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  • 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

A Simple Approach to Estimating the Nutrient and Carbon Storage Benefits of Restoring Submerged Aquatic Vegetation, Applied to Vallisneria americana in the Caloosahatchee Estuary, Florida, USA. 2024. Krebs, B.M., N. Iadevaia, J. Hecker and J.G. Douglass (Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, jdouglass@fgcu.edu). Ecological Engineering 200:107167. doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2023.107167

In Florida, urbanization threatens coastal ecosystems via excess nutrient inputs resulting in over 25% of waterways currently classified as impaired. Submerged aquatic vegetation is becoming increasingly recognized as a valuable means of combatting eutrophication via nutrient sinks as well as by increasing sedimentation rates. Krebs et al. assessed the nutrient storage potential of Vallisneria americana (American eelgrass) in Florida’s Caloosahatchee River estuary under various restoration scenarios for use in eutrophication remediation projects. If V. americana were restored to late-1990s abundances, its tissues could be a significant sink for up to 28.4 metric tons (mt) of carbon, 2.6 mt of nitrogen and 0.16 mt of phosphorous and cause the sedimentation of a further 897 mt-C y−1, 68.5 mt-N y−1, and 3.87 mt-P y−1. Unfortunately, V. americana currently exists at very low densities, so the actual nutrient sink and sedimentation potentials are several orders of magnitude lower.

Conditions that Promote Oyster Settlement Coincide with Areas of High Boating Activity in a Developed Coastal Habitat. 2024. Sussan, T.T. and C.L. Charpentier (Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Stetson University, DeLand, FL, ccharpentier@stetson. edu). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 572:151989. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2024.151989

Oyster reefs stabilize shorelines, improve water quality, sequester carbon and support marine biodiversity. Dramatic declines in oyster reefs due to climate change, habitat loss, overfishing, disease, invasion and boating over the last century have led to the implementation of restoration projects, with particular attention paid to Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster) on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Oyster shell and artificial reefs are common restoration techniques, but little monitoring has been done to assess either ecological or engineering goals such as continued oyster growth and survival and shoreline stabilization. In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, boating is a significant driver of oyster decline, so the authors compared settlement density of C. virginica under varying boating intensities and proximities to existing reefs over a 20-week period. Settlement was greatest at high boating intensity but this is more likely due to increased tidal flow and larval supply than boat activity. Reef proximity had a positive effect on recruitment, indicating that the optimal restoration sites provide adequate tidal flow and natural reef proximity.

Economics and Ecosystem Services

Assessing the Contribution of Ecological Restoration Projects to Ecosystem Services Values in the Chinese Loess Plateau. 2024. Liang, Y., Z. Su and L. Liu (College of Resources and Environment, Yangtze University, Wuhan, China, liulijun@yangtzeu.edu.cn). Geojournal 89:23. doi:10.1007/s10708-024-11007-8

Widespread ecological degradation in China has led the government to implement projects in vulnerable areas to restore ecosystem services and biodiversity. Eleven such projects are occurring on the Loess Plateau, where there is an urgent need to combat soil erosion but a lack of research into how restoration impacts ecosystem services in this fragile region. Liang et al. evaluated changes to ecosystem services in the Loess Plateau under three restoration scenarios over a 20-year period. Land use changed rapidly during the study period with forests becoming dominant over grassland, leading to a 1.74 billion RMB increase in overall ecosystem service contributions. The authors recommend more research into the tradeoffs [End Page 150] between grassland, farmland and forest services as well as developing diverse conservation projects.

Evaluating Remnant Vegetation Management Practices Adjacent to Apple Orchards to Support Native Bee Pollinators. 2023. Spronk, A.L...

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