Developing restoration planting mixes for active ski slopes: a multi-site reference community approach

Area of Science:

• Ecological restoration
• Horticultural science
• Environmental management

Background:

• Ski areas impact mountainous ecosystems, necessitating restoration of ecosystem function.
• Revegetation with native plants can improve sediment/water retention, habitat, biodiversity, and aesthetics.
• Ski slope environments require low-stature or herbaceous plants tolerant of high elevation, disturbed soils, and steep slopes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify native plant species suitable for ski slope restoration.
• Develop a baseline planting palette for ski run revegetation.
• Provide a framework for ecological restoration of managed lands.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed plant communities on ski slopes across 21 sites in the northern Sierra Nevada.
• Utilized successional plant communities as reference models for species selection.
• Evaluated native species for suitability in disturbed, high-elevation environments.

Main Results:

• Compiled a baseline planting palette of regionally appropriate, functionally diverse native species for ski slope restoration.
• Identified a comprehensive list of species for specialized planting mixes based on site-specific goals.
• Demonstrated the success of using natural ski slope plant communities to inform restoration.

Conclusions:

• Establishing seral plant communities is an effective restoration strategy for ski slopes.
• This ecological approach can be adapted for restoring other managed lands like roadsides and utility rights-of-way.
• The developed planting palettes offer a cost-effective and ecologically sound method for land restoration.