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Defining a Target Map of Native Species Assemblages for Restoration
Author(s) -
Siles Gemma,
Alcántara Julio M.,
Rey Pedro J.,
Bastida Jesús M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
restoration ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1526-100X
pISSN - 1061-2971
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2008.00473.x
Subject(s) - species richness , vegetation (pathology) , species diversity , restoration ecology , ecology , species distribution , altitude (triangle) , forest restoration , environmental science , geography , habitat , biology , ecosystem , forest ecology , medicine , geometry , mathematics , pathology
Vegetation restoration is usually based on predefined species assemblages from large‐scale maps of potential vegetation. However, most restoration plans apply to smaller spatial scales, so a homogeneous species assemblage is usually assigned to the target site. We propose defining species assemblages for restoration by modeling the distribution of individual target species. The example presented here is about postfire restoration, but it can be used in other types of disturbed areas. We surveyed 212 plots in well‐preserved vegetation around the burned area to obtain a list of target species and physical parameters of the plots. The burned area was divided in a grid of 723 squares, 1 ha each, and then characterized according to the same physical parameters. From these data, we modeled the distribution of 23 target species. A target map of predicted species assemblages was built combining species maps. This map largely resembles the native vegetation in terms of species richness per plot, environmental gradients in α‐diversity, spatial variation in β‐diversity, and frequency of species occurrence. Comparison between the target map and the current vegetation (recovery status) indicated that, on average, only half of the potential set of species is already present in each plot. Analysis of the recovery status suggested that both rock outcrops and areas at lower altitude, with gentle slope and deeper soil, recover faster. This illustrates the utility of target maps to outline plots in more need of restoration.