Designing plant communities in DREVO

Designing plant communities in DREVO

Engineering model for restoration of mountain ecosystems

The main goal of mountain restoration is not to plant individual trees, but to create sustainable, self-regulating plant communities that are as close as possible to the natural ecosystems of a particular region.

Each section of the mountain has its own conditions:

amount of solar radiation;

wind speed;

soil depth;

humidity;

snow load;

intensity of erosion;

temperature regime;

hydrology.

Therefore, the composition of plants should change as we move from the peak to the valley.

The main principle of DREVO:

Don't design a forest. Design an ecosystem.

Zone 1. Ridge

The main task

Preserve the summit and protect it from destruction.

Main functions

protection from wind erosion;

retention of the first precipitation;

dew accumulation;

snow accumulation;

soil formation;

protection of the thin humus layer.

Plant community

First tier

mosses;

lichens;

liverworts.

Second tier

cushion plants;

low perennials;

sedges;

fescue;

local cereals.

Third tier

Small islands of bushes:

juniper (where natural);

dwarf willows;

dwarf birches;

cotoneaster.

Tall trees are planted only where they are a natural part of a given altitude zone.

Zone 2. Upper slope

This is the main engineering restoration belt.

This is where the future forest is formed.

Main tasks

stop erosion;

increase infiltration;

create the soil;

form the future tree layer.

First tier

Cereals

Legumes

Groundcover plants

Second tier

Shrubs

hazel;

red;

viburnum;

hawthorn;

beresklet;

дёрен.

Third tier

Pioneer trees

ash tree;

field maple;

linden;

elm;

merry.

Here, ash is one of the most effective species due to its rapid growth and soil improvement.

Zone 3. Middle slope

This is the zone of formation of mature mixed forest.

Main trees

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ash

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Oak

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Linden

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Elm

⭐⭐⭐ Maple

⭐⭐⭐ Cherry

Additionally

wild apple tree;

wild pear;

rowan;

yew (where natural).

Shrubs

hazel;

red;

honeysuckle;

viburnum.

The richest biodiversity is formed here.

Zone 4. Lower slope

The main task

Maximum water retention.

Here they appear

deeper soils;

more organic;

higher humidity.

Main trees

oak;

ash tree;

elm;

linden;

maple;

alder (locally);

willow (locally).

Undergrowth

hazel;

buckthorn;

viburnum;

elderberry.

Zone 5. Depressions

These are natural waterways.

The main task

Do not obstruct the flow of water.

Plants

sedges;

sieves;

tavolga;

willows;

alder;

buckthorn.

Tall grass is located along the edges, and the central part of the channel must remain passable for floods.

Zone 6. Spring zones

These are the most sensitive ecosystems.

The main task

Water protection.

Heavy equipment is excluded here.

Main types

alder;

willow;

ash (at some distance);

elm;

moisture-loving shrubs.

Undergrowth

ferns;

sedges;

mosses;

liverworts.

The vertical structure of each community

Any section must consist of at least five tiers.

Tier 1

Mosses

Lichens

Tier 2

Groundcover plants

Tier 3

Herbs

Tier 4

Shrubs

Tier 5

Trees

It is this structure that provides maximum protection for the soil.

Functional distribution of plants

Each plant performs a specific engineering function.

Ecological corridors

Communities should not exist in isolation.

They connect:

forest corridors;

shrub strips;

channels;

pollination stripes;

rocky areas;

mushroom nets.

The principle of ecosystem change

The community is developing in stages.

1–3 years

Pioneer plants.

3–10 years

Shrubs.

10–30 years

Young forest.

30–80 years

Mixed mature forest.

80–300 years

Climax ecosystem.

Digital Community Passport

For each section, Mountain Digital Twin stores:

community type;

list of species;

age groups;

density;

tiering;

projective cover;

biomass reserve;

soil moisture;

mycorrhiza condition;

presence of invasive species;

fire load;

biodiversity index;

carbon stock;

recovery speed;

history of changes.

DREVO's new approach

Most projects involve planting individual tree species or creating homogeneous forest plantations. DREVO offers designplant communities as engineering systems, where each species performs a specific function, and together they form a stable ecosystem.

Such a system:

retains water better;

more effectively protects soil from erosion;

restores fertility faster;

more fire resistant;

less vulnerable to pests and diseases;

supports significantly greater biodiversity;

more easily adapts to climate change.

Exactly plant community, rather than a single tree, becomes the basic design unit in the systemDREVO Living Mountains.

Mountain Forest Corridors

DREVO Mountain Forest Corridors