Resource Database

Novel ecosystems: concept or inconvenient reality? A response to Murcia et al.

We are concerned by mischaracterizations, misrepresentations, and selective uses of evidence in a recent critical opinion of ‘the novel ecosystems concept’

An economic valuation of a large – scale rangeland restoration project through the Hima system in Jordan

This paper presents an ex-ante cost-benefit analysis of large-scale rangeland restoration through the Hima system within the Zarqa River Basin, drawing on experience from a pilot initiative by IUCN and the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) since 2010. The ecosystem services that arise from rangeland restoration are valued using a combination of stated preference, avoided costs, replacement cost and market prices approaches.

Biofuels and degraded land: the potential role of intensive agriculture in landscape restoration

Many sectors, including biofuels, are targeting degraded lands yet there is no singular definition of what constitutes degraded lands. This publication represents the outcome of a cross-sectoral dialogue and builds on existing experiences both with the agricultural and biofuel sectors, as well as that of landscape restoration more broadly. A tentative, pragmatic framework of considerations is presented that could help decision makers realize the good intention behind investing in biofuel production or other intensive agriculture activities in degraded lands, without the pitfalls of contributing to even greater ecosystem simplification and further marginalising already vulnerable farming communities.

Coasts at risk: An assessment of coastal risks and the role of environmental solutions

This report takes an integrated approach by focusing on analyses and recommendations that can benefit both people and nature across risk reduction and environmental conservation objectives.

Restoration of natural captial: A key strategy on the path to sustainability

Not only is the restoration of natural capital both ecologically and economically beneficial, as indicated herein with benefit–cost ratios varying between (on average) 0.4 (for coastal systems) and 110 (for coastal wetlands including mangroves) with the majority of ecosystems recording an average of an BC-ratio of about 10, it also holds an important key to unlock future sustainable growth and development trajectories.

Ecosystem Service Valuation for Wetland Restoration: What it is, How to do it and Best Practice Recommendations

Many of the intrinsic and implicit benefits of wetland functions for society are unaccounted for in the market system. Therefore, communicating restoration project benefits, and hence, generating political and financial support for wetland restoration can prove difficult. Ecosystem service valuation is a technique which can aid in the development of public and political support for wetland restoration projects by deriving monetary values as well as relative value indicators (quantitative and qualitative) for many non-marketed benefits produced by wetlands. If performed well, it can provide a more balanced perspective of the costs of wetland restoration against a more comprehensive consideration of the associated benefits. This paper provides a brief overview of the terms “natural capital” and “ecosystem service valuation”, a history of their use in wetland practice and policy, and an explanation of the valuation process, available methods and recommendations for best practices within the field of wetland restoration.

Ecological mangrove rehabilitation: A field manual for practitioners

There are many different techniques and methods utilized in planting mangroves. Because some of these have resulted in identifable successes or failures, we wish to present herein a detailed process of mangrove rehabilitation which has proven successful in its application in various locations at various scales. This EMR manual also presents summary descriptions of particular case studies from around the world, which are representative of both successful and failed attempts at mangrove restoration.

La restauración ecológica en Colombia: Tendencias, necesidades y oportunidades

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the field of ecological restoration in Colombia has evolved, its current state and the challenges and opportunities for its expansion in various aspects of its biophysical, social, financial and institutional dimension. More broadly, the document seeks to provide elements to boost and strengthen efforts to implement ecological restoration and thus contribute to the future development of the discipline not only in Colombia but in Latin America.

Monitoring the restoration of mangrove systems from space

This study
conducted temporal analyses for 24 mangrove sites from 10 different projects in six different countries (Senegal, the
United Arab Emirates, Madagascar, Kenya, Solomon Island and Indonesia) using satellite imagery and GIS technology
to map and monitor their status. Given that many of the sites were small, very high-resolution satellite imagery (0.45,
0.6 and 1 metre resolution from Worldview, Quickbird and Ikonos, respectively) was used.

Watershed approach handbook: Improving outcomes and increasing benefits associated with wetland and stream restoration and protection projects

This handbook advances the use of a watershed approach in the selection, design and siting of wetland and stream restoration and protection projects, including projects required by compensatory mitigation. It provides an overall framework for the spectrum of watershed approaches, examples of specific types of these approaches, examples of types of analyses that may be useful for using one, and a list of national data sources that might inform all of the above. It also provides some guidance and lessons learned about considerations when developing wetland and stream protection and restoration projects.

Open standards for the practice of conservation

Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) has worked over the past decade to combine principles and best practices in adaptive management and results-based management from conservation and other fields to create the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation (Open Standards or Standards, hereafter).1 The Open Standards bring together common concepts, approaches, and terminology in conservation project design, management, and monitoring in order to help practitioners improve the practice of conservation. We have developed these Open Standards so that they can be applied at any geographic, temporal, or programmatic scale.

How to organize a large-scale ecological restoration program? The framework developed by the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact in Brazil

Large-scale ecological restoration programs across the world have begun to extensively transform degraded lands into young native ecosystems. However, more projects like these will be necessary in the coming years to fulfill the goal of restoring 150 million ha established by United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Here, we present and discuss the steps required for and the lessons learned from the organization of a large-scale ecological restoration
program in Brazil, the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact.

Natural regneration and biodiversity: A global meta-analysis and implications for spatial planning

Natural regeneration offers a cheaper alternative to active reforestation and has the potential to become the predominant way of restoring
degraded tropical landscapes at large-scale. We conducted a meta-analysis for tropical regions and quantified the relationships
between both ecological and socioeconomic factors and biodiversity responses in naturally regenerating areas. Biogeographic realms, past
disturbance, and the human development index (HDI) were used as explanatory variables for biodiversity responses.

Integrative approaches as a opportunity for the conservation of forest biodiversity

This report presents the results of a research project that aimed to look at mechanisms for integrating biodiversity conservation into the management of commercial forests in order to provide suitable habitats for forest-dwelling species over the long term.

Restoration of grasslands and forests for climage change mitigation and adaptation, and the promotion of ecosystem services

This paper discusses various measures to achieve environmentally sound, economically viable and socially acceptable management of grasslands and forests that restore and enhance their productive capacities (to produce food, timber, fuel, non-wood forest products and ecosystem services) in support of food security and livelihoods, while at the same time contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Recovery strategies for industrial development in native prairie in the Dry Mixedgrass natural subregion of Alberta

Alberta’s Grassland Natural Region has been significantly modified by land use practices.  The semi-arid climate of the Dry Mixedgrass Natural Subregion (DMG) supports native plant communities adapted to drought. Minimizing soil disturbance and natural recovery are often the most effective strategies for restoring DMG native plant communities. This document identifies strategies designed to retain and restore native grassland plant communities following disturbance in the DMG. This manual describes tools for planning native grassland retention and restoration, including pre-disturbance planning and recovery strategies, such as minimal disturbance, buffers, natural recovery and native seed mix design. Implementing a strategy is explained, including site preparation, soil amendments and procuring native seed, then maintaining the pathway using invasive plant and grazing management, and long-term monitoring. Appendices include a summary of regional reclamation studies and suitable seed mixes to develop target plant communities for ecological range sites common in the DMG.

Restoring tropical forests: A practical guide

The book is based on the innovative techniques developed at Chiang Mai University’s Forest Restoration Research Unit, Thailand. It takes a threepart approach, first looking at effective general concepts of tropical forest dynamics and regeneration, then at specific proven restoration techniques, and finally at how to use research methods to refine and adapt the techniques to local ecological and socioeconomic conditions.

Special Issue Natureza & Conservacao 11(2)

Our goal in this Special Issue is to provide a collection of papers dedicated to push forward the application of a landscape ecology perspective in ecological restoration projects, as means of assessing the advantages of this integration and providing new tools for those interested in adopting this perspective.

Benefits of investing in ecosystem restoration

Measures aimed at conservation or restoration of ecosystems are often seen as net-cost projects
by governments and businesses because they are based on incomplete and often faulty cost-benefit analyses. After screening over 200 studies, we examined the costs (94 studies) and benefits (225 studies) of ecosystem restoration projects that had sufficient reliable data in 9 different biomes ranging from coral reefs to tropical forests. Costs included capital investment and maintenance of the restoration project, and benefits were based on the monetary value of the total bundle of ecosystem services provided by the restored ecosystem

Challenges and opportunities in applying a landscape ecology perspective in ecological restoration: A powerful approach to shape neolandscapes

As a consequence of the increasing spatial scale of
restoration programs, rising new demands for restoration
projects, and the opportunities created by innovative legal
instruments, a better integration between restoration
ecology and landscape ecology is needed for mainstreaming
successful programs.

Ecological restoration in the deep sea: Desiderata

This paper develops the discourse on deep-sea restoration and offers guidance on planning and implementing ecological restoration projects for deep-sea ecosystems that are already, or are at threat of becoming, degraded,
damaged or destroyed. Two deep-sea restoration case studies or scenarios are described (deep-sea stony corals on the Darwin Mounds off the west coast of Scotland, deep-sea hydrothermal vents in Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea) and are contrasted with on-going saltmarsh restoration in San Francisco Bay. For these case studies, a set of socio-economic, ecological, and technological decision parameters that might favor (or not) their restoration are examined.

Ecosystem restoration is now a global priority: Time to roll up our sleeves

Here, we summarize the advances in mainstreaming ecological restoration in global environmental policy deliberations during the last year, culminating in the recent meeting of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. We also provide key references for those seeking more information, and set out an agenda as to how the restoration community could respond to and act upon these recent developments. However, we underline the need for caution and prudence; we must not promise more than we can deliver.

Establishing the links between economic development and the restoration of natural capital

We reviewed 1575 peer-reviewed papers on restoration published from January 2000 to September 2008 in 13 scientific journals to assess whether they considered the economic and
policy implications of their research, and referred to the concept of, or emerging markets for, payments for ecosystem goods and services.

Implementing Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring: IERQC Webinar

Topic: Implementing Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring
Presenter: Matthew J. Cooper, University of Notre Dame

Chicago Region Floristic Quality Assessment Calculator: IERQC Webinar

Topic: Chicago Region Floristic Quality Assessment Calculator

Presenter: Brook Herman, US Army Corps of Engineers

Ashland Chequamegon Bay Shoreland Restoration Project: Evaluating the Ecological Benefits of Green Infrastructure on Watershed Protection: IERQC Webinar

Topic: Ashland Chequamegon Bay Shoreland Restoration Project: Evaluating the Ecological Benefits of Green Infrastructure on Watershed Protection

Presenter: Brick Fevold and Michael Meyer, WDNR

Ensuring Quality of Subsamples of Large Catches of Fish: IERQC Webinar

Topic: Ensuring Quality of Subsamples of Large Catches of Fish
Presenter: Martin Stapanian, US Geological Survey

National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) – Quality Assurance in the Field: IERQC Webinar

Project Design and Evaluation Course Overview: IERQC Webinar

Topic: Project Design and Evaluation Course Overview
Presenter:  Nina Garfield, NOAA Coastal Services Center

Photo 101 and Photographic Management: IERQC Webinar