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Clifton B, Ghezzehei TA, Viers JH. Carbon stock quantification in a floodplain restoration chronosequence along a Mediterranean-montane riparian corridor. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:173829. [PMID: 38857806 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Uncertainty in the global carbon (C) budget has been reduced for most stocks, though it remains incomplete by not considering aquatic and transitional zone carbon stocks. A key issue preventing such complete accounting is a lack of available C data within these aquatic and aquatic-terrestrial transitional ecosystems. Concurrently, quantifiable results produced by restoration practices that explicitly target C stock accumulation and sequestration remain inconsistent or undocumented. To support a more complete carbon budget and identify impacts on C stock accumulation from restoration treatment actions, we investigated C stock values in a Mediterranean-montane riparian floodplain system in California, USA. We quantified the C stock in aboveground biomass, large wood, and litter in addition to the C and total nitrogen in the upper soil profile (5 cm) across 23 unique restoration treatments and remnant old-growth forests. Treatments span 40 years of restoration actions along seven river kilometers of the Cosumnes River, and include process-based (limited intervention), assisted (horticultural planting and other intensive restoration activities), hybrid (a combination of process and assisted actions), and remnant (old-growth forests that were not created with restoration actions) sites. Total C values measured up to 1100 Mg ha-1 and averaged 129 Mg ha-1 with biomass contributing the most to individual plot measurements. From 2012 to 2020, biomass C stock measurements showed an average 32 Mg ha-1 increase across all treatments, though treatment specific values varied. While remnant forest plots held the highest average C values across all stocks (336 Mg ha-1), C values of different stocks varied across treatment type. Process-based restoration treatments held more average biomass C (120 Mg ha-1) than hybrid (23 Mg ha-1) or assisted restoration treatments (50 Mg ha-1), while assisted restoration treatments held more average total C in soil and litter (58 Mg ha-1) than hybrid (35 Mg ha-1) and process-based restoration treatments (37 Mg ha-1). Regardless of treatment type, time was a significant factor for all C stock values. These findings support a more inclusive global carbon budget and provide valuable insight into restoration treatment actions that support C stock accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britne Clifton
- Environmental Systems, UC Merced, 5200 Lake Rd Merced, CA 95343.
| | - Teamrat A Ghezzehei
- Environmental Systems, UC Merced, 5200 Lake Rd Merced, CA 95343; School of Natural Sciences, UC Merced, 5200 Lake Rd Merced, CA 95343
| | - Joshua H Viers
- Environmental Systems, UC Merced, 5200 Lake Rd Merced, CA 95343; School of Engineering, UC Merced, 5200 Lake Rd Merced, CA 95343
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Lamb CT, Williams S, Boutin S, Bridger M, Cichowski D, Cornhill K, DeMars C, Dickie M, Ernst B, Ford A, Gillingham MP, Greene L, Heard DC, Hebblewhite M, Hervieux D, Klaczek M, McLellan BN, McNay RS, Neufeld L, Nobert B, Nowak JJ, Pelletier A, Reid A, Roberts AM, Russell M, Seip D, Seip C, Shores C, Steenweg R, White S, Wittmer HU, Wong M, Zimmerman KL, Serrouya R. Effectiveness of population-based recovery actions for threatened southern mountain caribou. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2965. [PMID: 38629596 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Habitat loss is affecting many species, including the southern mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population in western North America. Over the last half century, this threatened caribou population's range and abundance have dramatically contracted. An integrated population model was used to analyze 51 years (1973-2023) of demographic data from 40 southern mountain caribou subpopulations to assess the effectiveness of population-based recovery actions at increasing population growth. Reducing potential limiting factors on threatened caribou populations offered a rare opportunity to identify the causes of decline and assess methods of recovery. Southern mountain caribou abundance declined by 51% between 1991 and 2023, and 37% of subpopulations were functionally extirpated. Wolf reduction was the only recovery action that consistently increased population growth when applied in isolation, and combinations of wolf reductions with maternal penning or supplemental feeding provided rapid growth but were applied to only four subpopulations. As of 2023, recovery actions have increased the abundance of southern mountain caribou by 52%, compared to a simulation with no interventions. When predation pressure was reduced, rapid population growth was observed, even under contemporary climate change and high levels of habitat loss. Unless predation is reduced, caribou subpopulations will continue to be extirpated well before habitat conservation and restoration can become effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton T Lamb
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sara Williams
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Stan Boutin
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael Bridger
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Kristina Cornhill
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Craig DeMars
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melanie Dickie
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bevan Ernst
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Adam Ford
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael P Gillingham
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura Greene
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Douglas C Heard
- Tithonus Wildlife Research, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mike Klaczek
- Ministry of Forests, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bruce N McLellan
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature Bear Specialist Group, D'Arcy, British Columbia, Canada
| | - R Scott McNay
- Wildlife Infometrics Inc., Mackenzie, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Barry Nobert
- Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Agnès Pelletier
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Aaron Reid
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Roberts
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mike Russell
- Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dale Seip
- Ministry of Environment, Government of British Columbia, Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Caroline Seip
- Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carolyn Shores
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shane White
- Ministry of Forests, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Heiko U Wittmer
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Mark Wong
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kathryn L Zimmerman
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robert Serrouya
- Wildlife Science Center, Biodiversity Pathways, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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