The importance of pilot studies and understanding microhabitat requirements when reintroducing endemic plants during coastal dune restoration

Abstract

In coastal California dune ecosystems protect coastal cities from damaging storms and provide habitat for native wildlife. Despite the economic and ecological importance of coastal dunes, habitat loss has continued and is predicted to accelerate with a changing climate. To combat the effects of climate change and ensure that coastal dunes will persist into the future, they need to be prioritized for conservation and restoration. However, for restoration to be successful, endemic plants, which are plant with specialized habitat requirements, need to be prioritized because they make up a significant portion of the biodiversity in California coastal dunes. Because endemic plants are rare and there is limited stock of plants available for transplant, we need to be more aggressive in using pilot studies. These can be used to evaluate the biotic and abiotic conditions that maximize growth and reproduction and to help guide effective reintroduction. To evaluate how exploratory pilot studies can enhance the restoration of rare and endemic plant species, we conducted a study restoring Lupinus nipomensis, a United States federally endangered species, on coastal dunes in San Luis Obispo County, California. We found that L. nipomensis had the highest seed production in plots that had a steep, north facing slope and were protected from herbivores. Our results suggest that restoration efforts should be focused on areas with these characteristics to maximize restoration success. Our pilot reintroduction of L. nipomensis highlights the importance of using pilot experiments to enhance reintroduction success and to quicken the recovery of coastal dune ecosystems.

Plant–arthropod interactions of an endangered California lupine

“…Justin C. Luong: Conceptualization (equal); Data curation (equal); Funding acquisition (equal); Methodology (equal); Project administration (lead); Writing -original draft (equal); Writing -review & editing (equal). Katja C Seltmann: Conceptualization (equal); Data curation (equal); Formal analysis (supporting); Funding acquisition (equal); Methodology (equal); Project administration (equal); Visualization (supporting); Writing -original draft (supporting); Writing -review & editing (equal).DATA AVA I L A B I L I T Y S TAT E M E N TThe data that support the findings of this study are openly available in "Plant-arthropod interactions of an endangered California lupine" at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA 938184…”

“…The reintroduction of Nipomo Mesa lupine, and other rare plants with a limited initial population size, requires specific abiotic conditions to maximize reproductive output from reintroduction efforts. Luong et al (2019) provide an overview of abiotic microhabitat characteristics (i.e., landscape slope and aspect) and seed treatment relevant to L . nipomensis fecundity during reintroduction efforts.…”

Interacting ecological filters influence success and functional composition in restored plant communities over time

“…The coastal mountains, where these two vegetation types occur, house a variety of habitats including exposed hilltops, flat meadows, and riparian areas. South‐facing aspects tend to be warmer and drier than north‐facing aspects and support different abundances of species (Ackerly et al, 2002; Kimball et al, 2017; Luong et al, 2019). In these communities, managers grapple with several impediments to restoration; namely, invasion by non‐native annual forbs and grasses, and low establishment and persistence in dry microsites and during drought years (Kimball et al, 2015; Tamura et al, 2017).…”