Roadside Revegetation: An Integrated Approach to Establishing Native Plants and Pollinator Habitat

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Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Introduction
  • 1.1 An Integrated Approach
  • 1.2 The Ecological Context of Roads
    • 1.2.2 Present Awareness
    • 1.2.3 Trends in Road Construction
    • 1.2.4 Challenges and Opportunities
    • 1.2.5 Why Revegetate Roadsides with Native Plants?
  • 1.3 Objectives of this Report
  • 1.4 Scope
  • 1.5 Approach
    • 1.5.1 Sustainable Revegetation on Roadsides
    • 1.5.2 What is the "Roadside"?
    • 1.5.3 What are Native Plants?
    • 1.5.4 Why the Emphasis on Pollinators?
    • 1.5.5 Goal-Oriented, Context-Sensitive, and Integrated
  • 1.6 How to Navigate through this Report
• Chapter 2: Initiation
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Preliminary Tasks of Initiation
    • 2.2.1 Defining Cooperators Processes, Timelines, and Milestones
    • 2.2.2 Defining Objectives: What is the Project Trying to Accomplish?
  • 2.3 The Process of Road Development
    • 2.3.1 Road Planning and Programming
    • 2.3.2 Road Project Development
    • 2.3.3 Construction
    • 2.3.4 Maintenance
  • 2.4 Road Construction Plans
  • 2.5 Interpreting Engineering Views for Revegetation Planning
  • 2.6 Understanding Technical Concepts and Terminology
• Chapter 3: Planning
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 Defining Revegetation Objectives
  • 3.3 Gathering Pre-field Information
    • 3.3.1 Climate Pre-Field Assessment
    • 3.3.2 Soils pre-field assessment
    • 3.3.3 Vegetation pre-field assessment
    • 3.3.4 Pollinators pre-field assessment
    • 3.3.5 Road Plans
  • 3.4 Defining Revegetation Units
  • 3.5 Identifying Reference Sites
  • 3.6 Gathering Field Information
    • 3.6.1 Vegetation field Assessment
    • 3.6.2 Soils field Assessment
    • 3.6.3 Pollinator Field Assessment
  • 3.7 Defining the Desired Future Condition
  • 3.8 Identifying Limiting Factors to Plant Establishment
    • 3.8.1 Water Input
    • 3.8.2 Available Water Storage and Accessibility
    • 3.8.3 Water Loss
    • 3.8.4 Nutrient Cycling
    • 3.8.5 Surface Stability
    • 3.8.6 Slope Stability
  • 3.9 Identify Factors That Affect Pollinators
    • 3.9.1 Nectar and Pollen Sources
    • 3.9.2 Breeding Habitat
    • 3.9.3 Nesting Habitat
    • 3.9.4 Water Sources
    • 3.9.5 Shelter and Overwintering
    • 3.9.6 Landscape Connectivity
    • 3.9.7 Road Mortality
    • 3.9.8 Vegetation Management
  • 3.10 Inventory of Site Resources
    • 3.10.1 Topsoil
    • 3.10.2 Duff and Litter
    • 3.10.3 Subsoil and Parent Material
    • 3.10.4 Woody Material
  • 3.11 Developing a Vegetation Management Strategy during Project Design
    • 3.11.1 Introduction
    • 3.11.2 Integrating Road Maintenance Objectives into the Revegetation Plan
    • 3.11.3 Protecting Healthy Plant Communities
    • 3.11.4 Creating a Weed-Resistant Roadside Environment
    • 3.11.5 Keeping Weed Sources from Entering the Project
    • 3.11.6 Controlling Unwanted Vegetation
    • 3.11.7 Designing for Safety and Utility Protection
    • 3.11.8 Designing to Isolate Wildlife from Vehicles
    • 3.11.9 Designing for Disturbances
    • 3.11.10 Designing for Carbon Sequestration
  • 3.12 Select Site Improvement Treatments
  • 3.13 Selecting Plant Species for Propagation
    • 3.13.1 Developing a Potential Plant Species List
    • 3.13.2 Ensure Local Adaptation and Maintain Genetic Diversity
  • 3.14 Select Plant Establishment Methods
    • 3.14.1 Selecting Plant Materials
    • 3.14.2 Determine Outplanting Windows
  • 3.15 Develop a Revegetation Plan
• Chapter 4: Revegation Plan Example
• Chapter 5: Implementation
  • 5.1 Introduction
    • 5.1.1 Developing Contracts
    • 5.1.2 Maintaining Schedules and Materials Inventory
    • 5.1.3 Coordinating with Construction Engineer
    • 5.1.4 Implementation Guides
  • 5.2 Soil and Site Treatments
    • 5.2.1 Fertilizers
    • 5.2.2 Tillage
    • 5.2.3 Mulches
    • 5.2.4 Topsoil
    • 5.2.5 Organic Matter Amendments
    • 5.2.6 Lime Amendments
    • 5.2.7 Beneficial Soil Microorganisms
    • 5.2.8 Topographic Enhancements
  • 5.3 Obtaining Plant Materials
    • 5.3.1 Collecting Wild Seeds
    • 5.3.2 Collecting Wild Cuttings
    • 5.3.3 Collecting Wild or Salvaged Plants
    • 5.3.4 Nursery Seed Production
    • 5.3.5 Nursery Cutting Production
    • 5.3.6 Nursery Plant Production
  • 5.4 Installing Plant Materials
    • 5.4.1 Seeding
    • 5.4.2 Hydroseeding
    • 5.4.3 Installing Cuttings
    • 5.4.4 Installing Plants
  • 5.5 Post-Installation Care of Plant Materials
    • 5.5.1 Introduction
    • 5.5.2 Animal Protection
    • 5.5.3 Shade Cards
    • 5.5.4 Tree Shelters
    • 5.5.5 Irrigation
• Chapter 6: Monitoring
  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Developing a Monitoring Plan
    • 6.2.1 Outlining the Reason for Monitoring (Purpose)
    • 6.2.2 Determining the Intensity (Intensity)
    • 6.2.3 Identifying the Needed Expertise (Who)
    • 6.2.4 Determining Monitoring Frequency (When)
    • 6.2.5 Delineating Sampling Locations (Where)
    • 6.2.6 Determining Parameters to be Monitored (What)
    • 6.2.7 Selecting Monitoring Procedures (How)
    • 6.2.8 Logistics
  • 6.3 Plant and Soil Monitoring Procedures
    • 6.3.1 Soil Cover
    • 6.3.2 Species Cover
    • 6.3.3 Species Presence
    • 6.3.4 Plant Density
    • 6.3.5 Plant Attributes
    • 6.3.6 Sampling Unit Design
    • 6.3.7 Analyze Data
  • 6.4 Pollinator Monitoring Procedures
    • 6.4.1 Bee Abundance Monitoring Procedure
    • 6.4.2 Bee and Butterfly Diversity Procedure
    • 6.4.3 Monarch Butterfly Reproduction and Habitat Procedure
    • 6.4.4 Pollinator Plant Monitoring
  • 6.5 Photo Point Monitoring Procedures
    • 6.5.1 Establishing Photo Points for Long-Term Monitoring
    • 6.5.2 Establishing Photo Points from Historic Photographs
  • 6.6 Developing a Monitoring Report
• Chapter 7: Operations & Maintenance
  • 7.1 Introduction
  • 7.2 Decision Process for Treating Unwanted Vegetation
    • 7.2.1 Inventory of Roadsides
    • 7.2.2 Defining Roadside Objectives
    • 7.2.3 Evaluating Treatment Options
    • 7.2.4 Establishing a Vegetation Treatment Plan
    • 7.2.5 Monitoring Treatments
  • 7.3 Vegetation Treatment Options
    • 7.3.1 No Action
    • 7.3.2 Mowing
    • 7.3.3 Manual Removal
    • 7.3.4 Herbicides
    • 7.3.5 Grazing
    • 7.3.6 Fire
    • 7.3.7 Biological Control
    • 7.3.8 Mechanical Removal
    • 7.3.9 Haying
  • 7.4 Prevention
    • 7.4.1 Maintaining a Weed-Resistant Roadside Environment
    • 7.4.2 Treating Disturbances for Quick Recovery
  • 7.5 Protection
• Chapter 8: Case Studies
  • 8.1 I-35 Corridor (aka "The Monarch Highway") Case Studies
  • 8.2 Florida resolves to protect wildflowers on roadsides
  • 8.3 Mapping and planning benefit Washington State pollinators
  • 8.4 Establishing native plants in Arizona
• References

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