Bruna Paolinelli Reis

Biodiversity loss caused by invasive alien species is a major problem in planetary perspective. Ecological restoration can play a critical role in mitigating the impact of invasive species, but the presence of invasive plants in the landscape may simultaneously pose challenges to restoration success, and these processes are influenced by the life history of invasive species. We investigated long-term changes in annual and perennial invasive plant abundance as a function of restoration intervention, invasive species propagule pressure from the surrounding landscape and time since intervention in three sand grassland restoration experiments. Restoration interventions (native low diversity seeding, mowing and carbon amendment) were conducted at a total of eight sites in the Kiskunság region of Hungary. The interventions took place between 1995 and 2003 and were monitored for 17–25 years. To assess invasive propagule pressure around the experimental sites, total shoot numbers in adjacent 1 m by 1 m plots along 100-m-long transects were counted in 2020–2021 from the center of the eight experimental sites. Invasive propagule pressure within a 100-m buffer did not explain changes in the abundance of annual and perennial invasive species. The cover of annual invasive species has mostly decreased over time, and treatment (mainly seeding) accelerated this process. The cover of perennial invasive species increased over time irrespective of applied treatments and landscape invasive propagule pressure. Our research showed that seeding with native species is an effective tool for restoring sandy grasslands and preventing the spread of annual invasive species, but our toolbox for preventing perennial invasion in grassland restoration is limited.

Ecosystem restoration is crucial for halting biodiversity loss and reversing environmental degradation, playing a key role in addressing the climate crisis and ensuring global human well-being and security. The long-term success and cost-effectiveness of restoration efforts depend on continuous monitoring and management. Here, we explore the main challenges in ecological restoration project implementation, scientific monitoring, and present preliminary findings on changes in plant community composition and diversity. These changes are assessed in response to both short- and long-term climatic conditions, as well as the effects of passive and assisted restoration techniques in Portugal. The projects focus on three distinct contexts: the restoration of a coastal dune system, the rehabilitation of a limestone quarry, and the recovery of agroforestry systems in dryland regions. The ecological restoration of the dunes in S. João da Caparica began in 2014. Scientific monitoring since then has demonstrated the successful establishment of vegetation and faunal communities, alongside positive geomorphological evolution. These results confirm that dune restoration is an effective strategy for protecting coastal ecosystems. The restoration of a quarry site in Arrábida Natural Park started in 1983 and has been under continuous scientific monitoring. After 30 years, the restored vegetation has low similarity to the natural reference and shows a stabilization trend in some recovery indicators, primarily influenced by soil characteristics and the type of restoration intervention (plantations or hydroseeding).Our findings have helped evaluate recovery progress, identify limiting factors, and propose adaptive management strategies to enhance restoration outcomes. Agroforestry systems of oak woodlands (montado) dominating in Portuguese drylands are in decline due to complex environmental pressures, including climate change and unsustainable land use. Over the past decades, several restoration projects have been implemented to enhance their resilience and adaptability to climate change conditions. Its scientific monitoring over the years has provided valuable insights into climate change impacts, guiding land management strategies and informing decision-making to combat desertification and improve the sustainability of these vital dryland agroforestry systems.

Bolygónk biodiverzitásának csökkenését részint az idegenhonos inváziós fajok megtelepedése és terjedése idézi elő. Ha egy inváziós faj meghonosodott egy új élőhelyen, oly mértékben megváltoztathatja az ökoszisztéma szerkezetét és működését, hogy az az eltávolítás után is hat, visszaszorításuk és kiirtásuk igen körülményessé válik. Az ökológiai restaurációt, ha hatékonyan és fenntartható módon hajtják végre, hozzájárul a biológiai sokféleség védelméhez, valamint az éghajlatváltozás enyhítéséhez, vagy az azzal szembeni ellenálló képesség vagy alkalmazkodóképesség növeléséhez, hatékony módszernek bizonyult továbbá az inváziós fajok visszaszorítása ellen. Az inváziós fajok jelenléte a tájban ugyanakkor veszélyeztetheti a restaurációs célok elérését. Jelen kutatásunkban célunk értékelni, hogy a lokáció, az égtáji orientáció és a távolság függvényében hogyan változik az egyéves és évelő inváziós fajok abundanciája a restaurációs helyszíneken és környékén, továbbá mely faktorokat kell esetlegesen figyelembe venni a restaurációs beavatkozások tervezésénél. Ennek érdekében 2020–2021-ben nyolc kísérleti területet választottunk a Kiskunságban, melyek középpontjától nyolc égtáj irányában, 100 méter hosszú transzektek mentén, egymás melletti 1 m × 1 m-es parcellákban megszámoltuk az egyes özönfajok hajtásainak számát. A kutatásban vizsgált mindhárom táji faktor (lokáció, irány, távolság) szignifikáns összefüggést mutatott az inváziós fajok hajtásszámára vonatkozóan. Az egynyári inváziós fajok a területre jellemző domináns széliránynak (ÉNy-DK) megfelelően orientálódtak a területeken, az évelők esetén ÉK-i dominancia volt. Az inváziós fajok 100 méteren belüli hajtásszáma nem változott ugrásszerűen, vagyis ez várhatóan nem befolyásolja jelentősen a restaurációs törekvések sikerét. A területhatás felhívja a figyelmet arra, hogy egy adott terület élőhelyösszetétele és korábbi története jelentős hatással lehet a restaurációs beavatkozások sikerére.

Emerging professionals are crucial in advancing ecological restoration by connecting newcomers with established leaders and blending new ideas with traditional practices. This paper highlights the vital role emerging scientists play in restoration ecology and the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER). A survey conducted during the SER2023 conference workshop, organized by the Students and Emerging Professionals committee, showed that emerging professionals contribute significantly to every stage of scientific work, from planning to publication. However, participants emphasized the scarcity of funding opportunities for non‐senior scientists, which limits academic growth. The workshop underscored the importance of nurturing emerging professionals to develop future leaders for SER and ensure continuity. Fostering non‐hierarchical and inclusive networking is key to engaging and empowering these professionals, ultimately contributing to the long‐term success of ecological restoration efforts.

In recent decades, restoring abandoned wood pastures are being rediscovered as an effective way to preserve biodiversity. Their restoration include the control of invasive plant species. In our study, we compared the vegetation composition of wet meadow patches uninvaded and invaded by giant and Canadian goldenrod in a wood pasture located in Somogyfajsz, Hungary. We sampled the vegetation of the wet meadows of the pasture in 16 pairs of 1 x 1 m invaded and uninvaded quadrats in June 2020. We studied the effect of goldenrod invasion on nature conservation value in terms of species diversity, origin of species, and Social Behaviour Types, and forage quality and quantity. The study revealed that goldenrod invasion had negative effects on species richness and community-level biomass in wet meadows, leading to a significant reduction in species diversity and total cover. Goldenrod invasion also impacted the richness and cover of both native and exotic species, with a decrease in richness but not cover, highlighting the competitive ability of goldenrods and their potential to alter vegetation composition.

Land-use change and ecological invasion are two main drivers of biodiversity loss, and the restoration of semi-natural wet grasslands is needed to tackle invasive species and re-establish grassland biodiversity on former forest plantations. This study tested the effectiveness of two widely used management techniques (grazing by traditional Hungarian Grey cattle and mowing once a year in August) as a restoration method of wet meadows in a former forest plantation invaded by goldenrod species in Central Hungary. We compared the vegetation composition of grazed, mowed, and reference areas with semi-natural wet meadow vegetation based on plant biomass, species richness and cover of species groups of species origin, life span, growth form, and social behaviour types of Borhidi determining the grazing value and the nature conservation value of the grasslands. We found that grazing by Hungarian Grey cattle resulted in a vegetation that was more similar to the reference wet meadows than mowing once a year in late summer. Grazing was superior to mowing in terms of goldenrod control, total species richness and cover, as well as the abundance of natives, perennials, herbs, and legumes. However, in the grazed area, we detected more disturbance-tolerant and annual species than in the mowed area. Despite the improved vegetation condition in the grazed area, we identified substantial disparities between the grazed and reference areas after three years of grazing. Based on our results, we advise using continuous extensive grazing to restore and maintain semi-natural wet meadows.

Invasion of alien species is one of the main drivers of land degradation threatening both natural and managed ecosystems. Ecological restoration is crucial in controlling invasion to improve biotic resistance and avoid further land degradation. We investigated the possibility of controlling the establishment of invasive alien species (IAS) by native seed addition. We tested if trait similarity or increased propagule pressure of native species results in the suppression of IAS at the early stage of development. We set up a sowing experiment with three widespread IAS in Hungary of different life forms and functional groups (Asclepias syriaca, Conyza canadensis, Tragus racemosus) and four Pannonic sand grassland species (Festuca vaginata, Galium verum, Gypsophila paniculata, Saponaria officinalis). We found no significant differences in germination ability and seedling emergence between native species and IAS, despite the differences in thousand‐seed weight. Using univariate general linear models, we found that the seedling establishment of IAS can be reduced by adding native species at high densities but also depending on the species identity. Instead of species of similar traits, the seeding of a competitor perennial grass of sand grasslands (F. vaginata) reduced the seedling emergence of all studied IAS the most. Our results confirm that IAS can be effectively controlled by native seed addition in the early establishment stage, especially applying higher densities and competitive species. We conclude that invasion‐resistant restoration can be achieved by the combination of several factors, including high‐density sowing of native species that match IAS in the early stage of development.

To help upscale ecological restoration of degraded lands, landscape factors and longer time scales should be considered when assessing restoration efforts. We evaluated the impact of initial restoration intervention, landscape composition, and elapsed time since the restoration began on the long-term progress of Pannonic sand grassland restoration. Treatments (seeding, mowing, and carbon amendment) were implemented for 6–7 years and monitoring lasted up to 23 years after the first treatment applications in eight experimental blocks belonging to three field experiments. The abundance of target/neophyte species, and distance from primary grasslands and plantations (as major source of target/neophyte species) were estimated in 500 m landscape buffers around each block to characterize landscape composition. Restoration progress was calculated as the difference between the relative cover of target/neophyte species in treatment and control plots. Restoration intervention and neophyte abundance in the landscape had a significant effect on the restoration progress, but time did not. Seeding had the highest positive effect on target species and also prevented invasion by neophyte species. Higher abundance of neophytes in the landscape and the proximity to plantations increased the cover of neophytes in treatment plots. We conclude that restoration interventions may have a greater impact on restoration progress in the longer term than landscape factors or elapsed time. Seeding proved to be the best method in restoring sand grasslands by both favoring target species and controlling invasion. From the landscape factors, the abundance of neophyte species and distance to plantations should be considered when prioritizing areas and efforts for restoration.

Invasive species are among the main threats to grassland biodiversity, and nature conservation management seeks the best methods to eliminate them and to restore natural habitats. We studied the long‐term effect of mowing on the restoration of Pannonian sand grassland after elimination of invasive black locust (Robinia pseudo‐acacia) plantation in Hungary, Europe. Stands of R. pseudo‐acacia at three sites were felled and stumps herbicide‐treated in the winter of 1994–1995. Mowing with hay removal treatment was applied twice a year in 1995–2001 to assist grassland recovery. A block of 12 adjacent plots of 10 m by 10 m was assigned for the experiment at each site, with six control (unmowed) and six treatment (mowed) plots randomly selected. Vegetation was sampled in June and August yearly in 1995–1999 in all sites, plus in seminatural reference grasslands then re‐sampled six times until 2017 in two sites. Herbicide application with repeated mowing successfully eliminated R. pseudo‐acacia. In the unmowed plots, dense woody cover developed at all sites. Vegetation of mowed plots approached the reference grasslands in sites with better propagule availability of target species according to trajectory analyses. In these sites, higher cover of target species was found in mowed compared to unmowed plots, though still significantly lower than in the reference. Mowed plots were more prone to secondary invasion than the unmowed. The long‐term monitoring revealed that initial mowing assisted the restoration of Pannonian sand grassland, but further management is needed to control secondary invasion and increase target species cover.