Two Summer Research Assistant Positions in Plant/Pollinator Evolution and Conservation

Two Summer Research Assistant Positionsin 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

RESTORATIONterminologynatural succession vs active managementcase studies

REINTRODUCTIONSWhy and when?Australian and New Zealand perspectivesCanadian reintroductionsThe 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 ecosystemDESIRED STATE OF SITE

StabilizeRemove pollutantsRevegetateAesthetics

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,

Goalrestore composition structure functionprevent spp loss and maintain viable populations

Options1)Allow natural regeneration2)Plant native trees, then allow succession

Restoration of Tropical Montane Forest

Ucumari Regional Park, Central Andes, Columbia

Degraded - cattle ranch, pasture, logging

NATURAL INTERVENTIONREGENERATION Plant native

Andean alder40 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 canopyContinuous vertical foliage63 spp per 0.125 ha plot

178 spp found in restored plotsOnly 23 shared by two forest types

Initial conditions determine restored ecosystemNatural succession --> greater diversityBUT 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” 2001GoalRestore 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 regimeLack seed source/limited spp poolInvasive spp - biogeochemical feedbackHerbivory or other trophic interactionsEnvironmental change

3. Prioritize - 4. Address Constraint5. 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 dispersedPrioritize

Step 1 - aggressive fire control; fire breaks, fire access

roadsStep 2 - horses/cows used to promote seed dispersal

Restoration of tropical dry forest, Costa Rica

ResultsAreas 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 diversityNative 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 – UBC200 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 plotsSeeds Seedlings

TreatmentsHerbivore 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.

Seed

ling

s

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 prairiescovered 250 million acres of Midwestdominated by 30 grass + 250 forb spp1% remainingmost endangered ecosystem in NA

Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie

projected initiated 199619,000 acres in Illinoismassive restoration project

Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie

Action - removal excess willow/cottonwood - plantings 69000 plants, 79 sp - seeding - 112 spp

RESTORATION ECOLOGY

New disciplineActive research - how to assemble a

communityorder effects, trophic interactions

Requiresmultidisciplinary approachclear goalscommunity involvementplanning$$$

ANIMAL RESTORATION PROJECTS

Once habitat is restored

How successful are (re)introductions of animals?

REINTRODUCTIONS - OVERVIEWTerminologyWhy and when?Australian and New Zealand perspectivesCanadian reintroductionsThe 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 biodiversityre-establish keystone taxaestablish viable wild populationslimit long-term management costs

When need to increase number or rangeno risk to source populationcause of decline removedsufficient protected habitatcommunity supportimpact on people +ve$$$

IUCN guidelines

REINTRODUCTIONS - Can they work?

Famous success stories

Mauritius kestrel1974 - 4 birds1994 333rd release2000 ca. 700

Golden lion tamarin1970’s 200147 captive bred releases2001 - 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 ReintroductionsAustralian and New Zealand perspectivesCanadian reintroductionsThe good, the bad and the ugly