Animal Biodiversity at Nachusa Grasslands

A primary goal of ecological restoration is to increase biodiversity in
degraded ecosystems. However, the success of restoration ecology is often
assessed by measuring the response of a single functional group or trophic
level to restoration, without considering how restoration affects
multitrophic interactions that shape biodiversity. An ecosystem-wide
approach to restoration is therefore necessary to understand whether
animal responses to restoration, such as changes in biodiversity, are
facilitated by changes in plant communities (plant-driven effects) or
disturbance and succession resulting from restoration activities
(management-driven effects). Furthermore, most restoration ecology studies
focus on how restoration alters taxonomic diversity, while less attention
is paid to the response of functional and phylogenetic diversity in
restored ecosystems. Here, we compared the strength of plant-driven and
management-driven effects of restoration on four animal communities
(ground beetles, dung beetles, snakes, and small mammals) in a
chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairie, where sites varied in
management history (prescribed fire and bison reintroduction). Our
analyses indicate that management-driven effects on animal communities
were six-times stronger than effects mediated through changes in plant
biodiversity. Additionally, we demonstrate that restoration can
simultaneously have positive and negative effects on biodiversity through
different pathways, which may help reconcile variation in restoration
outcomes. Furthermore, animal taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity
responded differently to restoration, suggesting that restoration plans
might benefit from considering multiple dimensions of animal biodiversity.
We conclude that metrics of plant diversity alone may not be adequate to
assess the success of restoration in reassembling functional ecosystems.