Abstract Introduction Quarry restoration in Mediterranean regions such as Cyprus is expected to face more intensive problems than neighboring reference habitats due to effects of their recent disturbance, size, and isolation. Epigeic arthropod biodiversity can provide useful clues on restoration success. Objectives We assessed diversity of restored and reference areas at 10 quarry sites in Cyprus. Ecological and functional diversity (FD) of two epigeic beetle families (Carabidae and Tenebrionidae), directly influenced by landscape changes and disturbance, is used for such an assessment. Methods Areas were sampled twice via pitfall traps in 2024. Age, connectivity, landscape diversity, patch size, and organic amendment application were examined as potential drivers of diversity. Results Restorations supported reduced diversity and activity‐density, indicating either negative effects of restoration practices on specialist taxa and the promotion of communities with functionally similar species, or the effects of ecological succession leading to relaxation of diversity below expected levels due to isolation and small size of restored areas. Unexpectedly, restoration age negatively affected diversity, corroborating the latter interpretation. Also, restored areas with higher connectivity exhibit increased diversity, while the size of restorations is negatively associated with diversity. Conclusions FD approaches can reveal diversity responses not observed by abundance/richness data alone. Functionality in restoration areas can decrease with time as long as these are not fully integrated with surrounding habitats, a finding that can inform management practices so that they can further promote connectivity.
Abstract Introduction River fragmentation disrupts ecological connectivity, constraining the movement, recruitment, and persistence of migratory fishes. Although fishways are widely implemented to mitigate these impacts, most evidence of effectiveness derives from northern hemisphere systems dominated by large‐bodied salmonids. Consequently, uncertainty remains as to whether common fishway designs are effective for small‐bodied, often diadromous fishes characteristic of temperate southern hemisphere rivers. Objectives We evaluated the long‐term, regional‐scale influence of barrier mitigation on the occupancy dynamics of two model fish species in a temperate southern hemisphere river network. Methods We analyzed a 45‐year composite dataset of presence–absence records from 25 sub‐catchments across five river basins in Greater Melbourne, Australia, where low‐head, lower‐catchment barriers have been progressively mitigated using standard fishway types. Dynamic occupancy models accounting for imperfect detection were used to estimate colonization, extinction, and occupancy trajectories for diadromous Common galaxias ( Galaxias maculatus ) and potadromous Flathead gudgeon ( Philypnodon grandiceps ). Results Occupancy dynamics of Common galaxias were strongly associated with barrier mitigation. Colonization probability increased threefold following mitigation, producing rapid catchment‐scale expansion over the period of barrier mitigation and persistent occupancy thereafter. In contrast, Flathead gudgeon showed gradual increases in occupancy over time but no strong response to barrier status. Conclusion Restoring longitudinal connectivity enabled rapid recolonization and sustained occupancy for a diadromous fish at a regional scale, providing rare long‐term evidence of fishway effectiveness in a temperate southern hemisphere context.
Abstract Introduction Increasing tree cover in cocoa agro‐ecosystems is central to sustainability and climate initiatives: shade trees buffer the heat and water deficits that limit yields, and in formerly forested West Africa they are now the main tree cover outside protected areas. Yet the transition rests largely on planting, and natural regeneration potential remains unquantified. Objectives We quantified that potential across cocoa agro‐ecosystems and asked which environmental and management conditions govern its density and diversity. Methods Tree regeneration was surveyed in 145 cocoa fields spanning gradients of soil, field history and structure, landscape, and climate. Bayesian hierarchical models identified the drivers of regeneration density and of Shannon diversity of order 1; Self‐Organizing Maps grouped species with similar responses. Results Regeneration occurred in all 145 fields, conservatively at least 286 seedlings/ha. Density increased most consistently with the density of associated trees, which are seed sources and microclimate buffers, and probably in older fields and on former forest land. Diversity was likewise governed by associated tree diversity, with weaker positive contributions of field age, temperature, and forest cover. Four species groups emerged, contrasting in their dependence on conspecific adults, forest cover, and climate. Conclusions Cocoa agro‐ecosystems are not ecological dead ends but retain substantial regeneration potential, governed at the field scale, above all by the associated tree layer already present. The focus on planting overlooks both this capacity and the information needed to target restoration.
Abstract Introduction The worldwide decline of coral reefs has led to the proliferation of local‐scale coral restoration projects. Active restoration using in‐water coral tree nurseries and outplanting of coral fragments is relatively new on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and complements traditional, passive approaches to reef protection. However, given the infancy of these methods, few studies have measured the effectiveness of coral restoration techniques, including coral nursery systems. Objectives The study aimed to assess the performance of 10 Acropora species commonly used in coral tree nurseries and evaluate the impacts of harvesting wild colonies for small‐scale coral restoration programs at Hastings Reef and Fitzroy Island in the central GBR. Methods Wild reef colonies were selected as donor colonies and harvested to create fragments for coral tree nurseries. Donor and untouched (control) wild colonies were monitored for 6 months for bleaching, predation, disease, mortality, and growth. Fragment health and growth in a nursery were compared with wild and donor colonies. Species performance within nurseries was also compared. Data were analyzed using generalized linear models. Results All species showed increased growth rates after 6 months in a nursery, with lower predation and disease than control colonies on a nearby reef. However, nursery corals exhibited higher bleaching, likely due to higher temperatures at the shallower depths where nurseries were located. Conclusions Harvesting fragments had no negative effect on donor colony health. Multiple Acropora species benefited from the nursery environment and could help maintain local diversity and increase coral abundance. Higher bleaching rates in nursery fragments indicate that thermal stress must be mitigated.
Abstract Introduction The commercial native plant industry is increasingly used to supply plants for ecosystem restoration. Efforts to characterize this industry are needed to evaluate common practices and their ecological and evolutionary implications. Objectives We characterized industry practices for the production of Spartina alterniflora , a widely distributed and commonly restored wetland plant species in the United States, with a particular focus on practices that could affect evolutionary processes and thus genetic variation in the resulting stock. Methods We conducted interviews of commercial nurseries that produce S. alterniflora along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. For each nursery, we characterized key practices regarding sourcing, storage, grow out, and distribution. We also used qualitative coding techniques to document nursery social networks, key sources of industry uncertainty, and nursery local ecological knowledge. Results We show that the majority of the surveyed nurseries produce their stock from seed, rather than collection of adults or clonal production of cultivars. In addition, the majority of nurseries surveyed collected seeds from multiple sites, and generally from a broad area, consistent with best practices. Conclusions The surveyed nurseries follow many of the evolutionarily informed best practices in the scientific literature. Nursery social networks and concerns regarding industry stability were representative of the broader industry.
