What is the plan for ecological restoration, and how do you know which strategies are the best ones?
• There are three major elements in the ecological restoration of disturbed areas after a fire. — Allowing the native plants in the area to germinate from the seed bank or re-sprout from stumps or root systems, which requires protecting them from damage that may come from trampling and nonnative herbivores; — Control of non-native weeds that would also germinate or re-sprout after a fire event. These nonnative plants can diminish or even prevent the success of the natural restoration process; and — Controlling or minimizing the effects of the fire on the structure of the soils, particularly on steep slopes, which means protecting them from disappearing due to mud slides or landslides. • The first element requires management of non-native herbivores, which could include, for example, their exclusion from the burned areas by fencing. The second requires control measures against the non-native invasive plants, for example, through the use of selective herbicides or mechanical means (like
