©Danilo Lima, Agripalm Ambiental
The RRC database contains a wide variety of resources and publications related to ecological restoration, and we are actively working to expand this collection. It is our aim to serve as the principal clearinghouse for information and tools to support the work of researchers, practitioners, land managers, educators, students, and anyone else interested in restoration. Use the filter tool below to search the database by title, author, resource type, keyword, or any combination of these factors.
Although SER does review all entries in the database for relevance and quality, these resources have not been rigorously reviewed or extensively vetted in every case, and SER therefore makes no claim as to their accuracy or accordance with generally accepted principles in the field. The database is provided as a resource for visitors to the SER website, and it is ultimately left to the individual user to make their own determinations about the quality and veracity of a given publication or resource.
If there is a resource we missed, please let us know! We are interested in current books, articles, technical documents, videos, and other resources that are directly relevant to ecological restoration science, practice or policy, as well as resources treating the social, cultural and economic dimensions of restoration.
Choosing appropriate temporal and spatial scales for ecological restoration
Abstract:Ecological restoration should be framed in ecological spatio- temporal scales, which may be defined temporally in reference to ecological processes such as disturbance regimes and spatially in reference to ecological units such as landscapes, ecosystems, and biological provinces. Ecological spatio-temporal scales are also useful in achieving a scientifically defensible distinction between native and exotic species, which plays so central a role in the practice of ecological restoration and the conservation of biodiversity. Because post-settlement human disturbances have exceeded the limits of such scales, settlement conditions can be justified scientifically as appropriate targets of restoration efforts without recourse to obsolete teleological concepts of equilibria and without ignoring the presence and ecological influence of indigenous peoples.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Combining Ecological and Economic Indicators to Prioritize Salt Marsh Restoration Actions
Abstract:This paper discusses ongoing research that focuses on developing such a method and its application to restoration of coastal wetlands within an estuary watershed system. The research addresses three important issues related to valuing wetlands, or other natural resources, within a single watershed: spatial aspects of value, cost-effective methodologies for valuation, and transferability of methods and values.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Does Facilitation of Faunal Recruitment Benefit Ecosystem Restoration? An Experimental Study of Invertebrate Assemblages in Wetland Mesocosms
Abstract:We used wetland mesocosms (1) to experimentally assess whether inoculating a restored wetland site with vegetation/sediment plugs from a natural wetland would alter the development of invertebrate communities relative to unaided controls and (2) to determine if stocking of a poor invertebrate colonizer could further modify community development beyond that due to simple inoculation. These results suggest that facilitation of invertebrate recruitment does indeed alter invertebrate community development and that facilitation may lead to a more natural community structure in less time under conditions simulating wetland restoration.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Ecological Engineering Applied to River and Wetland Restoration
Abstract:Ecological engineering is an emerging field dedicated to the design and construction of sustain- able ecosystems that provide a balance of natural and human values. Over the past several years, ecological engineering has begun to coalesce as a distinct science. Successes of ecological engineering make it an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional engineering approaches, which are often much more expensive to construct and sustain.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Ecological perspectives for the restoration of plant communities in European temperate forests
Abstract:The probability that recently established forest stands develop towards their ecological reference (i.e. ancient forest) depends largely on the possibility of the target species to colonize them. We focused on the colonization ability of forest plant species and particularly on so-called ancient forest plant species. Major constraints for ecological forest restoration are the spatial characteristics of the target site (isolation, shape and area), imposing dispersal limitations, and in the duration and intensity of the historical land use, leading to changes in habitat characteristics influencing recruitment probability. We reviewed the ecological literature with respect to these constraints and conclude that it takes at least a century to restore the understorey layer of recent forests, even when the target stand is adjacent to a well-developed ancient forest.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Ecological Restoration in Coastal Areas in the Netherlands: Concepts, Dilemmas and Some Examples
Abstract:This chapter gives an overview of attempts in the Netherlands to restore coastal ecosystems and habitats, and explains how scientific and non-scientific information has been used to meet the goals. Indications for successes and failures of management measures taken so far, as well as dilemmas to cope with, are given. Up to now only small scale restoration projects have been executed, while large scale projects generally are not further then the thinking or planning phase. A special type of “restoration projects” are the large civil engineering works, particularly in the south-west of the Netherlands. Although these works were not planned and executed as restoration projects, but designed for safety against flooding from the sea, they have led to significant changes in the boundary conditions of the systems concerned.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Ecological Restoration of Land with Particular Reference to the Mining of Metals and Industrial Minerals: A Review of Theory and Practice
Abstract:A restoration planning model is presented where the presence or absence of topsoil conserved on the site has been given the status of the primary practical issue for consideration in ecological restoration in mining. Examples and case studies are used to explore the important problems and solutions in the practice of restoration in the mining of metals and minerals. Even though ecological theory lacks general laws with universal applicability at the ecosystem level of organization, ecological knowledge does have high heuristic power and applicability to site- specific ecological restoration goals.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Effects of Light, Alien Grass, and Native Species Additions on Hawaiian Dry Forest Restoration
Abstract:Alien species invasions have already caused substantial ecological and economic damage and will likely have even greater negative consequences in the future. The results of this experiment highlight the importance of investigating species- and treatment-specific responses before attempting larger-scale restoration projects, particularly when using rare and endangered species. This study also suggests that relatively simple techniques may be used to simultaneously establish populations of vigorous understory native species and suppress alien grasses at relatively large spatial scales, and that remnant or newly created favorable microsites may be exploited to facilitate the establishment of rarer native overstory species.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Establishing Aquatic Restoration Priorities Using a Watershed Approach
Abstract:To successfully improve water quality, restoration practitioners must start with an understanding of what ecosystem processes are operating in the watershed and how they have been affected by outside variables. A watershed-based analysis template developed in the Pacific Northwest can be a valuable aid in developing that level of understanding. The watershed analysis technique identifies four ecosystem scales useful to identify stream restoration priorities: region, basin, watershed, and site. The watershed analysis technique is based on a set of technically rigorous and defensible procedures designed to provide information on what processes are active at the watershed scale, how those processes are distributed in time and space.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Exotic Plant Species as Problems and Solutions in Ecological Restoration: A Synthesis
Abstract:We review the types of effects exotic species may have that are important during restoration and suggest research that could increase our ability to set realistic management goals. Their control and use may be controversial; therefore we advocate consideration of exotic species in the greater context of community structure and succession and emphasize areas where ecological research could bring insight to management dilemmas surrounding exotic species and restoration.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Facilitating Regeneration of Secondary Forests with the Use of Mixed and Pure Plantations of Indigenous Tree Species
Abstract:The establishment of tree plantations on degraded lands can facilitate the regeneration of native species that could not otherwise grow in open micro sites or in competition by herbaceous species. The present research investigated tree regeneration under mixed and pure plantations of native species at La Selva Biological Station in the Atlantic humid lowlands of Costa Rica.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2002
Attempting Restoration of Wet Tropical Forests in Costa Rica
Abstract:This report describes progress in an effort to show that restoration of wet native forest can be stimulated by planting mixed stands of native hardwoods. On a private reserve of 145 ha of abandoned pastureland, mixed stands have been established, involving up to 41 native species in the period since 1993. Sunloving species are growing as much as 3.1 m/year in height, and have exceeded 10 cm dbh in 5 years. Mixed stands of indigenous species are proposed as an alternative to monocultures, providing a possible source of income for small farmers, stabilizing the soil and stimulating the restoration of biodiversity.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Current Knowledge and Future Challenges
Abstract:The ecological consequences of biodiversity loss have aroused considerable interest and controversy during the past decade. Major advances have been made in describing the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem processes, in identifying functionally important species, and in revealing underlying mechanisms. There is, however, uncertainty as to how results obtained in recent experiments scale up to landscape and regional levels and generalize across ecosystem types and processes. Larger numbers of species are probably needed to reduce temporal variability in ecosystem processes in changing environments. A major future challenge is to determine how biodiversity dynamics, ecosystem processes, and abiotic factors interact.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Consideraciones Metodolo_gicas para la Recuperacio_n de Tierras A_ridas Degradadas
Abstract:Se entiende por restauracio_n ecolo_gica al conjunto de operaciones que “devuelven a un ecosistema a su situacio_n prealterada”. En muchos casos la restauracio_n de un ecosistema es bastante difi_cil al haber sido la degradacio_n resultado de unos feno_menos climatolo_gicos y biolo_gicos u_nicos en intensidad, orden y duracio_n, que han conducido a la desaparicio_n de la base mi_nima necesaria para su restablecimiento. La dificultad para establecer especies vegetales en una superficie erosionada constituye un ejemplo de esta situacio_n.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Design Principles for Ecological Engineering
Abstract:Successful ecological engineering will require a design methodology consistent with, if not based on, ecological principles. We identify five design principles to guide those practicing ecological engineering. The principles are: (1) design consistent with ecological principles, (2) design for site-specific context, (3) maintain the independence of design functional requirements, (4) design for efficiency in energy and information, and (5) acknowledge the values and purposes that motivate design.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Determining Landscape Function and Ecosystem Dynamics: Contribution to Ecological Restoration in the Southern Namib Desert
Abstract:With the long-term view to establish a research initiative focusing on restoration ecology in the southern Namib Desert, this article provides a review of current ecological knowledge and proposes potential research priorities. The aims of a research initiative would be two-fold. On the academic side, understanding processes operating at different scales will be critical to develop methods of ecological restoration suitable for southern Namib ecosystems. On the practical side, the development of appropriate methods will focus on facilitating ecological processes such as restoration of biologically active substrate, natural succession, and concentration of limited resources. The function of landscapes, plant-soil interface, soil-, vegetation- and plant population dynamics will likely provide some of the answers for ecological restoration.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Ecological and Landscape Rehabilitation of a Quarry Site in Hong Kong
Abstract:Quarrying for granite in Hong Kong, mainly for construction aggregates, has left huge and unsightly scars on the landscape. Recent government policy demands rehabilitation of the disturbed lands and restoration of the landscape adopting the ecological approach. At an active quarry, a method was tested for controlled restoration: blasting of the vertical rocky production faces to pile up the debris and to form artificial slopes that mimic those of the environs in a landform replication approach. On the scree blast piles, a soil cap of fine-earth materials with organic amendments was installed to grow mainly tropical leguminous trees. The restoration trial largely failed, with extensive death or poor performance of most plants. Recommendations are given on the application of organic amendments to establish and maintain soil structure, restore decomposition regime, and raise nutrient and moisture storage capacities for a modified approach that could overcome the site difficulties.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Ecology of tree seed and seedlings: Implications for tropical forest conservation and restoration
Abstract:Knowledge on the ecology of germination and seedling growth is vital, not only for understanding the community processes
of plant recruitment and succession, but also for
developing strategies for the conservation of biodiversity and restoration of tropical forests.
Publication Date: 2001
Ecosystem Degradation and Restoration of Birch Woodlands in Iceland
Abstract:This chapter describes of some of the degradation processes (land degradation, desertification, soil erosion, and grazing) that have resulted to destruction of the Icelandic birch (Betula pubescens) woodlands and the potential methods for their restoration.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
El Nino as a Window of Opportunity for the Restoration of Degraded Arid Ecosystems
Abstract:In this paper, we briefly review evidence for the idea that different states in these ecosystems might represent alternative equilibria and present a graphic model that summarizes the implications for their response to changing environmental conditions. We show how, in the light of this theoretical framework, climatic oscillations such as El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) could be used in combination with grazer control to restore degraded arid ecosystems. We also present evidence that, depending on grazing pressure, ENSO episodes can trigger structural and long-lasting changes in these ecosystems.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Expediting Reforestation in Tropical Grasslands: Distance and Isolation from Seed Sources in Plantations
Abstract:To quantify the effect of distance and isolation from seed sources on the regeneration of indigenous trees, we evaluated tree species richness and stem density in four pine plantations surrounded by natural forest within Kibale National Park, Uganda, and one isolated pine plantation surrounded by agriculture near Kibale. Tree regeneration in these plantations was compared to that in natural forest and to an anthropogenic grassland similar to those upon which the plantations were established. This study demonstrates that forest reestablishment can be faster if plantations are established than if grasslands are left to recover without management. However, differences within and among plantations can lead to very different communities with respect to species composition, species richness, and stem density.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Fire-Smart Forest Management: A Pragmatic Approach to Sustainable Forest Management in Fire-dominated Ecosystems
Abstract:Sustainable forest management in many of Canada’s forest ecosystems requires simultaneously minimizing the socioeconomic impacts of fire and maximizing its ecological benefits. A pragmatic approach to addressing these seemingly conflicting objectives is fire-smart forest management. This involves planning and conducting forest management and fire management activities in a fully integrated manner at both the stand and landscape levels. This paper describes the concept of fire-smart forest management, discusses its need and benefits, and explores challenges to effective implementation.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Introduced mammals and models for restoration
Abstract:Atkinson reviews the progress of ecological restoration in New Zealand, and outlines the challenges ahead. He focuses in particular on the control or eradication of invasive mammals, and restoring the evolutionary context for native species.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Landscape Patterns of Tropical Forest Recovery in the Republic of Palau
Abstract:A GIS (geographic information systems) database was constructed from aerial photographs, a vegetation map, and topographic map data of the Ngeremeduu Bay Drainage Area (NBDA), Palau, to examine relationships between upland land cover dynamics, environmental variables, and past land use. Our results indicate that areas of forest expansion were significantly (P < 0.001) associated with the location of abandoned agricultural communities. In addition, over 92 percent of areas of forest expansion occurred within 100 m of established forest. These results suggest that the proximity of established forest facilitate forest recovery following human disturbance.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Management of Indigenous Plant-Microbe Symbioses Aids Restoration of Desertified Ecosystems
Abstract:Here we demonstrate, in two long-term experiments in a desertified Mediterranean ecosystem, that inoculation with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and with rhizobial nitrogen-fixing bacteria not only enhanced the establishment of key plant species but also increased soil fertility and quality. The dual symbiosis increased the soil nitrogen (N) content, organic matter, and hydrostable soil aggregates and enhanced N transfer from N-fixing to nonfixing species associated within the natural succession. We conclude that the introduction of target indigenous species of plants associated with a managed community of microbial symbionts is a successful biotechnological tool to aid the recovery of desertified ecosystems.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2001
Restoring palouse and canyon grasslands: Putting back the missing pieces
Abstract:This volume looks at the prospects for
restoration of native steppe and meadow steppe communities, with an emphasis on methods that
do not create areas of bare soil. Section 1 reviews work that has been done on the restoration of native steppe and meadow steppe. Section 2 reports on the results of pilot projects undertaken to (A) compare microbial soil communities in native and non-native vegetation at two meadow steppe and two steppe sites, (B) test the efficacy of bacterial control of a severe cheatgrass infestation, and (C) investigate the effectiveness of artificial ground covers on survival of transplanted native grass plugs.
Publication Date: 2001
A Guide to Bottomland Hardwood Restoration
Abstract:The primary focus of this guide is to provide information for land managers and landowners who want to reestablish bottomland hardwood forest vegetation, particularly the trees, on lands where they formerly occurred. Restoration and reforestation are approached with the realization that hydrology, as the driving force of wetland ecosystems, must be explicitly considered in all projects. Without the proper hydrologic regime for the site conditions and tree species selected for planting, it is unlikely that a project will be a success. It is assumed that the goal of the audience using this guide is at least the reestablishment of bottomland hardwood forest systems and hopefully the restoration of all functions and values associated with these forests (e.g., storage of floodwaters, water quality improvement, provision of wildlife habitat, etc.).
Resource Type:Technical DocumentPublication Date: 2001
Ground Work: Basic Concepts of Ecological Restoration in British Columbia
Abstract:Ecological restoration attempts to restore parcels of land or water that have been damaged by a range of past human activities. The scope of ecological restoration ranges from alpine meadows to saltwater estuaries, and the techniques are as diverse as the many ecosystems to which they are applied. This guide provides an introduction to ecological restoration for individuals, companies, students, non-profit groups, and government agencies involved in or contemplating restoration projects. It emphasizes the underlying concepts common to all restorations—the ecological concepts of succession, disturbance, and historical range of variability.
Resource Type:Technical DocumentPublication Date: 2001
Protecting and Restoring our Natural Heritage – A Practical Guide
Abstract:By bringing together detailed information and project experiences, this guide will help community groups, local bodies and individuals to initiate projects, and make best use of resources to protect and restore our native plants and ecosystems.
Resource Type:Technical DocumentPublication Date: 2001
Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices
Abstract:This document is a result of an unprecedented cooperative effort among fifteen Federal agencies and partners to produce a common reference on stream corridor restoration. It responds to a growing national and international public interest in restoring stream corridors. Increasingly, feature articles, case studies, and published papers focus on stream corridors as critical ecosystems in our living environment. The recent 25th anniversary of the Clean Water Act also has helped focus attention on stream corridor restoration
Resource Type:Technical DocumentPublication Date: 2001