What we stand for
Restoration ecology
Restoration ecology is the study or action of facilitating the return of a disturbed ecosystem to its original state. Jess, our restoration ecology expert, is a master of balancing the practice of restoration with your wants and needs. Jess is happy to work alongside you to bring your planting and ecology dreams to life, with a healthy dose of ecological theory to support the planning.
One half of the equation is our approach to restoration. Here’s just a handful of the things we consider:
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The historical vegetation makeup
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The soil, topography, and hydrology
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Alterations made to the land by humans
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How we expect the site to alter with climate change
The other half of the equation is what you bring! What are your goals? Here’s some that we’ve seen:
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Bring in more birds, including Tūī and Kererū
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Control erosion
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Create privacy
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Create a more natural environment
By combining these two halves, we are able to come up with a plan that is tailored to your needs and backed by ecological theory.
Measures of success
At Leptinella Consulting we believe in using measures of success that are truly based on your goals.
We know that getting plants in the ground is only a small part of your restoration journey, so we can help you to set and track your goals so you know you are moving in the right direction. Methods such as bird counts, photo points, and estimations of vegetation cover can be used to give an indication of the return of healthy ecosystem functioning.
Ecosourcing
Ecosourcing means that the plants you put in at your site are from local genetic stock. Using plants from a gene pool adapted to your local area means that your plants will have the right traits to thrive. There is new literature coming out that highlights the matching of source ecotype* to your site for the best outcome.
In the current “boom” of nurseries growing native plants, it’s easy to purchase plants from anywhere around the country. It’s important to remember, however, that these plants come with genetics from elsewhere that may not be suitable for your site.
At Leptinella Consulting we can advise on nurseries local to you that use excellent ecosourcing practices.
*Ecotype definition: The environment type that the plant is adapted to.
