Evaluation of seagrass planting and monitoring techniques: Implications for assessing restoration success and habitat equivalency

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dc.acquisition-srcen_US
dc.call-noen_US
dc.contract-noen_US
dc.contributor.authorBell, SSen_US
dc.contributor.authorTewfik, Aen_US
dc.contributor.authorHall, MOen_US
dc.contributor.authorFonseca, MSen_US
dc.contributor.otherRestoration Ecologyen_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-15T16:46:24Z
dc.date.available2010-02-15T16:46:24Z
dc.date.issuedSep. 2008en_US
dc.degreeen_US
dc.descriptionpgs. 407-416en_US
dc.description-otheren_US
dc.description.abstractRestoration has become an integral part of coastal management as a result of seagrass habitat loss. We studied restoration of the seagrass (Halodule wrightii) near Tampa Bay, Florida. Experimental plots were established in June 2002 using four planting methods: three manually planted and one mechanically transplanted by boat. Seagrass cover was recorded at high resolution (meter scale) annually through July 2005. Natural seagrass beds were concurrently examined as reference sites. We also evaluated the suitability of a commonly used protocol (Braun-Blanquet scores, BB) for comparing the development of seagrass cover using the planting methods and quantifying spatial patterns of cover over time. Results show that BB scores mirrored conventional measures of seagrass characteristics (i.e., shoot counts and above- and belowground biomass) well when BB scores were either low or very high. However, more caution may be required at intermediate cover scores as judged by comparison of BB scores with direct measurement of seagrass abundance. Significant differences in seagrass cover were detected among planting methods and over time (2002-2005), with manual planting of rubber band units resulting in the highest cover. In contrast, the peat pot and mechanical planting methods developed very low cover. Recovery rates calculated from development of seagrass spatial cover were less than those reported for natural expansion. Importantly, time to baseline recovery may be substantially greater than 3 years and beyond standard monitoring timelines. Prolonged recovery suggests that the rate of service returns, critical for estimating compensatory restoration goals under habitat equivalency analysis, may be severely underestimated.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://gbic.tamug.edu/request.htmen_US
dc.geo-codeTampa Bayen_US
dc.history1-16-09 kswen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/18564
dc.latitudeen_US
dc.locationNot available in house - Please contact GBIC for assistanceen_US
dc.longitudeen_US
dc.notesen_US
dc.placeen_US
dc.publisheren_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries10084.00en_US
dc.relation.urien_US
dc.scaleen_US
dc.seriesen_US
dc.subjecthabitat equivalency analysisen_US
dc.subjectHalodule wrightiien_US
dc.subjectpatchen_US
dc.subjectrecoveryen_US
dc.subjectrestorationen_US
dc.subjectseagrassen_US
dc.titleEvaluation of seagrass planting and monitoring techniques: Implications for assessing restoration success and habitat equivalencyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.universityen_US
dc.vol-issue16(3)en_US

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