Monitoring and evaluating large-scale, ‘open-ended’ habitat creation projects: A journey rather than a destination

Hughes, Francine M. R.; Stroh, Peter A.; Adams, William M.; Kirby, K. J.; Mountford, J. O.; Warrington, S.

doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2011.02.003

Cited by 62 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Where it may not be possible or appropriate to set habitat restoration goals on the basis of the historic status due to, for example, irreversible changes in the abiotic environment (Hobbs et al 2009), it may be appropriate to set goals on the basis of potential ecosystem services (Hughes et al 2011). In order to do so, it is necessary to have knowledge of the services potentially provided by the restored habitat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the historic contribution of Olympia oysters to filtration in Pacific Coast (USA) estuaries and the implications for restoration objectives

et al. 2013

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The Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida Carpenter, was formerly widespread in many US Pacific coast estuaries. Following dramatic declines in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this species is now the focus of renewed restoration efforts. Restoration is undertaken for brood stock rehabilitation as well as a range of ecosystem services such as filtration; however, these ecosystem services are as yet poorly quantified. We present the first laboratory measurements of filtration rates (FR) for O. lurida, to which we fit a model of FR as a function of dry tissue weight and water temperature. We find that O. lurida has a FR at optimum temperature similar to previously established means across oyster species at 1 g dry tissue weight (DTW), but lower than many Crassostrea species. We also find that the allometric exponent relating FR to DTW in O. lurida is lower than the previously published mean across oyster species. Based on our derived filtration rates and historical data, we estimate the historic impact of filtration by O. lurida in five Pacific coast estuaries. We find that historic O. lurida populations did not have the capacity to filter the full volume of the estuary within the estuary residence time in any of the estuaries examined. This result is primarily driven by the low water temperatures and the short estuary residence times that typify the Pacific coast. We conclude that, unlike Crassostrea virginica Gmelin on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Olympia oyster was not historically a dominant force in regulating seston concentrations at large scales in Pacific coast estuaries. Given the differences in the ecological role and habitat structure of these two oyster species, we recommend that analogies between them be drawn with caution. We discuss the implications of our results for developing restoration objectives.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the historic contribution of Olympia oysters to filtration in Pacific Coast (USA) estuaries and the implications for restoration objectives

et al. 2013

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“…It assumes a precise and measurable goal that success can be valued against, but which is often lacking, and the concept may be used as a subjective value judgment with little scientific relevance (Zedler 2007). Success must also be evaluated at the appropriate temporal scale because the recovery of ecosystems is a slow process and only rarely do monitoring programs run long enough to include the long-term ecological processes (Hughes et al 2011). …”

Section: Adding the Ecological Targets Up To The Overall Project Goalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Short-Term Monitoring Data to Achieve Goals in a Large-Scale Restoration

Hagen¹,

Evju²

2013

E&S

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ABSTRACT. To evaluate the outcome of restoration projects, an overall goal, reformulated to specific subgoals or targets, must be explicit and translated into scientifically measurable ecological attributes. Monitoring ecological attributes is necessary to assess restoration progress. Data from long-term monitoring are rarely available when restoration interventions are planned and implemented. In this study, we show how short-term monitoring data are incorporated into the planning of the large-scale restoration of a former military training area: the largest restoration project approved in Norway, covering more than 165 km² and intended to enhance nature conservation.A pilot project was initiated in 2002 that removed 1.2 km of roads and tested three restoration treatments to facilitate vegetation development: stirred topsoil (C, control), fertilizer added to the stirred topsoil (F), and fertilizer and commercial grass seeds added to the stirred topsoil (FS). Vegetation turfs were transplanted in all treatments. A monitoring program was established, and three ecological attributes linked to the specific targets for vegetation development (vegetation cover, species richness, and presence of non-native species) were sampled at 2 yr and 7 yr after the intervention.We discuss pilot project results in relation to the temporal scale and to the type of intervention of the restoration treatments (introduction of non-native seeds and nutrient addition) in an ecosystem with slow nutrient turnover. We consider the implications of the short-term data for the large-scale restoration and describe the cooperation between developers, research ecologists, and contractors, illustrating how adaptive management is relevant to large-scale restoration projects.

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“…For more accurate and reliable results, restoration evaluation should be a continual activity that is an ongoing part of the entire restoration process (Allen et al 2002). In other words, evaluation could consist of different subactions or steps during the entire restoration process from the beginning to the achievement of the restoration goal (Jungwirth et al 2002, Hughes et al 2011, Pander and Geist 2013. Another drawback is that the evaluations may often be too simple to allow reliable conclusions (Suding 2011, Morandi et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the process of ecological restoration

Nilsson¹,

Aradóttir²,

Hagen³

et al. 2016

E&S

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ABSTRACT. We developed a conceptual framework for evaluating the process of ecological restoration and applied it to 10 examples of restoration projects in the northern hemisphere. We identified three major phases, planning, implementation, and monitoring, in the restoration process. We found that evaluation occurred both within and between the three phases, that it included both formal and informal components, and that it often had an impact on the performance of the projects. Most evaluations were short-term and only some parts of them were properly documented. Poor or short-term evaluation of the restoration process creates a risk that inefficient methods will continue to be used, which reduces the efficiency and effectiveness of restoration. To improve the restoration process and to transfer the knowledge to future projects, we argue for more formal, sustained evaluation procedures, involving all relevant stakeholders, and increased and improved documentation and dissemination of the results.

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Monitoring and evaluating large-scale, ‘open-ended’ habitat creation projects: A journey rather than a destination

Cited by 62 publications

References 46 publications

Quantifying the historic contribution of Olympia oysters to filtration in Pacific Coast (USA) estuaries and the implications for restoration objectives

Quantifying the historic contribution of Olympia oysters to filtration in Pacific Coast (USA) estuaries and the implications for restoration objectives

Using Short-Term Monitoring Data to Achieve Goals in a Large-Scale Restoration

Evaluating the process of ecological restoration

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