The October 2015 issue of the Natural Areas Journal included the article, “Disturbance, Succession, and Structural Development of an Upland Hardwood Forest on the Interior Low Plateau, Tennessee” by Justin L. Hart, Merrit M. Cowden, Scott J. Torreano, and J. Patrick R. Vestal (Vol 35, no. 4, pp. 557–573). A revised version of this article is available online at BioOne with the following corrections:

There is significant debate about restoration targets for ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and mixed-conifer forests in the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. On one side are recommendations to create both extensive open and park-like pine forests, and to reduce high-severity fire occurrence by mechanical thinning of forests. These recommendations drive current management. On the other side are recommendations to manage landscapes for both dense, old forest, and complex early-seral forest that is created by both high-severity and moderate-severity fires characteristic of historical fire regimes. Our research suggests that the latter approach may best maintain forest associated with two imperiled species that are top management concerns of federal agencies in the Sierra Nevada: the California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) and the Pacific Fisher (Pekania pennanti). We used spatially extensive US Forest Service forest survey data from 1910 and 1911, and synthesized research from other parts of this region for comparison, to assess reference conditions in low/mid-elevation Sierra Nevada forests. We found that historical ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests had a mixed-severity fire regime, with an average of 26% high-severity fire effects, and varied more widely in species composition and density than suggested by previous research. Our findings are contrary to other reports using a very small subset (∼6%) of the available data from these same 1910 and 1911 surveys. Therefore, we suggest that historical reference conditions of forests in the Sierra Nevada range of these species are not like that reported previously in other studies, and that mixed-severity fire, and forests defined by strong contrasts and dynamic natural processes, were characteristic of historical ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of the western Sierra Nevada. Our analysis indicates that managing for both dense, old forests, and protecting complex early-seral forest created by high-severity fire, will likely advance conservation and recovery of the Spotted Owl and Pacific Fisher, while current management direction may exacerbate threats.

Much of the coastal sage scrub habitat in Southern California that existed prior to European settlement has been developed for human uses. Over the past two to three decades, public agencies and land conservation organizations have worked to acquire some of the remaining lands for preservation. Many of these lands are degraded by past intensive livestock grazing, farming, and frequent fires, and the native flora has been replaced by weedy, exotic annual grasses and forbs, mostly of Mediterranean origin. Restoration of native flora is challenging and there are few successful examples to provide guidance on effective methods. Cost is also an important and prohibitive factor. Competition from weeds is one of the most difficult impediments to establishing native vegetation, which often persists in the seedbank. We compared annual applications of the nonselective herbicide glyphosate over multiple years, followed by a final year with the grass-specific fluazifop, as a simple, low cost method of reducing the exotic seedbank sufficiently to allow native vegetation to establish. This approach was combined with seeding native forbs, herbaceous perennials, and shrubs in one half of each treatment plot. Herbicide treatments were made in the spring each year from 2006 to 2010, and were combined with weed trimming in 2010 and 2011 to remove exotic forb inflorescences, and raking to remove litter. In 2010, native plant cover in herbicide-treated plots was about 50%, consisting of 43 species, compared to <5% cover in the control plots. Most of the native plants came from the existing seedbank, and very few from the seed mix. A cost analysis showed that a once-yearly herbicide treatment was as effective as one application plus spot spraying or hand inflorescence trimming, and is more cost-effective than hand weed control and raking for restoration.

Red spruce (Picea rubens) and red spruce-northern hardwood mixed stands once covered as much as 300,000 ha in the Central Appalachians, but now comprise no more than 21,000 ha. Recently, interest in restoration of this forest type has increased because red spruce forests provide habitat for a number of rare animal species. Our study reports the results of an understory red spruce release experiment in hardwood-dominated stands that have a small component of understory red spruce. In 2005, 188 target spruce were identified in sample plots at six locations in central West Virginia. We projected a vertical cylinder above the crown of all target spruces, and in 2007, we performed a release treatment whereby overtopping hardwoods were treated with herbicide using a stem injection technique. Release treatments removed 0–10% (Control), 11–50% (Low), 51–89% (Medium), and ≤90% (High) of the basal area of overtopping trees. We also took canopy photographs at the time of each remeasurement in 2007, 2010, and 2013, and compared basal removal treatments and resulting 2010 canopy openness and understory light values. The high treatment level provided significantly greater six-year dbh and height growth than the other treatment levels. Based on these results, we propose that a tree-centered release approach utilizing small canopy gaps that emulate the historical, gap-phase disturbance regime provides a good strategy for red spruce restoration in hardwood forests where overstory spruce are virtually absent, and where red spruce is largely relegated to the understory.

Scrub oak barrens were once distributed throughout portions of the northeastern United States. This fire-dependent community covered over 809,000 ha in Pennsylvania during the mid-1900s, but was reduced to about 7132 ha by the late 1900s. Decline of scrub oak barrens is attributed to development, fire suppression, and colonization by fire-intolerant trees. Scrub oak barrens are a state imperiled ecosystem and in recent years, efforts to restore late successional barrens through mechanical cutting and prescribed fire have been initiated in Pennsylvania. Scrub oak barrens support high species richness, including several rare or declining species of plants and animals. This ecosystem is also known for supporting rare Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species. We used light traps and bait stations to compare Lepidoptera communities in restored and late successional scrub oak barrens in northeastern Pennsylvania. A total of 13,386 individuals were identified, representing 373 species. Nine species are state-listed, with four of these species detected exclusively in restored barrens. Few differences in Lepidoptera species richness, diversity, or abundance were found between restored and late successional barrens. Moth communities were similar across all sites and forb presence partially explained moth variance. Several species (n = 197) were found in both restored and late successional sites. However, several species were unique to restored (n = 128) and late successional sites (n = 48). Our findings suggest scrub oak barrens should be managed to create a mosaic of successional stages throughout the landscape if Lepidoptera diversity is a conservation goal.

This study assessed the effects of sediment removal on Prairie Pothole Region wetland plant communities in North Dakota in order to determine if this management tool improves vegetation structure that benefits wildlife. Three categories of seasonal wetlands were evaluated: reference condition, converted cropland, and excavated. Vegetation surveys were conducted in the wet meadow and shallow marsh zones of 39 seasonal wetlands located in Benson, Eddy, Towner, and Wells Counties, North Dakota. Visual obstruction readings were taken at various heights in order to assess habitat quality. There were no geographic differences in the reference wetland plant communities. However, there were significant treatment differences between the plant communities of the wet meadow and shallow marsh zones. In general, excavated wetlands showed vegetation trends similar to reference wetlands, whereas the converted cropland wetlands tended to be more cattail-choked. Visual obstruction scores and mean percent cover of hybrid cattail (Typha X glauca) were considerably higher in converted cropland sites than in excavated and reference sites, indicating that the excavated and reference sites provide the potential for higher quality wildlife habitat. Actively restoring wetlands through excavation is a promising technique that deserves further implementation and investigation.

This research on the federally endangered relict trillium (Trillium reliquum) focuses on documenting viable conserved populations including detailing existing threats and making recommendations for the listing status of this species based on study results. On known conservation sites, we estimate size of the trillium population (mature, juvenile, and reproductive individuals) at each site, both in each year and on average; compare density of the trillium population (mature, juvenile, and reproductive individuals) across years to determine whether populations are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable; estimate herbivory damage; and estimate the proportion of plots invaded by exotic invasive species at each site. Data are collected from 14 sites in Georgia and South Carolina in 2011 and 2012. These survey efforts are successful in identifying where self-sustaining populations of relict trillium occur to satisfy recovery plan objectives, and where protected populations of adequate size are missing. These analyses also highlight locations where additional management efforts are warranted to ensure relict trillium population success to meet delisting requirements. This effort also helps to prioritize existing sites in need of conservation protection and aid in the establishment of a long-term monitoring program.

Echinacea laevigata, or smooth coneflower, is a federally listed endangered species found in open woods and human maintained clearings, including roadsides and utility rights of way. The species is disjunctly distributed in the eastern United States, with populations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, where they are associated with calcium and magnesium rich soils. This research was designed to determine if there is a nonrandom relationship between soil chemistry and the occurrence of E. laevigata along roadsides in northeast Georgia. Soil samples were collected from sites along roadsides with known populations and from arbitrarily selected sites without E. laevigata along the same roadsides. Multiple response permutation procedure (MRPP) found a nonrandom relationship between soil chemistry and occurrence. Sites with E. laevigata had a wider range of pH values but had lower iron values than the set of arbitrarily selected sites, suggesting that the species may be excluded from locations with high levels of iron in the soil.

Springs influence water temperature and flow of streams; however, little information exists on the effects of springs on fish communities and their potential as refugia. This study examined the impacts of a spring on a wadeable stream. Fish, water quality, and physical habitat data were collected seasonally in 2011–2012 upstream and downstream of Double Spring, located on Terrell Creek within Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Missouri. Downstream of the spring, stream width was similar among seasons, and temperature, dissolved oxygen, and depth were less variable than upstream throughout the year. Temperature was significantly higher and dissolved oxygen was significantly lower at the upstream reach in summer, which completely dried by fall. During spring and winter, temperature and dissolved oxygen did not vary between reaches. The fish community differed between the upstream and downstream sites, particularly in summer when community similarity (Bray-Curtis) was 30.2%. Species richness and number of species intolerant to human disturbance and poor water quality were always greater in the downstream site within each season, with species richness and relative abundance highest during summer and fall. In the upstream reach, species richness was highest in the spring and relative abundance was highest in summer. Across seasons, species richness, number of intolerant species, and relative abundance were more consistent at the downstream reach compared to upstream. The presence of springs in small wadeable streams influences both physical/chemical habitat parameters and fish assemblages downstream, allowing communities to persist during dry summer months and potentially acting as refugia or supporting source populations for upstream reaches.

Extreme south Florida has suffered recent losses of butterfly populations and even species extinctions. Information about the life histories of rare butterflies and their host plants is needed to recover their populations. We assessed urban fragments of pine rockland for their potential to support the federally endangered butterflies Strymon acis bartrami and Anaea troglodyta floridalis. We sampled and mapped the distribution of the larval host plant Croton linearis and used GIS data and fire records to rank each of the ten preserves for suitability to support the rare butterflies. Our findings revealed that host plants are patchily, but widely, distributed and are generally abundant. Croton linearis populations were largest in fragments that had experienced fire within the past decade. In total we estimated that 49,813 C. linearis individuals occurred in nine of the ten preserves we surveyed in 2013. While it is possible that nine of the ten preserves containing C. linearis could support populations of either rare butterfly, our suitability matrix showed that not all preserves are equal, enabling us to make recommendations about where to focus butterfly recovery efforts and how to improve rare habitat at preserves with lower scores.

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.

To identify effective strategies for managing and enhancing partnerships between conservation organizations (CO) and academic researchers, we interviewed 11 Canadian environmental nongovernmental and governmental organizations that manage conservation lands. Conservation organizations were asked to describe their strategies for setting research priorities, finding research partners, providing incentives, specifying and obtaining deliverables, applying results, and measuring the success of partnerships with academic researchers. Several effective strategies were identified for enhancing the success of academic partnerships. Many COs develop lists of internal research priorities to communicate to the research community beyond their existing networks. Funding is widely viewed as the most effective incentive; however, most COs are limited in the amount of direct research funding they can provide. Instead, they rely on alternative incentives, including providing access to land and data, accommodations at research stations, equipment, and expertise. Peer-reviewed articles are often the most desirable deliverables; however, alternate deliverables are usually welcomed by COs. These include reports, data sets, literature reviews, and workshops or seminars where researchers share knowledge directly with practitioners. Establishing written contracts for deliverables and following up by phone or email helps to ensure that deliverables are received. Participation in research by CO practitioners serving on student committees or as coauthors helps to keep research relevant to COs' needs. COs can develop systems to track and apply research conducted in partnership with academics, including developing records for completed projects, and disseminating research results beyond the project team.

Based on many years of stewardship experience in natural areas in Illinois and Pennsylvania, I discuss the potential for roadside mowing to facilitate the spread of aggressive alien plants. Along interstate highways, mowers are a potential mechanism for spread of aggressive plants for long distances. Other factors that may be important are favorable climatic and soil conditions, and positive responses by aliens to disturbances caused by mowing along these highways. This report outlines some differences and similarities between central Illinois and south-central Pennsylvania, which have similar climatic conditions but different soils and length of settlement time.

An appreciation for the importance of structural complexity, combined with the acknowledgment that stands with complex structures are uncommon compared to pre-European settlement estimates, has led to a growing interest in restoring late-successional forests. The success of these projects is dependent upon our understanding of the variability of late-successional structure and the disturbance events that produced this structure. We quantified woody species composition, stand structure, canopy disturbance history, and Quercus establishment and canopy accession patterns to document processes that resulted in the structural conditions of an upland hardwood forest in Tennessee. The forest established in the mid-1800s and exhibited structural characteristics that were within the range of what has been reported from other late-successional forests in the region. The forest overstory was dominated by Quercus prinus, but Acer saccharum was the most abundant species. Quercus recruitment was continuous from stand initiation through the 1950s. The vast majority of Quercus trees that established prior to 1880 established in closed canopy conditions, whereas most Quercus trees that established after 1880 established in high light environments. Quercus establishment in canopy gaps resulted in multi-aged Quercus populations in the forest. We documented three forest-wide disturbances during development (1922, 1945, and 1973). The 1922 forest-wide disturbance coincided with an establishment pulse of largely understory taxa, and the broad-scale event of 1945 corresponded with an establishment pulse of A. saccharum. Our results provide benchmarks for a region that lacks other reference conditions and can be used to inform structure and process based restoration approaches.