Five Fundamentals for Successful Restoration of Disturbed Lands

Successful restoration of disturbed land requires a comprehensive and holistic approach. Those overseeing rehabilitation efforts should assimilate and stage several considerations into a working relationship that integrates five fundamentals for successful land restoration. Employing the discipline to work through the discovery sequence of the first three fundamentals – to analyse soils and substrates, pick the right plant materials for the site and select the most cost effective erosion and sediment control techniques, will undoubtedly lead a project in the right direction. 

These fundamentals must be followed by the development of clear and comprehensive construction plans and specifications to effectively communicate the project requirements to contractors and installers. Once construction commences, onsite oversight of acceptable installations must be conducted by qualified inspectors knowledgeable of the site conditions. Then, active rehabilitation sites must be regularly inspected and maintained after each significant precipitation or other potentially damaging events. Inspections should be conducted by qualified professionals whose expectations are consistent with the installer as well as the owner and regulatory entity(s). Failure to systematically execute on any of these fundamentals can undermine the best laid plans of any land restoration project. 

Many disturbed sites offer unique and unpredictable challenges for successful land restoration efforts. Published handbooks or manuals can provide general approaches to land reclamation, but rarely can they address the specific needs or conditions of unique sites. Successful restoration most typically comes from carefully controlled onsite trials and iterative installations to assess efficacy of various treatment combinations. Such treatments must then be refined and customized to develop cost effective plans. Exhaustive research on suitable soil amendments, plant materials and erosion control techniques should be planned and budgeted for – as integral steps in the project progression. 

Several selected case studies from around the world are highlighted – demonstrating diverse climates with contrasting environmental and site conditions will be offered to illustrate the discovery (required information gathering) and implementation (execution) of the five fundamentals for successful land restoration. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will receive detailed instruction regarding the science, practice and implementation for five fundamentals integral to successful erosion control and revegetation. 
2. Attendees will learn how to integrate and stage these fundamentals into holistic and comprehensive rehabilitation plans that entail proper planning and execution.
3. Case studies demonstrating successful implementation of the five fundamentals will provide attendees examples and ideas for consideration on their future projects. 

Course Level: All

Last Updated: August 16, 2017