She grew up in northeast Ohio and lived in Germany, Hungary, Pennsylvania and Maryland before returning back to her hometown. She has worked with invasive and weedy plants for over twenty years and has a secret admiration for them.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS