Rocky intertidal habitat at San Juan County Park, Washington, USA, received augmented trampling to assess impacts of human visitation on ecological communities. For six weeks in spring, six 3-to 5-m-long intertidal transects perpendicular to the shore were experimentally trampled (250 steps three times a week) in the zone dominated by the brown alga Fucus gardneri Silva. Six additional control transects received only background levels of trampling from park visitors during a season of low visitor traffic. Five algal and invertebrate taxa were followed throughout the treatment period and for three months post-treatment. Repeated observations of percent cover or density were made for each taxon at three relative tidal elevations (high, mid, and low) along each transect using fixed quadrats (20 cm × 20 cm). Augmented trampling reduced cover of Fucus to 30% of its original value within six weeks, and cover remained lower in trampled than in control areas throughout the 3-month posttreatment period. Trampling also resulted in a short-term decline in taxon richness, from an average of eight to seven taxa per quadrat. Cover of the turf-like alga Endocladia muricata (Posteis et Ruprecht) J.G. Agardh did not decline significantly where trampled, nor did the cover of barnacles or density of mobile gastropods (limpets and whelks). Bare rock area increased in trampled areas one month after trampling ceased, indicating a delayed decline in living cover in response to trampling. This study highlights a management challenge of protecting natural habitats in parks and reserves while still encouraging public access and appreciation.

Carolyn Jenkins, Melora E. Haas, Ashley Olson and Jennifer L. Ruesink. 2002. “Impacts of Trampling on a Rocky Shoreline of San Juan Island, Washington, USA.” Natural Areas Journal 22(4):260-269.

The Venus' fly trap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) is a unique carnivorous plant listed as a Species of Concern within the native range of southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. Although several large nature preserves support Venus' fly trap populations, illegal harvest is considered a factor in long-term population declines. Few data exist on the impacts of illegal harvest. While monitoring Venus' fly trap populations at Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve (LOBHP), South Carolina, an illegal harvest occurred during summer, 2003. This allowed an assessment of harvest impacts. Most documented populations of Venus fly traps at LOBHP had less than 50 plants. I estimated that harvesters removed 136 plants from two populations. This harvest was roughly half of the plants in both populations and represented 5.5% of the documented adult Venus' fly traps at LOBHP. Harvesters preferentially took plants with relatively larger petioles and/or relatively larger traps and overlooked smaller plants. The shift in size class distribution to smaller plants may affect future mortality and seed production. Because most human interactions with Venus' fly traps growing in nature preserves are negative, the dual goals of conservation and public access may be difficult to achieve with a single management approach. Future management for Venus' fly traps and other unique species might include high-use areas where human impacts (i.e., trampling, collecting, harvesting) are concentrated and remote low-use areas where populations are managed for long-term viability.

James O. Luken. 2005. “Characterizing Illegal Harvest of the Venus' fly trap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) at Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve, South Carolina, USA.” Natural Areas Journal 25(3):295-299.

Humans are increasingly altering forested habitats, in part by forestry practices, but also in more subtle ways such as creation of recreational trailways through forested areas, especially in nature preserves and parks. The effect of these trails on wildlife has only recently begun to be addressed. In this paper, I hypothesize that trails alter the distribution of terrestrial salamanders in forested habitats. The routine clearing of fallen trees from trailways may act to increase microhabitat availability for salamanders around trails, and thus move salamanders closer to the trails, or salamanders may simply stay away from trails in general to avoid disturbance associated with humans. To address this issue, I conducted a 3-month study in a nature preserve in northeast Georgia, using standardized, paired surveys of cover objects (logs and stones) in 78 m² plots along trails and in similar plots 25 m away from trails. I found significantly more logs in along-trail plots versus off, but there was no difference in stone abundance. There were more salamanders under logs in along-trail plots versus off-trail, but on a per-log basis, there was no significant difference between along- versus off-trails, suggesting that trails result in more microhabitats for salamanders around them, not that salamanders move closer to trails per se.

Andrew K. Davis. 2007. “Walking Trails in a Nature Preserve Alter Terrestrial Salamander Distributions.” Natural Areas Journal 27(4):385-389.

Non-native plant invasions can lead to staggering ecological and economic costs. Thus, land managers are concerned about vectors of seed and propagule introduction onto public lands. Because horses are one of several potential vectors of non-native seed dispersal, we summarize and interpret existing literature and identify potential impacts of horse use on non-native plant spread in natural areas. Several studies indicate non-native seeds can germinate after digestion by horses. In addition to their ability to carry viable non-native seeds in their feces, the literature indicates horses can trample native vegetation, cause soil disturbance, and increase soil nitrogen availability in some habitats. The combination of disturbance, which is known to increase invasibility, and introduction of seeds in horse feces could promote non-native plant invasions in wildlands. However, in situ studies have not demonstrated direct causal links between horses and plant invasions. More research is required to determine where, and to what extent, establishment and spread of non-natives occurs in situ as a direct result of disturbances and seed introduction by horses. Guidelines or regulations regarding horse use already exist in some recreational areas. Where none exist, we recommend development of best management practices, such as weed education programs for equestrians, use of Certified Weed Free Feed, and placement of manure bunkers at horse camps and trailheads.

Lauren D. Quinn, Adda Quinn, Mietek Kolipinski, Bonnie Davis, Connie Berto, Mark Orcholski, and Sibdas Ghosh. 2010. “Role of Horses as Potential Vectors of Non-Native Plant Invasion: An Overview.” Natural Areas Journal 30(4):408-416

Trails are a form of recreational disturbance affecting natural areas. Trail disturbances can cause soil degradation such as compaction, which facilitates soil erosion and overland water flow. This study analyzed the effects of four different types of trails—paved, gravel, equestrian, and hiking—on soils in the Oak Openings of Northwest Ohio, a globally rare ecosystem that harbors more than a third of Ohio's rare plant species. Bulk density and soil moisture content were measured in order to determine physical impacts of trails. Soil pH, ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, and dissolved organic C and N concentrations were measured to determine effects on soil chemistry. Finally, soil microbial biomass and exoenzyme activities were measured to determine biological responses to trail disturbances. Soils from the gravel trail were the most affected by the trail, with significant effects on chemical (PO43-concentration) and biological (phosphatase and NAG activity, and MB-N) properties. The soils near the paved trail were the second most affected after the gravel trail, with a trend toward a pH change and a significant biological (microbial peptidase activity) effect of this trail. The soils of the horse and natural trails were generally not significantly different from the soils in the surrounding ecosystem. The only significant disturbance in the horse trail was increased bulk density in the trail, while the natural hiking trail had no statistically significant differences, but trends lean toward increased bulk density and reduced microbial phosphatase activity. These results suggest that the natural and horse trails have the least impact on the Oak Openings ecosystem.

Jared Hawkins and Michael N. Weintraub. 2011. “The Effect of Trails on Soil in the Oak Openings of Northwest Ohio.” Natural Areas Journal 31(4):391-399.

Visitors to many local, state, and national parks that include important natural and cultural resources are increasingly being visited by visitors with their companion animals, particularly domestic dogs (Canus familiaris Linnaeus). Visitors and their companion dogs are legitimate and welcome visitors to parks. Like all visitors and all uses of such sites, park managers are charged with minimizing impacts to park resources while also providing opportunities for visitors to enjoy and gain an appreciation for those resources. This paper describes a positive management technique for promoting leashing of companion animal dogs by visitors to a unit of the National Park Service located in the large urban setting of Jacksonville, Florida. Providing a positive and welcoming atmosphere for visitors with companion dogs can facilitate enjoyment and promote diligent care for park resources by this growing group of park visitors while minimizing potential impacts to resources as well as ensuring safety to all visitors, including their animal companions. This positive approach can additionally assist park efforts to create a sense of community among all its visitors.

Daniel R. Tardona. 2012. “Promoting Companion Animal Leash Compliance on an Urban Park Trail System.” Natural Areas Journal 32(2):215-217.

Many small, once-rural parcels of land, which were protected to conserve rare plants, now exist as isolated patches of habitat within suburban and urban matrices. Small parcel protection and management are sometimes considered a non-ideal use of scarce conservation resources, but for plants with narrowly-restricted ranges, remnant parcels may still hold significant conservation value. Managing small reserves can be more complicated than tending to a single large reserve; destructive trespass and encroachment are common challenges on small reserves, where edge effects impact a significant portion of the total protected area. Small properties also provide limited space for species to migrate and adapt in the face of climate change. The conservation values and management challenges relevant to many small reserves are exemplified here in a case study from Bear Valley in southern California where The Nature Conservancy has collaborated with various partners to protect rare plants on lands within the San Bernardino Mountains, which later became surrounded by residential development. The San Bernardino Mountains constitute a mere 1% of the land area of California, yet contain about 25% of all of the state's plant species. The history of rare plant conservation in Bear Valley and the current status of The Nature Conservancy's efforts in this region are discussed. In addition, strategies and management recommendations for successful rare plant conservation in the face of global urbanization are presented.

Sophie Parker. 2012. “Small Reserves Can Successfully Preserve Rare Plants Despite Management Challenges.” Natural Areas Journal 32(4):403-411.

Recreational trails are an agent of anthropogenic disturbance in nature reserves and other low human impact areas. Effective management must balance the desire of recreationists to use these natural areas with the need to maintain their ecological integrity. Environments with low productivity may be particularly susceptible due to low resistance and resilience to recreational impacts. Our study examined 28 all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trails within the Avalon Wilderness Reserve and the adjacent surrounding area on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. We found that different habitat types (boreal forest, heaths, and bogs) differ in resistance and resilience to both direct on-trail erosion and indirect off-trail vegetation impacts of ATV trails. Dry forested sites were more resistant to direct on-trail erosion but less resistant to indirect off-trail vegetation disturbance. Heath sites were less resistant to direct on-trail erosion but highly resistant to indirect off-trail disturbance. Bog sites had low resistance to both direct and indirect trail disturbance. There have been limited studies on ATV trail impacts in boreal environments, and our findings provide guidance for managers in such environments to manage recreational vehicle use.

Nyssa van Vierssen Trip and Yolanda F. Wiersma. 2015. “A Comparison of All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Trail Impacts on Boreal Habitats Across Scales.” Natural Areas Journal 35(2):266-278.

The method of experiencing recreational resources, whether it be through on-site participation in an activity or viewing an image of the resource, might directly affect an individual's preference for, and evaluation of, those resources. In this research note, we explore the effect of three-dimensional (3D) displays, which are now widely available to consumer markets, on an individual's perceptions of degraded trail conditions. We also explore the hypothesis that viewing an educational message about responsible hiking behavior influences perceptions of trail conditions. The effects of imagery type and the educational message were tested through experimentally varying types of trail impacts (muddiness and erosion) and impact severity (minimal and severe) across 20 images presented to individuals in a controlled laboratory setting on a 60-inch, 3D capable LCD monitor. Results indicate neither the use of 3D imagery nor the presence of an educational message had a significant main effect on perceptions of trail degradation, but significant two-way interaction effects between image type and impact type on perceptions were identified. Perceptions of trail impacts were significantly different across impact type and severity level. These findings suggest the utility of 3D imagery in perception studies might be restricted to certain impact types (e.g., erosion); the findings also raise concerns over the efficacy of educational materials.

Yu-Fai Leung, Jordan W. Smith, Erin Seekamp, Katharine Conlon, Jessica E. Mayer, Tian Guo, Chelsey Walden-Schreiner, Brendan Adams, and Rosemary Keane. 2016. “The Effects of 2D and 3D Imagery and an Educational Message on Perceptions of Trail Impacts.” Natural Areas Journal 36(1):88-92.

Fort De Soto Park (Pinellas County, Florida) encompasses several barrier islands and is accessible to the public by road. Over 32 ha of beach are closed to the general public to allow birds to nest, loaf, and forage without human disturbance. The objective of this study was to use video monitoring of the closed area to determine when intrusions into the protected area occurred and to see if publicizing that the area is being video monitored increased compliance. We randomly chose 400 hours of daylight video from April through August, 2013, to determine the number of intruders. In the middle of the peak nesting season (July 2) we placed signs informing the public that they were being monitored. During the 349 hours where video quality was high, we had 27 hours where at least one intruder entered the area and 144 intruders total. Most of the intrusions were in the evening (1600–1900), during low tide, and on days with higher attendance. Signage communicating video recording of the bird sanctuary led to a strong negative impact on intrusion and was statistically significant (P = 0.01). The combination of using video cameras and signs informing the public about the video cameras was a highly effective method of reducing the number of people entering a closed portion of beach.

Elizabeth A. Forys, Paul Hindsley, Maggie P. Miller, James B. Wilson, Lorraine N. Margeson, and Don W. Margeson. 2016 “Can Video Cameras Decrease Human Intrusion into a Closed Natural Area?” Natural Areas Journal 36(2):146-152.

The distribution and abundance of human-caused disturbances vary greatly through space and time and are cause for concern among land stewards in natural areas of the southwestern border-lands between the USA and Mexico. Human migration and border protection along the international boundary create Unauthorized Trail and Road (UTR) networks across National Park Service lands and other natural areas. UTRs may cause soil erosion and compaction, damage to vegetation and cultural resources, and may stress wildlife or impede their movements. We quantify the density and severity of UTR disturbances in relation to soils, and compare the use of previously established targeted trail assessments (hereafter — targeted assessments) against randomly placed transects to detect trail densities at Coronado National Memorial in Arizona in 2011. While trail distributions were similar between methods, targeted assessments estimated a large portion of the park to have the lowest density category (0–5 trail encounters per km²), whereas the random transects in 2011 estimated more of the park as having the higher density categories (e.g., 15–20 encounters per km² category). Soil vulnerability categories that were assigned, a priori, based on published soil texture and composition did not accurately predict the impact of UTRs on soil, indicating that empirical methods may be better suited for identifying severity of compaction. While the estimates of UTR encounter frequencies were greater using the random transects than the targeted assessments for a relatively short period of time, it is difficult to determine whether this difference is dependent on greater cross-border activity, differences in technique, or from confounding environmental factors. Future surveys using standardized sampling techniques would increase accuracy.

T.C. Esque, R. Inman, K.E. Nussear, R.H. Webb, M.M. Girard, and J. DeGayner. 2016. “Comparison of Methods to Monitor the Distribution and Impacts of Unauthorized Travel Routes in a Border Park.” Natural Areas Journal 36(3):248-258.

Recreation is a fundamental component of human culture and the economy. In this paper, we elucidate ways in which recreation should be reconsidered in discussions of climate change. Ecosystems that support outdoor recreation can be significantly altered, extreme climatic conditions can affect plant and animal health, and extreme weather events can limit human outdoor activity. Projections indicate global temperatures will rise and precipitation will shift from historical conditions to less predictable regimes. These projected changes affect recreation and the economies recreation supports. To encourage the inclusion of recreation as a topic in future assessment synthesis reports, a snapshot of climate change impacts on regional recreation in the US is developed, using the National Park Service and Forest Service as case studies. After examining peer-reviewed and agency literature, we suggest that the impact of projected climate change on US recreation needs further scrutiny. Federal land management approaches to identifying, measuring, and managing climate change-induced recreation impacts are developing, but remain fragmented at the local and regional scale. We identify opportunities to address and improve research efforts at the intersection of climate change and outdoor recreation.

Becky Brice, Christopher Fullerton, Kelsey L. Hawkes, Megan Mills-Novoa, Brian F. O'Neill, and Wincenty M. Pawlowski. 2017. “The Impacts of Climate Change on Natural Areas Recreation: A Multi-Region Snapshot and Agency Comparison.” Natural Areas Journal 37(1):86-97.

Snowmobiling in Congressionally designated Wilderness (CW) in Alaska is a contentious issue in the arena of appropriate use of public lands. The 1980 Alaska National Interests Lands Conservation Act allows snowmobiling in CW for traditional activities. Conversely, the 1964 Wilderness Act prohibits motor vehicles in CW to preserve its naturalness and opportunities for solitude. These conflicting mandates challenge the ability of managers to preserve CW character. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (KENWR) manages 534,300 ha of CW, where 253,200 ha are open to snowmobiling. Snowmobile noise degrades CW character whereas natural quiet is indicative of naturalness and offers opportunities for solitude. We determined the acoustic footprint of snowmobile noise and areas of natural quiet refugia in CW by recording the soundscape at 27 locations inside, and 37 locations outside, KENWR CW. We calculated soundscape power (normalized watts/kHz) from 59,598 sound recordings and generated spatially explicit models of snowmobile noise and natural quiet using machine-learning (TreeNet). We calculated the area of CW with the highest and lowest soundscape power for snowmobile noise and natural quiet, respectively. Snowmobile noise occurred during daylight hours while natural quiet was predominant at night. Snowmobile noise was higher in February and March while January was quieter. Snowmobile noise affected 39% of CW open to snowmobiling while natural quiet made up 36%. Natural quiet occurred in 51% of all KENWR CW of which 39% was prohibited by management or inaccessible by snowmobiles. Our models identify areas where conservation of winter soundscapes in CW can be focused.

Timothy C. Mullet, John M. Morton, Stuart H. Gage, and Falk Huettmann. 2017. “Acoustic Footprint of Snowmobile Noise and Natural Quiet Refugia in an Alaskan Wilderness.” Natural Areas Journal 37(3):332-349.

Recreational use of public land is high and rising. Thus, it is critical to understand the dynamics of land use at the wildland–urban interface so managers can simultaneously meet varying human needs while mitigating environmental impacts caused by recreationists and their canine companions. Using motion-activated camera surveys along official trails near the urban edge of Boulder, Colorado, we quantified daily patterns and the relative frequency of human recreational activities, with particular focus on activities involving domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and human compliance with dog regulations. We also tested hypotheses regarding potential predictors of human activity as well as predictors of human accompaniment by dogs, both on-leash and off, and user compliance with leash laws. Pedestrians used the trail system most frequently, followed by dog-walkers, mountain bikers, and recreationists of other types, with activity peaking in the mornings and evenings. Use of open space lands was primarily, and positively, predicted by the presence of scenic vistas or trails on which users could be accompanied by their dogs. Compliance with dog regulations depended on the type of policy imposed, with stricter and more consistent restrictions resulting in fewer violations. This study suggests that to maximize compliance with leash laws, consistent policies may be more effective than temporally varying leash laws. Additionally, it may be beneficial to increase enforcement at peak times for all trails, and at all times on trails where violations are more likely, such as those with seasonal leash laws.

Annie Kellner, Scott Carver, Ashley Gramza, Jesse S. Lewis, Sue VandeWoude, and Kevin R. Crooks. 2017. “Outdoor Recreation at the Wildland–Urban Interface: Examining Human Activity Patterns and Compliance with Dog Management Policies.” Natural Areas Journal 37(4):515-529.

Creation and use of multi-use trails are increasing throughout grasslands of North America. While the direct and indirect ecological impacts of multi-use trails are generally understood, their specific impacts on adjacent grassland conservation require further assessment. Traditional scientific methods of quantifying trail impacts are often prohibitively costly in terms of required time, expertise, and equipment. Here, we evaluate the utility of a rapid assessment methodology—combining rangeland health protocols for grasslands with publicly available Google Earth mapping technologies—for capturing trail impacts as a function of distance from trail in a multi-use natural area in southwestern Alberta, Canada. Our methodology successfully detected a positive relationship between rangeland health scores and increasing distance from trail, indicating its viability as a rapid assessment tool. Second, this methodology was sensitive enough to allow the development of a more generalized statistical model demonstrating that rangeland health was best explained by a combination of slope, aspect, plant community type, and distance from trail. Combined, we suggest the limited costs of this method, combined with its ability to detect indirect impacts of trails on the health of adjacent grasslands, indicate this tool has potential utility for land managers where resources are limited. More specifically, we suggest this grassland health protocol can be highly effective as a first “rapid assessment,” prior to investing in more traditional ecological methodologies.

Jessica Grenke, James F. Cahill, and Edward W. Bork. 2018. “Quantification of Multi-Use Trail Effects Using a Rangeland Health Monitoring Approach and Google Earth.” Natural Areas Journal 38(5):370-379.

To redress prairie loss, managers seed former agricultural lands and reinstate key ecosystem processes with prescribed fires and reintroduction of native grazers to create restored prairies. Bison (Bison bison) were almost hunted to extinction in the late 1800s but are recovering and have recently been reintroduced to restored prairies for their ecosystem engineering roles. The effects bison and fire have on remnant (never-plowed) prairie vegetation are well documented. However, there is little known about how bison will impact plant communities in restored prairies. These effects are most likely driven by reduction of competition from grasses and increased heterogeneity from disturbance. This study aimed to quantify bison impacts on vegetation in a chronosequence of restored prairie with varied burning regimes. We found that plant diversity decreased with restoration age and did not differ among either grazing or fire treatments. However, grazed sites displayed more variation within plant community composition. Older restorations tended to be more similar in species and functional group composition in comparison to younger sites. Although the roles of bison and fire were not as important in these first three years after reintroduction as predicted, changes in composition suggest that bison effects may become more apparent in later years as grazing drives different compositional trajectories.

The long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) is a species of international conservation concern. Effective long-term conservation measures for a species require knowledge of all aspects of the species' ecology within its range. We analyzed 210 pellets regurgitated by long-billed curlews that were collected at two sites in the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico. From these pellets, we identified 34 prey items corresponding to three classes of invertebrates (10 orders, 18 families, and 9 morphospecies), one class of reptiles (one order and one family), one class of plants (one order, one family, and four morphospecies), as well as gastroliths. We selected three habitat types used by the curlews and conducted a prey availability analysis with pitfall traps and a sweep net; we estimated a biomass of 20.78 g of ground-dwelling invertebrates and 64.73 g of flying and foliage invertebrates for every 10 m² during the winter season. Our results demonstrate that the long-billed curlew has high dietary flexibility and uses different habitats during its wintering stay in the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico. One main threat was detected on wintering grounds: exposure to pesticides, which can lead to both physiological problems and the reduction of its main prey.

The integration of agricultural and natural ecological systems is increasingly viewed as an essential step toward achieving conservation goals, from local to global scales. For this study, we assessed the ecological conditions and conservation value of upland habitats on six Wisconsin potato farms participating in an ecolabel program that requires the implementation of ecological management plans on non-crop lands. Our objective was to determine how natural and restorable-to-natural elements of the landscape related to adjacent intensively managed agricultural fields, in order to prioritize restoration targets and activities. We compared the plant species richness, floristic quality, and vegetation structure between three dominant upland habitats: woodlands, pine plantations, and weedy fields. We recorded 205 native plant species across all sites (approximately 25% of the regional native flora), indicating that habitat patches surrounding agricultural lands can offer substantial conservation value. Woodlands had the highest average conservation value (mean of 43.8 native species per site) and weedy fields the lowest (mean of 6.3 native species per site). Habitat edges were characterized by a higher frequency of both exotic and prairie–savanna indicator species, representing a unique assemblage of species warranting special consideration for conservation and restoration. We recommend that restoration efforts on this and similar agroecological systems prioritize woodland edges and weedy corners, where prescribed fire, native plant seeding, and invasive species removal could produce significant conservation gains while reducing agricultural weed colonization of cultivated fields.

Cliff environments have historically been relatively undisturbed, but growth in the popularity of rock climbing is changing this pattern. As land managers face increasing pressure to open new rock climbing areas, there is a need to understand the potential impacts of human presence on cliffs. To that end, we examined how rock climbing activity affects the occurrence and behavior of passerine birds, with a focus on the behaviors of four cliff-specialist bird species at high- and low-use climbing sites. We found that rock climbing use level did not affect the occurrence or behavior of white-throated swifts (Aeronautes saxatalis). Violet-green swallows (Tachycineta thalassina) showed small behavioral changes and were frequently observed at high-use climbing sites, suggesting an attraction to humans. In contrast, the behavioral patterns, but not occurrence rates, of common ravens (Corvus corax) and canyon wrens (Catherpes mexicanus) were affected by rock climbing site use. In particular, canyon wrens engaged in a greater diversity of behaviors at low-use climbing sites, with reduced foraging and singing at high-use climbing sites. Results indicate that avian species are differentially affected by rock climbing, with white-throated swifts and violet-green swallows coexisting well with climbers. Canyon wrens showed the strongest responses to rock climbing, making them a species of concern and a target for protection because they are cliff-dependent and experiencing population declines. We recommend including behavioral observations when monitoring specialist species, so that such data can inform management relating to recreation at cliff areas.

Reconstructed prairies can provide habitat for pollinating insects, an important ecosystem service. To optimize reconstructions for pollinators, goals may include enhancing flowering plant cover and richness and increasing bloom availability early and late in the growing season. Resistance to invasive exotic species must also be a goal in any reconstruction, but it is unclear how increasing forb richness and dominance may affect susceptibility to invasion. We compared planted forb richness and cover, cover of planted grasses, and persistence of exotic species 10 y post-planting of reconstructions with 58 species (extra-high richness), 34 species (high), 20 species (medium), and 10 species (low) planted at the same time in the same fields, and using the same methods and overall seeding rate at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa, USA. Planted forb richness and cover were higher and planted warm-season, but not cool-season, grass cover was lower in the extra-high richness plots. Mean Coefficient of Conservatism was higher and there was less cover of exotic forbs in the extra-high richness plots. Cover of exotic cool-season grasses was greater in the extra-high richness plots than in the lower-richness plots and this trend was still increasing at the last sample date. Our results are encouraging in that we increased cover of pollinator-friendly habitat, but invasive grasses are a concern as they may reduce forb cover and opportunities for ground-nesting bees in the long term.

To protect and manage species listed under the US Endangered Species Act requires knowledge of the species' biology. Biological information was lacking for Euphorbia telephioides, a threatened species endemic to pine flatwoods in the Florida Panhandle. Decline of this species is due largely to habitat loss and degradation. To understand the conservation requirements for the recovery of E. telephioides, we established three permanent plots, marked 150 plants, and investigated size and reproduction, response to fire, and in situ seed germination and seedling survival from 2010 to 2014. Plants are long-lived and survived fire by resprouting. Populations are composed of vegetatives, males, females, and monoecious individuals with labile sex expression, including fire-induced sex change. Both adults and seedlings exhibited obligate winter dormancy and facultative non-synchronized summer dormancy, and some adults had prolonged (>1 y) vegetative dormancy, which minimize exposure to stressful conditions. Reproductive plants tended to be larger than vegetatives, but did not differ significantly in most size parameters. Seeds possess a deep physiological dormancy, tolerate fire, and persist in the field less than 1 y; thus, soil seed bank is unlikely to maintain populations in the face of environmental stochasticity. Once established, seedlings resprout after fire, which likely contributes to population persistence. Overall, E. telephioides displays life history traits that are adaptive in the fire-prone habitats where this species occurs. For specific management recommendations in the field, knowledge of gender expression and lability, seed ecology, and the effects of disturbances such as fire on plants and habitat are imperative.

Maximizing rangeland health has become a popular theme in North American grassland management. Quantifying rangeland health is particularly important when attempting to compare different management strategies ongoing in priority conservation areas, such as those within the Northern Great Plains (NGP). We investigated the response of five vegetative components of rangeland health to three large grazer management strategies on individual sites within public and private rangelands in northeastern Montana: Bureau of Land Management allotments that continuously maintained rotational cattle (Bos taurus) grazing, US Fish and Wildlife Service designated wilderness areas where cattle were removed, and lands managed by the American Prairie Reserve where cattle were removed and bison (Bison bison) were reintroduced. We then compared sites relative to historical climax plant community (HCPC) conditions—our management target. Our bison-restored site had exotic plant abundances most similar to the HCPC, and significantly lower than our other sites. Our cattle-removal site maintained litter cover most similar to the HCPC, while other sites were lower than target conditions. Overall, differences among our bison-restored and cattle-retention sites were slight relative to the HCPC. Although our treatments were represented by a single site, no single management strategy achieved all five vegetative measures of rangeland health based on HCPC targets. We observed several differences between sites that could inform future grazer management in this region. We provide a novel process to quantifiably compare rangeland health across areas with different grazer management approaches. Without quantitative assessments and long-term monitoring, assessing rangeland health can be overly subjective, and may not inform ongoing concerns surrounding grazing management in the NGP.

The southeastern United States contains the largest area on Earth devoted to intensive pine growth and represents an area experiencing rapid forest conversion for residential development. This region also harbors the highest lungless salamander diversity in the world. Studies repeatedly demonstrate that this taxon responds negatively to forest conversion. In this study, we evaluated terrestrial salamander abundance in four forest types commonly found on the southern Cumberland Plateau, USA: unmanaged, residential, burned, and harvested. Our results indicate that terrestrial salamanders occur in low surface abundance in this landscape but are found at their highest abundance in residential forest patches. Although we are unable to assess if these areas have always harbored higher abundances of terrestrial salamanders, these residential forest fragments have high conservation value to retain terrestrial salamanders in a heavily managed landscape.