Monitoring salt-marsh responses to open marsh water management at U.S. Fish and Wildlife coastal refuges
No abstract available.
Ecological Restoration↗
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Can wolves help save Japan's mountain forests?
Japan’s wolves were extinct by 1905. Today Japan's mountain forests are being killed by overabundant sika deer and wild boars. Since the early 1990s, the Japan Wolf Association has proposed wolf reintroduction to Japan to restore rural ecology and to return a culturally important animal. In this article I discuss whether the return of wolves could help save Japan's mountain forests.
International Wolf↗
Status and future of Lake Huron fish communities
In 1993, fishery management agencies with jurisdiction over Lake Huron fish populations developed draft fish community objectives in response to the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries. The Joint Strategic Plan charged the Great Lakes Fishery Commission sponsored Lake Huron Committee to define objectives for what the fish community of Lake Huron should look like in the future, and to develop means for measuring progress toward the objectives. The overall management objective for Lake Huron is to 'over the next two decades restore an ecologically balanced fish community dominated by top predators and consisting largely of self-sustaining, indigenous and naturalized species and capable of sustaining annual harvests of 8.9 million kg'. This paper represents the first attempt at consolidating current biological information from different management agencies on a lake-wide basis for the purpose of assessing the current status and dynamics of Lake Huron fishes.
Book chapter↗
Assessment of a habitat equivalency analysis for freshwater mussels in the upper Mississippi River
The upper Mississippi River (UMR) contains diverse, dense, and reproducing assemblages of native freshwater mussels. In the case of an injury to mussels and their habitats, such as a hazardous material spill, train derailment, or barge grounding, resource managers have few restoration strategies. Resource managers need a means to document, quantify, and mitigate adverse effects on mussels resulting from injury. Habitat equivalency analysis (HEA), developed for use with a wide variety of habitat types, is a restoration scaling technique that compares ecological services lost from injury to ecological services gained through restoration actions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Iowa Department of Natural Resources modified the HEA for use with native mussels. The mussel HEA has been applied within the UMR to estimate the quantity of restoration needed to compensate the public for injuries to mussels due to contaminant spills and construction projects. Our objective was to describe the UMR HEA for a general audience and assess if the four biological input variables used in the mussel HEA were reasonable based on literature values. We also evaluated the performance of HEA under a range of input scenarios. Although the input estimates used in HEA were within ranges reported in the peer-reviewed literature or were supported by professional judgment in the absence of peer-reviewed literature, outcomes of the mussel HEA were highly variable and would benefit from additional research to reduce uncertainty in the biological inputs. The application of HEA to mussels provides resource managers with a tool to quantify mussel-related ecological services lost from injury and to guide restoration efforts in the UMR.
Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation↗
A regional assessment of salt marsh restoration and monitoring in the Gulf of Maine
We compiled salt marsh monitoring datasets from 36 complete or imminent restoration projects in the Gulf of Maine to assess regional monitoring and restoration practices. Data were organized by functional indicators and restoration project types (culvert replacement, excavation works, or ditch plugging) then pooled to generate mean values for indicators before restoration, after restoration, and at reference sites. Monitoring data were checked against the regional standards of a voluntary protocol for the Gulf of Maine. Data inventories showed that vegetation and salinity indicators were most frequently collected (89 and 78% of sites, respectively), whereas nekton, bird, and hydrologic measures were collected at only about half of the sites. Reference conditions were monitored at 72% of sites. Indicators were analyzed to see if project sites were degraded relative to reference areas and to detect ecological responses to restoration activities. Results showed that compared to reference areas, prerestoration sites had smaller tidal ranges, reduced salinity levels, greater cover of brackish plants species, and lower cover of halophyte plants. Following restoration, physical factors rebounded rapidly with increased flood and salinity levels after about one year, especially for culvert projects. Biological responses were less definitive and occurred over longer time frames. Plant communities trended toward recovered halophytes and reduced brackish species at 3+ years following restoration. Nekton and avian indicators were indistinguishable among reference, impacted, and restored areas. The protocol was successful in demonstrating restoration response for the region, but results were limited by regional inconsistencies in field practices and relatively few multiyear datasets. To improve future assessment capabilities, we encourage greater adherence to the standard protocol throughout the Gulf of Maine salt marsh restoration community.
Restoration Ecology↗
Stream restoration is influenced by details of engineered habitats at a headwater mine site
A lack of information regarding which ecological factors influence restoration success or failure has hindered scientifically based restoration decision-making. We focus on one headwater site to examine factors influencing divergent ecological outcomes of two post-mining stream restoration projects designed to improve instream conditions following 70 years of mining impacts. One project was designed to simulate natural stream conditions by creating a morphologically complex channel with high habitat heterogeneity (HH-reach). A second project was designed to reduce contaminants and sediment using a sand filter along a straight, armored channel, which resulted in different habitat characteristics and comparatively low habitat heterogeneity (LH-reach). Within 2 years of completion, stream habitat parameters and community composition within the HH-reach were similar to those of reference reaches. In contrast, habitat and community composition within the LH-reach differed substantially from reference reaches, even 7–8 years after project completion. We found that an interaction between low gradient and high light availability, created by the LH-reach design, facilitated a Chironomid- Nostoc mutualism. These symbionts dominated the epilithic surface of rocks and there was little habitat for tailed frog larvae, bioavailable macroinvertebrates, and fish. After controlling for habitat quantity, potential colonizing species’ traits, and biogeographic factors, we found that habitat characteristics combined to facilitate different ecological outcomes, whereas time since treatment implementation was less influential. We demonstrate that stream communities can respond quickly to restoration of physical characteristics and increased heterogeneity, but “details matter” because interactions between the habitats we create and between the species that occupy them can be complex, unpredictable, and can influence restoration effectiveness.
Idaho↗
Getting to the root of restoration: Considering root traits for improved restoration outcomes under drought and competition
A foundational goal of trait‐based ecology, including trait‐based restoration, is to link specific traits to community assembly, biodiversity, and ecosystem function. Despite a growing awareness of the importance of belowground traits for ecological processes, a synthesis of how to root traits can inform restoration of terrestrial plant communities is lacking. We reviewed and summarized existing literature focused on root traits in relation to plant performance measures (i.e. survival, establishment, productivity) in the contexts of drought and competition (including invasion). Root traits related to belowground resource acquisition (e.g. high specific root length, deep roots) are frequently related to drought avoidance (i.e. a plant strategy based on optimizing water uptake to maintain function), whereas studies relating root traits to drought tolerance (i.e. a plant strategy that allows plants to withstand low hydration) remain limited. More studies have linked root traits to plant competitive effects (i.e. the influence of a plant has on neighbors) than to competitive responses (i.e. a plant's ability to resist the effects of neighbors). Because plants with acquisitive traits decrease resources to the detriment of neighbors, root traits associated with rapid resource acquisition (e.g. high specific root length) may be important for understanding competitive effects. Albeit more limited, research suggests root traits associated with resource conservation or stress tolerance (e.g. high root tissue density, high root diameter) may elucidate mechanisms related to competitive responses. Re‐vegetation outcomes may be improved by considering root traits, but only if clear links are made between traits and plant performance in varied contexts.
Restoration Ecology↗
A recruitment niche framework for improving seed-based restoration
As larger tracts of land experience degradation, seed-based restoration (SBR) will be a primary tool to reestablish vegetation and ecosystem function. SBR has advanced in terms of technical and technological approaches, yet plant recruitment remains a major barrier in some systems, notably drylands. There is an unmet opportunity to test science-based approaches to seed mix design and application, based not only on diversity or local provenance, but on the unique recruitment strategies of species. We lay out a framework that uses a quantitative representation of species' recruitment niches to match them to targeted goals (e.g. drought or invasion resistance) and methods (e.g. precision tools and technologies) in SBR. We first describe how to quantify the recruitment niche with seed and seedling traits tied to observed recruitment responses to environmental factors. We then show how a quantified recruitment niche framework can serve as the foundation to address three major restoration challenges: (1) designing forward-looking seed mixes that increase resilience to future climate and disturbance, (2) accounting for natural recovery in SBR planning, and (3) applying precision seeding practices to maximize restoration success. Finally, we demonstrate these ideas with existing data and discuss key challenges to adoption in SBR practice. While the ideas in this framework are based in ecological theory, they will require substantial testing and refinement by scientists engaged in SBR efforts. If this framework is integrated into research agendas, we believe it has the potential to unify and advance diverse elements of seed-based restoration ecology and improve restoration outcomes.
Restoration Ecology↗
Sources, sinks, and spatial ecology of cotton mice in longleaf pine stands undergoing restoration
The Fire and Fire Surrogate studya replicated, manipulative experimentsought the most economically and ecologically efficient way to restore the nation's fire-maintained ecosystems. As part of this study, we conducted a 3-year markrecapture study, comprising 105,000 trap-nights, to assess demographic responses of cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus) to Fire and Fire Surrogate treatments at the Gulf Coastal Plain site, where longleaf pine was the ecosystem to be restored. We compared competing models to evaluate restoration effects on variation in apparent survival and recruitment over time, space, and treatment, and incorporated measures of available source habitat for cotton mice with reverse-time modeling to infer immigration from outside the study area. The top-ranked survival model contained only variation over time, but the closely ranked 2nd and 3rd models included variation over space and treatment, respectively. The top 4 recruitment models all included effects for availability of source habitat and treatments. Burning appeared to degrade habitat quality for cotton mice, showing demographic characteristics of a sink, but treatments combining fire with thinning of trees or application of herbicide to the understory appeared to improve habitat quality, possibly creating sources. Bottomland hardwoods outside the study also acted as sources by providing immigrants to experimental units. Models suggested that population dynamics operated over multiple spatial scales. Treatments applied to 15-ha stands probably only caused local variation in vital rates within the larger population. ?? 2009 American Society of Mammalogists.
Journal of Mammalogy↗
A comparison of plant communities in restored, old field, and remnant coastal prairies
Temperate grasslands are experiencing worldwide declines due to habitat conversion. Grassland restoration efforts are employed to compensate for these losses. However, there is a need to better understand the ecological effects of grassland restoration and management practices. We investigated the effects of three different grassland management regimes on plant communities of coastal prairie ecosystems in southwest Louisiana (USA). We compared old fields, prairie remnants, and restored prairies. Coastal prairies are a unique type of grassland historically present across southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Old fields represent former coastal prairie habitats allowed to revegetate naturally without active management. Remnant coastal prairies are small, isolated patches of comparatively intact prairie. Restored coastal prairies have been actively restored by planting native coastal prairie vegetation and managed with prescribed burning, mowing, and/or removal of invasive non‐native species. Our work was conducted in 3 old fields, 4 remnants, and 4 restored prairies. Old fields were dominated by non‐native species with low conservation value, whereas remnant prairies were dominated by native species with high conservation value. Remnants had a mean species richness of 75 species per site, which is higher than most other tallgrass prairie ecosystems in North America. Restored sites were dominated by native species with high conservation value, although the composition differed between restored and remnant sites. Collectively, our results: (1) reinforce the importance of identifying and preserving remnant coastal prairies; and (2) show that restoration of degraded coastal prairies is a viable strategy for supporting the persistence of these unique grassland ecosystems.
Louisiana↗
Bridging ecology and geosciences in riverscapes: Implications for process-based restoration
There has been a growing interest in integrating geological and ecological processes for sustainable river management and restoration. Lotic systems are shaped by diverse physical processes, including geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and interactions with terrestrial processes. However, restoration practices often prioritize specific habitats or river forms without fully considering the underlying physical processes that support biological communities and ecosystem functions. In this paper, we synthesize studies that integrally examine geological and ecological processes across different scales and components of riverscapes, including geohydrological processes, which have been less investigated in riverscape studies. We begin by examining processes at broader spatial scales, including river–watershed and river–riparian interactions, and gradually narrow our focus to the dynamics that occur among habitats within river channels, through which we highlight the significance of conceptualizing rivers as dynamic “networks” rather than linear features. Finally, we identify both scientific and practical challenges that can be addressed to bridge the gap between basic-science implications and their implementation in riverscape restorations.
Ecological Research↗
Simulating the recovery of suspended sediment transport and river-bed stability in response to dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington
U.S. Department of the Interior is planning to remove two high dams (30 and 60 m) from the Elwha River, which will allow the river to erode sediment deposits in the reservoirs, and ultimately restore the river ecosystem. Fluvial sediment transport and deposition paradoxically represent ecological disturbance and restoration. A one-dimensional, movable boundary sediment-transport model was applied at a daily time step to simulate changes in river-bed elevations and particle-size distributions and concentrations of suspended sediment. The simulations included a three-year dam removal period and a four-year recovery period. Simulated concentrations of suspended sediment recover rapidly during the recovery period. Simulated bed elevation and particle-size distributions are stable for much of the river during the recovery period, but high flows periodically disturb the river bed, causing changes in river-bed elevation and particle-size distribution, especially during autumn, when summer/autumn chinook salmon are incubating in redds. Although the river bed will become increasingly stable after dam removal, episodic high flows will interrupt recovery trends. Productivity and diversity of the ecosystem may be lower because of excess sediment immediately after dam removal but should increase during recovery above current levels as the river. Monitoring of the recovery of the Elwha River ecosystem can target ecologically significant physical parameters indicating the transition from a sediment transport-limited state to a supply-limited state.
Ecological Engineering↗
Beyond pro-vs-anti hatchery: A typology of fishing community perceptions of salmonid hatcheries in Oregon
Objectives: Pacific salmon and steelhead hatcheries are central to fisheries management along the West Coast of North America, yet they remain a source of persistent controversy. While often framed in binary terms of pro- or anti-hatchery, public perspectives are more nuanced. Methods: We conducted 18 in-depth interviews with members of Oregon’s non-tribal fishing communities, including recreational anglers, professional fishers, non-governmental organizations, hatchery workers, and policymakers, to explore perceptions of salmonid hatcheries. Results: We developed a typology of perceptions of salmonid hatcheries in Oregon, identifying five distinct belief-based types, which we label Advocates, Reformers, Balancers, Skeptics, and Restorers. These types differed in how they evaluated hatcheries’ social and ecological impacts, governance legitimacy, and management acceptability. While Advocates and Reformers emphasized hatcheries’ social, economic, cultural, and ecological benefits, Skeptics and Restorers prioritized minimizing ecological harm and questioned hatchery effectiveness. Balancers acknowledged both social benefits and ecological risks, supporting context-specific management. All groups articulated different meanings of the term “wild,” suggesting that different perspectives across typologies may exacerbate fundamental miscommunications. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the complexity of stakeholder views and the limitations of binary framings. We suggest that tailored communication and engagement strategies, informed by typologies, may foster more inclusive and productive dialogue in hatchery policy and management.
Oregon↗
Restoration of rapids habitat in a Great Lakes connecting channel, the St. Marys River, Michigan
Aquatic habitat has been extensively altered throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes to increase navigation connectivity. In particular, the St. Marys River, a Great Lakes connecting channel, lost >50% of its historic rapids habitat over the past century. In 2016, the natural flow was restored to the Little Rapids area of the St. Marys River. The goal of our study was to evaluate physical and ecological responses to the restoration of the Little Rapids area. Extensive habitat and biological data were collected prior to restoration (2013 and 2014), and after restoration (2017 and 2018). Measured parameters included total suspended solids, current velocity, benthic macroinvertebrates, and larval, juvenile, and adult fishes. Total suspended solids stayed low (<4 mg/L) following restoration, with the exception of a single construction‐related event. Pre‐restoration data indicated that all measured velocities were below the target flow rate of 0.24 m/s, whereas 70% of the measured habitat was above the target flow post‐restoration. Abundance and richness of benthic macroinvertebrates were reduced following restoration (>90% reduction). We observed a 45% increase in richness of larval fish 2 years after restoration and a 131% increase in catch per unit effort. For adult fishes, the proportion of individuals with a preference for fast‐moving waters increased from 1.5 to 45% in the restored area, and from 7 to 15% upstream of the restored area; a similar response was observed for lithophilic spawners. The physical and biological conditions of the Little Rapids improved and resembled conditions typical of rapids habitat extent in other areas of the river and other systems.
Michigan↗
Considering multiecosystem trade-offs is critical when leveraging systematic conservation planning for restoration
Conservationists are increasingly leveraging systematic conservation planning (SCP) to inform restoration actions that enhance biodiversity. However, restoration frequently drives ecological transformations at local scales, potentially resulting in trade-offs among wildlife species and communities. The Conservation Interactions Principle (CIP), coined more than 15 years ago, cautions SCP practitioners regarding the importance of jointly and fully evaluating conservation outcomes across the landscape over long timeframes. However, SCP efforts that guide landscape restoration have inadequately addressed the CIP by failing to tabulate the full value of the current ecological state. The increased application of SCP to inform restoration, reliance on increasingly small areas to sustain at-risk species and ecological communities, ineffective considerations for the changing climate, and increasing numbers of at-risk species, are collectively intensifying the need to consider unintended consequences when prioritizing sites for restoration. Improper incorporation of the CIP in SCP may result in inefficient use of conservation resources through opportunity costs and/or conservation actions that counteract one another. We suggest SCP practitioners can avoid these consequences through a more detailed accounting of the current ecological benefits to better address the CIP when conducting restoration planning. Specifically, forming interdisciplinary teams with expertise in the current and desired ecosystem states at candidate conservation sites; improving data availability; modeling and computational advancements; and applying structured decision-making approaches can all improve the integration of the CIP in SCP efforts. Improved trade-off assessment, spanning multiple ecosystems or states, can facilitate efficient, proactive, and coordinated SCP applications across space and time. In doing so, SCP can effectively guide the siting of restoration actions capable of promoting the full suite of biodiversity in a region.
Global Change Biology↗
An ecological basis for future fish habitat restoration efforts in the Huron-Erie Corridor
This perspective describes the major natural and anthropogenic forces driving change in the abundance and quality of fish habitats in the Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC), the Great Lakes connecting channel comprised of the St. Clair River, the Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River. Channels connecting the Laurentian Great Lakes discharge large volumes of water equal to or greater than most other large rivers in the world that is of consistent high quality and volume, all year. Owing to creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway through the Great Lakes, the connecting channels have been modified by dredging over 200 km of deep-draft shipping lanes with a maintained depth of no less than 8.2 m. Combined with modification of their shorelines for housing and industries, use of the connecting channels for discharges of industrial and municipal wastes and shipping has resulted in numerous beneficial use impairments, such as restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, degradation of fish and wildlife populations, and losses of fish and wildlife habitat. Various options for remediation of native fish populations and their habitats in the Great Lakes connecting channels, including construction of spawning habitat for threatened and high-value food fishes, such as lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), walleye (Sander vitreus), and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), have been implemented successfully in two of the channels, and form the basis for further recommended research described in this article.
Huron-Erie corridor↗
Elk Monitoring Protocol for Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Version 1.0
Maintaining elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) herds that frequent Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (NHP) is central to the park’s purpose of preserving the historic, cultural, scenic, and natural resources. Elk were critical to sustaining the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition by providing food and clothing over the winter of 1805-1806. Today, elk viewing opportunities in the park and surrounding region generate broad appeal with the visiting public, which number over 250,000 per year at the Fort Clatsop visitor center. This protocol describes procedures for monitoring trends in the use of the Fort Clatsop area by Roosevelt elk. Specific objectives of elk monitoring in Lewis and Clark NHP are to measure the relative use and proportion of area used by elk during winter in the Fort Clatsop Unit of the park, and the rate at which elk are sighted from roads in and around the park. Relative use and the proportion of area used by elk are determined from elk fecal pellet surveys conducted every other year in the Fort Clatsop park unit. Pairs of observers visit a systematic array of permanent plots in the fall to clear them of elk fecal pellets, and return to the plots in late winter to count elk fecal pellets that have accumulated during winter. Half of the subplots are counted by two independent observers, which allows for the estimation of relative use and proportion of area occupied by elk with analyses of detection biases that account for unseen elk pellet groups. Standardized road surveys are conducted in and near the Fort Clatsop park unit three or four times monthly during alternate months. Data from road surveys are used to quantify the rate that park visitors would be expected to see elk, when driving the selected set of routes. The monitoring protocol is based on three field seasons of development and testing. The protocol narrative describes the background, rationale, sampling design, field methods, analytical methods, data management, reporting, personnel requirements, and operational requirements for elk monitoring in Lewis and Clark NHP. The sampling design reflects tradeoffs between statistical and ecological considerations, safety, and current budget considerations. The protocol provides adequate power to detect a doubling or halving of elk use in the Fort Clatsop unit and surrounding areas within 15 years. Step-by-step guidance for planning and completing the monitoring tasks are in the attached standard operating procedures (SOPs). Information on the status and trends of elk use in Lewis and Clark NHP will allow park managers to assess the effects on elk of restoration programs within the park, build community partnerships, and identify potential linkages between regional land use changes and elk use of the Park. Lewis and Clark NHP has an active ecological restoration program that aims to recreate, where possible, ecological conditions that Lewis and Clark encountered. The restoration program includes an extensive exotic plant removal program, wetland restoration, and silvicultural treatments that will hasten development of late-seral conditions in recently acquired forest lands of the Fort Clatsop park unit. In the future, monitoring results can be used to test for spatial associations between ecological restoration treatments and relative use by elk. The park also plans to feature results from elk monitoring prominently in its educational outreach activities to help interpret the historical and current ecological context of the Lewis and Clark story, and engender public support for the park mission and management activities. Although NPS does not manage non-park lands, information about trends in the distribution of elk use will be valuable in public outreach and discussions with other partnering agencies and regional private landowners.
Natural Resource Report↗
Estimating the Cumulative Ecological Effect of Local Scale Landscape Changes in South Florida
Ecosystem restoration in south Florida is a state and national priority centered on the Everglades wetlands. However, urban development pressures affect the restoration potential and remaining habitat functions of the natural undeveloped areas. Land use (LU) planning often focuses at the local level, but a better understanding of the cumulative effects of small projects at the landscape level is needed to support ecosystem restoration and preservation. The South Florida Ecosystem Portfolio Model (SFL EPM) is a regional LU planning tool developed to help stakeholders visualize LU scenario evaluation and improve communication about regional effects of LU decisions. One component of the SFL EPM is ecological value (EV), which is evaluated through modeled ecological criteria related to ecosystem services using metrics for (1) biodiversity potential, (2) threatened and endangered species, (3) rare and unique habitats, (4) landscape pattern and fragmentation, (5) water quality buffer potential, and (6) ecological restoration potential. In this article, we demonstrate the calculation of EV using two case studies: (1) assessing altered EV in the Biscayne Gateway area by comparing 2004 LU to potential LU in 2025 and 2050, and (2) the cumulative impact of adding limestone mines south of Miami. Our analyses spatially convey changing regional EV resulting from conversion of local natural and agricultural areas to urban, industrial, or extractive use. Different simulated local LU scenarios may result in different alterations in calculated regional EV. These case studies demonstrate methods that may facilitate evaluation of potential future LU patterns and incorporate EV into decision making.
Florida↗