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The Journal of the Society for Ecological Restoration

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The Journal of the Society for Ecological Restoration Restoration Ecology THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION Volume 24, Number 1, January 2015 ISSN 1061-2971 RESEARCH ARTICLE The effects of riparian restoration following saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) biocontrol on habitat and herpetofauna along a desert stream Kent R. Mosher1, Heather L. Bateman1,2 Amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna) have been linked to specific microhabitat characteristics, microclimates, and water resources in riparian forests. Our objective was to relate variation in herpetofauna abundance to changes in habitat caused by a beetle used for Tamarix biocontrol (Diorhabda carinulata; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and riparian restoration. During 2013 and 2014, we measured vegetation and monitored herpetofauna via trapping and visual encounter surveys (VES) at locations affected by biocontrol along the Virgin River in the Mojave Desert of the southwestern United States. Twenty-one sites were divided into four riparian stand types based on density and percent cover of dominant trees (Tamarix, Prosopis, Populus, and Salix) and presence or absence of restoration. Restoration activities consisted of mechanically removing non-native trees, transplanting native trees, and restoring hydrologic flows. Restored sites had three times more total lizard and eight times more yellow-backed spiny lizard (Sceloporus uniformis) captures than other stand types. Woodhouse’s toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) captures were greatest in unrestored and restored Tam-Pop/Sal sites. Results from VES indicated that herpetofauna abundance was greatest in the restored Tam-Pop/Sal site compared with the adjacent unrestored Tam-Pop/Sal site. Tam sites were characterized by having high Tamarix cover, percent canopy cover, and shade. Restored Tam-Pop/Sal sites were most similar in habitat to Tam-Pop/Sal sites. Two species of herpetofauna (spiny lizard and toad) were found to prefer habitat components characteristic of restored Tam-Pop/Sal sites. Restored sites likely supported higher abundances of these species because restoration activities reduced canopy cover, increased native tree density, and restored surface water. Key words: amphibian, cottonwood, habitat management, hydrologic flows, invasive species, lizard, Mojave Desert 2013; Stellatelli et al. 2013), agriculture areas (Jellinek et al. Implications for Practice 2014), and riparian areas (Bateman et al. 2008a). About 60% of • Biocontrol of non-native saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) may amphibian and reptile species (collectively called herpetofauna) indirectly affect wildlife by reducing foliar cover and in the Chihuahuan, Great Basin, Mojave, and Sonoran Deserts of leaving voids in the riparian habitat matrix. North America utilize riparian or wetland habitats (Lowe 1989). • Without intervention, saltcedar biocontrol does not by In riparian ecosystems of the western United States, amphib- itself improve riparian habitat complexity and native tree ians and reptiles are frequently common species but are seldom recruitment; therefore, restoration of side-channel surface included in surveys of riparian ecosystems. Despite their abun- flows and planting native trees may be necessary. dances, there is a paucity of research on reptiles and amphibians • Restoration activities and non-native plant control meth- in relation to non-native vegetation (Bateman et al. 2013). ods should consider maintaining woody debris and Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) is a non-native tree introduced to patches of understory vegetation to maintain a sun-shade the United States during the nineteenth century as an orna- mosaic which benefits many species of lizards and other mental species and for erosion control in the American West wildlife. (Robinson 1965). Due to changes in stream hydrology (Everitt • Conservation projects should include monitoring follow- 1998; Shafroth et al. 2002) and the plant’s unique tolerances ing restoration or non-native plant control to assess inva- sion of undesirable plants that may increase with soil dis- Author contributions: HLB conceived research idea; KRM, HLB designed research turbance and canopy removal. and collected data; KRM analyzed data; KRM, HLB wrote and edited manuscript. 1College of Letters and Sciences, Arizona State University, 6073 S Backus Mall, Mesa, AZ 85212, U.S.A. Introduction 2Address correspondence to H. L. Bateman, email [email protected] Globally, researchers have monitored responses of lizards to understand how habitat restoration affects animal populations, © 2015 Society for Ecological Restoration doi: 10.1111/rec.12273 through changes in canopy of woody vegetation, ground lit- Supporting information at: ter structure, and microclimate, in grasslands (Steidl et al. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/rec.12273/suppinfo January 2016 Restoration Ecology Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 71–80 71 Riparian restoration and herpetofauna to drought and saline conditions (Smith et al. 1998), saltcedar into four stand types based on density and percent cover spread rapidly and is now the third most abundant riparian tree of dominant woody trees and presence of restoration activ- in the western United States (Friedman et al. 2005). Saltcedar ities: saltcedar-dominated stands (Tam), saltcedar-mesquite can form dense monotypic stands, which have been linked to a (Prosopis spp.) stands (Tam-Pros), saltcedar-cottonwood decline in richness and diversity of native plants (Engel-Wilson (Populus fremontii)/willow (Salix spp.) stands (Tam-Pop/Sal), & Ohmart 1978; Lovich et al. 1994) and wildlife (Anderson and restored saltcedar-cottonwood/willow stands (Restored et al. 1977; Durst et al. 2008) in riparian areas. As a result, Tam-Pop/Sal). Saltcedar consisted of Tamarix ramosissima and natural resource managers have invested millions of dollars to related species and hybrids. Water flow in the Virgin River was control saltcedar (Shafroth & Briggs 2008). perennial and stands varied in occurrence of side-channel sur- Saltcedar removal in riparian areas can fail or cause negative face water. Utah sites had standing surface water with marshy effects to habitat and wildlife if managers do not fully under- habitat and other sites had no surface water or marshes present. stand the biological history of the location, reasons behind All sites were affected by biocontrol during the period of initial colonization, and impacts resulting from control activ- study. In 2006, natural resource managers released an insect ities (Zavaleta et al. 2001; Shafroth et al. 2008). Long-term biocontrol agent, the northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda car- domination of saltcedar at a site may significantly alter soil inulata; see Tracy & Robbins 2009 for discussion of taxon- chemistry (Yin et al. 2009) and microbial assemblages (Mein- omy and ecological background on these beetles) in the city hardt & Gehring 2012), preventing or limiting native plant of St. George, Utah, to control saltcedar stands (Bateman et al. establishment (Zavaleta et al. 2001; Harms & Hiebert 2006). 2010). Larvae and adult beetles feed exclusively on the foliage In addition, changes in stream hydrology that led to saltcedar of saltcedar causing defoliation (Lewis et al. 2003). Saltcedar domination may no longer support native vegetation (Stromberg trees along the Virgin River have experienced several years of et al. 2007). In these situations, saltcedar or other non-native defoliation, canopy regrowth, and eventual canopy reduction plants may recolonize restored areas (Shafroth et al. 2005; (Hultine et al. 2015). Hultine et al. 2010; Ostoja et al. 2014). Even worse, large-scale Restoration activities included mechanical removal of 50% removal of saltcedar may reduce the only habitat available of saltcedar and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), stumps for riparian wildlife species (Hultine et al. 2010; Paxton et al. sprayed with herbicide (Garlon 3A), native willow and mesquite 2011). Many saltcedar control techniques can reduce forest stems transplanted, and water flow introduced via trenching cover and vertical habitat structure, increase soil erosion, and and redirection of irrigation/stormwater run-off. Restoration facilitate invasion by other non-native plants (D’Antonio & occurred during Winter/Spring of 2012 and 2013. As restored Meyerson 2002; Shafroth et al. 2008). Although several studies Tam-Pop/Sal sites were restricted to Utah and not monitored have documented the effect of saltcedar biocontrol on plant and prior to restoration, we used a space-for-time substitution. We wildlife species (Sogge et al. 2008; York et al. 2011; Nagler compared a restored Tam-Pop/Sal site to an adjacent unrestored et al. 2014; Bateman et al. 2015; Hultine et al. 2015), this study Tam-Pop/Sal site in Utah of similar habitat structure and com- is the first to analyze plant and animal community response to position as a proxy to pre-restored conditions. biocontrol, coupled with targeted habitat restoration. In this study, we examined the response of a local amphibian and reptile community to changes in habitat structure (including Herpetofauna Sampling riparian plant composition and hydrologic flows) from restora- We monitored amphibian and reptile species (“herpetofauna”) tion following saltcedar biocontrol. We were particularly inter- at 21 sites (eight Tam,fiveTam-Pros,sixTam-Pop/Sal,two ested in whether the addition of restoration following biocontrol Restored Tam-Pop/Sal) using trap arrays during May through benefitted wildlife habitat and species. Our objectives wereto July 2013 and 2014. Trap arrays consisted of four pitfall (1)
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