Two Summer Research Assistant Positions
in Plant/Pollinator Evolution and Conservation
Position 1: Part time, on campus, to evaluate divergent selection on
floral traits by pollinators (mostly bees) and water availability.
Position 2: Full time, Vancouver Island, to assist in building
pollinator interaction webs and measure pollen limitation of
wildflowers in the endangered Garry Oak Ecosystem.
Both begin mid-April and run through July (flexible at both ends)
To Apply: Send a letter detailing which position you are
interested in and why you should be hired, plus a CV including
contact information for two references, to Elizabeth Elle:
eelle@sfu.ca.
SCHEDULE FOR NEXT 2-3 weeks F- Restoration
M- Reintroductions
W- Background for issue based tutorial
not attending will reduce ability to participate in
the tutorial
Guest – CWS – Habitat approaches
attendance required
New topic - Reserve Design
RESTORATION
terminology
natural succession vs active management
case studies
REINTRODUCTIONS
Why and when?
Australian and New Zealand perspectives
Canadian reintroductions
The good, the bad and the ugly
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
CURRENT STATE OF SITE
Reclamation Rehabilitation Re-creation
Replacement
Stabilize
Improve
Remove pollutants
Revegetate
Aesthetics
Return to
historic
condition
Restoration
Restore structure,
function, diversity
and dynamics of
ecosystem
DESIRED STATE OF SITE
RESTORATION TOOLS
Natural succession - let nature take care of it
Mitigating/altering factors impacting the site
Introducing and promoting species
NATURAL SUCCESSION
Eg Restoration of Tropical Montane Forest,
Goal
restore composition structure function
prevent spp loss and maintain viable populations
Options
1) Allow natural regeneration
2) Plant native trees, then allow succession
Restoration of Tropical Montane Forest
Ucumari Regional Park, Central Andes,
Columbia
Ecoregion with enormous diversity
Degraded - cattle ranch, pasture, logging
NATURAL
REGENERATION
INTERVENTION
Plant native
Andean alder
40 yrs later
Ucumari Regional Park, Central Andes
NATURAL
AND TREE PLANTATIONS
Mixed uneven canopy
Alder dominated canopy
Continuous vertical foliageNo sub-canopy
63 spp per 0.125 ha plot 43 spp per 0.125 ha plot
178 spp found in restored plots
Only 23 shared by two forest types
Initial conditions determine restored ecosystem
Natural succession --> greater diversity
BUT success depends on availability of seed sources
NATURAL SUCCESSION
Restoration of Fresh Kills Landfill, NY City
•Received urban waste for 50 yrs
•Created four mounds 100+ ft tall
•Mounds “capped” 2001
Goal
Restore
wetlands,grasslands
and woodlands that
will offer wildlife
habitat and natural
open spaces
Restoration of Fresh Kills Landfill, NY City
Natural regeneration
---> little structure, diversity
Planted shrubs, oak, pine (17 spp)
---> arrival 20 new spp. in 2 yrs
Planting adds spp, provides habitat that
allows arrival animal-dispersed seeds
Fresh Kills 2016
NATURAL SUCCESSION
Herb species
diversity in
regenerating
forest
Proportion of ancient forest left
Q. Conclusions?
Vellend 2003 Ecol 84: 1158-64
RESTORATION - mitigating impacts on a site
Steps:
1. Define Goal - restore what?
2. Identify constraints
Disturbance regime
Lack seed source/limited spp pool
Invasive spp - biogeochemical feedback
Herbivory or other trophic interactions
Environmental change
3. Prioritize 4. Address Constraint
5. Evaluate and GO TO 1
Restoration of tropical dry forest,
Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica
Issue - conversion of forest for pasture
- dry forest is the most endangered
lowland forest type
- less 0.1% original habitat is protected
Daniel Janzen
Restoration of tropical dry forest, Costa Rica
Guanacaste - major restoration project
- 47000 ha pasture + 23000 ha park
- 130 staff
Restoration of tropical dry forest,
Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa
Rica
Constraints - fires set to maintain pasture
- pasture dominated by exotics
- seeds are animal dispersed
Prioritize
Step 1 - aggressive fire control;
fire breaks, fire access roads
Step 2 - horses/cows used to promote
seed dispersal
Restoration of tropical dry forest, Costa Rica
Results
Areas protected 5-10 yrs
- Fires reduced by 93%
- trees 10-15 ft tall
Pasture expected to be
closed canopy forest in 20-50 yrs
mature forest in 300 yrs
Restoration of Garry Oak Ecosystems
High diversity
Native wild flowers
BUT dominated by
exotics (grasses/broom)
Restoration constraints: invasive spp, grazing, fire
Evaluating constraints: an experimental approach
1. Plants compete with each other for resources
“Bottom-up hypothesis”
2. Herbivores regulate plants
“ top-down hypothesis”
3. Herbivores eat certain plants which helps less
palatable species
“enemy of my enemy hypothesis”
Many deer
Few deer
Emily Gonzalez – UBC
200 plots in Southern gulf and San Juan Islands
200 plots in Southern gulf and San Juan Islands
Evaluating constraints:
an experimental approach
Plant native species in plots
Seeds
Seedlings
Treatments
Herbivore exclusion, Competitor removal
Fence
Cut
Factorial 2x2 design
Competition (C) and Herbivore (H) impacts on
seedlings
and
seeds
Gonzales and Arcese Ecology 2009
Evaluating actions: an experimental approach
Removal of competitors (burn or mow)
Re-seed with natives
Added
No. Seedlings
300
Burning can help
some natives but it
helps some exotics
too
Non-added
exotics
200
100
0
Control Burned Seeded Both
MacDougal and Turkington Ecology
Restoration of tall grass prairie
Tall grass prairies
covered 250 million acres of Midwest
dominated by 30 grass + 250 forb spp
1% remaining
most endangered ecosystem in NA
Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie
projected initiated 1996
19,000 acres in Illinois
massive restoration project
Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie
Action - removal excess willow/cottonwood
- plantings 69000 plants, 79 sp
- seeding - 112 spp
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
New discipline
Active research - how to assemble a
community
order effects, trophic interactions
Requires
multidisciplinary approach
clear goals
community involvement
planning
$$$
ANIMAL RESTORATION PROJECTS
Once habitat is restored
How successful are (re)introductions of animals?
REINTRODUCTIONS - OVERVIEW
Terminology
Why and when?
Australian and New Zealand perspectives
Canadian reintroductions
The good, the bad and the ugly
TERMINOLOGY
Reintroduction - introduce into historic
range
Translocation - movement from A to B
Supplementation/reinforcement
Benign introduction - introduce outside
known range
Loggerhead shrike
takahe
REINTRODUCTIONS - Why and When?
Why
maintain/restore biodiversity
re-establish keystone taxa
establish viable wild populations
limit long-term management costs
When
need to increase number or range
no risk to source population
cause of decline removed
sufficient protected habitat
community support
impact on people +ve
$$$
IUCN
guidelines
REINTRODUCTIONS - Can they work?
Famous success stories
Golden lion tamarin
1970’s 200
147 captive bred releases
2001 - 1000
% wildborn now 88%
Mauritius kestrel
1974 - 4 birds
1994 333rd release
2000 ca. 700
REINTRODUCTIONS - Will they work?
Wolves in Yellowstone
Cause of extirpation
Human hunting
Reintroduction
1995-97 41 individuals
Current population in YNP - 271+
Prospects No longer “endangered”
REINTRODUCTIONS - Will they work?
The Guam rail
Cause of extirpation
brown tree snake (introduced)
Reintroduction
Rota - predator free island
Guam - 60 ha fenced area
Prospects
on Guam - not good
REINTRODUCTIONS - Will they work?
MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION
What caused extirpation in the first
place?
Has that threat been reduced/eliminated
NEXT LECTURE Reintroductions
Australian and New Zealand perspectives
Canadian reintroductions
The good, the bad and the ugly