The Time Local Convex Hull method as a tool for assessing responses of fauna to habitat restoration: a case study using the perentie (Varanus giganteus : Reptilia : Varanidae)

Cross, Sophie L.; Tomlinson, Sean; Craig, Michael; Bateman, Philip W.

doi:10.1071/zo19040

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(77 reference statements)

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“…2016), and we rarely recorded burrows or diggings in restored vegetation. The lower variability in daily temperatures in restored areas indicates that these sites present increased homogeneity in the thermal landscape and may present increased thermal costs (Sears & Angilletta 2015; Cross et al 2020c…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using monitors to monitor ecological restoration: Presence may not indicate persistence

et al. 2020

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Habitat loss is a leading cause of biodiversity declines globally, and there has been increasing recognition in recent years of the importance of restoring degraded habitats to functional ecosystems to ameliorate this loss. Despite the critical roles animals play in ecosystems, animals are often overlooked in assessments of ecological restoration success, particularly beyond their presence or absence in these habitats. Apex predators are critical to ecosystems, regulating predator-prey dynamics, and in arid Australia, monitor lizards (Reptilia: Varanidae) often fill high-order predatory roles. Varanids are highly diverse in size and occupy a variety of ecological niches, providing an ideal group for assessing habitat change over multiple spatial scales. Here, we assess the responses of varanids to early-stage habitat restoration following the discontinuation of mining activities, by mapping behavioural signs of habitat usage including burrows, tracks and diggings. We recorded burrow size and track measurements to gauge the size of varanids utilising reference and restored habitats, and mapped tortuosity of tracks to assess their movement through habitats. Restored areas had significantly fewer signs of varanid presence than the reference bushland and largely appeared to be just traversed or used only by larger individuals. Restored landscapes, particularly those in early successional stages, often lack established vegetation cover and present increased metabolic costs and predation risks. Providing fauna refuges (e.g. hollow logs) to mitigate the metabolic costs and predation risks in areas undergoing restoration may aid in facilitating the return of varanids and of other animal populations, particularly during the early stages of vegetation establishment. Understanding the behavioural responses and movement ecology of animals within landscapes undergoing restoration is key to facilitating the conservation of self-sustaining and functional ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using monitors to monitor ecological restoration: Presence may not indicate persistence

et al. 2020

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“…Habitat preferences, behavior, and movement ecology of many key animal ecosystem service providers can be driven by their ecophysiological tolerances and requirements (Tuff et al 2016; Garcia & Clusella‐Trullas 2019; Cross et al 2020). Some ecological services result as a cascade of movement ecology and physiology (Tarszisz et al 2018).…”

Section: Strategic Applications Of Conservation Physiology In Ecologi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fauna reintroductions are most often used to create “insurance populations,” but there is increasing evidence that not all species will return or interact with restoration in the manner that they use natural landscapes (Tomlinson et al 2017; Cross et al 2020). Both reproductive biology (Comizzoli & Holt 2019) and reintroduction biology (Armstrong & Seddon 2008) have strong conservation physiology components with which to produce viable reintroduction populations via captive breeding, and understanding the reproductive physiology and associated needs (e.g.…”

Section: Applications Of Conservation Physiology In Ecological Restor...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Leveraging the value of conservation physiology for ecological restoration

Tomlinson

Tudor

Turner

et al. 2022

Restoration Ecology

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The incorporation of conservation physiology into environmental management, particularly ecological restoration, is underutilized, despite the capacity of such approaches to discern how populations respond to the challenges of unpredictable and potentially inhospitable environments. We explore several examples where detailed mechanistic understanding of the physiological constraints of keystone and foundational species, ecological service providers such as insect pollinators, and species of conservation concern has been used to optimize the return of these species to landscapes following the cessation of mineral extraction. Using such data can optimize the rapid return of functioning ecosystems during restoration or increase the conservation value of restoration by returning insurance populations of threatened species. Integrating this level of mechanistic understanding with fine-resolution spatial data in the form of biophysical modeling can help plan recovery and identify targets that can subsequently be used in assessing restoration success, particularly in situations that require substantial investment over long periods, such as post-mining restoration. There is growing recognition of the valuable insights offered by conservation physiology to broader practice and policy development, and there have been substantial technical developments in conservation physiology leading up to and into the twenty-first century as a result. The global challenge facing restoration ecology has, however, also grown in that time. Rapidly and efficiently meeting ambitious global restoration objectives will require a targeted approach, and we suggest that the application of physiological data will be most strategic for rare species, keystone species, and ecosystem service providers more broadly.

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“…For example, movement ecology of many species is predicated upon landscape-level changes in habitat (e.g. Allen & Singh 2016;Tarszisz et al 2018;Cross et al 2020bCross et al , 2020c), yet movement ecology and other knowledge of fauna behavior are rarely considered in restoration planning despite their vital role in facilitating the functional place of animals in ecosystems (Lindell 2008;Cross et al 2020a). Although behavioral studies are sometimes overlooked due to being perceived as an ineffective financial investment (Blumstein & Berger-Tal 2015;Berger-Tal et al 2016), such studies are increasingly becoming more financially viable both for monitoring individuals (e.g.…”

Section: Restoring Biodiverse and Functional Fauna Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, while restored landscapes may be inhabited by fauna, they often lack key resources necessary for population support (e.g. refuges such as coarse woody debris: Craig et al 2014; Cross et al 2020 b ), which can constrain the self‐sustainability of fauna communities by increasing the energetic costs or predation risks associated with the restored landscape (Tomlinson et al 2014; Cross et al 2020 c ). Understanding how animals interact with their environment and respond to environmental change is vital to ensuring the effective return of functional ecosystems representative of pre‐disturbance landscapes (Tomlinson et al 2014).…”

Section: Broadening the Scope Of Fauna Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

A life‐of‐mine approach to fauna monitoring is critical for recovering functional ecosystems to restored landscapes

Cross

Bradley

Tudor

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

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Mineral extraction activities are intensely disruptive to ecosystems and their associated fauna. Few countries globally have comprehensive legislation surrounding mine site restoration, but within Australia, restoration of discontinued mine sites is a legislative requirement. However, substantial ambiguity regarding the optimal techniques for restoring biodiverse and functional fauna assemblages remains, and monitoring activities typically focus on vegetation communities despite functioning ecosystems being reliant on key trophic interactions involving fauna. When fauna are considered, monitoring efforts typically yield baseline surveys of species richness and the presence or absence of conservation-significant taxa. Even where complete ecosystem recovery is not the goal of post-mining ecological recovery, we argue that there is a critical need for a life-of-mine approach to fauna monitoring underpinned by greater dialog between researchers, environmental regulators, and the mining industry. Environmental Impact Assessments should include requirements for the consideration of all potential impacts of mining on the structure, behavior, and ecological roles of fauna communities, restoration practices must facilitate the return of functional, resilient, and biodiverse fauna communities to restored post-mining landscapes, and the scope of monitoring practices should be broadened to a holistic examination of fauna communities. Recognizing, quantifying, and monitoring the impacts of mining activities and subsequent rehabilitation or restoration on fauna is vital to understanding how anthropogenic disturbances affect natural ecosystems, and in assisting in the successful recovery of ecosystem functionality to areas that have been damaged, degraded, or destroyed.

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The Time Local Convex Hull method as a tool for assessing responses of fauna to habitat restoration: a case study using the perentie (Varanus giganteus : Reptilia : Varanidae)

Cited by 9 publications

References 59 publications

Using monitors to monitor ecological restoration: Presence may not indicate persistence

Using monitors to monitor ecological restoration: Presence may not indicate persistence

Leveraging the value of conservation physiology for ecological restoration

A life‐of‐mine approach to fauna monitoring is critical for recovering functional ecosystems to restored landscapes

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