Description

Geographically isolated wetlands provide a critical habitat for pond-breeding amphibians, a taxa of broad conservation concern. Restoration of wetlands typically includes goals to recover the wetlands’ physiochemical, hydrological, and ecological functions. However, for pond-breeding amphibians, successful restoration should also result in sustained populations, which is difficult to assess and infrequently reported. In this talk, I will provide a broad overview of restoration practices addressing hydrology, vegetation, and ecological processes within these unique environments and across spatial scales. Then I will summarize the evidence, and discuss the limitations, for evaluating successful restoration within the context of amphibian conservation. Finally, I will share some recommendations for researchers and practitioners to leverage prior successes and establish systematic data collection and dissemination.

Speaker: Angela Burrows

Angela is a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University where she is investigating the impact of forest and wetland change on amphibians through a ‘multiple stressor’ lens. Through her work she investigates the mechanisms driving the responses of individuals, populations and communities to environmental change as well as seeks to inform the sustainable management of natural resources. She is especially interested in amphibians and the interactions between natural dynamic processes (e.g., fire, succession), human-driven disturbance, and management of natural resources that impact their conservation. Angela earned her PhD in Forestry and Natural Resources in 2021 from the University of Georgia, where she investigated how disturbance and plant community change in the aquatic and terrestrial environment affect threatened amphibians. A critical part of Angela’s work is evaluating the effectiveness of restoration and management actions for the conservation of amphibians.