Invasive plants can gain a foothold in new environments by manipulating soil conditions through allelopathy or through the disruption of associations between native plants and their mycorrhizal associates. The resulting changes in soil conditions can affect the recovery of habitats long after the invasive plant has been removed. We conducted a series of greenhouse experiments to examine the effects of soil conditioned by pale swallow-wort [Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleopow) Barbarich; Apocynaceae], on the growth of native plants. Additionally, we tested the effects of aqueous extracts of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.; Apocynaceae), a related plant with known allelopathic effects, on the regrowth of V. rossicum from transplanted root crowns. Soil from a 15-yr-old V. rossicum infestation reduced seedling emergence in A. syriaca as well as in V. rossicum itself. Conversely, the same soil had no effect on the growth of mature A. syriaca plants. Soil conditioned by V. rossicum growth in the greenhouse had no effect on the biomass and percentage cover generated by two restoration seed mixes. Soil conditioned by A. syriaca, however, yielded lower biomass and percentage cover from both seed mixes. In contrast to the allelopathic effects of A. syriaca on seedlings, aqueous extracts of A. syriaca increased aboveground plant growth in V. rossicum. Our results suggest that the effects of V. rossicum–conditioned soil on native plants are concentrated at the seedling establishment phase. Additionally, the use of diverse native seed mixes shows great potential for restoring productivity to ecosystems affected by V. rossicum.

The present study provides new insight into suitable microsporidian–host associations. It relates regional and continental-wide host specialization in microsporidians infecting amphipods to degraded and recovering habitats across 2 German river catchments. It provides a unique opportunity to infer the persistence of parasites following anthropogenic disturbance and their establishment in restored rivers. Amphipods were collected in 31 sampling sites with differing degradation and restoration gradients. Specimens were morphologically (hosts) and molecularly identified (host and parasites). Amphipod diversity and abundance, microsporidian diversity, host phylogenetic specificity and continental-wide β-specificity were investigated and related to each other and/or environmental variables. Fourteen microsporidian molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), mainly generalist parasites, infecting 6 amphipod MOTUs were detected, expanding the current knowledge on the host range by 17 interactions. There was no difference in microsporidian diversity and host specificity among restored and near-natural streams (Boye) or between those located in urban and rural areas (Kinzig). Similarly, microsporidian diversity was generally not influenced by water parameters. In the Boye catchment, host densities did not influence microsporidian MOTU richness across restored and near-natural sites. High host turnover across the geographical range suggests that neither environmental conditions nor host diversity plays a significant role in the establishment into restored areas. Host diversity and environmental parameters do not indicate the persistence and dispersal of phylogenetic host generalist microsporidians in environments that experienced anthropogenic disturbance. Instead, these might depend on more complex mechanisms such as the production of resistant spores, host switching and host dispersal acting individually or conjointly.

We present a long-term analysis of the results of the Apollo butterfly Parnassius apollo recovery project in the Pieniny National Park, southern Poland, using a classical population ecology model. Six possible theoretical models of changes in population abundance were constructed and their predictions compared with current data. Models that did not take into account supplementation with captive-reared individuals provided the best fit to the population growth pattern during recovery. This was probably because of the introduction of captive-reared specimens to sites while habitat reconstruction was taking place. In addition, we provide data supporting the hypothesis that a significant reduction in the habitat's carrying capacity occurred during the restoration project, probably as a result of the population being over-supplemented with captive-reared individuals. Our analysis shows that for a recovery project to be successful, captive breeding and habitat restoration should be properly coordinated.

We monitored egg clutch numbers of a population of the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei in a Site of Community Interest in northern Italy (SCI IT 209000) during 1997–2017 with the aim of assessing the long-term variation in its abundance. We walked along the banks of canals and small ponds (n = 22) 1–3 times per week between early February and mid-April each year to detect egg clutches. The relationships between the start of the breeding season, yearly egg mass counts, rate of yearly change in the number of recorded egg masses and 15 climatic and environmental variables were assessed by multiple regression. The first deposition of eggs occurred progressively later in the year throughout the study period and mean air temperature during the breeding season decreased over this period. Agile frogs showed high deposition site-fidelity. Despite large variations in the number of egg clutches detected from year to year, the population size remained stable in the long term. Peaks in the number of egg clutches occurred 2 years after the dredging of canals, carried out every 4–6 years to improve water availability, starting in 2004 as part of a LIFE Nature Project. This was the only predictor of the number of egg clutches deposited, suggesting that periodical management is needed to support the agile frog population. Our results reinforce the need for multi-year monitoring to determine both the long-term success of habitat restoration projects and the status of residual populations.

The pattern of seed dispersal in time and space can affect plant fitness and the soil seed bank, and thus information is needed on this aspect of the seed biology of a species before it is selected for use in habitat restoration projects. Zygophyllum xanthoxylon is a super-xerophilous shrub that is a potential pioneer species for use in revegetating highly disturbed areas of the cold deserts of northwest China. We studied fruit release and soil seed banks of Z. xanthoxylon for 3 years in two cold desert habitats characterized by different degrees of drought and wind velocity. In our study, fruit (a three-winged capsule) release began in summer (June 2010, August 2011, July 2012) and extended for 9–10 months, but plants can be found in the population with previous- and current-year fruits attached to them. More than 50% of the fruits were released in the first 3–4 months after maturity, while the others were released gradually over a 7–8 month period. The temporal pattern of fruit dispersal varied with habitat but not with amount of precipitation during summer. The pattern of fruit deposition on the soil surface was affected by neighbouring plants, wind velocity, wind direction and topography. In both habitats, >90% of the fruits were deposited beside large and small clusters of plants, mainly Ephedra przewalskii. To facilitate plant community development, we suggest that E. przewalskii should be planted (as a wind break) together with Z. xanthoxylon when native pioneer species are used for restoration of cold desert shrublands.

Riverine wetlands are vulnerable ecotonal environments and are often threatened by human activities. A project supported by the Cariplo Foundation, called “Ecological and hydromorphological requalification of wetlands in the Ticino area around Pavia” (South-East Lombardy, Northern Italy), was started in 2010 with the aim of improving the chemical, bio-ecological and hydrological conditions of these wetlands. In line with the aim of this project, we selected two wetlands near the main course of the Ticino River for investigation, one of which is impacted by a combined sewer overflow from the sewerage networks which is always active (San Lanfranco (SL) wetland), whereas the other (Topo (TO) oxbow lake) is less directly impacted by anthropogenic activities. In this paper, we report the ecological situation of these two wetlands before the requalification process by investigating the way the zooplankton assemblages, considered as bio-indicators, respond to anthropogenic pressure. Overall, we collected 19 taxa: 4 cladocerans, 1 copepod and 14 rotifers. In the TO oxbow lake, we found a stable community, dominated by the cladoceran Bosmina longirostris. By comparison, in the SL wetland we found a pioneer community, dominated by the juvenile stage of the copepod Thermocyclops dybowskii. The SL wetland was shown to be most urgently in need of improvement and is therefore first in line for requalification, whereas the TO oxbow lake needs less drastic measures to ensure the long-term ecological functioning of the aquatic environment. After these requalification activities, a systematic zooplankton survey will be carried out to monitor the evolution of the riverine wetlands.

Local knowledge is increasingly seen as a critical information source for environmental management and habitat restoration, particularly in Australia. To assess the reliability of this information source, community perceptions of the salinity history of Lake Ainsworth (New South Wales, Australia) were investigated. Lake Ainsworth is a coastal dune lake classified as ‘permanently’ freshwater, although diatom evidence indicates a saline phase that ended in the 1930s. Local accounts of the Lake's history rarely reached consensus and local perceptions frequently contrasted with alternate evidence, including that derived from historical maps and aerial photographs. Given there was an inconsistent and unreliable local perspective about a relatively simple environmental issue, calls for environmental management and restoration to be based on local priorities should be viewed with scepticism.