TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluating where and how habitat restoration is undertaken for animals
AU - Hale, Robin
AU - Mac Nally, Ralph
AU - Blumstein, Daniel T.
AU - Swearer, Stephen E.
N1 - Funding Information:
R.H. and S.E.S. acknowledge funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC, LP140100343) and Melbourne Water. R.M. acknowledges support of the ARC through grants DP0984170, LP0560518, LP0990038, LP120200217). D.T.B. is supported by the National Science Foundation. We thank Rhys Coleman and two anonymous reviewers for constructive feedback that helped improve manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Society for Ecological Restoration
PY - 2019/7
Y1 - 2019/7
N2 - Habitat restoration is vital to ameliorate the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on animal habitats. We reviewed the peer-reviewed literature to examine where and how habitat restoration is undertaken. Our aim was to identify key knowledge gaps as well as research and monitoring needs that can inform future restoration actions. We found: (1) marine and terrestrial actions focus most commonly on restoring vegetation, and freshwater actions focus on restoring the in-channel habitat; (2) arthropods are the most common focal group; (3) there is often no collection of pre-restoration data, so certainty in attributing environmental changes to restoration actions is limited; and (4) population and community measures are most commonly used in monitoring programs, which only show if animals are present at restored sites and not whether they are able to grow, survive, and reproduce. We highlight three important considerations for future restoration actions. First, more integration of knowledge among freshwater, marine, and terrestrial systems will help us to understand how, and why, restoration outcomes might vary in different contexts. Second, where possible, restoration projects should be assessed using before-after-control-impact designs, which will provide the strongest evidence if desired restoration responses occur. Third, if the goal of restoration is to develop self-sustaining breeding populations of target animals, then measures of fitness (i.e. breeding, survival) should be collected. These recommendations will hopefully help guide more effective restoration practices and monitoring in the future.
AB - Habitat restoration is vital to ameliorate the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on animal habitats. We reviewed the peer-reviewed literature to examine where and how habitat restoration is undertaken. Our aim was to identify key knowledge gaps as well as research and monitoring needs that can inform future restoration actions. We found: (1) marine and terrestrial actions focus most commonly on restoring vegetation, and freshwater actions focus on restoring the in-channel habitat; (2) arthropods are the most common focal group; (3) there is often no collection of pre-restoration data, so certainty in attributing environmental changes to restoration actions is limited; and (4) population and community measures are most commonly used in monitoring programs, which only show if animals are present at restored sites and not whether they are able to grow, survive, and reproduce. We highlight three important considerations for future restoration actions. First, more integration of knowledge among freshwater, marine, and terrestrial systems will help us to understand how, and why, restoration outcomes might vary in different contexts. Second, where possible, restoration projects should be assessed using before-after-control-impact designs, which will provide the strongest evidence if desired restoration responses occur. Third, if the goal of restoration is to develop self-sustaining breeding populations of target animals, then measures of fitness (i.e. breeding, survival) should be collected. These recommendations will hopefully help guide more effective restoration practices and monitoring in the future.
KW - biodiversity
KW - ecological restoration
KW - fitness
KW - habitat loss
KW - monitoring
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066031107&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/evaluating-habitat-restoration-undertaken-animals
U2 - 10.1111/rec.12958
DO - 10.1111/rec.12958
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85066031107
SN - 1061-2971
VL - 27
SP - 775
EP - 781
JO - Restoration Ecology
JF - Restoration Ecology
IS - 4
ER -