Monitoring Vertebrate Presence in Fluvial Wetlands Following Restoration

<span style="font-weight: 400;">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,</span><strong> </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">and few studies have examined the impacts of natural wetland restoration on more than one taxon of wildlife simultaneously.</span><strong> </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">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</span><strong> </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">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 (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eptesicus fuscus</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">). 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.</span>