| I assessed several low input restoration techniques applied to small forest patches in savanna habitat, growth of 5 native tree species planted around patches, and patch use trends of native birds and flying foxes in the Lake Ngardok Nature Reserve, Palau. Fertilizer applied to the interior of forest patches increased the growth rate of saplings along patch perimeters, and increased five measures of patch phenology. Trimming of herbaceous vegetation around the patch perimeters resulted in higher seedling density and species richness. Two species, Pterocarpus indicus and Macaranga carolinensis, were the fastest growers of the outplants. Birds visited fertilized more than non-fertilized patches, and the strongest model predicting bird visitation included patch area, mean number of total fruits, and mean height of nearest neighbor trees as predictors. Three bird species are likely the primary seed dispersers in these patches, the endemic Dusky White Eye and Palau Cicadabird, and the Micronesian Starling. |
