Abstracts

Coastal & Marine Communities

Underwater Soundscapes in Near-Shore Tropical Habitats and the Effects of Environmental Degradation and Habitat Restoration. 2016. Butler, J., J.A. Stanley and M.J. Butler IV (Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. mbutler@odu.edu). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 479:89–96. doi:dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jembe.2016.03.006.

Soundscape ecology is the study of the sounds produced by a landscape. Soundscapes vary in space and time and they can give clues about the status of the landscape. In marine ecosystems, many non-mammal taxa are capable of producing sounds and some use audible cues to avoid predators and for larval settlement selection, yet little is known about the effects of disturbances or restoration efforts on near-shore soundscapes. Butlers and Stanley measured soundscapes in differing habitats in the Florida Keys. Between 2012 and 2013 they made continual audio recordings during calm conditions in mangrove, seagrass, and healthy, degraded and restored hard-bottom habitats using submersible hydrophone systems. Using power spectra to analyze sound frequencies, they calculated the acoustic complexity index for the different habitats. They generated composite power spectra to show daily and lunar trends. Their results showed that mangrove, healthy- and restored-hard-bottom habitats were consistently louder and different daily and throughout moon phases compared to seagrass and degraded hard-bottom habitats. They were able to define the particular sound-scape signatures of these tropical habitats and how they can be altered by environmental degradation. Their data also reveal evidence of successful restoration efforts of hard bottom habitats.

Deciding When to Lend a Helping Hand: A Decision-Making Framework for Seabird Island Restoration. 2016. Buxton, R.T. (Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, r.buxton@mun.ca), C.J. Jones, P. O’Brien Lyver, D.R. Towns and S.B. Borrelle. Biodiversity and Conservation 25:467–484. doi:10.1007/s10531-016-1079-9.

Islands harbor a high percentage of endemic species, which increases their sensitivity to exotic invasions. This is particularly true for seabirds, which are accustomed to nesting in environments free from predators and therefore lack the necessary adaptations to avoid ground-level predation. In order to restore plummeting seabird populations, predator eradication programs have been widely implemented. Restoration efforts following eradication programs can go in two directions: passive, waiting for natural recovery with no further intervention, or active, manipulating seabird demography, the latter being more logistically complicated and expensive. In this study, Buxton and colleagues developed a logical framework based on 70 years of data to guide decision makers in choosing the most appropriate recovery technique for island endemics. The framework consists of: 1) outlining project goals that are time-restricted and measurable, 2) generating a conceptual model that includes all factors influencing the restoration target, 3) designing the project according to the specific characteristics of the focal system, and 4) implementing the project and monitoring the outcome. The authors use the successful New Zealand seabird restoration data to incorporate retrospective analyses into their planning strategy. They caution that active restoration techniques will be needed in most cases for seabird restoration, conservation and preservation and conclude that future success can be planned for when we are informed by past successes and failures.

Economics & Ecosystem Services

Restoring Forest Structure and Process Stabilizes Forest Carbon in Wildfire-Prone Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Forests. 2016. Hurteau, M.D. (Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, mhurteau@unm.edu), S. Liang, K.L. Martin, M.P. North, G.W. Koch and B.A. Hungate. Ecological Applications 26:382–391. doi:10.1890/15-0337.1.

Fire suppression and climate change have increased the severity of wildfires worldwide, particularly so in the pine forests of the southwestern United States. In an attempt to reduce the severity of wildfires, recent management techniques have included prescribed burns and forest thinning to reduce fuel load and restore the carbon balance of the forests. Hurteau et al. simulated wildfire effects on the carbon balance by creating a model with three different management plans (control was no action, thin-only, and thin and burn) in forests with...