Part 5 - Restoration and Successful Outcomes
How does climate change affect restoration outcomes?
Could climate change make restoration difficult or unsuccessful?
Could climate change make restoration difficult or unsuccessful?
Climate change is happening at a rapid rate and restoration goals need to account for climate change. Using computer modeling of future climate conditions, Minnetonka might be on a trajectory to have a climate similar to the state of Kansas. Based on this projection, prairie and oak savanna will likely be more resilient to the predicted future warmer and drier conditions. Restoration to these target plant communities will have the greatest chance to be successful.
Don't all trees sequester carbon dioxide?
Won't buckthorn removal release a lot of carbon back into the atmosphere?
Is there a net carbon benefit to restoration or is restoration just biodiversity?
Won't buckthorn removal release a lot of carbon back into the atmosphere?
Is there a net carbon benefit to restoration or is restoration just biodiversity?
Yes, all trees store carbon, both in their aboveground tissues and belowground in their root systems. When trees die or are cut down, the dead wood and leaf litter will decompose and release carbon back into the atmosphere. In a stable climate, forested landscapes could store carbon for years, but they are becoming more vulnerable to disease and extreme weather. Because carbon is rereleased into the atmosphere when trees die, their net carbon storage capacity is becoming more of a risky gamble. Grassland based landscapes such as prairies and oak savannas are also effective at storing carbon. These systems primarily store carbon underground in their root systems. Each spring, prairie roots grow, and each fall, a portion of the roots die off, depositing carbon underground. The plants also exude excess carbon into the soil through the photosynthetic process. This carbon storage will not be affected by drought or wildfires and will be stored indefinitely unless the soil is exposed by methods such as tilling.
Why are oaks in Minnetonka so important?
Oaks are considered keystone species as they are foundational to oak savannas and oak woodlands and provide significant habitat for a multitude of organisms including birds, mammals, insects and other native plants. Many species depend on oaks for food. For example, oaks support over 557 species of caterpillars, the primary food source for baby songbirds. Oaks can often live over 500 years, and therefore, store a significant amount of carbon in their lifetime. These trees are backbones of the ecosystem, and they are under threat from competition and shade from buckthorn and other fire-intolerant native plants. Without new oak seedlings repopulating a woodland or savanna, these iconic oak trees could be lost along with the species that depend on them.