Assessing the value of restoration plantings for wildlife in a temperate agricultural landscape

Abstract

Habitat loss is a primary cause of population decline for 85% of species recognized as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Ecological restoration can mitigate and reverse the effects of habitat loss on wildlife, but many restoration programs lack a systematic approach to monitoring outcomes, if indeed restoration sites are monitored at all. Here, we evaluate the response of wildlife to restoration plantings in an agricultural landscape in Tasmania, Australia, five years after their establishment. We surveyed three faunal groups-ground-dwelling invertebrates, birds and terrestrial mammals-and compared community composition in plantings with those of nearby livestock pasture and remnant woodlands. Habitat type had some influence on invertebrate communities with more pollinators, but fewer nectivores (predominantly Lepidoptera) and engulf predators in riparian plantings than in paddocks. In comparison, nonriparian plantings had more nectivores and pollinators and a greater proportion of small-bodied invertebrates than in paddocks. Invertebrate biomass was positively associated with the presence of large groundforaging birds. Habitat type had a significant effect on the composition of bird communities in nonriparian areas, with small native species more abundant in plantings than in paddocks. Endangered mammal species were recorded using planting sites, including eastern bettongs and spotted-tailed quolls. We describe possible trajectories to inform adaptive management of local restoration efforts. Our study provides a rare example that considers the response of multiple faunal groups to restoration concurrently and highlights differences in wildlife communities between restoring and reference habitats that are likely to impact ecosystem services.

Establishment of mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa) on a glacial outwash plain: Spatial patterns and decadal processes

“…On Skeiðarársandur, the establishment of mountain birch is likely to increase rates of ecosystem development, e.g., by improving soil physical properties and nutrient status (Jonczak et al, 2020; Weidlich et al, 2020), increasing litter production and organic matter accumulation (McElhinny et al, 2010), ameliorating microclimate (D'Odorico et al, 2013), and changing above‐ and below‐ground communities and successional processes (Kittipalawattanapol et al, 2021; Mitchell et al, 2007, 2010; Quinn et al, 2021). Consequently, the mountain birch population can leave a long‐term legacy that steers the community's successional pathway for years and decades to come (García‐Girón et al, 2022).…”

“…The impact of a new arrival will depend on arrival time and the structure and species composition of the receiving ecosystem, e.g., on the suite of functional traits already represented (Körner et al, 2007; Weidlich et al, 2020). For example, a tree species establishing in an early successional, sub‐arctic community consisting of low stature herbs and shrubs will change structural dimensions with its tall persistent woody build, affect microclimate with increased retention of winter snow (Helmutsdóttir, 2022) and altered light regime (D'Odorico et al, 2013), affect soil processes through increased litter deposition and enhanced microbial activity (Jonczak et al, 2020; McElhinny et al, 2010), and attract both vertebrate and invertebrate animals (Kittipalawattanapol et al, 2021; Quinn et al, 2021). The arrival of such an ecosystem engineer will have profound consequences at the ecosystem level and steer the community's successional pathways (Mitchell et al, 2007).…”