Challenging Assumptions in Urban Restoration Ecology

Abstract Seed dispersal has key implications for community dynamics and restoration ecology. However, estimating seed rain (the number and diversity of seeds arriving in a given area) is challenging, and the lack of standardization in measurement prevents cross-site comparisons. Seed trap effectiveness and accuracy of seed sorting methods are key components of seed rain estimates in need of standardization. We propose and describe a standardized protocol for evaluating the effectiveness of two seed trap types (sticky and funnel traps) and the accuracy of a seed sorting method. We used widely available seeds (arugula, quinoa, sesame and sunflower) to produce a gradient of seed size, weight and colour. Proof-of-concept was tested in a tropical grassland, where traps were set for 30 days. Our results suggest that we underestimate dispersal of seeds with less than 2 mm width that can be easily mistaken for debris and soil particles or that fail to adhere to sticky traps. Seeds on sticky traps may be more vulnerable to removal by wind and rain, whereas seeds in funnel traps are more susceptible to decay. We found no evidence of observer bias on seed sorting for funnel trap samples. However, accuracy on seed sorting for funnel trap samples tended to decline for seeds with less than 2 mm width, suggesting a size-dependence in seed retrieval success. Our standardized protocol addressing trap effectiveness and seed sorting methods will increase the reliability of data obtained in seed rain studies and allow more reliable comparisons between datasets.

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Krystyna M. Urbana, Nigel Webb and Peter Edwards, eds., Restoration ecology and sustainable development, Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 582160 5 (HB) £55.00 (US$74.95)

Environment and Development Economics ◽

10.1017/s1355770x99210091 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 125-129

Author(s):

JON LOVETT

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Restoration Ecology ◽

Cambridge University

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Foundations of Restoration Ecology - Edited by Donald A. Falk, Margaret A. Palmer, and Joy B. Zedler

Restoration Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1526-100x.2007.00254.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 592-593

Author(s):

Karen Holl ◽

Martha Bonilla ◽

Ryan Carle ◽

Sarah Carvill ◽

Amy Concilio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Restoration Ecology

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Solutions in microbiome engineering: prioritizing barriers to organism establishment

The ISME Journal ◽

10.1038/s41396-021-01088-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Michaeline B. N. Albright ◽

Stilianos Louca ◽

Daniel E. Winkler ◽

Kelli L. Feeser ◽

Sarah-Jane Haig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Ecosystem Function ◽

Restoration Ecology ◽

Propagule Pressure ◽

Environmental Filtering ◽

Biotic Interactions ◽

Invasion Biology ◽

Engineering Research

AbstractMicrobiome engineering is increasingly being employed as a solution to challenges in health, agriculture, and climate. Often manipulation involves inoculation of new microbes designed to improve function into a preexisting microbial community. Despite, increased efforts in microbiome engineering inoculants frequently fail to establish and/or confer long-lasting modifications on ecosystem function. We posit that one underlying cause of these shortfalls is the failure to consider barriers to organism establishment. This is a key challenge and focus of macroecology research, specifically invasion biology and restoration ecology. We adopt a framework from invasion biology that summarizes establishment barriers in three categories: (1) propagule pressure, (2) environmental filtering, and (3) biotic interactions factors. We suggest that biotic interactions is the most neglected factor in microbiome engineering research, and we recommend a number of actions to accelerate engineering solutions.

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