Habitat Restoration as a Recovery Tool for a Disturbance-Dependent Butterfly, The Endangered St. Francis’ Satyr

Cayton, Heather; Haddad, Nick M.; Ball, Brian; Henry, Erica H.; Aschehoug, Erik T.

doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9852-5_8

Cited by 4 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…In 2011, we began active restoration along two creek drainages that support St. Francis' satyr populations, with a focus on altering water conditions by mimicking the favorable environment created by beavers. We combined artificial dam creation, which increased standing water to levels preferred by Carex sedges, with widespread hardwood removal, which eliminated encroaching trees and shrubs and decreased evapotranspiration rates [34]. The resulting increases in water availability directly contributed to significant increases in amount of C. mitchelliana in restored sites [34,42].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We combined artificial dam creation, which increased standing water to levels preferred by Carex sedges, with widespread hardwood removal, which eliminated encroaching trees and shrubs and decreased evapotranspiration rates [34]. The resulting increases in water availability directly contributed to significant increases in amount of C. mitchelliana in restored sites [34,42]. Consequently, populations of St. Francis' satyr in restored sites have increased dramatically from 50 individuals in 2012 to a population of almost 800 by 2016 (Figure 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The disturbance-dependent nature of the ecosystem makes it particularly challenging to manage [34], and exacerbates the sensitivity of St. Francis' satyrs to the potential effects of climate change. St. Francis' satyr phenology is known to be sensitive to heat accumulation in the environment [32,35], and precipitation levels influence water levels in the streams and creeks where St. Francis' satyrs are found.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since 2011, active restoration of wetland habitats in close proximity to known occupied sites outside of artillery impact areas has been ongoing, with expected dispersal between restored and non-restored sites. Restoration actions include inundation of sites with artificial dams as well as hardwood removal from the canopy (for full description see Reference [34]). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The St. Francis' satyr inhabits ephemeral wetlands and is restricted entirely to Fort Bragg Military Installation in central North Carolina [32]. The population size of the St. Francis's satyr has declined dramatically in the past decade [33]; however, recent restoration work within local wetlands has shown promise for supporting large populations again [34]. The host plants for adult St. Francis' satyrs are wetland-dependent, and therefore directly impacted by consistent water availability from local streams.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water Availability Coincides with Population Declines for an Endangered Butterfly

Cayton

Haddad

2018

Diversity

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Abstract:As global climate change causes population declines across numerous taxa, it becomes critical to understand the specific pathway by which climatic and anthropogenic factors influence population size. Water availability is a key environmental condition that links climate and humans to species response, especially for rare or threatened butterflies that are highly sensitive to changes in climate and the surrounding landscape. We use the wetland-dependent endangered St. Francis' satyr butterfly (Neonympha mitchellii francisci) to test how changes in water availability affect population size via changes in host plant growth. We show that long-term declines in water availability are directly linked to a decline in host plant growth and contributed to a population decrease of 95% for St. Francis' satyrs in the past decade, threatening the persistence of the species. Recent restoration work, which includes efforts to increase water availability via hardwood removal, has been successful in increasing population numbers. Many butterflies are broadly dependent on water availability and flow, and only by understanding the specific pathway that directly links water availability to species response can we make effective conservation plans to prepare for the altered water conditions of the future.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water Availability Coincides with Population Declines for an Endangered Butterfly

Cayton

Haddad

2018

Diversity

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Successful conservation of United States Department of Defense Lands: Response to Emily Rabung & Eric Toman (2022), Soldiers in the garden: managing the US military training landscape

Schultz,

Fischer,

Lovich

et al. 2023

Landscape Research

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Restoration success varies based on time since restoration in a disturbance‐dependent ephemeral wetland ecosystem

Cayton

Haddad

Henry

et al. 2023

Restoration Ecology

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Habitat restoration frequently focuses on reaching an idealized steady state, but this is unrealistic for disturbance-dependent ecosystems where temporal variability is inherent and habitat conditions are expected to fluctuate. Understanding the ways in which the outcomes of restoration change over time in disturbance-dependent ecosystems can better inform adaptive management plans and increase the likelihood that restoration efforts will be effective. We conducted a decade-long restoration experiment to test how restoration efforts to increase disturbance levels impact habitat quality and populations of an endangered butterfly over time. We show that changes in plant communities as a response to disturbance vary depending on time since restoration, with target host plants initially increasing and peaking several years postrestoration but then declining. In the absence of further disturbance, butterfly population sizes follow a similar pattern, with population declines concurrent with declines in host plants. Due to this nonlinear response, management actions within disturbance-dependent ecosystems need to include long-term monitoring in order to accurately capture changes in habitat response, as well as active, adaptive planning that shifts according to current system stability. Restoration efforts within these dynamic habitats are more likely to succeed when temporal variability is explicitly tracked and multiple cycles of restoration are considered as part of management actions.

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Habitat Restoration as a Recovery Tool for a Disturbance-Dependent Butterfly, The Endangered St. Francis’ Satyr

Cited by 4 publications

References 12 publications

Water Availability Coincides with Population Declines for an Endangered Butterfly

Water Availability Coincides with Population Declines for an Endangered Butterfly

Successful conservation of United States Department of Defense Lands: Response to Emily Rabung & Eric Toman (2022), Soldiers in the garden: managing the US military training landscape

Restoration success varies based on time since restoration in a disturbance‐dependent ephemeral wetland ecosystem

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