Developing Restoration Planting Mixes for Active Ski Slopes: A Multi-Site Reference Community Approach

Abstract

Downhill ski areas occupy large expanses of mountainous lands where restoration of ecosystem function is of increasing importance and interest. Establishing diverse native plant communities on ski runs should enhance sediment and water retention, wildlife habitat, biodiversity and aesthetics. Because ski slopes are managed for recreation, ski slope revegetation mixes must consist of low-stature or herbaceous plants that can tolerate typical environmental conditions on ski slopes (high elevation, disturbed soils, open, steep slopes). The most appropriate reference communities for selecting ski slope revegetation species are thus successional, or seral plant communities in similar environments (i.e., other ski slopes). Using results from a broad-scale reference community analysis, I evaluated plant communities naturally occurring on ski slopes from 21 active and abandoned ski areas throughout the northern Sierra Nevada to identify native plant species suitable for use in ski slope restoration. I constructed a baseline planting palette of regionally appropriate plant species (for restoration of either newly created or already existing ski runs) that is functionally diverse and is likely to succeed across a broad range of environments. I also identify a more comprehensive list of species for more specialized planting mixes based on site-specific goals and particular environmental settings. Establishing seral plant communities may be an appropriate restoration goal for many other types of managed lands, including roadsides, firebreaks and utility rights-of-way. This study describes an ecological (and potentially cost-effective) approach to developing restoration planting palettes for such managed lands.

Impacts of ski pistes preparation and ski tourism on vegetation

“…conditions which occur after the construction and machine grading of ski resorts could result in poor biodiversity and reduced species richness with the following decrease of ecosystem functions (cole, Bayfield, 1993;Whinam, chilcott, 2003;Wipf et al, 2005;rolando et al, 2007;Burt, 2012). in our study, we noticed variances of species richness between the "on" and "off " piste areas (Fig.…”

Initial disturbance intensity affects recovery rates and successional divergence on abandoned ski slopes

“…These differences between paired cleared and graded runs are likely due to differing initial conditions – including residual biotic legacies – after disturbance. During ski run creation by clearing, soil disturbance is limited, and cleared runs retain a residual seed bank in addition to remnant low‐growing plants from the forest understorey (Burt ). On graded runs, in contrast, most vegetation and propagules are eliminated, and soil biota and soil function reduced, approximating the conditions of primary succession.…”

“…Ectomycorrhizal communities, associated with all tree species in our study and potentially necessary to facilitate tree establishment and survival, may also have been removed or disturbed by grading (Izzo, Nguyen & Bruns ). Graded runs have greatly reduced soil depths, lower vegetative cover, and differing life‐form composition in active ski areas, compared to cleared runs (Burt & Rice ; Burt ). Abiotic conditions on graded runs are also more stressful, with fewer safe sites for colonization, and competition is likely to have little initial effect on community outcomes (Grime ; Campbell & Grime ; Turkington, Klein & Chanway ; Wilson & Tilman ).…”

Suitability Analysis of Ski Areas in China: An Integrated Study Based on Natural and Socioeconomic Conditions

“…As known, rapidly-developing economics often scarifies the environmental sustainability, which, in turn, hampers future business opportunities. The operation of ski areas is generally accompanied by environmental degradation such as deforestation, vegetation destruction and soil erosion (Burt, 2012). The construction and maintenance of ski slopes have been found to cause disturbances in mountainous regions, which have significant impacts on the ecosystem and the environment (Burt and Rice, 2009).…”