Assessing success of forest restoration efforts in degraded montane cloud forests in southern Mexico

Montane cloud forests are home to great biodiversity. However, non-sustainable anthropogenic activities have led to the loss of forest cover in southern Mexico. Increasing conservation, restoration and sustainable use of forest resources prevents the loss of cloud forests. In this study, success of forest restoration was evaluated in a degraded forest of Highlands Chiapas. The goal of this study was to assess the structure and composition of native tree species. We evaluated vegetation composition at three sites that had undergone enrichment plantings. Floristic composition and structure of the herbaceous, seedling, sapling, and overstory layers were measured. A total of sixty-six native tree species were recorded. Enrichment planting was found to have increased tree diversity. Moreover, 54% of the planted species were found in the understory, indicating that they were successfully recruiting. In conclusion, enrichment planting can aid in the conservation of forest cover in degraded areas.

Evaluating Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis Nabokov) Habitat Selection in the State of Wisconsin, USA

The federally endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis Nabokov) persists in rare oak/pine grassland communities spanning across the Great Lakes region, relying on host plant wild blue lupine (Lupinus perennis). Conservation efforts since 1992 have led to the development of several programs that restore and monitor habitat. This study aims to evaluate Karner blue habitat selection in the state of Wisconsin and develop high-resolution tools for use in conservation efforts. Spatial predictive models developed during this study accurately predicted potential habitat across state properties based on soils and canopy cover, and identified ~51-100% of Karner blue occurrences based on lupine and shrub/tree cover, and focal nectar plant abundance. When evaluated relative to American bison (Bison bison), Karner blues and lupine were more likely to occur in areas of low disturbance, but aggregated where bison were recently present in areas of moderate/high disturbance. Lupine C:N ratio increased relative to cover of shrubs/trees and focal nectar plant abundance and decreased relative to cover of groundlitter. Karner blue density increased with lupine C:N ratio, decreased with nitrogen content, and was not related to phenolic levels. We strongly suggest that areas of different soil textures must be managed differently and that maintenance techniques should generate a mix of shrubs/tree cover (10-45%), groundlitter cover (~10-40%), >5% cover of lupine, and establish an abundance of focal nectar plants. This study provides unique tools for use in conservation and should aid in focusing management efforts and recovery of this species.