Mapping and assessing the knowledge base of ecological restoration

Information on restoration science and practice is dispersed across large numbers of scientific papers, reports, books, and other resources, and there is a lack of synthetic approaches and of linkages between ecological theory and practice. With recent calls for scaling up ecological restoration, there is an urgent need for improving the effectiveness of restoration ecology by presenting existing knowledge in an organized and accessible form. Practitioners benefit from knowing which theories explain patterns and processes in a specific ecosystem, and scientists need an overview of empirical evidence supporting current theories. Strengthening links between restoration practice and science benefits both areas. Based on a new approach used for organizing and assessing hypotheses in invasion biology, we suggest the development of an interactive online platform that promotes the integration of restoration science and practice by (1) presenting an overview of restoration ecology; (2) mapping theoretical work relevant for ecological restoration; (3) displaying direct links to relevant publications; and (4) providing summaries of empirical evidence for ecological theories in specific settings. This online knowledge base should be developed in an open process, bringing together the restoration community with experts in semantic web and natural language processing, library scientists, web designers, and other specialists. The platform should become an evolving, searchable, openly accessible, and intuitively organized tool for future ecological restoration

Mapping and assessing the knowledge base of ecological restoration

Information on restoration science and practice is dispersed across large numbers of scientific papers, reports, books, and other resources, and there is a lack of synthetic approaches and of linkages between ecological theory and practice. With recent calls for scaling up ecological restoration, there is an urgent need for improving the effectiveness of restoration ecology by presenting existing knowledge in an organized and accessible form. Practitioners benefit from knowing which theories explain patterns and processes in a specific ecosystem, and scientists need an overview of empirical evidence supporting current theories. Strengthening links between restoration practice and science benefits both areas. Based on a new approach used for organizing and assessing hypotheses in invasion biology, we suggest the development of an interactive online platform that promotes the integration of restoration science and practice by (1) presenting an overview of restoration ecology; (2) mapping theoretical work relevant for ecological restoration; (3) displaying direct links to relevant publications; and (4) providing summaries of empirical evidence for ecological theories in specific settings. This online knowledge base should be developed in an open process, bringing together the restoration community with experts in semantic web and natural language processing, library scientists, web designers, and other specialists. The platform should become an evolving, searchable, openly accessible, and intuitively organized tool for future ecological restoration

Improving Native Grass Germination with Seed Enhancement Technologies

Faster germination aids invasive weeds’ competitive ability. Several different seed enhancement technologies can help improve native grass germination so they can be more competitive. Osmotic priming (OP), solid matrix priming (SMP), and gibberellic acid seed coatings (GA3) are varying techniques that have been shown to increase seedling germination in native plants.https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/library_studentposters_2025/1040/thumbnail.jp

Campus Vol IX N 2

Tuttle, C. Cover. Picture. 1. Howard Studio. Miss Betsy Phelps . Picture. 2. Troelstrud. Untitled. Cartoon. 4. Anonymous. Campus Calender . Picture. 5. Aaybe, Nancy. By Any Other Name . Prose. 8. Sherman, Marj. Gone Today and Gone Tomorrow . Prose. 10. Martin, Lyn. Six Weeks Old . Prose. 11. Shaw, Ted. \u27Twas The Night Before Christmas . Cartoon. 12. Bogardus, Edna. On Human Pageants . Prose. 14. Swanson, Dru. Nineveh Disclaimed . Prose. 15. Dock. Untitled. Cartoon. 15.; Curry, Chuck. Varsity Basketball . Prose. 16. Shackelford, Duck. The Freshman Rushing Primer . Prose. 18. Anonymous. Untitled. Prose. 19. Hodge, Beth. Denison\u27s Menaces . Cartoon. 20. Kull, Shaw. Untitled. Cartoon. 10. Kull, Shaw. Untitled. Cartoon. 21. Clifford, Bob. Christmas is For Everyone . Prose.23. Anonymous. Untitled. Cartoon. 23. Kull, Shaw. Untitled . Cartoon. 23

Testing the hierarchy of predictability in grassland restoration across a gradient of environmental severity

Ecological restoration is critical for recovering degraded ecosystems but is challenged by variable success and low predictability. Understanding which outcomes are more predictable and less variable following restoration can improve restoration effectiveness. Recent theory asserts that the predictability of outcomes would follow an order from most to least predictable from coarse to fine community properties (physical structure > taxonomic diversity > functional composition > taxonomic composition) and that predictability would increase with more severe environmental conditions constraining species establishment. We tested this “hierarchy of predictability” hypothesis by synthesizing outcomes along an aridity gradient with 11 grassland restoration projects across the United States. We used 1829 vegetation monitoring plots from 227 restoration treatments, spread across 52 sites. We fit generalized linear mixed-effects models to predict six indicators of restoration outcomes as a function of restoration characteristics (i.e., seed mixes, disturbance, management actions, time since restoration) and used variance explained by models and model residuals as proxies for restoration predictability. We did not find consistent support for our hypotheses. Physical structure was among the most predictable outcomes when the response variable was relative abundance of grasses, but unpredictable for total canopy cover. Similarly, one dimension of taxonomic composition related to species identities was unpredictable, but another dimension of taxonomic composition indicating whether exotic or native species dominated the community was highly predictable. Taxonomic diversity (i.e., species richness) and functional composition (i.e., mean trait values) were intermittently predictable. Predictability also did not increase consistently with aridity. The dimension of taxonomic composition related to the identity of species in restored communities was more predictable (i.e., smaller residuals) in more arid sites, but functional composition was less predictable (i.e., larger residuals), and other outcomes showed no significant trend. Restoration outcomes were most predictable when they related to variation in dominant species, while those responding to rare species were harder to predict, indicating a potential role of scale in restoration predictability. Overall, our results highlight additional factors that might influence restoration predictability and add support to the importance of continuous monitoring and active management beyond one-time seed addition for successful grassland restoration in the United States

Biodiversity in changing environments: An external‐driver internal‐topology framework to guide intervention

Accompanying the climate crisis is the more enigmatic biodiversity crisis. Rapid reorganization of biodiversity due to global environmental change has defied prediction and tested the basic tenets of conservation and restoration. Conceptual and practical innovation is needed to support decision making in the face of these unprecedented shifts. Critical questions include: How can we generalize biodiversity change at the community level? When are systems able to reorganize and maintain integrity, and when does abiotic change result in collapse or restructuring? How does this understanding provide a template to guide when and how to intervene in conservation and restoration? To this end, we frame changes in community organization as the modulation of external abiotic drivers on the internal topology of species interactions, using plant-plant interactions in terrestrial communities as a starting point. We then explore how this framing can help translate available data on species abundance and trait distributions to corresponding decisions in management. Given the expectation that community response and reorganization are highly complex, the external-driver internal-topology (EDIT) framework offers a way to capture general patterns of biodiversity that can help guide resilience and adaptation in changing environments

Sea wrack delivery and accumulation on islands: factors that mediate marine nutrient permeability

Sea wrack provides an important vector of marine-derived nutrients to many terrestrial environments. However, little is known about the processes that facilitate wrack transport, deposition, and accumulation on islands. Three broad factors can affect the stock of wrack along shorelines: the amount of potential donor habitat nearby, climatic events that dislodge seaweeds and transfer them ashore, and physical characteristics of shorelines that retain wrack at a site. To determine when, where, and how wrack accumulates on island shorelines, we surveyed 455 sites across 101 islands in coastal British Columbia, Canada. At each site, we recorded wrack biomass, species composition, and shoreline biogeographical characteristics. Additionally, over a period of 9 mo, we visited a smaller selection of sites (n = 3) every 2 mo to document temporal changes in wrack biomass and species composition. Dominant wrack species were Zostera marina, Fucus distichus, Macrocystis pyrifera, Nereocystis luetkeana, Pterygophora californica, and Phyllospadix spp. The amount of donor habitat positively affected the presence of accumulated biomass of sea wrack, whereas rocky substrates and shoreline slope negatively affected the presence of sea wrack biomass. Biomass was higher during winter months, and species diversity was higher during summer months. These results suggest that shorelines with specific characteristics have the capacity to accumulate wrack, thereby facilitating the transfer of marine-derived nutrients to the terrestrial environment

Campus Vol IX N 1

Howard Studio. Miss Barbara Rasor . Picture. 2. Shaw, Ted. Cover. Picture. 1. McIntosh, Bruce. Untitled. Cartoon. 4. Hostetler, Diane. Adamant Evening . Prose. 5. Meese, Dorothy. Adamant Evening . Picture. 5. Anonymous. Whom Not to Invite . Prose. 7. Ladd, Clyde and Don Duck Shackelford. What Are These People Saying? . Picture. 8. Umphrey, Shirley. A Year In France . Prose. 10. Sparian. Untitled. Cartoon. 11.; Anonymous. Untitled. Prose. 11. Martin, Lyn. The Birth of a Broadcasting Station . Shaw, Ted. Freud . Cartoon. 12. Bowman, Jim. A Clear Conscience . Prose. 13. Freer, Tom and Buzz Peek. The Pigskin Parade . Prose. 15. Anonymous. Untitled. Cartoon. 16. Aabye, Nancy. Resentment . Poem. 17. Hunting, John. Another Tree, Another Hill . Poem. 17. Miller, John N. Advice From the Mermaid . Poem. 17. Newman, Brian. Untitled. Cartoon. 17. Aabye, Nancy. The Poem . Poem. 17. McIntosh, Bruce. Untitled. Cartoon. 17. Anonymous. Untitled. Prose. 18. Wampus. Untitled. Cartoon. 18. Anonymous. Untitled. Prose. 19. Schackelford, Don Duck and Ted Shaw. Untitled. Cartoon. 19. Shaw, Ted. Untitled. Cartoon. 19