Experimental habitat restoration for conserved species using ecosystem engineers and vegetation management

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Issue Date
2016
Author
Hennessy, Sarah McCullough
Deutschman, D. H.
Shier, Debra M.
Nordstrom, Lisa A.
Lenihan, C.
Montagne, J.P.
Wisinski, Colleen L.
Swaisgood, Ronald R.
Subject
SQUIRRELS
CALIFORNIA
HABITATS
RESTORATION
ECOSYSTEMS
TRANSLOCATION
BURROWING
WESTERN BURROWING OWLS
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Journal title
Animal Conservation
Volume
19
Issue
6
Begin page
506
End page
514

Metadata
Show full item record
DOI
10.1111/acv.12266
Alternative link
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acv.12266/abstract
Abstract
We manipulated vegetation and the ecosystem engineer California ground squirrel, Otospermophilus beecheyi, in a replicated, large-scale field experiment for 2 years, and monitored through a third year…. The overarching goal of this experiment was to provide conservation managers with a cost-effective tool for restoring degraded habitats to a hybrid ecosystem state with improved suitability for species of conservation concern, in this case, the western burrowing owl Athene cunicularia hypugaea.
Description
Currently, California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) are not a threatened species, but like many other ecosystem engineers, they exist at densities too low to fulfill their engineering role in many locations. We conducted a field experiment which showed that both vegetation management and squirrel translocation were needed to re-establish widespread burrowing activity on protected reserve lands. Noteworthy and persistent engineering effects were achieved through squirrel activity (1000 burrow entrances remaining through the third year). The overarching goal was to provide conservation managers with a cost-effective tool for restoring degraded habitats for species of conservation concern, in this case western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea).
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12634/378
Type
Article
Rights
© 2016 The Zoological Society of London
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