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 Restoration

Improve Return to historic condition

Replacement

Restore structure, function, diversity and dynamics of ecosystem

DESIRED STATE OF SITE

Stabilize Remove pollutants Revegetate Aesthetics

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

Degraded - cattle ranch, pasture, logging

NATURAL INTERVENTION REGENERATION Plant native

Andean alder 40 yrs later

Ecoregion with enormous diversity

Ucumari Regional Park, Central Andes

NATURAL AND TREE PLANTATIONS

Alder dominated canopy No sub-canopy 43 spp per 0.125 ha plot

Mixed uneven canopy Continuous vertical foliage 63 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

Proportion of ancient forest left

Herb species diversity in regenerating forest

Vellend 2003 Ecol 84: 1158-64 Q. Conclusions?

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

5.!Prioritize - 6.!Address Constraint 7.!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”

Emily Gonzalez – UBC

200 plots in Southern gulf and San Juan Islands

Many deer

Few deer

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

Gonzales and Arcese Ecology 2009

Competition (C) and Herbivore (H) impacts on seedlings and seeds

Evaluating actions: an experimental approach

Removal of competitors (burn or mow) Re-seed with natives

Control Burned Seeded Both

300

200

100

0

No.

See

dlin

gs

Added

Non-added

exotics

Burning can help some natives but it helps some exotics too 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

Mauritius kestrel 1974 - 4 birds 1994 333rd release 2000 ca. 700

Golden lion tamarin 1970’s 200 147 captive bred releases 2001 - 1000 % wildborn now 88%

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