Scientific study of renewing and restoring ecosystems
Recently constructed wetland regeneration in Australia, on a site previously used for agricultureRehabilitation of a portion of Johnson Creek, to restore bioswale and flood control functions of the land which had long been converted to pasture for cow grazing. The horizontal logs can float, but are anchored by the posts. Newly planted trees will eventually stabilize the soil. The fallen trees with roots jutting into the stream are intended to enhance wildlife habitat.Sankey diagram for the evolution of keywords used in publications about ecological restoration in Canada over time.
Ecological restoration, or ecosystem restoration, is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.[1] It is distinct from conservation in that it attempts to retroactively repair already damaged ecosystems rather than take preventative measures.[2][3] Ecological restoration can reverse biodiversity loss, combat climate change, and support local economies.[4] Habitat restoration involves the deliberate rehabilitation of a specific area to reestablish a functional ecosystem. To achieve successful habitat restoration, it's essential to understand the life cycles and interactions of species, as well as the essential elements such as food, water, nutrients, space, and shelter needed to support species populations. When it's not feasible to restore habitats to their original size or state, designated areas known as wildlife corridors can be established. These corridors connect different habitats and open spaces, facilitating the survival of species within human-dominated landscapes. For instance, marshes serve as critical stopover sites for migratory birds, wildlife overpasses enable animals to safely cross over highways, and protected riparian zones within urban settings provide necessary refuges for flora and fauna.[5] The United Nations named 2021-2030 the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.[6]
Scientists estimate that the current species extinction rate, or the rate of the Holocene extinction, is 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the normal, background rate.[7][8][9] Habitat loss is a leading cause of species extinctions[9] and ecosystem service decline.[10]
Two methods have been identified to slow the rate of species extinction and ecosystem service decline: conservation of quality habitat and restoration of degraded habitat. The number and size of ecological restoration projects have increased exponentially in recent years.[11][12]
Restoration goals reflect political choices, and restoration goals differ by place and culture.[13][14][15][16]
^"Restoration Resource Center What is Ecological Restoration?". ser-rrc.org. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
^"Restoration Resource Center What is Ecological Restoration?". ser-rrc.org. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
^Martin, Laura (2022). Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration. Harvard University Press. p. 5. ISBN 9780674979420.
^UNEP-WCMC (April 30, 2020). "10 years to boost ecosystem restoration for people and planet". UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^"Habitat loss / restoration". Understanding Global Change. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^"UN Decade on Restoration". UN Decade on Restoration. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
^Pimm, Stuart L.; Russell, Gareth J.; Gittleman, John L.; Brooks, Thomas M. (July 21, 1995). "The Future of Biodiversity". Science. 269 (5222): 347–350. Bibcode:1995Sci...269..347P. doi:10.1126/science.269.5222.347. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 17841251. S2CID 35154695.
^Simberloff, Daniel (January 1996). "Lawton, J. H. and May, R. M. (Eds.). Extinction Rates. 1995. Oxford University Press, Oxford. xii + 233 pp. Price: f17.95". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 9 (1): 124–126. doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.1996.t01-1-9010124.x. ISBN 0-19-854829-X. ISSN 1010-061X.
^ abSciences, National Academy of (January 1, 1988). Biodiversity. doi:10.17226/989. ISBN 978-0-309-03739-6. PMID 25032475.
^Daily, Gretchen C. (1997). "Ecosystem Services: Benefits Supplied to Human Societies by Natural Ecosystems" (PDF). Issues in Ecology.
^Young, T. P.; Petersen, D. A.; Clary, J. J. (April 28, 2005). "The ecology of restoration: historical links, emerging issues and unexplored realms". Ecology Letters. 8 (6): 662–673. Bibcode:2005EcolL...8..662Y. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00764.x. ISSN 1461-023X.
^BenDor, Todd; Lester, T. William; Livengood, Avery; Davis, Adam; Yonavjak, Logan (June 17, 2015). "Estimating the Size and Impact of the Ecological Restoration Economy". PLOS ONE. 10 (6): e0128339. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1028339B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128339. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4470920. PMID 26083034.
^Lackey, Robert (2004). "Societal values and the proper role of restoration ecologists" (PDF). Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 22 (4): 45–46.
^Martin, Laura J. (2022). Wild by design: the rise of ecological restoration. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-97942-0.
^Hall, Marcus (2005). Earth Repair: A Transatlantic History of Environmental Restoration. University of Virginia Press.
^Higgs, Eric S.; Higgs, Eric (2003). Nature by design: people, natural process, and ecological restoration. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-58226-1.
and 27 Related for: Ecological restoration information
Ecologicalrestoration, or ecosystem restoration, is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed...
Forest restoration is defined as “actions to re-instate ecological processes, which accelerate recovery of forest structure, ecological functioning and...
of ecologicalrestoration aimed at increasing biodiversity and restoring natural processes. It differs from other forms of ecologicalrestoration in that...
and nature are explored. Implementation of ecological engineering has focused on the creation or restoration of ecosystems, from degraded wetlands to multi-celled...
Society for EcologicalRestoration (SER) is a conservation organization based in the United States, supporting a "global community of restoration professionals...
Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) describes indigenous and other traditional knowledge of local resources. As a field of study in North American anthropology...
The Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and EcologicalRestoration (CCBER) is a research center under the Office of Research at the University of California...
example how indigenous people managed the land. Ecological destruction or degradation, to which land restoration serves as an antidote, is usually the consequence...
restoration project of a significant part of the lake in the form of the Lake Texcoco Ecological Park, 14,000 hectares of public space and ecological...
urban locations. Ecological art is a distinct genre from Environmental art in that it involves functional ecological systems-restoration, as well as socially...
The ecologicalrestoration of islands, or island restoration, is the application of the principles of ecologicalrestoration to islands and island groups...
engineering, and ecologicalrestoration, among others. The term was first used by John Button in 1998. [citation needed] Ecological design was originally...
Acacia mangium is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to northeastern Queensland in Australia, the Western Province...
ecosystem, also known as an ecological reference, is a "community of organisms able to act as a model or benchmark for restoration." Reference ecosystems usually...
for restoration. Other approaches include assisted natural restoration, such as reestablishing tidal connectivity, and community-based ecological mangrove...
location. The park has been internationally praised as both a major ecologicalrestoration project, and having great potential for climate adaptation for Mexico...
sanctuary, surrounded by a pest-exclusion fence, is a good example of an ecological island, which allows the original natural ecosystems to recover by minimising...
2021. Lewis, Roy R. (2005). "Ecological engineering for successful management and restoration of mangrove forests". Ecological Engineering. 24 (4): 403–418...
for EcologicalRestoration International: SER and IUCN Form Partnership, Draft Global Rationale for EcologicalRestoration". EcologicalRestoration. 21...
and the floodplain) to ensure a stream's resilience and ecological health. Form-based restoration techniques include deflectors; cross-vanes; weirs, step-pools...
among native plant advocates. When ecologicalrestoration projects are undertaken to restore a native ecological system disturbed by economic development...
predicted in 1992 that the 21st century "will be the era of restoration in ecology". Ecological science has boomed in the industrial investment of restoring...
of ecologicalrestoration. Washington, DC: Island Press. ISBN 9781610910422. OCLC 750183084. Court, F. E. (2012). Pioneers of ecologicalrestoration :...
pervasive element of ecological community development that have significant implications for natural systems and ecologicalrestoration efforts. [citation...
for Ecological Security (FES) is a registered non-profit organization based in Anand, Gujarat, India, working towards the ecologicalrestoration and conservation...
Wild by Design: The Rise of EcologicalRestoration is a 2022 book by Laura J. Martin, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Williams College...
needs. After 1949, the Chinese government carried out a variety of ecologicalrestoration projects including sand stabilization, irrigation development, afforestation...
Global Information
