©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.
IUCN UK Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands
Abstract:It provides an authoritative assessment of the available evidence, based on peer-reviewed scientific consensus about the state of peatlands, the impacts of different activities on peatland ecosystems and the services they provide and the benefits of restoring and conserving them. The assessment explores mechanisms and processes for peatland conservation action, recognising the different social, economic and environmental drivers. The evidence-gathering approach was inclusive, engaging individual land managers as well as a wide range of organisations, which in itself has helped to foster joint action for peatland conservation and restoration.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Land Use-Based Landscape Planning and Restoration in Mine Closure Areas
Abstract:This paper analyzes the periodic impact of mining activities on landscapes and then proposes planning concepts and principles. According to the landscape characteristics in mine closure areas, this paper classifies available landscape resources in mine closure areas into the landscape for restoration, for limited restoration and for protection, and then summarizes directions for their uses. This paper establishes the framework of spatial control planning and design of landscape elements from ‘‘macro control, medium allocation and micro optimization’’ for the purpose of managing and using this kind of special landscape resources. Finally, this paper applies the theories and methods to a case study in Wu’an from two aspects: the construction of a sustainable land-use pattern on a large scale and the optimized allocation of typical mine landscape resources on a small scale.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Landscape Composition Influences the Restoration of Subtropical Coastal Dune Forest
Abstract:Successional processes should increase habitat complexity, and increase resources available for forest-associated species. However, according to the theory of Island Biogeography, the size, amount of edge, and isolation of a habitat patch will influence the probability of successful colonization. If this is true for restoring patches of coastal dune forest, then restoration managers need to mitigate for spatial characteristics. We used patch occupancy models to assess correlations between the probability of forest birds and trees being present in a patch and patch characteristics that measured age, area, isolation, and the amount of edge.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Large-Scale Ecological Restoration of High-Diversity Tropical Forests in SE Brazil
Abstract:We propose that plantations should be carried out with a high-diversity of native species in order to create biologically viable restored forests, and to assist long-term biodiversity persistence at the landscape scale. Finally, we propose strategies to integrate the political, socio-economic and methodological aspects needed to upscale restoration efforts in tropical forest regions throughout Latin America and elsewhere.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Litterfall Dynamics under Different Tropical Forest Restoration Strategies in Costa Rica
Abstract:In degraded tropical pastures, active restoration strategies have the potential to facilitate forest regrowth at rates that are faster than natural recovery, enhancing litterfall, and nutrient inputs to the forest floor. We evaluated litterfall and nutrient dynamics under four treatments: plantation (entire area planted), tree islands (planting in six patches of three sizes), control (same age natural regeneration), and young secondary forest (7–9-yr-old natural regeneration). Tree islands increased litter production and nutrient inputs more quickly than natural regeneration. In addition to being less resource intensive than conventional plantations, this planting design promotes a more rapid increase in litter diversity and more spatial heterogeneity, which can accelerate the rate of nutrient cycling and facilitate forest recovery.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Long-term Effect of Coral Transplantation: Restoration Goals and the Choice of Species
Abstract:The transplantation is an important method for the restoration of degraded ecosystem. However, it is unclear how the choice of species and transplantation mode affects the community dynamics during recovery from a disaster, particularly for long-lived organisms such as corals. To address this issue, we study a population dynamic model of multiple species in multiple habitats connected by larval dispersal. We first consider two species showing the trade-off relationship between growth rate and mortality and examine three restoration goals to evaluate the effectiveness of transplantation: (1) total coverage; (2) species diversity; (3) spatial heterogeneity of species composition. In summary, these results indicate that both the restoration goal and the transplanted species must be carefully selected before conducting transplantation operations.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Management of the Marine Environment: Integrating Ecosystem Services and Societal Benefits with the DPSIR Framework in a Systems Approach
Abstract:Taking a systems approach incorporating an understanding of The Ecosystem Approach, we integrate the DPSIR framework with ecosystem services and societal benefits, and the focus this gives allows us to create a specific framework for supporting decision making in the marine environment. Based on a linking of these three concepts, we present a set of basic postulates for the management of the marine environment and emphasise that these postulates should hold for marine management to be achieved. We illustrate these concepts using two case studies: the management of marine aggregates extraction in UK waters and the management of marine biodiversity at Flamborough Head, UK.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Modified Taungya System in Ghana: A Win-Win Practice for Forestry and Adaptation to Climate Change?
Abstract:The formulation and implementation of an adaptation strategy is of growing concern to governments. The adaptation policy framework (APF) sets out indicative activities and features of an adaptation strategy. Understanding the extent to which existing practices can support adaptation in societies and ecosystems is an important step towards the solution. This study uses vulnerability, policy and financial analyses to investigate the compatibility of the modified taungya system (MTS) (a reforestation programme) in Ghana with the indicative activities of the APF. We conclude that MTS is a potential win–win practice for forestry and adaptation. The legalization of all contractual arrangements coupled with continuous monitoring, evaluation and improvement may drive MTS to become a lasting activity that will support the long-term horizon of an adaptation strategy.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Native Trees and Shrubs for the Productive Rehabilitation of Tropical Cattle Ranching Lands
Abstract:We discuss research progress and adoption of intensive silvopastoral systems in Colombia and Mexico. Intensive silvopastoral systems (ISS) are a sustainable form of agroforestry for livestock production that combines fodder shrubs planted at high densities (more than 10,000 plants ha_1), trees and palms, and improved pastures. High stocking and the natural production of milk and meat in these systems are achieved through rotational grazing with electric fencing and a permanent supply of water for the cattle. While milk and meat production and cattle reproduction are enhanced, production costs decline as external inputs are replaced by natural processes related to fertility and biological control. We also discuss the importance of the ISS with native trees for climate change adaptation and mitigation, the barriers for their adoption, and how these have been successfully addressed using payment for environmental services, special credits and technical assistance. Finally, we highlight the need for enhancing landscape connectivity by integrating SPS to conservation corridors with native species to promote biodiversity conservation and other environmental services demanded by society.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
On the Restoration of Degraded Drylands
Abstract:Recent advances in our understanding of dryland ecology have improved traditional restoration techniques and fostered the development of new eco-technology. However, the refinement of eco-technological tools and the success of experimental restoration projects have not been accompanied by parallel increases in the efficiency and reliability of management-scale restoration programs. In our experience, this is the result of uncertainties about the long-term effects of restoration actions, scarce knowledge on population and community dynamics, and cultural and socioeconomic constraints to the implementation of new techniques and the improvement of traditional ones. We suggest that 1) adopting the ecosystem service approach to identify restoration targets and evaluate restoration actions, 2) integrating restoration actions into comprehensive development programs, and 3) creating networks of pilot and demonstration projects may foster participative, adaptive and integrative management plans, and contribute to livelihood quality in desertified areas.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Opportunities and Challenges for Ecological Restoration within REDD+
Abstract:Now that the REDD+ mechanism, which is not yet operational, has expanded beyond a sole focus on activities that affect carbon budgets to also include those that enhance ecosystem services and deliver other co-benefits to biodiversity and communities, forest restoration could play an increasingly important role. However, in many nations, there is a lack of practical tools and guidance for implementing effective restoration projects and programs that will sequester carbon and at the same time improve the integrity and resilience of forest ecosystems. Restoration scientists and practitioners should continue to engage with potential REDD+ donors and recipients to ensure that funding is targeted at projects and programs with ecologically sound designs.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Oyster Reefs at Risk and Recommendations for Conservation, Restoration, and Management
Abstract:Native oyster reefs once dominated many estuaries, ecologically and economically. Centuries of resource extraction exacerbated by coastal degradation have pushed oyster reefs to the brink of functional extinction worldwide. We examined the condition of oyster reefs across 144 bays and 44 ecoregions; our comparisons of past with present abundances indicate that more than 90% of them have been lost in bays (70%) and ecoregions (63%). In many bays, more than 99% of oyster reefs have been lost and are functionally extinct. Overall, we estimate that 85% of oyster reefs have been lost globally. Most of the world’s remaining wild capture of native oysters (> 75%) comes from just five ecoregions in North America, yet the condition of reefs in these ecoregions is poor at best, except in the Gulf of Mexico. We identify many cost-effective solutions for conservation, restoration, and the management of fisheries and nonnative species that could reverse these oyster losses and restore reef ecosystem services.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Payments for Environmental Services in Latin America as a Tool for Restoration and Rural Development
Abstract:We present evaluations of carbon stocks and biodiversity in pure and mixed native tree plantations in Costa Rica. To illustrate how monetary values can be assigned, we discuss a project that awarded PES to silvopastoral systems in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Colombia based on carbon stocks and biodiversity. PES can promote positive environmental attitudes in farmers. Currently this project is being scaled up in Colombia based on their positive experiences with PES as a tool to promote adoption. Compared to PES systems that include only one environmental service, systems that incorporate bundling or layering of multiple services can make sustainable land uses more attractive to farmers and reduce perverse incentives.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Planning for Implementation: Landscape-Level Restoration Planning in an Agricultural Setting
Abstract:The conservation of biodiversity in highly fragmented landscapes often requires large-scale habitat restoration in addition to traditional biological conservation techniques. The selection of priority restoration sites to support long-term persistence of biodiversity within landscape- scale projects however remains a challenge for many restoration practitioners. Techniques developed under the paradigm of systematic conservation planning may provide a template for resolving these challenges. The application of an irreplaceability analysis to landscape-level restoration planning allowed the identification of varying needs throughout the planning region, resulting from underlying differences in topography and settlement patterns, and allowed the effective prioritization of potential restoration projects. Engagement with rural landowners and agricultural commodity groups, as well as the irreplaceability maps developed, ultimately resulted in a substantial increase in the number and total area of habitat restoration projects in the planning region.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Planting Seedlings in Tree Islands versus Plantations as a Large-Scale Tropical Forest Restoration Strategy
Abstract:Planting tree seedlings in small patches (islands) has been proposed as a method to facilitate forest recovery that is less expensive than planting large areas and better simulates the nucleation process of recovery. Our study highlights the importance of replicating restoration strategies at several sites to make widespread management recommendations.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Indian Sundarbans Delta: A Vision
Abstract:The Vision Document has been created in response to a priority action point identified at a multi-stakeholder workshop held in Kolkata, in March 2009, on Sundarbans: Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. The priority action point was identified because of consensus among the participants that highly informed policy decisions are necessary to guide action to cope with pressures of predicted changes in the Sundarbans ecoregion. The mere fact that population is growing means that regardless of climate change, more people will be put in harm’s way. With climate change, new adaptive solutions are needed to prevent exposing the population to these impacts and to reduce their vulnerability.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
Law, Policy and Dryland Ecosystems in the People’s Republic of China
Abstract:This report summarizes the numerous activities implemented and documents prepared by the national and local-level expert groups, and presents the valuable lessons learned. The report will provide an excellent reference for all stakeholders involved in the development of legal and policy frameworks to combat LD, not only in the PRC, but also in other regions with similar LD and demographic problems, like central Asia and Africa.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
Living Planet: Connected Planet – Preventing the End of the World’s Wildlife Migrations through Ecological Networks
Abstract:Through the air, over land and in water, over ten thousand species numbering millions of animals travel around the world in a network of migratory pathways. The very foundation of these migratory species is their connection to places and corridors across the planet. The loss of a single point in their migration can jeopardize the entire population, while their concentrations make them highly vulnerable to overharvesting and poaching.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
Multifunctional Agroforestry Systems in India: Science-Based Policy Options
Abstract:Drawing on the representative literature from peer-reviewed research, this paper critically examines the contribution of agroforestry systems in India to: (i) biodiversity conservation; (ii) yield of goods and services to society; (iii) augmentation of the carbon storage in agroecosystems; (iv) enhancing the fertility of the soils; and (v) providing social and economic well-being to people. Agroforestry systems in India contribute variously to ecological, social and economic functions, but they are only complementary—and not as alternative—to natural forests. A winning strategy for conservation and human welfare can be achieved by protecting the largest possible area of natural ecosystems while growing food on the smallest possible area to reconcile food production with conservation. Yet, this combination is not always feasible. Therefore, a trade-off strategy for addressing multiple functions is required.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
National Biodiversity Strategy 2011-2020
Abstract:The National Biodiversity Strategy is the outcome of French commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), ratified by France in 1994. The Minister for the Environment at that time was tasked with presenting a strategy which could be implemented across all government departments with the precise aim of: “halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010”, in line with the commitment made by all the other European Union members. This aim was applied in the NBS to each of the key components of the living world: genes, species, habitats, ecosystems and their translation into an ecological framework.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
Nature Restoration Projects in Japan: Towards Living in Harmony with the Natural Environment
Abstract:In January 2003, the “Law for the Promotion of Nature Restoration” was enforced, and in April of that year, the Cabinet approved the “Basic Policy for Nature Restoration.” Afterward, various restoration efforts are underway across the nation. This brochure compiles the descriptions of restoration projects sponsored by MOE and local governments, with an emphasis on their specific actions in order to expand the restoration opportunities further. We expect this brochure to be used by more communities for taking a first step in ecological restoration.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
NSW Rivers Environmental Restoration Program
Abstract:This report presents the outcomes resulting from the $181.12-million investment in wetland health made through the NSW Rivers Environmental Restoration Program (RERP). The completion of the program provides an opportunity to reflect upon its achievements and assess progress towards the program objective: arrest the decline of the most stressed and iconic rivers and wetlands in New South Wales through market-based water recovery focused on the voluntary acquisition and effective, active management of environmental water.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
Restoring Woodlands, Sequestering Carbon and Benefiting Livelihoods in Shinyanga, Tanzania
Abstract:The project relied on the rich local knowledge of the Sukuma people about their natural resources and ways of managing them. “Ngitili – or “enclosures” or “fodder reserves” in the local Sukuma language were traditionally used for conservation and restoration of range-lands and governed under customary law, are now the true driver for the astounding success of the forest restoration in the region.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
The Economics of Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought: Toward an Integrated Global Assessment
Abstract:To evaluate the costs and benefits of the actions needed to address land degradation, this study proposes the total economic value approach, which takes into account both on-site and off-site direct and indirect costs and benefits of ecosystem services. In order to recommend the appropriate steps to address land degradation, this study also identifies a number of proximate and underlying causes of land degradation, namely institutions and their role in regulating the drivers of land degradation. Therefore, to carry out the E-DLDD study, a partnership and roles for each partner were identified. Given the current global attention on land degradation and the growing interest in investing in land, there is great potential for mobilizing partnerships around a global E-DLDD assessment and, later, for implementing its recommendations. This would require champions of the cause to coordinate and facilitate action in both the policy and scientific spheres.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
The Natural Choice: Securing the Value of Nature
Abstract:Nature is sometimes taken for granted and undervalued. But people cannot flourish without the benefits and services our natural environment provides. Nature is a complex, interconnected system. A healthy, properly functioning natural environment is the foundation of sustained economic growth, prospering communities and personal wellbeing.
Resource Type:White PaperPublication Date: 2011
Science Base and Tools for Evaluating Stream Engineering, Management, and Restoration Proposals
Abstract:Stream management activities, even well-intentioned restoration efforts, have all too often degraded aquatic ecosystems. Site- and reach-scale habitat improvement projects have become the default solution to many habitat deficiencies and constraints, and are often planned and implemented without proper consideration of their landscape context, process drivers, or geomorphic fitness. Failure to recognize these broader scale concerns may lead to poor project selection and increased potential for project failure. To address these issues, we developed a suite of River Restoration Analysis Tool (RiverRAT) resources to guide more efficient, consistent, and comprehensive reviews of stream management and restoration proposals. Resources help determine the depth of review required, assure that a project proposal is complete, and guide reviewers through a thorough and scientifically sound project review. The RiverRAT Science Document and its Appendices provide a comprehensive synthesis of science behind stream management and restoration project development.
The ultimate, long-term goals of RiverRAT include:
• Enabling consistent, comprehensive, transparent, and documented project reviews;
• facilitating improved project planning and design;
• encouraging projects that are attuned to their watershed and geomorphic context; and
• improving the science and technology of stream restoration and management.
Publication Date: 2011
Post-fire and Post-quarry Rehabilitation Successions in Mediterranean-like Ecosystems: Implications for Ecological Restoration
Abstract:Our aims were to describe how the theory of succession after fire relates to rehabilitation and to use this knowledge to improve the results of rehabilitation attempts in Mediterranean-like ecosystems. Eight postfire (PF) sites, 14 post-rehabilitated (PR) quarry sites and two woodland sites were sampled. Detrended Canonical Correspondence Analysis (DCCA) showed that PF and PR successions were quite different. Both displayed an increasing abundance of resprouters over time, but seeder density increased throughout PR succession and decreased during PF succession. Nine species were common to both successions in all studied stages. The results showed that until 15–21 years of succession, the post-rehabilitation sites had not become as resilient to fires as sites populated by indigenous vegetation due to the lack of a seeder seed bank. However, after 21 years of PR succession, the exponentially increasing seeder population may allow for seed bank formation and thus eventually improve the fire resilience of the site.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Poverty Alleviation and Environmental Restoration Using the Clean Development Mechanism: A Case Study from Humbo, Ethiopia
Abstract:The Humbo Project assists communities affected by environmental degradation including loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and flooding with an opportunity to benefit from carbon markets while reducing poverty and restoring the local agroecosystem. Involving the regeneration of 2,728 ha of degraded native forests, it brings social, economic and ecological benefits— facilitating adaptation to a changing climate and generating temporary certified emissions reductions (tCERs) under the Clean Development Mechanism. A key feature of the project has been facilitating communities to embrace new techniques and take responsibility for large-scale environmental change, most importantly involving Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). This technique is low-cost, replicable, and provides direct benefits within a short time.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Process-Based Management Approaches for Salt Desert Shrublands Dominated by Downy Brome
Abstract:Downy brome grass (Bromustectorum L.) invasion has severely altered key ecological processes such as disturbance regimes, soil nutrient cycling, community assembly, and successional pathways in semiarid Great Basin salt desert shrublands. Restoring the structure and function of these severely altered ecosystems is extremely challenging; however new strategies are emerging that target and attempt to repair ecological processes associated with vegetation change. In this paper, we review the essential processes required to reduce downy brome abundance and assist with creating suitable conditions for revegetation of Great Basin salt desert shrublands.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011
Promoting Ecological Engineering for Restoration of Biodiversity in Temperate Forests
Abstract:In temperate forest, managers have both used civil engineering, biological engineering and ecological principles to optimize one function: wood production, flood regulation or reduction of soil erosion. Other forest practitioners used biological interactions and biotic controls to manage uneven-aged stands, especially in mountain forests. These actions just required the knowledge and control of both coarse biological and physical processes at a local scale. The challenges inherent to solve multi-scale biodiversity changes are crucial today. In order to achieve these crucial issues and optimize several ecological functions and ecosystem services, spatial modelling approaches are developed at a landscape level using species traits associated with environmental databases.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2011