Restoration

Question 1

Ecological Restoration

Answer 1

The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed to its original state.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 2

Why is monitoring important?

Answer 2

Increased understanding of how humans are impacting environment.

Makes it possible to set and measure restoration targets.

Allows us to track the present day condition of environmental indicators.

Enables tracking of long-term trends in ecosystem health.

Needed to determine effectiveness of restoration and conservation efforts.

(ENSC 3106 Notes)

Question 3

How do you tell when restoration is successful?

Answer 3

It’s very hard! You need planned targets to be able to determine but even then it may to be hard to tell if back to normal due to lack of longterm data.

(ENSC 3106 Notes)

As outlined by the Society of Ecological Restoration’s (SER) Primer, restoration is considered successful when an ecosystem is able to function and withstand disturbances properly without any further assistance (SER, 2004).

To assess this success SER provides nine attributes including the (1) ecosystem being composed of (or has the ability to be naturally colonized by) species that match a reference ecosystem (2) without invasives, (3) including those that are required for the ecosystem to function properly (SER, 2004). That the (4) habitat provides the capability for species to reproduce, and (5) functions normally for whatever stage of development it is at, including (6) its interactions with its surrounding environment, and its (7) ability to resist disturbances (SER, 2004). Also, (8) threats to the ecosystem have been eliminated and it will be (9) self-sustaining (SER, 2004).

Question 4

Adaptive Management

Answer 4

An ongoing process for improving management policies and practices by applying knowledge learned through the assessment of previously employed policies and practices to future projects and programs.

It is the practice of revisiting management decisions and revising them in light of new information.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 5

Ecosystem Integrity

Answer 5

The ability of an ecosystem to support and sustain characteristic ecological functioning and biodiversity (i.e. species composition and community structure).

Can be measured as the extent that a community of native organisms is maintained.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 6

Natural Recovery Potential

Answer 6

Capacity of ecosystem attributes to return to a site through natural regeneration.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 7

Nature-Based Solutions

Answer 7

Actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human wellbeing and biodiversity benefits.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 8

Remediation

Answer 8

A management activity, such as the removal or detoxification of contaminates or excess nutrients from soil and water, that aims to remove sources of degradation.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 9

Reclamation

Answer 9

The process of making severely degraded land (e.g. former mine sites or wastelands) fit for cultivation or a state suitable for some human use. Also used to describe the formation of productive land from the sea.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 10

Rehabilitation

Answer 10

Management actions that aim to reinstate a level of ecosystem functioning on degraded sites, where the goal is renewed and ongoing provision of ecosystem services rather than the biodiversity and integrity of a designated native reference ecosystem.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 11

What is the difference between restoration an rehabilitation?

Answer 11

Restoration attempts to return environment to its original state, while rehabilitation acknowledges that it will be permanently altered, but seeks to return a self-sustaining native community that is as close to the original as possible.

https://www.integratesustainability.com.au/2017/10/27/what-is-the-difference-between-rehabilitation-and-restoration/

Question 12

Society for Ecological Restoration

Answer 12

SER is a global network of diverse experts that actively promotes best practices and effective restoration policy around the world.

https://www.ser.org/page/about

Question 13

UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Answer 13

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems, and restore them to achieve global goals.

The UN Decade runs from 2021 through 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.

https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/about-un-decade

Question 14

The International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration (the Standards)

Answer 14

A framework to explain, define, guide, and measure the activities and outcomes of ecological restoration practice.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 15

What are the underpinning assumption of the Standards?

Answer 15

Ecological restoration should never be invoked as a justification for destroying or damaging existing native ecosystems or for unsustainable use.

Based on increasing potential for native species and communities to recover and continue to reassemble, adapt, and evolve.

Ecological restoration complements other conservation activities and nature-based solutions and vice versa.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 16

Why have standards for restoration?

Answer 16

Increase effectiveness.

Guide regulators and stakeholders.

Can reduce the risk of unintended damage to ecosystems and native biodiversity.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 17

What are the International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration?

Answer 17

Principle 1. Ecological Restoration Engages Stakeholders

Principle 2. Ecological Restoration Draws on Many Types of Knowledge

Principle 3. Ecological Restoration Practice Is Informed by Native Reference Ecosystems, while Considering Environmental Change

Principle 4. Ecological Restoration Supports Ecosystem Recovery Processes

Principle 5. Ecosystem Recovery Is Assessed against Clear Goals and Objectives, Using Measurable Indicators

Principle 6. Ecological Restoration Seeks the Highest Level of Recovery Attainable

Principle 7. Ecological Restoration Gains Cumulative Value when Applied at Large Scales

Principle 8. Ecological Restoration Is Part of a Continuum of Restorative Activities

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 18

Describe Principle 1 of the Standards: Ecological Restoration Engages Stakeholders

Answer 18

Stakeholders can make or break a project so should include them in the restoration process early and frequently throughout the entire process.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 19

Describe Principle 2 of the Standards: Ecological Restoration Draws on Many Types of Knowledge

Answer 19

Project should make use of best knowledge available from all sources such as traditional knowledge, local knowledge, and science.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 20

Describe Principle 3 of the standards: Ecological Restoration Practice Is Informed by Native Reference Ecosystems, while Considering Environmental Change

Answer 20

Need to choose native ecosystem to be restored by developing a reference model that describes the approximate condition the site would be in had degradation not occurred - based on the specific ecosystem attributes to be recovered.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 21

What are the six key ecosystem attributes that can be used to describe the reference ecosystem?

Answer 21

Absence of threats
Physical conditions
Species composition
Structural diversity
Ecosystem function
External exchanges

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 22

Describe Principle 4 of the Standards: Ecological Restoration Supports Ecosystem Recovery Processes

Answer 22

Determine the potential for ecosystem to regenerate after removal of causes of degradation and what missing biotic and abiotic elements need to be reinstated.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 23

Describe Principle 5 of the Standards: Ecosystem Recovery Is Assessed against Clear Goals and Objectives, Using Measurable Indicators

Answer 23

Develop timeframe, targets, desired outcome and magnitude of effect, and indicators to measure progress that relate to the attributes chosen for recovery for the native ecosystem.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 24

Describe Principle 6 of the Standards: Ecological Restoration Seeks the Highest Level of Recovery Attainable

Answer 24

Adopt a policy of continuous improvement informed by sound monitoring to achieve the highest level of recovery as possible.

The five-star system is one way of doing this.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 25

Describe Principle 7 of the Standards: Ecological Restoration Gains Cumulative Value when Applied at Large Scales

Answer 25

Attempt should be made to conduct restoration an a large scale.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 26

Describe Principle 8 of the Standards: Ecological Restoration Is Part of a Continuum of Restorative Activities

Answer 26

Ecological restoration is one of a range or family of restorative activities that can be conceived of as a continuum ranging from

(1) reduced societal impacts
(2) remediation
(3) rehabilitation; and
(4) ecological restoration.

(Gann et al, 2019)

Question 27

How does restoration differ from conservation?

Answer 27

Conservation is the protection and preservation of our environment it’s keeping what is there (i.e., it’s not damaged) whereas restoration attempts to return the environment to its natural state after being damaged, altered, or degraded.