Monitoring Vertebrate Presence in Fluvial Wetlands Following Restoration

Wetlands serve a vital role as habitats and foraging grounds for a diverse array of wildlife species but are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures, including pollution, sedimentation, and the introduction of invasive species. The practice of ecological restoration has emerged as a method of reestablishing biodiversity in degraded wetland habitats, though the efficacy of restoration as a method of wildlife conservation remains poorly understood. While some studies have identified trends in a singular taxon, many were conducted on constructed wetlands, and few studies have examined the impacts of natural wetland restoration on more than one taxon of wildlife simultaneously. Using passive acoustic monitoring techniques, this study aimed to identify the impacts of restoration on the species presence and activity of two key bioindicator taxa, specifically bats and frogs, on a restored wetland compared to several degraded wetlands in the Southern Appalachian mountains. We found that nightly bat activity increased significantly at the restored wetland over one year of study following restoration, while most other sites exhibited no change or a significant decrease in the post-restoration period. No consistent trends were identified in overall bat or frog species richness following restoration, but analysis of species-specific bat activity in response to restoration suggested strong site preference for the restored site in Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus). These findings suggest wetland restoration is an effective strategy for improving habitat quality for threatened wildlife and may be a valuable approach for preventing further loss of biodiversity.