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• 1. [Article] JonesInvasiveMammalEradication.pdf

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradication.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Campbell, Karl, Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Towns, David R., Jones, Holly P., Keitt, Bradford S., Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Spatz, Dena R., Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Croll, Donald A., Bonnaud, Elsa, Courchamp, Franck, Poncet, Sally, Rocamora, Gérard Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradication.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Campbell, Karl, Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Towns, David R., Jones, Holly P., Keitt, Bradford S., Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Spatz, Dena R., Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Croll, Donald A., Bonnaud, Elsa, Courchamp, Franck, Poncet, Sally, Rocamora, Gérard Close

• 2. [Article] JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable1.pdf

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable1.pdf Author: Howald, Gregg R., Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Campbell, Karl, Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Bonnaud, Elsa, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Courchamp, Franck, Jones, Holly P., Keitt, Bradford S., Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Spatz, Dena R., Genovesi, Piero, Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Croll, Donald A., Ebbert, Steve, Towns, David R., Poncet, Sally, Rocamora, Gérard Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable1.pdf Author: Howald, Gregg R., Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Campbell, Karl, Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Bonnaud, Elsa, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Courchamp, Franck, Jones, Holly P., Keitt, Bradford S., Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Spatz, Dena R., Genovesi, Piero, Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Croll, Donald A., Ebbert, Steve, Towns, David R., Poncet, Sally, Rocamora, Gérard Close

• 3. [Article] JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable2.pdf

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable2.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Campbell, Karl, Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Courchamp, Franck, Jones, Holly P., Poncet, Sally, Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Rocamora, Gérard, Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Croll, Donald A., Bonnaud, Elsa, Towns, David R., Keitt, Bradford S., Spatz, Dena R. Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable2.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Campbell, Karl, Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Courchamp, Franck, Jones, Holly P., Poncet, Sally, Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Rocamora, Gérard, Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Croll, Donald A., Bonnaud, Elsa, Towns, David R., Keitt, Bradford S., Spatz, Dena R. Close

• 4. [Article] JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable3.pdf

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable3.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Croll, Donald A., Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Towns, David R., Jones, Holly P., Keitt, Bradford S., Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Spatz, Dena R., Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Campbell, Karl, Bonnaud, Elsa, Courchamp, Franck, Poncet, Sally, Rocamora, Gérard Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable3.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Croll, Donald A., Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Towns, David R., Jones, Holly P., Keitt, Bradford S., Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Spatz, Dena R., Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Campbell, Karl, Bonnaud, Elsa, Courchamp, Franck, Poncet, Sally, Rocamora, Gérard Close

• 5. [Article] JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable4.pdf

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable4.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Croll, Donald A., Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Bonnaud, Elsa, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Towns, David R., Jones, Holly P., Poncet, Sally, Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Rocamora, Gérard, Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Campbell, Karl, Ebbert, Steve, Courchamp, Franck, Keitt, Bradford S., Spatz, Dena R. Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable4.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Croll, Donald A., Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Bonnaud, Elsa, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Towns, David R., Jones, Holly P., Poncet, Sally, Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Rocamora, Gérard, Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Campbell, Karl, Ebbert, Steve, Courchamp, Franck, Keitt, Bradford S., Spatz, Dena R. Close

• 6. [Article] JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable5.pdf

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable5.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Croll, Donald A., Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Courchamp, Franck, Jones, Holly P., Poncet, Sally, Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Rocamora, Gérard, Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Campbell, Karl, Bonnaud, Elsa, Towns, David R., Keitt, Bradford S., Spatz, Dena R. Title: JonesInvasiveMammalEradicationTable5.pdf Author: Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Burbidge, Andrew A., Croll, Donald A., Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Courchamp, Franck, Jones, Holly P., Poncet, Sally, Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Rocamora, Gérard, Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Holmes, Nick D., Campbell, Karl, Bonnaud, Elsa, Towns, David R., Keitt, Bradford S., Spatz, Dena R. Close

• 7. [Article] Aquatic pesticide best management practices and relational database for the protection of NOAA trust species

  Pesticides are widely used to control undesirable pests and may be applied directly to water or lands directly adjacent to water. There can be unintended consequences, however, to native, threatened, and ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Aquatic pesticide best management practices and relational database for the protection of NOAA trust species Author: Gianou, Kelsey, Lam, Jennifer, Jepson, Paul, Chan, Sam, Emanuel, Robert Pesticides are widely used to control undesirable pests and may be applied directly to water or lands directly adjacent to water. There can be unintended consequences, however, to native, threatened, and endangered species. There is little information on the impacts of aquatic pesticides and best management practices (BMPs) to NOAA Trust Species. The goal of this project is to provide a set of resources and examples of aquatic pesticide toxicity to NOAA Trust Species and BMPs to NOAA Fisheries Service agents and private and public resource managers. The products produced by this project are 1) an aquatic pesticide and NOAA Trust Species database, 2) a technical report synthesizing case studies and an aquatic pesticide BMP framework for aquatic pest control, and 3) an aquatic pesticide BMP framework applied to salmon habitat restoration programs for peer reviewed publication. The products produced by this project are to assist NOAA Fisheries agents in consulting on the issuance of the EPA’s 2011 National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide General Permit and to continue to provide assistance to NOAA Fisheries in determining entity eligibility and helping managers apply for inclusion under the 2011 NPDES Pesticide General Permit. The project products can also be used by private and public resource managers when developing and implementing aquatic pest control action plans with regards to the use of aquatic pesticides. The database highlights substantial gaps in ecotoxicity data of aquatic pesticides impacts to NOAA Trust Species. Taking a BMP approach to pesticide uses can help compensate for these gaps. Pest control managers, habitat restoration managers, and NOAA Fisheries Service agents will benefit from easily accessible, synthesized information on aquatic pesticides, their potential toxicity to NOAA Trust Species, and pesticide BMPs specific to aquatic pest control. Tools that could be utilized by all of these stakeholders could increase communication between these parties. This may lead to increased discussion and evaluation of the current knowledge of pesticide impacts and aquatic pesticide BMPs. Title: Aquatic pesticide best management practices and relational database for the protection of NOAA trust species Author: Gianou, Kelsey, Lam, Jennifer, Jepson, Paul, Chan, Sam, Emanuel, Robert Pesticides are widely used to control undesirable pests and may be applied directly to water or lands directly adjacent to water. There can be unintended consequences, however, to native, threatened, and endangered species. There is little information on the impacts of aquatic pesticides and best management practices (BMPs) to NOAA Trust Species. The goal of this project is to provide a set of resources and examples of aquatic pesticide toxicity to NOAA Trust Species and BMPs to NOAA Fisheries Service agents and private and public resource managers. The products produced by this project are 1) an aquatic pesticide and NOAA Trust Species database, 2) a technical report synthesizing case studies and an aquatic pesticide BMP framework for aquatic pest control, and 3) an aquatic pesticide BMP framework applied to salmon habitat restoration programs for peer reviewed publication. The products produced by this project are to assist NOAA Fisheries agents in consulting on the issuance of the EPA’s 2011 National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide General Permit and to continue to provide assistance to NOAA Fisheries in determining entity eligibility and helping managers apply for inclusion under the 2011 NPDES Pesticide General Permit. The project products can also be used by private and public resource managers when developing and implementing aquatic pest control action plans with regards to the use of aquatic pesticides. The database highlights substantial gaps in ecotoxicity data of aquatic pesticides impacts to NOAA Trust Species. Taking a BMP approach to pesticide uses can help compensate for these gaps. Pest control managers, habitat restoration managers, and NOAA Fisheries Service agents will benefit from easily accessible, synthesized information on aquatic pesticides, their potential toxicity to NOAA Trust Species, and pesticide BMPs specific to aquatic pest control. Tools that could be utilized by all of these stakeholders could increase communication between these parties. This may lead to increased discussion and evaluation of the current knowledge of pesticide impacts and aquatic pesticide BMPs. Close

• 8. [Article] Invasive mammal eradication on islands results in substantial conservation gains

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the National ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Invasive mammal eradication on islands results in substantial conservation gains Author: Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Burbidge, Andrew A., Campbell, Karl, Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Courchamp, Franck, Jones, Holly P., Keitt, Bradford S., Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Spatz, Dena R., Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Holmes, Nick D., Croll, Donald A., Bonnaud, Elsa, Towns, David R., Poncet, Sally, Rocamora, Gérard To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences and can be found at: http://www.pnas.org/ Title: Invasive mammal eradication on islands results in substantial conservation gains Author: Howald, Gregg R., Miskelly, Colin M., Burbidge, Andrew A., Campbell, Karl, Rauzon, Mark J., Cowan, Philip E., Seddon, Philip J., Corkery, Ilse, Ebbert, Steve, Oppel, Steffen, Kappes, Peter J., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Courchamp, Franck, Jones, Holly P., Keitt, Bradford S., Russell, James C., Tershy, Bernie R., Kress, Stephen W., Samaniego-Herrera, Araceli, Cuthbert, Richard J., Aguirre-Muñoz, Alfonso, Spatz, Dena R., Genovesi, Piero, Armstrong, Doug P., Holmes, Nick D., Croll, Donald A., Bonnaud, Elsa, Towns, David R., Poncet, Sally, Rocamora, Gérard To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences and can be found at: http://www.pnas.org/ Close

• 9. [Article] Patterns in responses of an amphibian assemblage to wetland restoration

  Wetland restoration success in attaining wildlife conservation goals can be confounded by the presence of multiple biological invaders. Wetland management activities typically target invasive plants, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Patterns in responses of an amphibian assemblage to wetland restoration Author: Rowe, Jennifer C. Wetland restoration success in attaining wildlife conservation goals can be confounded by the presence of multiple biological invaders. Wetland management activities typically target invasive plants, but bottom-up responses of higher trophic levels in novel communities are difficult to predict. We surveyed plant and amphibian assemblages at 26 sites enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in the Willamette Valley, Oregon to determine the relative importance of plant management, non-native species presence, and surrounding landscape for amphibians across multiple life history stages. Explanatory variables negatively associated with native anuran counts included percent invasive plant cover, invasive bullfrog counts, non-native fish presence, and area of urban land cover. In addition, native anurans were positively associated with WRP site age, suggesting that the benefits of restored wetlands may increase over time. Although invasive plant management provided indirect benefits to native amphibians, the most effective way to enhance native amphibian populations may be through eliminating the strong top-down forces exerted by non-native vertebrates. We also explored the impact of restoration activities on predator/prey dynamics by analyzing bullfrog diet contents. We sampled vegetation and analyzed bullfrog diet contents from 10 WRP wetlands categorized by management intensity and hydrology to determine whether prey consumption patterns (abundance, richness, and % large prey), diet breadth, and dietary community (based on taxonomic and prey size composition) differed among wetlands categorized by management regime and hydroperiod. We found disparities in the diet breadth with respect to wetland categories, with bullfrogs consuming a disproportionate abundance of few prey orders at actively managed sites. Diet breadth could have been influenced by frequent applications of restoration treatments, as invertebrate species richness and abundance is often negatively linked to habitat disturbance. Dietary taxonomic composition also differed between wetland groups, but prey size composition did not. Instead, prey size was strongly influenced by site-level vegetation covariates; large-bodied prey consumption was positively associated with plant species richness. However, diet dry mass was highest in wetlands with high invasive plant cover, suggesting that other factors, such as foraging activity rates, should be considered to fully understand how bullfrogs meet energy demands in managed wetlands. Variation in native and invasive amphibian responses to wetland restoration efforts may provide important information on how habitat structure and composition influence trophic dynamics. Given that the outcomes of plant control on wildlife may not follow planned trajectories in invasive-dominated systems, this research addresses the need for a community approach to assessments of restoration success. Title: Patterns in responses of an amphibian assemblage to wetland restoration Author: Rowe, Jennifer C. Wetland restoration success in attaining wildlife conservation goals can be confounded by the presence of multiple biological invaders. Wetland management activities typically target invasive plants, but bottom-up responses of higher trophic levels in novel communities are difficult to predict. We surveyed plant and amphibian assemblages at 26 sites enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in the Willamette Valley, Oregon to determine the relative importance of plant management, non-native species presence, and surrounding landscape for amphibians across multiple life history stages. Explanatory variables negatively associated with native anuran counts included percent invasive plant cover, invasive bullfrog counts, non-native fish presence, and area of urban land cover. In addition, native anurans were positively associated with WRP site age, suggesting that the benefits of restored wetlands may increase over time. Although invasive plant management provided indirect benefits to native amphibians, the most effective way to enhance native amphibian populations may be through eliminating the strong top-down forces exerted by non-native vertebrates. We also explored the impact of restoration activities on predator/prey dynamics by analyzing bullfrog diet contents. We sampled vegetation and analyzed bullfrog diet contents from 10 WRP wetlands categorized by management intensity and hydrology to determine whether prey consumption patterns (abundance, richness, and % large prey), diet breadth, and dietary community (based on taxonomic and prey size composition) differed among wetlands categorized by management regime and hydroperiod. We found disparities in the diet breadth with respect to wetland categories, with bullfrogs consuming a disproportionate abundance of few prey orders at actively managed sites. Diet breadth could have been influenced by frequent applications of restoration treatments, as invertebrate species richness and abundance is often negatively linked to habitat disturbance. Dietary taxonomic composition also differed between wetland groups, but prey size composition did not. Instead, prey size was strongly influenced by site-level vegetation covariates; large-bodied prey consumption was positively associated with plant species richness. However, diet dry mass was highest in wetlands with high invasive plant cover, suggesting that other factors, such as foraging activity rates, should be considered to fully understand how bullfrogs meet energy demands in managed wetlands. Variation in native and invasive amphibian responses to wetland restoration efforts may provide important information on how habitat structure and composition influence trophic dynamics. Given that the outcomes of plant control on wildlife may not follow planned trajectories in invasive-dominated systems, this research addresses the need for a community approach to assessments of restoration success. Close

• 10. [Article] Integrating functional trait frameworks into restoration : the role of seed and seedling traits in recruitment success

  Seeding is a vital tool to facilitate recovery of degraded ecosystems, but low seedling recruitment rates limit the utility of this practice in a range of ecosystems across the globe. Plant functional ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Integrating functional trait frameworks into restoration : the role of seed and seedling traits in recruitment success Author: Larson, Julie E. Seeding is a vital tool to facilitate recovery of degraded ecosystems, but low seedling recruitment rates limit the utility of this practice in a range of ecosystems across the globe. Plant functional traits impact individual fitness through effects on growth, reproduction and survival. Consequently, seed and seedling trait variation among species provide a critical mechanism to understand and explain variation in recruitment probabilities across restoration species. I measured seed traits, seedling traits, and field probabilities of germination, emergence, seedling establishment, and established seedling survival for 47 varieties of native and introduced grasses in U.S. western drylands. Multivariate analyses were used to identify major dimensions of trait variation across early life stages and to assess whether this trait variation was related to cumulative survival probabilities through the first growing season. Ordination and cluster analysis of seed and seedling traits highlighted two central, independent aspects of functional trait variation among grasses describing seedling growth rate and germination rate, but functional trait-based clusters failed to capture variation in recruitment patterns in the field. Path analysis revealed that variation in germination and emergence probabilities explained over 90% of the variation in cumulative survival in the first growing season. However, functional traits including seed mass, hydrothermal time, and coleoptile tissue density, explained just 16% and 18% of the variation in germination and emergence, respectively, under ambient conditions. The majority of functional trait work has centered on linking leaf and root traits to resource acquisition, utilization, and growth. Our study suggests that germination, emergence and functional traits associated with these processes are leading drivers of recruitment variation across species in restoration scenarios. Functional traits reflecting the physiology and morphology of germinated seedlings, such as coleoptile tissue density, may play a major role in differentiating recruitment success following seeding, but remain largely unexplored. Before functional traits can facilitate practical advances in seeding and restoration efforts, we must improve our understanding of the dimensions and consequences of trait variation during germination and emergence. Title: Integrating functional trait frameworks into restoration : the role of seed and seedling traits in recruitment success Author: Larson, Julie E. Seeding is a vital tool to facilitate recovery of degraded ecosystems, but low seedling recruitment rates limit the utility of this practice in a range of ecosystems across the globe. Plant functional traits impact individual fitness through effects on growth, reproduction and survival. Consequently, seed and seedling trait variation among species provide a critical mechanism to understand and explain variation in recruitment probabilities across restoration species. I measured seed traits, seedling traits, and field probabilities of germination, emergence, seedling establishment, and established seedling survival for 47 varieties of native and introduced grasses in U.S. western drylands. Multivariate analyses were used to identify major dimensions of trait variation across early life stages and to assess whether this trait variation was related to cumulative survival probabilities through the first growing season. Ordination and cluster analysis of seed and seedling traits highlighted two central, independent aspects of functional trait variation among grasses describing seedling growth rate and germination rate, but functional trait-based clusters failed to capture variation in recruitment patterns in the field. Path analysis revealed that variation in germination and emergence probabilities explained over 90% of the variation in cumulative survival in the first growing season. However, functional traits including seed mass, hydrothermal time, and coleoptile tissue density, explained just 16% and 18% of the variation in germination and emergence, respectively, under ambient conditions. The majority of functional trait work has centered on linking leaf and root traits to resource acquisition, utilization, and growth. Our study suggests that germination, emergence and functional traits associated with these processes are leading drivers of recruitment variation across species in restoration scenarios. Functional traits reflecting the physiology and morphology of germinated seedlings, such as coleoptile tissue density, may play a major role in differentiating recruitment success following seeding, but remain largely unexplored. Before functional traits can facilitate practical advances in seeding and restoration efforts, we must improve our understanding of the dimensions and consequences of trait variation during germination and emergence. Close