SUSTAINING ARID LAND SPRINGS ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION

Springs ecosystems are largely non-renewable resources that encompass less than 0.01% of the nation’s land area, but provide habitats for numerous endemic species and are culturally important. Springs, particularly those in arid regions, are vastly more complex, diverse, and productive than the adjacent uplands. At a national and continental scale, springs are among our most threatened ecosystems, with estimates of ecological impairment exceeding 90% in Western North America. While there have been some arid land springs ecosystem restoration efforts, few springs have been continually monitored to evaluate the restoration success. A lack of baseline knowledge of many springs ecosystems conditions contributes to deficiencies in prioritizing restoration and monitoring for their sustainability. Springs monitoring restoration data and reports were compiled through a systematic review process of online journals, governmental agency reports and data, and other various monitoring reports produced by scientists and contractors. Initial assessments find the data available for springs ecosystems within arid lands are left wanting. Monitoring data are either very minimal or non-existent after restoration. This lack of data may be due to the expense of long-term monitoring, or lack of funding to continue monitoring springs ecosystems post-restoration. Total cost for restoration implementation for the projects reviewed ranged from approximately $30,000 to $500,000, with monitoring costs from $0 to $80,000. Post-restoration monitoring is important to determine if the improvements were successful or if further actions are needed to sustain the ecosystems or cultures. This review also found that from the plethora of springs on the Earth’s surface, very few have had restoration or monitoring. Our research of current restoration monitoring data for arid land springs ecosystems will assist in future monitoring and restoration projects by providing baseline comparisons and suggestions for uniform monitoring of these ecosystems. If more information about springs ecosystems were available, then the evidence may be compelling to sustain the associated ecosystems and cultures by promoting a greater effort for restoration and monitoring.