Miller and Hobbs Reading

Question 1

What are the two main definitions of a habitat?

Answer 1

Area a species needs to carry out life processes (defined by a combination of resources and environmental processes)

Area of similar vegetation or land cover (called habitat types)

Question 2

What do the authors argue is the first step in a restoration plan?

Answer 2

Identifying a focal species and their associated habitat including resources and processes necessary for their survival

Question 3

What are the 3 constraints to ecological restoration?

Answer 3

Ecological constraints
Financial constraints
Social constraints

Question 4

What are ecological constraints? (3 points)

Answer 4

Limits to what is possible in a plan given the ecological environment

This could include things like:

• climate
• soils
• landscape (eg. Upstream effects)
• biotic community

Severe degradation is considered an ecological constraint if it makes an ecosystem impossible to restore

Question 5

What might change the site suitability for ER in terms of ecological constraints? (4 points)

Answer 5

Severe degradation
Changes in land use (eg. Building a dam)
Climate shifts
Increased invasive species

Question 6

What are financial constraints? (4 points)

Answer 6

Limits to what is realistic in terms of finances/grants/funding

Costs must be weighed against gains

Graph: there are different correlations between habitat value and cost of a project depending on the situation
Eg. Soil remediation might have little benefits unless a lot of money is invested
Adding keystone species might improve function right away then benefits decrease with additional financial inputs

Question 7

What is the most realistic correlation between habitat value and cost of project?

Answer 7

A stepwise graph where habitat value increases as we overcome successive biotic thresholds (eg. Adding woody debris, then planting riparian vegetation, then creating cobble beds etc.)

Question 8

What are social constraints?

Answer 8

Limits to what is acceptable by society/community you’re working in.

This may impact funding levels

Public support is determined by perceived costs and benefits (financially or otherwise)

Highlights importance of public education and engagement (more likely to donate, volunteer, and participate in ongoing stewardship)