Melissa McMaster Restoration Coordinator

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1 Melissa McMaster Restoration Coordinator

2 wildlife habitat specific threatened and endangered species habitat grazing shade recreation water storage fire risk reduction community stewardship ecosystem resiliency

3 Depth to groundwater Soil & Water Salinity Soil texture Channel characteristics Scouring potential Inundation potential Topography Access Maintenance and Monitoring

4 Ideal site conditions in the arid southwest Soil & Water Salinity Different for each species but most have low tolerance for salinity Bottom of hole most critical Soil texture Avoid cobbles and coarse textured soils Soil requirements 2-3 aerated soil above capillary fringe Aerobic soil Don t plant if you see blue/black/mucky anaerobic soils Understand site hydrology Avoid areas where water levels fluctuate considerably Don t want poles to get flooded out Look for old channels Depth to groundwater Plant when groundwater at its lowest Groundwater well installation

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6 Goals are set Site Assessment is complete What to plant? Planting Plan Components Designated zones for different planting schemes Plant/seed species Planting specifications Planting protocols Supplies/gear

7 R9 Planting Plan Total Plants for R9: Plant Species Size Day 1 QTY Day 1 Planted Day 2 QTY Day 2 Planted Prosopis velutina Velvet Mesquite 14 in or long 36 Sporobolus wrightii Giant Sacaton 14 in 27 Datura wrightii Datura 14 in 27 Salix gooddingii Goodding s Willow long 8 R9 Planting Specifications *Leave road access unplanted *Plant Sacaton in clumps/groups of 2-3, spaced 5-6 ft. apart *Plant Datura in clumps/groups of 2-3, spaced 4-5 ft apart *Plant Goodding s willow in areas marked orange on the map and at least 5 ft. from the bank and at least 15 ft. apart *If Goodding s willows are planted in an area marked blue, make sure they are deep enough to reach the capillary fringe. *Plant mesquite in areas marked green on the map and ft. apart General Planting Notes *Walk throughout site and place plants according to specifications along with pin flags in desired planting areas and clear a 3-5 ft. diameter area of weeds- set aside any mulch to be used later. *Once plants are laid out, dig a ~16 in. diameter hole that is a few inches deeper than the soil mass of the potted plant. *All holes should be soaked prior to planting. *Planting: Remove the plant from pot, handling from the stems, not roots. Plant immidiently to minimize root exposure. Compact soil to eliminate air pockets and create good stem to soil contact. *If capillary fringe is disrupted, place root mass along the side of the hole to encourage capillary refill to the roots. *Basins and berms should be installed around each plant to hold as much water as possible. *Mulch and/or organic material should be placed within basin to retain water. *Water all trees with a 5 gallon bucket, and 2.5 gallons for shrubs and forbs. Trim trees so there is a maximum of 24 in. above ground.

8 Check List Hand pruners Shovels Buckets Trowel Rock bar Auger Post hole digger Wheel barrow Pin flags Sharpies Tree shelter Wood stake Zip ties Gloves Safety glasses First aid kit Drinking water Ear pros Hoses

9 Phreatophytes Mesic Riparian- feet in the water table! Cottonwood Goodding s willow Coyote willow Xeric Riparian Mesquite Acacia Hackberry Wolfberry Sumac Hackberry Pollinators- NAU study

10 Source: Taylor and McDaniel 1998 Most Tolerant Four wing saltbush Moderately Tolerant Wolfberry Screwbean mesquite Willow baccharis Somewhat Tolerant Goodding s willow Not Tolerant Rio Grande cottonwood (Atriplex canescens) (Lycium torreyi) (Prosopis pubescens) (Baccharis salicina) (Salix gooddingii) (Populus deltoides)

11 Seeding Broadcast Seed balls Drill Planting Nursery stock Pole planting Longstem/tall pots

12 Longstems will be much more successful in southern AZ! Planning for drought Less need for supplemental irrigation

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14 Longstem plants are typically planted so that the bottom of the root ball is just at the top of (but not into) the water table at its low/lowest level for the year. If you are not planting at the lowest water table of the year, then plant into the water table Best to drill until water table is found; then plant directly above Depending on depth to water, may need to dig deep tree wells

15 Rooted longstem/tallpot materials Typically September March

16 Un-rooted tree stems (poles) planted in direct contact with the water table Woody riparian species Cottonwoods and willows most common Harvest when dormant Form adventitious roots at stem nodes Benefits Limits need for supplemental irrigation Time Source populations?

17 Dormant collection Early spring often best, although can be harvested earlier If possible, collect from areas near your project location to capture genetic stock most suitable to your site If wildland collecting, do not harvest more than 40% of any given stand. Size need to consider planting equipment and depth to water Cottonwoods:10-16 long; 2-3 in dia. Willows 5-12 long; <1 dia. Smooth bark from unstressed, healthy plants

18 Prune all side branches approximately 1/8 away from main stem High moisture regime - leave 7-8 branches Limited moisture leave 2-3 to minimize transpiration Cut the bottom at an angle to assist with planting Bundle and tag poles with date/location drawing: cals.arizona.edu

19 24 hours of soaking at minimum but 1 week best Store bottom of poles/whips in water or soak the entire pole until ready to plant For longer periods, poles should be kept in cold storage at ~ degrees F Can be stored up to 3 months Water should be changed if it starts to take on an odor; typically 3-4 weeks

20 Cottonwood poles and willow whips need to be dormant Typically Dec-March

21 Hand or gasoline powered augers Tractor or excavator mounted auger Stinger bar (waterjet or excavator powered) May need to dig a hole first Tree well Access to water table

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23 Final step in planting a cottonwood

24 Vegetation Monitoring Estimated veg cover Weed infestations Natural recruitment Survival rates of planting Assess goal status Wildlife usage Lessons learned

25 Cottonwood and willow pole plantings 50 to 90 percent Sample size of more than 10,000 during a 20-year period Shrub and tree Longstem Deep Plantings 70 to 97 percent Sample size of more than 7,000 during an 8-year period Principal factors affecting survival Depth and fluctuation of the water table Soil texture and salinity, especially at the bottom of the hole

26 Long-term inundation (more than 30 days). Annual and perennial weed infestation.

27 Livestock and wildlife browsing Improper planting (soil/stem contact) Fire

28 Treatment of tamarisk in patches Initially, sites that are 3-19 acres in size Smaller sizes in the future SWFL and Yellow-billed cuckoo are present Treatment will consist of buffer zones around nesting sites. Done in conjunction with USFWS and bird biologists. Work will be done outside SWFL breeding season October March Secondary Weed treatments Kochia is an issue Revegetation Approaches Cottonwood and coyote willow pole plantings Longstem mesquite, Goodding s willow, cottonwoods and coyote willow Applying mulch and soil inoculum treatment Incorporate pollinator habitat into revegetation

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30 Thank you. Melissa McMaster