Proposing a novel, efficient measure for assessing glade restoration efficacy: wildflower presence and abundance

Abstract

Human presence is detrimentally affecting natural environments. Glades are an example of such envi-ronments. As glades diminish in number, proper restoration efforts are essential for the preservation of the habitats’ unique ecosystems, biodiversity and natural processes. To ensure glade survivorship, evaluation of glade restoration efforts is critical. As indicators of the trophic level of producers in a food chain, wildflowers can serve as overall indicators of the restoration process. A comparison of wildflower species presence and abundance between recently restored and control glades offer insights into the restoration progress. In this paper, I propose the us-age of a novel method for assessing restoration effi-cacy. I outline step-by-step how to apply such a method. I then explain how the implementation of such a method can be used to address questions re-garding the restoration effort’s efficacy.