Abstracts

To develop the following abstracts, the editorial staff searches more than 100 scientific journals, professional and organizational newsletters, conference proceedings, and other resources for information relevant to ecological restoration practice and research. Please send suggested abstract sources to the editorial staff (ERjournal@sebs.rutgers.edu).

Coastal and Marine Communities

An Overview of Ecological Traps in Marine Ecosystems. 2021. Swearer, S.E. (National Centre for Coasts and Climate, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia, s.swearer@unimelb.edu.au), R.L. Morris L.T. Barrett, M. Sievers, T. Dempster and R. Hale. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. doi:10.1002/fee.2322

Although species can often adapt to novel conditions, human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) can produce environmental changes at a faster rate than organisms can discriminate between suitable and degraded habitat. This rapid change may result in ecological traps, which occur when organisms prefer habitats that reduce their fitness compared to other available habitats. Ecological traps have been widely studied in terrestrial habitats, but few studies examine them in marine ecosystems. Swearer and collaborators reviewed 518 HIREC studies to assess the methods by which ecological traps are being studied in marine systems. Most studies examined management impacts on marine animals, followed by infrastructure and pollution, but a limited amount evaluated these effects on habitat preference and fitness together. The authors highlight the importance of not only identifying potential traps for diverse taxa but also evaluating responses at the population and community level in order to produce meaningful data to aid conservation and restoration efforts.

Conservation of Marine Foundation Species: Learning from Native Oyster Restoration from California to British Columbia. 2021. Ridlon, A.D., A. Marks, C.J. Zabin, D. Zacher, B. Allen, J. Crooks, G. Fleener, E. Grosholz, B. Peabody, J. Toft and K. Wasson (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, kerstin.wasson@gmail.com). Estuaries and Coasts. doi:10.1007/s12237-021-00920-7

In marine systems, foundational species have declined due to human-induced activities, making them a priority target for restoration programs. In this study Ridlon and colleagues review and synthesize the existing data from projects on restoration of Ostrea lurida (Olympia oyster), an important foundational species native to the west coast of North America. They surveyed restoration practitioners of the 39 existing Olympia oyster projects, finding substantial differences in investment between restoration of non-native and native oysters, the latter receiving considerably less funding. They also identified the need to develop specific goals to guide restoration efforts, which will provide concrete metrics for monitoring and evaluating the success of these projects in the long term. Finally, they call for increased collaboration between practitioners and scientists working in different regions to develop a shared database in order to better assess successful outcomes.

Ecological Design

Biophilia Beyond the Building: Applying the Tools of Urban Biodiversity Planning to Create Biophilic Cities. 2021. Panlasigui, S. (San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, CA, stephaniep@sfei.org), E. Spotswood, E. Beller and R. Grossinger. Sustainability 13:2450. doi:10.3390/su13052450

Urban biodiversity planning focuses on maintaining and improving ecosystem function in cities while the goal of biophilic design is to create buildings that integrate contact with the natural world to increase human well-being. These approaches complement one another despite being rooted in dissimilar disciplines and this paper identified three ways in which urban biodiversity planning can interface with biophilic design via local engagement, setting measurable goals, and establishing priorities. Science-based approaches to enhancing urban biodiversity can then inform biophilic design and improve health and well-being for city-dwellers.

Ecological Engineering Approaches in Coral Reef Restoration. 2021. Rinkevich, B. (Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Tel Shikmona, Israel, buki@ocean.org.il). ICES Journal of Marine Science 78:410–420. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsaa022

Ecological engineering aims to improve and rehabilitate ecosystems for human needs. Given that coral reefs have been increasingly degraded due to human activities and global change, Rinkevich reviews the latest literature on coral reef restoration. The analysis highlights a change in scientific interest moving away from passive restoration techniques (such as the creation of marine protected areas), to more active restoration measures including...