Sustainable agricultural intensification could improve ecosystem service multifunctionality, yet empirical evidence remains tenuous, especially regarding consequences for spatially coupled ecosystems connected by flows across ecosystem boundaries (i.e., metaecosystems). Here we aim to understand the effects of land-use intensification on multiple ecosystem services of spatially connected grasslands and wetlands, where management practices were applied to grasslands but not directly imposed to wetlands. We synthesize long-term datasets encompassing 53 physical, chemical, and biological indicators, comprising >11,000 field measurements. Our results reveal that intensification promotes high-quality forage and livestock production in both grasslands and wetlands, but at the expense of water quality regulation, methane mitigation, non-native species invasion resistance, and biodiversity. Land-use intensification weakens relationships among ecosystem services. The effects on grasslands cascade to alter multifunctionality of embedded natural wetlands within the metaecosystems to a similar extent. These results highlight the importance of considering spatial flows of resources and organisms when studying land-use intensification effects on metaecosystems as well as when designing grassland and wetland management practices to improve landscape multifunctionality.

AbstractWetlands in agroecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services, including provisioning services such as forage production. Here, we examine how pasture management intensity (semi‐natural pastures vs. highly managed pastures (fertilized, heavily drained, planted with productive grasses), cattle exclusion (grazed vs. fenced), prescribed fire (burned vs. unburned), and their interactions affect provisioning services provided by small, isolated, and seasonally flooded wetlands in subtropical pastures and rangelands. We used a replicated, full‐factorial experiment on 40 seasonally flooded wetlands located in Florida (USA), and measured standing plant biomass and annual net primary productivity in each wetland. Biomass was sorted by species to calculate species abundance of palatable and unpalatable plants. We used general linear mixed models to evaluate the effect of treatments and their interactions on biomass quantity, plant tissue nutrients (% C, % N, and % P), and forage nutritive value (using in vitro organic matter digestibility). Plant standing biomass and productivity were greatest in wetlands embedded in highly managed pastures, but in grazed wetlands, a large proportion of this biomass was unpalatable to cattle. Excluding cattle from wetlands in highly managed pastures increased productivity, standing biomass, and the amount of palatable species (~6.3 t/ha) compared to grazed wetlands (~3.3 t/ha), especially when these wetlands were also exposed to prescribed fire. Total P in plant tissue was consistently higher in wetlands within highly managed pastures, but total N responses to treatments varied between years. In vitro digestibility was higher in vegetation from wetlands within highly managed pastures, but not in fenced wetlands despite the higher amount of palatable species, suggesting that palatability and digestibility were decoupled. Subtropical wetlands in agroecosystems provide substantial provisioning services, and our study suggests that targeted management can increase these services. However, the pasture type surrounding a wetland interacts with grazing and fire management to affect provisioning services. We propose that fencing off selected wetlands (specifically in highly managed pastures) followed by low‐intensity grazing with adequate resting periods could benefit ranchers and have less persistent impacts on this ecosystem.

Understanding the structural and mechanical properties of coral skeletons is important to assess their responses to natural and anthropogenic challenges and to predict the long-term viability of hermatypic corals in a changing ocean. Here, we describe the microstructure of the critically endangered staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) skeleton and its mechanical properties, spectral and fluidic behavior, including uniaxial compressive strength, resistance to plastic deformation, spectral vibrational response, and flow-field analysis. We evaluated skeletons of A. cervicornis retrieved from a nursery off Broward County, Florida, USA. Optical micrographs and X-ray computed topography revealed a complex system of canals and pores that allow rapid skeletal elongation while retaining sufficient strength to withstand currents, waves, and other physical forces. Compressive loading of the aragonite skeleton resulted in complex stress–strain deformation behavior; the unique pore arrangement resisted catastrophic cracks and prevented instantaneous failure. Vickers microhardness was 3.56 ± 0.31 GPa, which is typical for soft aragonite materials yet sufficient to withstand the hydraulic pressure of ocean waves. Impressions made by the diamond indenter had almost no cracks radiating from their corners, which again demonstrated the ability of the complex skeleton microstructure to suppress crack formation and growth (e.g., from the bites of grazers). Maps of the ν1 mode Raman peak of identation surfaces showed evidence of residual strain. However, the ν1 peak’s position barely changed (from 1083.6 cm−1 outside the impression to 1083.9 cm−1 in the center), indicating weak stress sensitivity. Flow-field analysis revealed small-scale, counter-rotating vortices formed in the skeleton’s wake, which can entrain food particles within range of polyp tentacles and facilitate transport of respiratory gases and wastes. Considered together, our results demonstrate that the perforate skeleton of A. cervicornis is well-adapted to withstand physical forces normally encountered in its shallow-water habitat, but may be susceptible to anthropogenic stressors that alter its architecture.

Coral reefs provide habitat for most oceanic life forms, however, they are declining worldwide due to pollution, increased ocean temperature, diseases and other factors. In this paper, structural and mechanical properties of endangered coral (Acropora cervicornis) skeletons cleaned by chemical bleaching and biological processes were studied. The structure of CaCO3 aragonite skeleton is porous and very complex and affects the deformation behaviour of coral skeletons. The average compressive strength was equal to 9.5 +/- 2.3 MPa and 14.5 +/- 6.4 MPa, while Vickers hardness was measured to be equal to 3.67 +/- 0.33 GPa and 3.65 +/- 0.24 GPa for the chemically bleached and biologically cleaned skeletons, respectively, thus showing similar values regardless of the cleaning techniques. The results are important for understanding the fundamental relationship between the coral skeleton's microstructure and mechanical behaviour.

Abstract Increasingly, agriculture is recognized as valuable not only for food production, but also for regulating and supporting ecosystem services such as those encompassing biodiversity and water. Various government programs provide incentives to farmers and ranchers to maintain ecosystem services, with an emerging focus on payment‐for‐ecosystem services (PES) programs. However, interactions among ecosystem services, including synergies or trade‐offs, at spatial scales relevant to land managers are not well understood. Here, we examined how a PES program for enhanced water retention on subtropical ranchlands in the headwaters of the Everglades affected seven indicators of ecosystem services and three indicators of disservices within wetlands (local scale) and among wetlands (wetland scale) at four different ranches. We used general linear mixed models and model selection to evaluate the feasibility of explicit, a priori hypotheses using data from 15 wetlands sampled across four participating ranches. Our study indicated that managing for increased water retention could result in both synergies and trade‐offs among ecosystem services. Higher water retention increased wetland plants at both local and wetland scales and was associated with reduced mosquitoes. Trade‐offs included significant declines in forage plant cover and decreases in amphibian abundance with higher water retention. Unimodal non‐linear relationships described responses of macroinvertebrates, fish, mosquito, and non‐native plant abundance to increasing water retention. These complex relationships indicate that optimizing water retention, provisioning services, and wetland biodiversity in ranchlands may not be straightforward. Unimodal non‐linear relationships among water retention and biodiversity suggest there is a threshold of water retention that represents a trade‐off for also maintaining biodiversity. Land use was an important driver of ecosystem disservices, with more intensely managed ranches having a greater potential for ecosystem disservices such as increased cover of non‐native plants, abundant mosquitoes, and lower amphibian abundance. Multidisciplinary collaboration was required to design, implement, monitor, and assess this PES program for trade‐offs and synergies.

During the last 40years, Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana Michx.) expanded into areas previously dominated by herbaceous marshes in the Upper St. Johns River basin (USJRB) of east-central Florida, United States. This change in vegetation affects evapotranspiration (ET). To quantify changes in ET at the community level after willows were removed using herbicides, a two-year field experiment with a randomized complete block design was implemented. The design included an unsprayed control and two different aerially sprayed herbicide treatments and was replicated in four blocks along the Upper St. Johns River. Daily ET was estimated using the Penmen-Monteith equation from July 1, 2014, to August 31, 2016. Cumulative ET difference between the control and treated plots increased substantially during the growing season after herbicide application. Mean annual evapotranspiration was 1,368 +/- 51mmyear-1 on control plots, 1,096 +/- 137mmyear-1 on plots treated with Aquasweep or Ecomazapyr herbicide, and 968 +/- 117mmyear-1 on plots treated by Clearcast herbicide. A single-parameter annual ET model derived from a Budyko-type equation was applied to the study area, and the model parameter (E) strongly correlated with willow fractional coverage in April. The empirical equation obtained from this study can be potentially used for evaluating the impacts of willow treatment and climate on long-term evapotranspiration in the study area.

State-and-transition models (STMs) have been successfully combined with Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBNs) to model temporal changes in managed ecosystems. Such models are useful for exploring when and how to intervene to achieve the desired management outcomes. However, knowing where to intervene is often equally critical. We describe an approach to extend state-and-transition dynamic Bayesian networks (ST-DBNs) — incorporating spatial context via GIS data and explicitly modelling spatial processes using spatial Bayesian networks (SBNs). Our approach uses object-oriented (OO) concepts and exploits the fact that ecological systems are hierarchically structured. This allows key phenomena and ecological processes to be represented by hierarchies of components that include similar, repetitive structures. We demonstrate the generality and power of our approach using two models — one developed for adaptive management of eucalypt woodland restoration in south-eastern Australia, and another developed to manage the encroachment of invasive willows into marsh ecosystems in east-central Florida.

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3; oxybenzone) is an ingredient in sunscreen lotions and personal-care products that protects against the damaging effects of ultraviolet light. Oxybenzone is an emerging contaminant of concern in marine environments—produced by swimmers and municipal, residential, and boat/ship wastewater discharges. We examined the effects of oxybenzone on the larval form (planula) of the coral Stylophora pistillata, as well as its toxicity in vitro to coral cells from this and six other coral species. Oxybenzone is a photo-toxicant; adverse effects are exacerbated in the light. Whether in darkness or light, oxybenzone transformed planulae from a motile state to a deformed, sessile condition. Planulae exhibited an increasing rate of coral bleaching in response to increasing concentrations of oxybenzone. Oxybenzone is a genotoxicant to corals, exhibiting a positive relationship between DNA-AP lesions and increasing oxybenzone concentrations. Oxybenzone is a skeletal endocrine disruptor; it induced ossification of the planula, encasing the entire planula in its own skeleton. The LC50 of planulae exposed to oxybenzone in the light for an 8- and 24-h exposure was 3.1 mg/L and 139 µg/L, respectively. The LC50s for oxybenzone in darkness for the same time points were 16.8 mg/L and 779 µg/L. Deformity EC20 levels (24 h) of planulae exposed to oxybenzone were 6.5 µg/L in the light and 10 µg/L in darkness. Coral cell LC50s (4 h, in the light) for 7 different coral species ranges from 8 to 340 µg/L, whereas LC20s (4 h, in the light) for the same species ranges from 0.062 to 8 µg/L. Coral reef contamination of oxybenzone in the U.S. Virgin Islands ranged from 75 µg/L to 1.4 mg/L, whereas Hawaiian sites were contaminated between 0.8 and 19.2 µg/L. Oxybenzone poses a hazard to coral reef conservation and threatens the resiliency of coral reefs to climate change.

Greater understanding of land management effects on species richness and composition is needed to manage biodiversity-related ecosystem services in agricultural ecosystems. Here we studied responses of vascular plants, macroinvertebrates, and ectothermic vertebrates to local and regional factors in two ranchland management intensities (semi-natural and highly-managed). Samples were collected in 40 separate wetlands embedded in the two management intensities. Based on community assembly theory, we expected a shift from regional to local-based factors as predictors of communities where local conditions become more limiting. We also expected highly managed ranchlands to most strongly "filter" community membership to become more homogeneous. Both predictions were supported though results sometimes differed among taxa. Wetland communities embedded in highly managed pastures were more homogeneous and significantly different from those in semi-natural pastures. Overall, regional factors related to propagule dispersal were most important in semi-natural pastures, and local factors (especially nutrients) were most important in highly managed pastures. However, some community metrics were consistently affected most by local or regional factors regardless of land use intensity. For instance, vegetation richness and vertebrate composition were consistently influenced by local factors, whereas macroinvertebrate composition was consistently influenced by regional factors. Based on our results, biodiversity conservation will be most effective if management efforts focus on improving local habitat conditions in highly managed areas, and on preserving regional heterogeneity in more natural areas. Taxon-specific conservation strategies should account for taxon-specific sensitivities to local and regional processes. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Summary Pasture management intensity, livestock grazing and prescribed fire are three widespread agricultural practices that affect small, isolated wetlands, but few studies have investigated their individual and interactive effects. Pasture management intensity refers to the degree of human alteration of grassland, ranging from intensively managed pastures planted with introduced forage, fertilizer/lime additions and artificial drainage to semi‐natural pastures with mixed native and non‐native vegetation, no fertilizer/lime additions and little or no artificial drainage. We examined individual and interactive effects of these three agricultural practices on individual, isolated wetlands using a replicated, full‐factorial experiment on 40 entire wetlands in south Florida, USA. Wetlands were embedded in two pasture management intensities: intensively managed and semi‐natural. After three years of treatment initiation, vegetation of wetlands released from grazing and unburned embedded in semi‐natural pastures had significantly lower evenness and coefficient of conservatism scores compared to wetlands released from grazing and burned, grazed unburned wetlands and grazed burned wetlands in the same pasture management intensity. For wetlands embedded in intensively managed pastures, evenness and coefficient of conservatism scores did not differ among treatments. Release from grazing increased abundance of the native, weedy herb, Eupatorium capillifolium. Grazing interacted with prescribed fire to affect shrub abundance and non‐native richness; relative abundance of shrubs and non‐native richness were greater in wetlands released from grazing and burned and did not differ among burn treatments in grazed wetlands. Interactive effects, especially three‐way interactions, were uncommon and not as important as differences between the two pasture management intensities. Synthesis and applications. Vegetation diversity and floristic quality of wetlands embedded in intensively managed pastures resisted common restoration management techniques such as release from grazing and prescribed fire, at least in the short term. In contrast, removing all top‐down disturbances from wetlands embedded in semi‐natural grasslands can negatively affect vegetation species diversity and floristic quality. Future studies should examine how intensity and seasonality of grazing and prescribed fire affect wetland vegetation, and track long‐term responses to evaluate lag effects.

In recent decades, invasive shrubs have replaced herbaceous wetlands in many parts of the world. In Florida, the native shrub Salix caroliniana Michx. (Carolina willow) expanded its distribution throughout the upper St. Johns Riv- er, replacing herbaceous marshes with willow swamps. To identify ways to prevent its expansion, we experimentally tested the effects of watering regime, temperature, substrate, and seed source on willow germination and seedling survival. In growth chamber experiments, germination and survival were most affected by watering regime and were greatest in saturated, organic soils. Survival decreased with soil inunda- tion and on drier, sandy soils. Variable texture and nutrient content in native soils had no differential effect on germina- tion or survivability of willow. Time of seed production, seed source, and delay in watering significantly affected germina- tion. Seed germination occurred quickly after being sown. However, seed viability declined just as quickly. Whenever a soil held sufficient water, especially through capillarity, seeds of Carolina willow germinated and survived well. Seasonal manipulation of water levels to flood marshes during seed-fall and to inundate willow seedlings provides managers with an effective strategy for reducing establishment of Carolina willow.

Benzophenone-2 (BP-2) is an additive to personal-care products and commercial solutions that protects against the damaging effects of ultraviolet light. BP-2 is an “emerging contaminant of concern” that is often released as a pollutant through municipal and boat/ship wastewater discharges and landfill leachates, as well as through residential septic fields and unmanaged cesspits. Although BP-2 may be a contaminant on coral reefs, its environmental toxicity to reefs is unknown. This poses a potential management issue, since BP-2 is a known endocrine disruptor as well as a weak genotoxicant. We examined the effects of BP-2 on the larval form (planula) of the coral, Stylophora pistillata, as well as its toxicity to in vitro coral cells. BP-2 is a photo-toxicant; adverse effects are exacerbated in the light versus in darkness. Whether in darkness or light, BP-2 induced coral planulae to transform from a motile planktonic state to a deformed, sessile condition. Planulae exhibited an increasing rate of coral bleaching in response to increasing concentrations of BP-2. BP-2 is a genotoxicant to corals, exhibiting a strong positive relationship between DNA-AP lesions and increasing BP-2 concentrations. BP-2 exposure in the light induced extensive necrosis in both the epidermis and gastrodermis. In contrast, BP-2 exposure in darkness induced autophagy and autophagic cell death. The LC 50 of BP-2 in the light for an 8 and 24 h exposure was 120 and 165 parts per billion (ppb), respectively. The LC 50 s for BP-2 in darkness for the same time points were 144 and 548 ppb. Deformity EC20 levels (24 h) were 246 parts per trillion in the light and 9.6 ppb in darkness.

Many ecosystem services and functions provided by coral reefs have been compromised worldwide because of its conservation status. Despite such evidence, no published studies address herbivory-mediated competitive interactions between corals and algae in Brazilian reefs. The reciprocal effects of the interaction between the endemic massive coral Siderastrea stellata and filamentous algae in the presence and absence of herbivory typically found in coastal reefs of Brazil were tested during a bleaching event. To manipulate herbivory, five coral colonies were caged, five left uncaged, and partial cages were placed around five more colonies to test for a cage artifact. In order to assess the competitive interaction, three treatments were applied within each herbivory plot. Coral–algae contact zones either had algae removed, coral tissue removed or both left untouched. During the five month experiment, all 15 colonies bleached because of natural causes and coral tissue did not grow in any of the replicates. Coral mortality was not significantly affected by any experimental factor. On the other hand, algal growth was negatively affected by herbivorous fishes, mainly parrot fishes and damselfishes, but direct contact with S. stellata tissue did not have any effect on filamentous algae. Considering that S. stellata is one of the most common corals in tide pools and reef tops in Brazil, it is very likely that the bleaching event weakened coral polyps and filamentous algae became the major competitor. In conclusion, the coral S. stellata did not offer any resistance to algae overgrowth that was only controlled by herbivory. In case bleaching events alter coral–algae competitive interaction outcomes, herbivory provides a window of opportunity for corals to recover after the disturbance.

Historically, wetlands along the St. Johns River, Florida, were dominated by herbaceous marshes. However, in the last 50 years many areas transformed to shrub‐dominated wetlands, at the same time a system of levees and canals was constructed to control flooding. We tested the role of water management in controlling Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana), a native shrub that accounts for most of this shift. We assessed survival and growth of seedlings and cuttings on four artificial islands. We planted willow seedlings and cuttings at the spring waterline and at three higher levels (+17.5, +35, and +50 cm) and evaluated their responses to natural hydrologic fluctuations. Overall, seedlings had lower survival than cuttings. Highest mortality occurred during summer floods and willows greater than 50 cm above marsh surface had the highest survivorship. Surviving seedlings attained similar height and biomass among elevations, but the cuttings had greater stem diameter, stem height, and biomass at higher elevations. In the second experiment, we planted seedlings and short (25 cm) and tall (50 cm) cuttings at the waterline and at three higher levels (+25, +35, and +50 cm) in artificial ponds with controlled water levels. Before flooding, seedlings at the highest elevation suffered some mortality due to desiccation, but after flooding, they had the highest survival. Elevation did not affect cutting survival, but those at the lowest elevation had the greatest height and biomass. Hydrologic manipulation can be a powerful tool to control willow establishment. However, its success depends on timely and prolonged inundation or water drawdown.

Coral bleaching is a significant contributor to the worldwide degradation of coral reefs and is indicative of the termination of symbiosis between the coral host and its symbiotic algae (dinoflagellate; Symbiodinium sp. complex), usually by expulsion or xenophagy (symbiophagy) of its dinoflagellates. Herein, we provide evidence that during the earliest stages of environmentally induced bleaching, heat stress and light stress generate distinctly different pathomorphological changes in the chloroplasts, while a combined heat- and light-stress exposure induces both pathomorphologies; suggesting that these stressors act on the dinoflagellate by different mechanisms. Within the first 48 hours of a heat stress (32°C) under low-light conditions, heat stress induced decomposition of thylakoid structures before observation of extensive oxidative damage; thus it is the disorganization of the thylakoids that creates the conditions allowing photo-oxidative-stress. Conversely, during the first 48 hours of a light stress (2007 µmoles m(-2) s(-1) PAR) at 25°C, condensation or fusion of multiple thylakoid lamellae occurred coincidently with levels of oxidative damage products, implying that photo-oxidative stress causes the structural membrane damage within the chloroplasts. Exposure to combined heat- and light-stresses induced both pathomorphologies, confirming that these stressors acted on the dinoflagellate via different mechanisms. Within 72 hours of exposure to heat and/or light stresses, homeostatic processes (e.g., heat-shock protein and anti-oxidant enzyme response) were evident in the remaining intact dinoflagellates, regardless of the initiating stressor. Understanding the sequence of events during bleaching when triggered by different environmental stressors is important for predicting both severity and consequences of coral bleaching.

Coral communities along the coast of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands have exhibited site-specific behavior in declines. In order to determine if these specific coral communities are stressed and whether a pollutant or environmental factor present at this site is a probable stressor, we surveyed six near-shore coral communities in St. John, USVI for environmental pollutants and to determine the cellular physiological condition of the coral, Porites astreoides. The six sites within St. John are Cruz Bay, Caneel Bay, Hawksnest Bay, Trunk Bay, Tektite Reef in Beehive Bay, and Red Point. Red Point was considered the reference site because of its abundance and diversity of species, and it was the furthest removed from down-stream and down-current anthropogenic activities. All sites showed distinct cellular-stress marker patterns, indicating that the physiological condition of each population was different. Populations at Cruz, Hawksnest, Trunk, and Tektite were stressed, as indicated by high levels of DNA lesions and expression of stress proteins. Hawksnest and Tektite were contaminated with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while Cruz was contaminated with semi-volatile organochlorines and nitrogen-based biocides. At least for Hawksnest and Tektite, stress-marker patterns were consistent with an exposure to PAHs. Fecal coliform levels were high in Cruz and Trunk, indicating fecal contamination, as well as consideration for management action. Results from this study serve as a justification for a more thorough and methodical investigation into the stressors responsible for declines of coral populations within St. John. Furthermore, this study supports the argument for the importance of local factors contributing to regional coral reef declines; that not all forces impacting coral are global.

The logistics involved in obtaining and maintaining large numbers of corals hampers research on the toxicological effects of environmental contaminants for this ecologically and economically important taxon. A method for creating and culturing single-cell suspensions of viable coral cells was developed. Cell segregation/separation was based on specific cell densities and resulting cell cultures were viable for at least 2 mos. Low-density cells lacking symbiotic zooxanthallae and rich in mitochondria were isolated and cultured for toxicity studies. Cells were exposed to differing degrees or concentrations of heat stress, rotenone, cyanide, sulfide, and cuprous oxide. Cells were assayed for mitochondrial membrane potential using the fluorescent probe, JC-9, and for overall viability using the MTT/formazan spectrophotometric viability assay. Significant differences were observed between controls and treatments and the efficacy of this method was validated; only 2 cm(2) of tissue was required for a seven-point concentration-exposure series.

Debate about the relative merits of single-species management versus more comprehensive approaches has intensified in recent years. In east-central Florida, USA, land managers use prescribed burns and mechanical cutting to manage and restore scrub habitat to benefit the imperiled Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). However, these land-management techniques may affect non-target taxa, especially the threatened southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris). We evaluated the collateral effects of single-species land management by trapping P. p. niveiventris and other small rodents in eighteen land-management compartments at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida during 2004–2005. Compartments were managed using either prescribed burns (N=5), mechanical cutting (N=6), checkerboarding (cut and uncut lanes alternating and overlapping, followed by a prescribed burn, N=4) or left unburned and uncut for >50year (N=3). P. p. niveiventris was significantly more abundant in compartments managed with prescribed burns (mean±SE: 4.2±0.7 individuals/transect) than those managed with cutting alone (1.0±0.3) or not managed for >50y (0.2±0.1 individuals/transect). In contrast, the cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) tended to be more abundant in compartments managed with mechanical cutting alone (2.6±0.4 individuals/transect) compared to the other three management strategies (prescribed burns; 1.5±0.4; checkerboarding, 1.1±0.3; not managed, 1.6±0.4 individuals/transect) but these differences were not statistically significant. Abundances of P. p. niveiventris and Florida Scrub-Jay breeding groups were positively correlated (r=0.655), suggesting that both listed species benefit from similar management techniques. Thus, the mosaic of burned and cut patches used to improve habitat for the Florida Scrub-Jay also benefits an endemic, non-target species. Single-species management may benefit multiple species when restoration improves their shared habitat, which in this case is an endangered, fire-dependent ecosystem: Florida scrub.