Maximizing benefits from revegetation efforts: Local- and landscape-level determinants of avian response

Avian monitoring data collected at revegetated sites in the Sacramento Valley of California have demonstrated that local population sizes and species diversity of landbirds have increased in response to riparian plant community restoration.  At the scale of individual restoration sites however, there was great variation in the shape and magnitude of the response, indicating that not all restoration is equal.  With limited financial resources available for habitat restoration, information that ensures and/or accelerates success is needed to economize effort and maximize benefit.  To evaluate factors related to variation in restoration success and guide future restorations, we examined several variables (e.g., number of shrub species planted, distance to remnant riparian habitat) that have the potential to influence the success of riparian restoration for landbirds.  Our results can be applied to future restorations by predicting the relative importance of local- and landscape-level factors on avian abundance.