Much of the lush greenery that used to cover the canyon in the early nineties were invasive species that posed a significant threat to native flora and fauna. After clearing out the unwanted species such as Himalayan Blackberry and English Ivy, it was time to revegetate with native species.
When the replanting of the Canyon began, instead of buying plants that may not have been adapted to the specific climate and ecosystem of the Reed Canyon, cuttings were taken from some woody native plants which still resided in the Canyon. Some of this was done through on-site plant propagation with vertical hardwood cuttings. Plants like 9-bark, dogwood, snowberry, and willow did well with this type of propagation because their hormones allowed the cuttings to grow their own roots when planted in the Canyon. In some places, instead of planting individual cuttings in the ground, many cuttings were bundled together and buried underground sideways leaving just an inch or so of plant material exposed. Live cuttings of Pacific willow were used to stake bundles into the ground, maximizing the coverage of new vegetation. These bundles, called fascine bundles, would grow multiple new plants. This technique was often used on slopes since the bundles and new plants would help provide stability to the terrain. The size of fascine bundles provides a greater opportunity for new plant growth at a higher rate than live stakes alone. Additionally, staking live cuttings directly into the ground proved difficult to maintain during reforestation. Thirty trees would be planted one day, and by the next, they had been grazed on by the beavers. Of course, the beavers play their own very important role in the workings of the ecosystem, so the restoration team adapted to this challenge and found success by working with the beavers instead of against them. Since fascine bundles are planted in a trench and mostly covered with soil, they weren’t impacted by the normal grazing by the beavers. Additionally, this propagation method is better suited for planting on hills and other inclines. Bundles break up the length of the slope and also protect against erosion by slowing down water flow above the bank of the lake. Other species that were harder to root, such as Oregon grape, elderberry, huckleberry, and others, were propagated in a greenhouse with the addition of growth hormone to help them root. Once they grew their own roots, they could be planted in the Canyon. For smaller plants like lupine, bleeding heart, and columbine, seeds were collected and germinated, and the new growths were planted in the Canyon. Some large plants or ones that grow very slowly were purchased and planted to help speed up the process of filling the Canyon with native plants. Since so many plants were able to be grown, propagated, and germinated from the plants that were already in the Canyon, the money that would have been spent on plants was able to pay students who worked in the Canyon. |
Works Cited:
- Bundles - Streambank Revegetation and Protection: A Guide for Alaska, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=streambankprotection.bundles
- Cover photo: Rachel Cole-Jansen, "IMG_6698 path.JPG" Reed College Digital Archives. Photographed June 15, 2010. https://rdc.reed.edu/i/0129ae6f-1b64-475b-b569-86a8f87769aa
- O'Connor, Dennis, and Kendra Smith. “Canyon Restoration.” Reed College | Canyon | Canyon Restoration, Reed College, Nov. 1999, www.reed.edu/canyon/rest/index.html.
- Perry, Zach (2021). Canyon Lecture and Introduction[lecture style]