scholarly journals Biodiversity outcomes of an urban revegetation programme in Wellington, New Zealand: The role of patch size, isolation, age and the urban matrix

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nicky OliverSmith
Keyword(s):  
Key Management ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Vegetation Surveys

<p>Urban revegetation programmes are an important contribution to the biodiversity of our landscape environment. Wellington city has, for nearly two decades, promoted revegetation of the city with a focus in latter years on eco-sourced native species. This is a substantial urban greening project planting 100,000 native plants per annum. This thesis analyses the native revegetation programme and posits recommendations for continuance and enhancement for consideration.  Data were collected from a sample set of twenty revegetated sites and four reference sites in Wellington city. Two transects per site were set up with invertebrate pitfall traps, lizard pitfall traps, lizard tree covers, bird count stations and vegetation surveys. The data were collected over a twelve-month period. Ordination was used to examine the community composition of revegetation sites in relation to each other and the four reference sites. Multiple regression was used to examine the influence of patch age, patch size, isolation and residential land cover upon a range of biodiversity variables.   The key findings of this study are that revegetated sites lacked the level of ground cover by native seedlings that were characteristic of the mature reference sites. Also found was that revegetation sites in Wellington City require around ten years of growth before natural regeneration of native seedlings began to become apparent.  Large native birds were more likely to be found in close proximity to mature primary bush, confirming that mature primary bush is an essential element of the landscape. Weta were found in increased numbers as distance from mature primary bush increased. Northern grass skinks were the only species of lizard found, in association with a higher proportion of residential area in the matrix.   The key management recommendations of this study are; the development of a collaborative connective strategy; further enrichment planting designed to maximize structural diversity over time; the investment in well planned robust monitoring programmes.  This research contributes to the understanding of biodiversity outcomes of an urban native revegtation programme, providing baseline data for future monitoring purposes.</p>

scholarly journals Biodiversity outcomes of an urban revegetation programme in Wellington, New Zealand: The role of patch size, isolation, age and the urban matrix

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nicky OliverSmith
Keyword(s):  
Key Management ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Vegetation Surveys

<p>Urban revegetation programmes are an important contribution to the biodiversity of our landscape environment. Wellington city has, for nearly two decades, promoted revegetation of the city with a focus in latter years on eco-sourced native species. This is a substantial urban greening project planting 100,000 native plants per annum. This thesis analyses the native revegetation programme and posits recommendations for continuance and enhancement for consideration.  Data were collected from a sample set of twenty revegetated sites and four reference sites in Wellington city. Two transects per site were set up with invertebrate pitfall traps, lizard pitfall traps, lizard tree covers, bird count stations and vegetation surveys. The data were collected over a twelve-month period. Ordination was used to examine the community composition of revegetation sites in relation to each other and the four reference sites. Multiple regression was used to examine the influence of patch age, patch size, isolation and residential land cover upon a range of biodiversity variables.   The key findings of this study are that revegetated sites lacked the level of ground cover by native seedlings that were characteristic of the mature reference sites. Also found was that revegetation sites in Wellington City require around ten years of growth before natural regeneration of native seedlings began to become apparent.  Large native birds were more likely to be found in close proximity to mature primary bush, confirming that mature primary bush is an essential element of the landscape. Weta were found in increased numbers as distance from mature primary bush increased. Northern grass skinks were the only species of lizard found, in association with a higher proportion of residential area in the matrix.   The key management recommendations of this study are; the development of a collaborative connective strategy; further enrichment planting designed to maximize structural diversity over time; the investment in well planned robust monitoring programmes.  This research contributes to the understanding of biodiversity outcomes of an urban native revegtation programme, providing baseline data for future monitoring purposes.</p>

Recreational Changes in the Forest Ecosystem Components: Case Study of the Cultural Heritage Site “White Sea Petroglyphs” (Republic of Karelia)

2020 ◽  
pp. 90-105
Author(s):  
A.V. Tuyunen ◽  
◽  
V.V. Timofeeva ◽  
A.Yu. Karpechko ◽  
Y.N. Tkachenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
White Sea ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Tree Stand ◽  
Rock Outcrops ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Recreation Impact

Recreation digression of forest ecosystems in the heritage site “White Sea Petroglyphs” was studied for the first time. This site is a compact system of rock outcrops partially cleared of forest vegetation, which bear Neolithic rock carvings (petroglyphs), and are linked together by walking trails. Patterns have been identified in the transformation of soils, plant cover components (tree stand, tree seedlings, understory and living ground cover), as well as fine roots (within 3 mm in diameter) of woody species under the recreation impact. Trampling was found to deform and destroy the top soil horizons, entailing a significant loss of the forest floor thickness and organic matter stores. Overall, the flora of the area is quite well preserved; 95–100 % of which is represented by native species. The living ground cover is noticeably damaged in the most actively used sites (fragments of trails and vista points). They feature a poor species composition, shrinking of the herb-dwarf shrub and moss-lichen cover, and a low percent cover of grassland and ruderal species. Easily accessible and actively visited sites have no or reducing amounts of tree seedlings, the tree stand is damaged and forest regeneration is hampered – the number of viable seedlings is minimal (100 pcs/ha). The mass of roots below 3 mm in diameter in heavily trampled trails showed a reduction of up to 74 %, while the root saturation in less affected trails slightly increased. Recreation transformations of the plant communities have not resulted in a loss of their resilience so far. The recreational digression in the studied sites was classified into stages I–III (weakly disturbed – strongly disturbed). Function zoning of the area should be modified using recreation-tolerant communities more intensively in order to reduce recreation impact. The most damaged areas, which are losing their stability, should be excluded from active use by modification of walking trails and building additional boardwalks.

A systematic approach for selecting focal species for conservation in the forests of Nova Scotia and Maine

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAREN BEAZLEY ◽  
NATHAN CARDINAL
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Species Selection ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Focal Species ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Eastern Pipistrelle ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable ◽  
Selection Of

Focal species are a critical component of conservation planning, along with representation of ecosystems, special elements and ecologically sustainable management. They warrant conservation attention because they are functionally important, wide-ranging or space-demanding, habitat-quality indicators, ‘flagship’, and/or vulnerable or special populations. A delphi survey matrix-based approach, involving regional experts in the selection of potential focal species, was applied in Nova Scotia, Canada and Maine, USA. Matrices with native species on one axis and selection characteristics on the other axis were used to summarize expert knowledge and judgment. Characteristics were related to biological traits and habitat requirements that make some species more vulnerable than others in human-modified landscapes. In Nova Scotia and Maine, 19 and 11 experts, respectively, completed the matrices, which were subsequently numerically assessed. Species with the highest scores were identified as potential focal species, including wolf, cougar, lynx, river otter, eastern pipistrelle, wood turtle, four-toed salamander, golden eagle and Atlantic salmon. Concerns remain around the lack of representation of some classes of species, subjectivity in selecting and weighting characteristics, and the relative nature of assessing species against the characteristics. Accordingly, potential focal species should be subject to verification through more rigorous and quantitative analysis and monitoring. Nonetheless, if applied with care, the matrix-based approach can provide a relatively systematic and effective way of engaging regional experts in focal species selection.

scholarly journals Short-Term Responses of Aquatic and Terrestrial Biodiversity to Riparian Restoration Measures Designed to Control the Invasive Arundo donax L.

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 2551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Bruno ◽  
Víctor Zapata ◽  
Simone Guareschi ◽  
Félix Picazo ◽  
Ettore Dettori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Arundo Donax ◽  
Ecological Quality ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Aquatic Macroinvertebrate

Invasive species are among the top five causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. Arundo donax has progressively colonized the riparian zones of Mediterranean rivers with detrimental effects on terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, being catalogued as one of the 100 worst invasive species. In order to control this invasive species and restore native riparian vegetation, different methods have been traditionally used, depending on the environmental, economic and social context. Here, the effect of repeated above-ground removal of A. donax on aquatic and terrestrial communities was assessed by testing two different frequencies of mowing (monthly-intensive and quarterly-extensive), combined with the plantation of native species. Specifically, it was evaluated if riparian vegetation, birds and aquatic macroinvertebrates showed significant responses throughout time and between restoration treatments based on 4-year annual biomonitoring data (2015–2018). Changes in taxonomic diversity and ecological quality indices for the different biological communities were tested using mixed-effect models (LMEs). Similarly, comparisons between restored and reference sites were also performed. LMEs were also applied to assess how riparian variables were related to bird and aquatic macroinvertebrate indices. NMDS and MGLM-Mvabund analyses were performed to detect significant post-treatment differences in taxa composition compared to the initial state and reference sites. During this short-term assessment, increases in riparian and aquatic macroinvertebrate richness and quality indices were found, as well as significant decreases in A. donax height, density and cover, without significant differences between restoration treatments. However, differential effects between extensive (positive-neutral effect) and intensive treatments (neutral-negative effect) were detected for bird richness, density and abundance. After three years of restoration actions, restored sites are still far from reference values in terms of taxa composition, species richness and ecological quality, especially for riparian vegetation and birds. Given the high cost and the great efforts required for restoration, extensive repeated mowing, together with native species plantation, are only recommended on river reaches not fully invaded by A. donax and with a high ecological interest.

scholarly journals Restoration of eucalypt grassy woodland: effects of experimental interventions on ground-layer vegetation

2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 570 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. McIntyre ◽  
R. B. Cunningham ◽  
C. F. Donnelly ◽  
A. D. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Ground Layer ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Main Driver

We report on the effects of broad-scale restoration treatments on the ground layer of eucalypt grassy woodland in south-eastern Australia. The experiment was conducted in two conservation reserves from which livestock grazing had previously been removed. Changes in biomass, species diversity, ground-cover attributes and life-form were analysed over a 4-year period in relation to the following experimental interventions: (1) reduced kangaroo density, (2) addition of coarse woody debris and (3) fire (a single burn). Reducing kangaroo density doubled total biomass in one reserve, but no effects on exotic biomass, species counts or ground cover attributes were observed. Coarse woody debris also promoted biomass, particularly exotic annual forbs, as well as plant diversity in one of the reserves. The single burn reduced biomass, but changed little else. Overall, we found the main driver of change to be the favourable growth seasons that had followed a period of drought. This resulted in biomass increasing by 67%, (mostly owing to the growth of perennial native grasses), whereas overall native species counts increased by 18%, and exotic species declined by 20% over the 4-year observation period. Strategic management of grazing pressure, use of fire where biomass has accumulated and placement of coarse woody debris in areas of persistent erosion will contribute to improvements in soil and vegetation condition, and gains in biodiversity, in the future.

Plant community responses to mechanical site preparation in northern interior British Columbia

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1084-1100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Haeussler ◽  
Lorne Bedford ◽  
Jacob O Boateng ◽  
Andy MacKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Mechanical Site Preparation ◽  
High Severity

Ten-year response of plant communities to disk trenching, plowing, rotoclearing and windrow burning was studied on two contrasting sites to address concerns that mechanical site preparation reduces structural and species diversity. Cover and height of all species on randomly located subplots within 0.05- to 0.075-ha treatment plots were used to develop indices of volume, structural diversity, and species diversity; to ordinate the plots; and to correlate species diversity with crop-tree performance. At both sites, community response was strongly influenced by the severity of site preparation. On a boreal site dominated by willow (Salix L. spp.), green alder (Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh ssp. crispa) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), site preparation increased structural diversity and had little effect on species diversity. High-severity treatments increased non-native species abundance 10- to 16-fold while only marginally enhancing growth of planted white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) over medium-severity treatments. On a nutrient-poor sub-boreal site, species diversity declined with increasing treatment severity and with increasing lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) stem volume. Velvet-leaved blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx.) was highly sensitive to mechanical disturbance. Moderate mechanical treatments appear to improve conifer performance while causing little change to plant communities, but high severity treatments can cause substantial change.

Concurrent establishment of ground cover and hardwood trees on reclaimed mined land and unmined reference sites

1989 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.P. Andersen ◽  
B.H. Bussler ◽  
W.R. Chaney ◽  
P.E. Pope ◽  
W.R. Byrnes
Keyword(s):  
Ground Cover ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Hardwood Trees

Surface runoff response of native and introduced grasses under simulated rainfall in southern Alberta

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean R Murphy ◽  
Francis J Larney ◽  
Walter D Willms ◽  
Paul R DeMaere
Keyword(s):  
Introduced Species ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Simulated Rainfall ◽  
Total N ◽  
Crested Wheatgrass ◽  
Initial Abstraction ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Russian Wildrye

Introduced perennial grass-based pastures (e.g., crested wheatgrass, Agropyron cristatum, and Russian wildrye, Elymus junceus) are promoted as desirable alternatives to natural grasslands (Stipa-Bouteloua-Agropyron spp.) for livestock production systems on the mixed-grass prairie of Alberta. A study was conducted on plots established in 1993 to examine the surface runoff response from natural grasslands, introduced grasses and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under simulated rainfall in response to pasture and soil characteristics. The grass plots were never grazed, but herbage growth was harvested on an annual basis, while wheat was seeded each year following tillage. Both wheat and crested wheatgrass were less able to retain applied water; with low initial abstraction (5.1–5.7mm), runoff peaked earlier (14–26 min) and with higher intensity (65.1–68.8mm h-1) giving larger values of the rising limb factor (0.61–1.10). Two grasslands dominated by native species showed more desirable runoff characteristics; with high initial abstraction (9.6–13.3mm), runoff peaked later (32–54 min) and with lower intensity (32.7–45.8mm h-1) giving smaller values of the rising limb factor (0.13–0.35). Russian wildrye had an intermediary response. A linear model identified that to reduce the rising limb factor and amount of runoff generated after 30 min, the antecedent conditions of ground cover (%), litter dry matter (DM) and dead herbage DM were singularly important variables and the native grasslands had significantly higher levels of these. Importantly, fine and medium litter fragments of natural grasslands had higher water-holding capacity (>3.0 g g-1) compared with litter of the introduced species (~2.5 g g-1). However, when variables were considered in combination runoff decreased with higher ground cover and increased with higher soil water content. Levels of total N and total P in surface runoff were generally low (< 2 mg N L-1, < 1 mg P L-1), but ammonium and reactive P export from the native species was greater than for the introduced species. Suspended sediment yield did not differ among the grassland treatments, but was significantly higher for wheat. Less runoff was generated on grasslands that had high amounts of litter, dead standing herbage and ground cover. Increasing the amount of litter in pastures by using grazing management may decrease the runoff response and so avoid loss of surface water and soil nutrients. Key words: Ground cover, litter, water quality, native grasses, nutrients

scholarly journals Trace Element Concentrations in Bearded Seals (Erignathus barbatus) Near Red Dog Mine Compared to Other Locations in Alaska

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Quakenbush ◽  
John J. Citta
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Organic Form ◽  
Element Concentrations ◽  
Erignathus Barbatus ◽  
Predominant Form ◽  
Bearded Seals

To determine if bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) harvested near a zinc and lead mine (Red Dog, Alaska , USA) by subsistence hunters from Kivalina, Alaska, were as safe to eat as bearded seals from other locations in Alaska, we compared 19 trace element concentrations in liver tissue. Liver concentrations from nine bearded seals harvested near the Red Dog Mine (RDM) port site were compared with 15 bearded seals from two reference sites (Hooper Bay and Little Diomede, Alaska, USA). Concentrations did not differ by gender, but we found statistically significant trends in concentrations of cadmium, mercury, manganese, selenium, and vanadium with age. Arsenic and copper were the only elements found to be more concentrated in the liver of bearded seals harvested near RDM than in the other locations. The predominant form of arsenic in marine mammals is known to be a nontoxic organic form, not the toxic inorganic form, and copper is an essential element. Although elevated near RDM, neither element was found at concentrations that presented health risks. We found no evidence that bearded seals harvested near RDM were less safe to eat or that trace element concentrations were greater than those found in bearded seals harvested elsewhere in Alaska or Canada.

scholarly journals Plant Community Structure within a Reclamation Field Trial and Forested Reference Sites in a Post-Mine Environment

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 776
Author(s):  
Sean B. Rapai ◽  
Brianna Collis ◽  
Thomas Henry ◽  
Kimberly Lyle ◽  
Steven G. Newmaster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Field Trial ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Plant Functional Groups ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Additional Reference

Early successional plant community assemblage within a reclamation field trial at the Detour Lake Mine in northeastern Ontario is assessed, and compared with reference forested and historically reclaimed sites. The reclamation field trial examines eight amendment treatment combinations that include treatments with a winter kill cover crop of oats, fertilizer, biosolids, peat, and combinations thereof. The objectives of this study are to: (1) Investigate how soil amendments influence plant functional group establishment and growth in mine overburden; and (2) Explore the amendment properties that best support the establishment and growth of a plant community that resembles the baseline reference sites. Currently, the presence of non-native species and a dominant woody plant community explains the largest proportion of variance between the forested upland and lowland reference sites and all reclaimed sites. Similar to non-native species, graminoids were absent from the upland forested reference sites. The difference in the graminoid community explains much of the variance between the forested reference sites and all reclaimed sites. The cumulative additions of fertilizer and peat increased alpha diversity of non-native and graminoid plants within the amendment treatments, which had greater alpha diversity of these plant functional groups than the forested reference sites. Within the amendment treatments, non-native and graminoid alpha diversity was initially greater in the nutrient treatments, but by 2019 there was no significant difference in non-native or graminoid alpha diversity between amendment treatments. The results indicate that applications of nutrients through fertilizer or biosolids may increase graminoid alpha diversity and abundance within reclamation units in year 1. The results also confirm that the vascular plant community composition present within the historically reclaimed sites and amendment treatments does not resemble the forested reference sites. The plant community present within the amendment treatment sites is best described as early successional, with the presence of non-native herbaceous legumes dominating the historically reclaimed sites. Despite this, the results indicate that fertilizer and biosolids-based treatments have developed a vascular plant community, excluding woody species that is more similar to the forested reference sites than the peat-based treatments. Further research and long-term monitoring are needed to determine which amendment treatment will best support a plant community that resembles the forested reference sites. In addition, future studies of this nature might consider including wildfire affected and post-harvested forest stands as additional reference sites, to better capture possible plant community trajectories of a severely disturbed environment.

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