Improving Restoration Programs Through Greater Connection With Ecological Theory and Better Monitoring

Lindenmayer, David B.

doi:10.3389/fevo.2020.00050

Cited by 54 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Some restoration sites are multiple decades old, and within a given region or nation, many are similar enough to be compared via natural experiments [95,96]. Already, leading scientists are linking monitoring data with ecological theory to provide increasingly robust guidance for future restoration efforts [97]. Future work should extend such initiatives, and similarly ask whether social benefits are partly predictable from patterns of stakeholder interaction in a given restoration program.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Making the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration a Social-Ecological Endeavour

Fischer

Riechers

Loos

et al. 2021

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

246

152

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Making the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration a Social-Ecological Endeavour

Fischer

Riechers

Loos

et al. 2021

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

246

152

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“…However, analysis of monitoring data using MSOM to gauge occupancy trends for declining amphibian species needs to be done concurrently with the development of management plans that identify when early interventions may be warranted to prevent substantial decreases in occupancy (Grant et al 2013). Importantly, monitoring programs for restoration projects should be closely connected to testing ecological concepts and theory, so that the underlying ecological mechanisms giving rise to observed patterns can be identified (Lindenmayer 2020). Here, we present empirical evidence that metacommunity theory provides an appropriate framework for developing monitoring programs for wetland‐dependent taxa such as amphibians.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi‐species occupancy modeling provides novel insights into amphibian metacommunity structure and wetland restoration

Hamer

Schmera

Mahony

2021

Ecological Applications

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A fundamental goal of community ecology is to understand species-habitat relationships and how they shape metacommunity structure. Recent advances in occupancy modeling enable habitat relationships to be assessed for both common and rare species within metacommunities using multi-species occupancy models (MSOM). These models account for imperfect species detection and offer considerable advantages over other analytical tools commonly used for community analyses under the elements of metacommunity structure (EMS) framework. Here, we demonstrate that MSOM can be used to infer habitat relationships and test metacommunity theory, using amphibians. Repeated frog surveys were undertaken at 55 wetland sites in southeastern Australia. We detected 11 frog species from three families (Limnodynastidae, Myobatrachidae, and Pelodryadidae). The rarest species was detected at only one site whereas the most common species was detected at 42 sites (naive occupancy rate 0.02-0.76). Two models were assessed representing two competing hypotheses; the best-supported model included the covariates distance to the nearest site (connectivity), wetland area, presence of the non-native eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), proportion cover of emergent vegetation, an interaction term between Gambusia and emergent vegetation cover, and the proportion canopy cover over a site. Hydroperiod played no detectable role in metacommunity structure. We found species-habitat relationships that fit with current metacommunity theory: occupancy increased with wetland area and connectivity. There was a strong negative relationship between occupancy and the presence of predatory Gambusia, and a positive interaction between Gambusia and emergent vegetation. The presence of canopy cover strongly increased occupancy for several tree frog species, highlighting the importance of terrestrial habitat for amphibian community structure. We demonstrated how responses by amphibians to environmental covariates at the species level can be linked to occupancy patterns at the metacommunity scale. Our results have clear management implications: wetland restoration projects for amphibians and likely other taxa should maximize wetland area and connectivity, establish partial canopy cover, and eradicate Gambusia or provide aquatic vegetation to mitigate the impact of this non-native fish. We strongly advocate the use of MSOM to elucidate the habitat drivers behind animal occupancy patterns and to derive unbiased occupancy estimates for monitoring programs.

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“…Genetic monitoring evaluates the success in restoring genetically viable populations and whether the positive effects of the restoration are maintained over time (i.e., across successive generations). Thus, well-designed monitoring programs are required, including also evaluation of changes in environmental conditions of the restored site and referring to comparable time frames for the same species [130]. Monitoring genetic changes in restored populations can be done retrospectively by using pre-disturbance genetic population datasets or for evaluating ongoing changes in their status and persistence (i.e., mid-and long-term restoration outcomes).…”

Section: Genetic Assessment Of Transplantation Successmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Genetic Component of Seagrass Restoration: What We Know and the Way Forwards

Pazzaglia

Nguyen

Santillán-Sarmiento

et al. 2021

Water

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Seagrasses are marine flowering plants providing key ecological services and functions in coasts and estuaries across the globe. Increased environmental changes fueled by human activities are affecting their existence, compromising natural habitats and ecosystems’ biodiversity and functioning. In this context, restoration of disturbed seagrass environments has become a worldwide priority to reverse ecosystem degradation and to recover ecosystem functionality and associated services. Despite the proven importance of genetic research to perform successful restoration projects, this aspect has often been overlooked in seagrass restoration. Here, we aimed to provide a comprehensive perspective of genetic aspects related to seagrass restoration. To this end, we first reviewed the importance of studying the genetic diversity and population structure of target seagrass populations; then, we discussed the pros and cons of different approaches used to restore and/or reinforce degraded populations. In general, the collection of genetic information and the development of connectivity maps are critical steps for any seagrass restoration activity. Traditionally, the selection of donor population preferred the use of local gene pools, thought to be the best adapted to current conditions. However, in the face of rapid ocean changes, alternative approaches such as the use of climate-adjusted or admixture genotypes might provide more sustainable options to secure the survival of restored meadows. Also, we discussed different transplantation strategies applied in seagrasses and emphasized the importance of long-term seagrass monitoring in restoration. The newly developed information on epigenetics as well as the application of assisted evolution strategies were also explored. Finally, a view of legal and ethical issues related to national and international restoration management is included, highlighting improvements and potential new directions to integrate with the genetic assessment. We concluded that a good restoration effort should incorporate: (1) a good understanding of the genetic structure of both donors and populations being restored; (2) the analysis of local environmental conditions and disturbances that affect the site to be restored; (3) the analysis of local adaptation constraints influencing the performances of donor populations and native plants; (4) the integration of distribution/connectivity maps with genetic information and environmental factors relative to the target seagrass populations; (5) the planning of long-term monitoring programs to assess the performance of the restored populations. The inclusion of epigenetic knowledge and the development of assisted evolution programs are strongly hoped for the future.

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Improving Restoration Programs Through Greater Connection With Ecological Theory and Better Monitoring

Cited by 54 publications

References 69 publications

Making the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration a Social-Ecological Endeavour

Making the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration a Social-Ecological Endeavour

Multi‐species occupancy modeling provides novel insights into amphibian metacommunity structure and wetland restoration

The Genetic Component of Seagrass Restoration: What We Know and the Way Forwards

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