Research rooted in balsam poplars can help get sensitive, flood-prone natural areas back on track after damage from off-highway vehicles.
Using trails that had been restored in Alberta’s Blue Rapids Provincial Recreation Area in 2017, University of Alberta researchers compared three types of cuttings — live stems — that had been planted there from the native tree species.
They wanted to see whether particular types of cuttings — greenhouse-grown, taken from frozen storage, or freshly cut and planted — worked best to more quickly re-establish native tree species to restored trails.
The study showed that even restored, the trails had fewer native plants like wildflowers and ferns, and more weedy species, compared with adjacent forests.
Cuttings with roots had the greatest growth and survival rates, while unrooted cuttings had middling success. Those planted directly had the poorest performance but would still be viable if used in high numbers.
The findings suggest all three types of cuttings can be used to help restore wet lowland areas, which tend to have long recovery times after being disturbed, says researcher Raiany Dias de Andrade Silva, who co-led the study with forest ecologists Anne McIntosh and Ellen Macdonald.
“This gives a mix of cost-effective and practical options for restoration projects, which, ultimately, helps return native plants to these damaged areas.”