Restoration

Sustaining and Restoring Ecological Systems

Restoration Explained

Modern society uses intensive inputs to maintain agricultural and urban ecosystems by influencing the natural processes of ecological succession. Ecological restoration aims to initiate or accelerate the recovery of an ecosystem that has been disturbed or to recreate an ecosystem.

Passive restoration means facilitating natural succession in an ecosystem after removing a source of disturbance or human disruption. ecosystems can naturally restore themselves. This is the preferable restoration method as long as human disruption stops in that area and as long as the area is not completely damaged. Natural restoration without human interference is usually the most efficient and cheapest means for ecosystem recovery.

Active restoration involves accelerating the process or attempting to change the trajectory of succession. If the goal of a restoration project is to initiate or speed the recovery of an ecosystem after disturbance or to attempt to change the trajectory of succession, then active restoration would be ideal. The site may take too long to recover after a human disruption and could be permanently changed to an undesired ecological system. If an ecosystem is beyond past natural repair (reached a “tipping point”), human interference for restoration efforts would be ideal.

Ecological restoration can assist a biotic community to progress towards a desired climax community.

Management of the Restoration Process

Restoration activities may be designed to replicate a pre-disturbance ecosystem or to create a new ecosystem that did not previously exist.

An understanding of the biotic community at a particular site can support, achievable and established restoration goals. People can organize restoration of ecosystems so that the biological community achieves at a desired stage of succession. People who know how to interact with ecosystems on a sustainable basis can encourage ecosystems to change, or not change, in ways that best serve their needs.

Disturbance patterns should be taken into consideration when making restoration plans. For example, excessive disturbance caused by over-grazing of grassland sites will prevent the climax grass community from establishing. Any restoration project should ensure that these human induced disruption are addressed.

Restoration techniques are adopted after a in depth analysis of a site. If the site is projected to naturally restore itself after the abandonment of human interference and disturbance, then passive restoration is the ideal option.

One emerging idea is that restoration should be focused on resilience-based ecosystem stewardship. (see conservation).

Nature-based Management and Restoration

Since ecological succession can be of immense practical consequence, humans have responded by developing a variety of ways in which to integrate their use of ecosystems with the natural processes of succession. (see Nature-based Solutions)

Many traditional societies have drawn on centuries of experimentation and experience to develop strategies that take advantage of ecological succession in ways that allow them to use fewer interventions.