Seed removal patterns in burned and unburned desert habitats: Implications for ecological restoration

Suazo, Alexis A.; Craig, Donovan J.; Vanier, Cheryl; Abella, Scott R.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.08.016

Cited by 19 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The one‐seeded achenes (hereafter referred to as seeds) are dispersed in early summer. Fallen seeds are quickly harvested by rodents or, in some areas, by large‐bodied ants (Auger, 2005; Suazo et al, 2013; Meyer and Pendleton, 2015). Heteromyid rodent seed predators (kangaroo rats and pocket mice) play a vital role in blackbrush seedling establishment because they cache numerous seeds in shallow scatter hoards (Meyer and Pendleton, 2005, 2015; Auger, 2005).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary drivers of mast‐seeding in a long‐lived desert shrub

Meyer

Pendleton

2015

American J of Botany

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Both the evolutionary drivers and proximal regulators of masting in blackbrush are similar to those demonstrated for masting species of mesic environments. Relatively low synchrony across populations in response to regional masting cues occurs at least partly because prior-year environmental cues can trigger masting efforts in years with resource limitation due to suboptimal precipitation, especially in more xeric low-elevation habitats.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary drivers of mast‐seeding in a long‐lived desert shrub

Meyer

Pendleton

2015

American J of Botany

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“…The use of mulch (Nyamai et al ) and chemical repellants (Brakes & Smith ) has been reported to protect the seeds, and late‐season seeding and drill seeding may effectively reduce the impacts of granivory on seedling establishment (Gurney et al ). Additionally, selection of species based on least preferred seed traits (Suazo et al ) and appropriate abundance of seeds in seeding mixtures can also increase on‐site retention of heavily predated seeds (Beard et al ; Dudenhoffer et al ).…”

Section: Seed Availabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Overcoming challenges on using native seeds for restoration of megadiverse resource‐poor environments: a reply to Madsen et al.

Dayrell

Arruda

Buisson

et al. 2016

Restoration Ecology

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International audienceMadsen et al. (2016) reviewed several major limiting factors to establishment of seedlings in nonforest ecosystems (NFE), and proposed seed enhancement technologies to overcome these restoration barriers. However, biodiverse nutrient-poor NFE present additional hurdles that preclude landscape-scale seed-based restoration and were not mentioned in their review. Here, we discuss issues related to native seed availability and provenance, and shortfalls in knowledge on seed quality testing and dormancy release that severely hamper restoration of degraded nutrient-impoverished NFE. We present alternatives for overcoming these challenges and highlight the need for investments to find more practical and cost-effective options for broad-scale restoration

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“…Seed movement by animals does not preclude seedling establishment if some seeds escape predation and are deposited in microsites favorable for germination. Loss of seed has, however, resulted in suggestions to 1) minimize time that seeds reside on the ground before conditions conducive to germination occur, or 2) time seeding to correspond with nonpeak activity of granivores (Suazo et al 2013). To minimize the time that dormant seeds are exposed to predation, seeds of some species can be pretreated to speed germination (Ostler et al 2003).…”

Section: ) Make Controllable Factors Favorable Managers Cannotmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing and Restoring Habitat for the Desert Tortoise

Abella

Berry

2016

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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Habitat has changed unfavorably during the past 150 y for the desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii, a federally threatened species with declining populations in the Mojave Desert and western Sonoran Desert. To support recovery efforts, we synthesized published information on relationships of desert tortoises with three habitat features (cover sites, forage, and soil) and candidate management practices for improving these features for tortoises. In addition to their role in soil health and facilitating recruitment of annual forage plants, shrubs are used by desert tortoises for cover and as sites for burrows. Outplanting greenhouse-grown seedlings, protected from herbivory, has successfully restored (>50% survival) a variety of shrubs on disturbed desert soils. Additionally, salvaging and reapplying topsoil using effective techniques is among the more ecologically beneficial ways to initiate plant recovery after severe disturbance. Through differences in biochemical composition and digestibility, some plant species provide better-quality forage than others. Desert tortoises selectively forage on particular annual and herbaceous perennial species (e.g., legumes), and forage selection shifts during the year as different plants grow or mature. Nonnative grasses provide low-quality forage and contribute fuel to spreading wildfires, which damage or kill shrubs that tortoises use for cover. Maintaining a diverse “menu” of native annual forbs and decreasing nonnative grasses are priorities for restoring most desert tortoise habitats. Reducing herbivory by nonnative animals, carefully timing herbicide applications, and strategically augmenting annual forage plants via seeding show promise for improving tortoise forage quality. Roads, another disturbance, negatively affect habitat in numerous ways (e.g., compacting soil, altering hydrology). Techniques such as recontouring road berms to reestablish drainage patterns, vertical mulching (“planting” dead plant material), and creating barriers to prevent trespasses can assist natural recovery on decommissioned backcountry roads. Most habitat enhancement efforts to date have focused on only one factor at a time (e.g., providing fencing) and have not included proactive restoration activities (e.g., planting native species on disturbed soils). A research and management priority in recovering desert tortoise habitats is implementing an integrated set of restorative habitat enhancements (e.g., reducing nonnative plants, improving forage quality, augmenting native perennial plants, and ameliorating altered hydrology) and monitoring short- and long-term indicators of habitat condition and the responses of desert tortoises to habitat restoration.

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Seed removal patterns in burned and unburned desert habitats: Implications for ecological restoration

Cited by 19 publications

References 42 publications

Evolutionary drivers of mast‐seeding in a long‐lived desert shrub

Evolutionary drivers of mast‐seeding in a long‐lived desert shrub

Overcoming challenges on using native seeds for restoration of megadiverse resource‐poor environments: a reply to Madsen et al.

Enhancing and Restoring Habitat for the Desert Tortoise

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