©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.
Integrating Ecological and Ethnobotanical Priorities into Riparian Restoration
Abstract:The riparian vegetation along many rivers is so modified by farming and grazing that forest restoration targets are far from obvious, and initial steps are hard to plan. The Ayuquila River in southern Mexico offered the opportunity to test an approach that integrates ecological data and ethnobotanical information to identify reference sites that could serve as restoration targets and prioritize woody species for initiating restoration.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Land Reclamation and Ecological Restoration in a [Marine] Area
Abstract:This study proposes the forestry as the future land use of the mining area because this concentrates the most advantages and this was the previous land use of the area (degraded forest land, used for animals grazing and firewood production). According to the results of the soil analysis, the soil as well as the topsoil of the study area is very poor in nutrients, with low content of clay and medium organic matter and very alkaline. This study proposes that the minimum depth of topsoil, which will be used for spoils covering, must be over 40 cm in order to support effectively the established species. Also, the topsoil should be enriched with organic matter (2% at least) and with the appropriate fertilizers in order to improve soil fertility and reduce alkalinity. Since the deposition peals are visible from a long distance due to the relief change and the colour contrast, the principles of landscape architecture must be applied for the ecological restoration of the disturbed land according to the visual characteristics of the landscape of the wider area.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Landscape Restoration after Oil Sands Mining: Conceptual Design and Hydrological Modeling for Fen Reconstruction
Abstract:This study proposes a conceptual model to replace fen systems with fen peat materials supported by groundwater inflow from a constructed watershed. A numerical model is used to determine the optimum system geometry, including the ratio of upland to fen area, thickness and slope of sand materials, and thickness of peat and of the liner that would result in flows that sustain peat wetness to a critical threshold soil water pressure of 100 cm of water at a peat depth of 10 cm. We also test the sensitivity of the system to variations in the value and spatial configuration of the hydraulic conductivity (K) of locally available materials.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Lessons for Marine Conservation Planning: A Comparison of Three Marine Protected Area Planning Processes
Abstract:Various approaches have been used to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in different countries. In this paper we compare and review three processes to establish MPAs within the United States and Australia. These two countries share many similarities in their cultures, but their approaches to managing marine resources differ considerably. Each of these efforts to establish or review MPAs was motivated by concern about declines of targeted marine species or habitats. However, the government actions varied because of differences in governance, planning process including public input, and the role of science. Comparing these processes highlights effective approaches for protecting marine ecosystems and gaining public support.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Linking Ecosystem Services, Rehabilitation, and River Hydrogeomorphology
Abstract:Assignment of values for natural ecological benefits and anthropocentric ecosystem services in riverine landscapes has been problematic, because a firm scientific basis linking these to the river’s physical structure has been absent. We highlight some inherent problems in this process and suggest possible solutions on the basis of the hydrogeomorphic classification of rivers. We suggest this link can be useful in fair asset trading (mitigation and offsets), selection of sites for rehabilitation, cost-benefit decisions on incremental steps in restoring ecological functions, and general protection of rivers.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Making the Ecosystem Approach Operational — Can Regime Shifts in Ecological and Governance Systems Facilitate the Transition?
Abstract:Effectively reducing cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems requires co-evolution between science, policy and practice. Here, long-term social–ecological changes in the Baltic Sea are described, illustrating how the process of making the ecosystem approach operational in a large marine ecosystem can be stimulated. The existing multi-level governance institutions are specifically set up for dealing with individual sectors, but do not adequately support an operational application of the ecosystem approach. The review of ecosystem services in relation to regime shifts and resilience of the Baltic Sea sub-basins, and their driving forces, points to a number of challenges.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Microbial Populations of Arid Lands and their Potential for Restoration of Deserts
Abstract:The rapid expansion of deserts in recent decades as a result of human actions combined with climatic disasters has highlighted the necessity to understand biological processes in arid environments. Whereas physical processes and the biology of flora and fauna have been relatively well studied in marginally used arid areas, knowledge of desert soil micro-organisms remains fragmentary. This chapter describes several biological phenomena in hot deserts related to microbial populations and the potential use of micro-organisms for restoring hot desert environments. A few relevant examples from colder deserts are also provided.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Multi-functional Landscapes in Semi Arid Environments: Implications for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Abstract:Synergies between biodiversity conservation objectives and ecosystem service management were investigated in the Succulent Karoo biome (83,000 km2) of South Africa, a recognised biodiversity hotspot. Our study complemented a previous biodiversity assessment with an ecosystem service assessment. Stakeholder engagement and expert consultation focussed our investigations on surface water, ground water, grazing and tourism as the key services in this region. The key ecosystem services and service hotspots were modelled and mapped. We conclude that regional scale (biome level) approaches need to be combined with local level investigations (municipal level). Given the regional heterogeneity and varied nature of the impacts of drivers and threats, diverse approaches are required to steer land management towards sustainable multifunctional landscape strategies.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
New Nature by Sowing? The Current State of Species Introduction in Grassland Restoration, and the Road Ahead
Abstract:Semi-natural grasslands are some of the most threatened habitats on the planet, due to the abandonment of small-scale farming and its replacement with intensive agriculture. The fragmented landscape of today has created dispersal limitation that makes improbable the natural dispersal of target species into the remaining patches of grassland. This paper reviews the current status of species introduction into semi-natural grasslands, and summarises the results of published literature in this field. Our review shows that restoration through species introduction is an effective method of establishing dispersal limited species. However, the field of species introduction in restoration ecology has yet to make use of the value that Functional Diversity can add to restoration. No single study in our search has followed up species introduction by measuring any of the currently available indices of functional diversity. This approach is necessary to gain knowledge on what traits are likely to be sorted out in species introduction cases in various environments.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
New Restoration Engineering in Northeast Asia
Abstract:The environmental conditions of desertifed areas differ from those where natural regeneration of shrubs and trees occurs, and the revegetation process can be acceletated by planting shrubs and trees. A variety of countermeasures including constructing sand barriers, planting trees and establishing appropriate stocking rates must be implemented under careful consideration of both local socio-economic demands and the degraded environmental condition. This article presents the results of some revegetation trials the author undertook in China and Mongolia. It describes how countermeasures to prevent sand drift and soil erosion are needed in accordance with varying site conditions.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Nucleation in Tropical Ecological Restoration
Abstract:The main goal of this paper is to present restoration techniques based on the concept of nucleation, in which small nuclei of vegetation are established within a degraded land. The nucleation techniques (artificial shelters for animals, planting of herbaceous shrub life forms, soil and seed bank translocation, seed rain translocation, soil and seed rain translocation’s seedling set, artificial perches, planting of native trees in groups, and ecological stepping-stones with functional groups) promote the landscape connectivity on two flows: inward: receiver connectivity and outward: donor connectivity. The nuclei development represents an alternative for restoration by prioritizing the natural processes of succession. This methodology appears to take long to generate vegetation corresponding to tropical climates, but is fundamental in the formation of communities capable of acting, in the future, as a new functional nuclei within the current fragmented landscape. This strategy also encourages greater integration between the theories and projects of ecological restoration for the development of human resources and to benefit the restoration practitioner.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Opportunities and Constraints for Forest Climate Mitigation
Abstract:Reversing forest losses through restoration, improvement, and conservation is a critical goal for greenhouse gas mitigation. Here, we examine some ecological, demographic, and economic opportunities and constraints on forest-loss mitigation activities. Reduced deforestation and forest degradation could cut global deforestation rates in half by 2030, preserving 1.5 billion to 3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide–equivalent (tCO2e) emissions yearly. Our new economic modeling for the United States suggests that greenhouse gas payments of up to $50 per tCO2e could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 700 million tCO2e per year through afforestation, forest management, and bioelectricity generation. However, simulated carbon payments also imply the reduction of agricultural land area in the United States by 10% or more, decreasing agricultural exports and raising commodity food prices, imports, and leakage. Using novel transgenic eucalypts as our example, we predict selective breeding and genetic engineering can improve productivity per area, but maximizing productivity and biomass could make maintaining water supply, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services a challenge in a carbon-constrained world.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Opportunities for Nonnative Ecological Replacements in Ecosystem Restoration
Abstract:Translocations can take a variety of forms, and there is considerable debate as to what defines an acceptable translocation. This is particularly so if a proposal suggests moving a species beyond its natural range, which might be necessary for conservation purposes if habitat within the natural range is extensively modified. An extension of this approach is to use closely related ecological analogs to replace extinct species. This approach is controversial, and opportunities to do so will be rare, particularly for vertebrate species, but the use of ecological analogs is not without precedent, and ultimately will provide for more complete ecological restoration. We discuss the current use of ecological analogs to replace extinct species and conclude with a rare opportunity to replace the extinct New Zealand quail Coturnix novaezelandiae with the extant Australian brown quail Coturnix ypsilophora.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Patch Size Effects on Avian Foraging Behaviour: Implications for Tropical Forest Restoration Design
Abstract:As demonstrated in this study, patches of tens to a few hundreds of metres squared are likely to provide fewer food resources and potentially less cover from predators for vertebrates that use woody habitat, compared with patches of a few thousand square metres. The more limited resources in smaller patches are likely to have short-term and, potentially, long-term consequences for the fitness of organisms. When considering restoration project design, the potential economic and other benefits of planting in smaller patches must be weighed with the potentially negative ecological effects on some taxonomic groups. To increase the probability that patches provide adequate habitat for the largest number of species, we recommend that when financial resources are available, patches of at least a few thousand square metres be planted.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Patterns of Seed Rain and Seedling Regeneration in Abandoned Agricultural Clearings in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in India
Abstract:Forest recovery in abandoned pastures and agricultural fields is often impeded, therefore it is important to understand the factors limiting regeneration. Patterns of seed arrival and regeneration in five abandoned agricultural clearings nested within a seasonally dry tropical forest in India were examined along five transects radiating from the forest edge into the clearings. Although wind-dispersed seeds greatly outnumbered vertebrate-dispersed seeds, seedlings and saplings of vertebrate-dispersed species were three times more abundant than those of wind-dispersed species, indicating distinct differences in patterns of actual and effective seed dispersal. This points to recruitment limitation, and suggests that seed arrival may not be the principal barrier to regeneration in these clearings. Nonetheless, the clearings are likely to revert to forest over time.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Perceptions of Land-degradation, Forest Restoration and Fire Management: A Case Study from Malawi
Abstract:We interviewed local households to understand local awareness and impacts of land- degradation, its perceived cause and preferred methods for restoration. All households were aware of the presence of gullies and reported associated problems of flood damage. Most households believed erosion was a result of deforestation. Burning practices were seen to have exacerbated erosion problems. Changing fire management practice was not seen as realistic as it risked reducing the productivity of grasses and fires were perceived to be too difficult to control. Tree planting was the community’s preferred approach to tackling erosion. Their focus was on planting exotic fruit and timber trees around houses and they often requested that such work be done by volunteers. Such attitudes may have been influenced by recent extension work and a desire to secure ownership of utilisable resource. Ecologists in the miombo zone should focus on improving fire management practices and involving communities in creating diverse secondary woodlands that provide a range of goods and services.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Planning Hydrological Restoration of Peatlands in Indonesia to Mitigate Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Abstract:In this study we present a strategy for improved planning of rewetting measures by dam constructions. The study area is a vast peatland with limited accessibility in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Field inventory and remote sensing data are used to generate a detailed 3D model of the peat dome and a hydrological model predicts the rise in groundwater levels once dams have been constructed. Successful rewetting of a 590 km2 large area of drained peat swamp forest could result in mitigated emissions of 1.4–1.6 Mt CO2 yearly. This equates to 6% of the carbon dioxide emissions by civil aviation in the European Union in 2006 and can be achieved with relatively small efforts and at low costs. The proposed methodology allows a detailed planning of hydrological restoration of peatlands with interesting impacts on carbon trading for the voluntary carbon market.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Poor Performance of Corals Transplanted onto Substrates of Short Durability
Abstract:Worldwide, coral reefs are degrading due to increasing anthropogenic pressures. Yet, management of reefs still falls short of effectively addressing these threats, and active restoration methods are increasingly being called for. Coral transplantation is frequently advocated as a possible means of coral reef rehabilitation. Fragments produced in coral nurseries or farms have been proposed as a potential source for transplantation, and culture media (inexpensive but non-durable materials such as wood or bamboo) may serve as transplantation substrate if placed directly in the reef. However, the performance of coral transplants attached to such substrates has not been examined yet. The results show that, in places were currents or waves threaten to dislocate transplants, a higher effort needs to be directed at a strong and durable attachment of transplanted corals.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Predicting Performance for Ecological Restoration: A Case Study Using Spartina alterniflora
Abstract:The success of population-based ecological restoration relies on the growth and reproductive performance of selected donor materials, whether consisting of whole plants or seed. Accurately predicting performance requires an understanding of a variety of underlying processes, particularly gene flow and selection, which can be measured, at least in part, using surrogates such as neutral marker genetic distances and simple latitudinal effects. We suggest that dispersal distance and latitude should provide an adequate means of predicting performance in future S. alterniflora restorations and propose a maximum sampling distance of 300 km (holding latitude constant) to avoid the sampling of inappropriate ecotypes.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Privatizing Stream Restoration in the US
Abstract:In this paper, we use a case study of the stream restoration field to demonstrate how the particular state and market logics of neoliberalism are shifting both the practice of restoration scientists and the relations between public and private sector science. In particular, the embrace of neoliberal environmental management regimes has intensified the demand for environmental scientists to produce applied science that can: (1) be taught as a standardized package; (2) be used by agencies to justify decisions; and (3) form the basis for new markets in ecosystems services. At this point, private sector science produces the most influential knowledge claims, the most widely used applications, and the primary educational system for stream restoration in the US. We argue that the needs of markets and regulatory agencies are heavily implicated in this privatization process, and that the resulting impacts on restoration science and the dynamics of the stream restoration field in the US thus cannot be described without attention to political–economic relations.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Pro-Poor Compensation and Rewards for Environmental Services in the Tropics: Saving the Commons in Asia, Africa and Latin America?
Abstract:Agroforestry can provide many ‘environmental services’ while also providing goods for local consumption and trade. The World Agroforestry Centre is proud that along with the International Fund for Agricultural Development it was an early investor in this field through the innovative RUPES project in Asia that now has a counterpart in Africa in the PRESA project. We are happy to share this bundle six recent peer -reviewed papers that advance the theory and praxis of a more responsible way of managing natural resources along with poverty reduction.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Process-based Principles for Restoring River Ecosystems
Abstract:We outline and illustrate four process-based principles that ensure river restoration will be guided toward sustainable actions: (1) restoration actions should address the root causes of degradation, (2) actions must be consistent with the physical and biological potential of the site, (3) actions should be at a scale commensurate with environmental problems, and (4) actions should have clearly articulated expected outcomes for ecosystem dynamics. Applying these principles will help avoid common pitfalls in river restoration, such as creating habitat types that are outside of a site’s natural potential, attempting to build static habitats in dynamic environments, or constructing habitat features that are ultimately overwhelmed by unconsidered system drivers.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Prospects for Fen Meadow Restoration on Severely Degraded Fens
Abstract:Due to irreversible changes in landscape settings, hydrology, soil and trophic conditions, a full restoration to natural mires is unlikely. Yet, an improvement of the ecosystem functions and revival of biodiversity in degraded fens is possible. A restoration of semi-natural meadows is one of the alternative targets. Important for restoration efforts to succeed are a sufficient reduction of nutrient levels and preventing acidification. In general, a combination of topsoil removal and seed transfer is an effective measure for fen meadow restoration, provided that groundwater seepage can be re-established. There are also several biotic limitations to fen meadow restoration, due to limited propagule availability of target species and the legacy of the former vegetation in form of its soil seed bank and high seed production by unwanted species. Under the present environmental conditions, the re-development of fen meadows on degraded fens will result in species compositions different from those observed in the past and such restoration may require considerable time and effort.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Provision of Ecosystem Services by Large Scale Corridors and Ecological Networks
Abstract:Large scale landscape transformation and contingent habitat loss are among the greatest threats to ecological integrity and ecosystem health. One of the mitigation approaches used to deal with these pressures is to leave interconnected corridors and nodes as remnant ecological networks (ENs) within the transformed landscape. The South African forestry industry has already allocated 500,000 ha, one-third of the plantation holdings, consisting predominantly of natural grassland, as ENs among and within timber plantations. These ENs are intended to maintain structural, compositional and functional biodiversity. However, little scientific research is available on the effectiveness of these huge ENs for biodiversity conservation and maintenance of natural ecosystem function, although initial findings are encouraging.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Reconciling Theory and Practice: An Alternative Conceptual Framework for Understanding Payments for Environmental Services
Abstract:This article provides an alternative and novel theoretical approach to the conceptualization and analysis of payments for environmental services (PES). We devote special emphasis to institutional and political economy issues, which have been somewhat neglected in the literature on PES. We argue that the Coasean and pure market approach dominating the conceptualization of PES in the literature cannot be easily generalized and implemented in practice. By contrast, taking into account complexities related to uncertainty, distributional issues, social embeddedness, and power relations permits acknowledging the variety of contexts and institutional settings in which PES operate. The alternative approach presented in this introductory article to the special section may be more appealing to PES practitioners, since while avoiding restrictive and prescriptive standpoints, it allows some key sources of complexities they usually deal with on the ground to be more easily understood.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Recovering Riparian Plant Communities with Wolves in Northern Yellowstone, USA
Abstract:Results are consistent with the reestablishment of a tri-level trophic cascade involving wolves, ungulates, and riparian vegetation. We additionally present conceptual models of vegetation recovery, illustrating differences in plant height responses to behaviorally and density-mediated trophic cascades. Northern Yellowstone’s ‘‘experiment in time,’’ whereby wolves were removed and then reintroduced, provides new insights regarding how top predators can influence the structure and biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Restoration ecologists and policymakers should consider the potential benefits of large predators as an option for helping restore degraded ecosystems.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Restauracio_n Ecolo_gica para Ecosistemas Nativos Afectados por Incendios Forestales
Abstract:En esta obra se presentan los resultados de dos an_os de trabajo desarrollado por seis investigadores de la DC en el tema de la restauracio_n ecolo_gica de los ecosistemas vegetales nativos afectados por incendios forestales en Chile. El trabajo realizado incluye una exhaustiva revisio_n bibliogra_fica de las principales publicaciones relacionadas con el tema, la exploracio_n de las iniciativas llevadas a cabo en Chile en el a_mbito de la restauracio_n ecolo_gica y la integracio_n de la informacio_n aportada por diversos especialistas y las campan_as de terreno destinadas a evaluar los principales factores ecolo_gicos involucrados en la regeneracio_n de los ecosistemas afectados por incendios.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Restoration in South Africa
Abstract:Restoration can provide a wide range of direct and indirect benefits to society. However, there are very few projects that have attempted to properly quantify those benefits and present them in such a way that society is motivated to invest in restoration. Describing and quantifying these benefits requires people who understand ecosystems and their restoration, as well as people who know how to assess benefits. However, it is not a matter of simply combining knowledge. We need to understand how differently our sciences view the world and organise their knowledge of it.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Restoration of Degraded Secondary Forest with Native Species: A Case Study in the Highland of Ethiopia
Abstract:Ethiopia is losing a significant cover of natural forest every day owing to deforestation, yet surprisingly little field-based information exists on the ecological requirements and silvicultural strategies for the majority of the native species, which could be translated into plans for conservation and restoration. A study was conducted in Munessa Dry afromontane forest to evaluate the contribution of silvicultural options for sustainable management and conservation of forest resources in the highlands of Ethiopia. Therefore, by strategically planting native tree species on suitable target areas with desired spatial configuration, the maximum potential of natural conditions could be captured and secondary forests could be restored.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010
Restoration of Ecklonia Cava Forest on Hainan Coast, Shizuoka Prefecture
Abstract:In order to avoid extinction of the kelp forest, Shizuoka Prefecture implemented a ‘Fisheries Infrastructure Development Project’ by deploying blocks implanted with E. cava thalli on the barren bottom formerly inhabited by the kelps. Furthermore, we also implemented another project to establish new methods of transplantation to cope with browsing by herbivorous fishes. In the project, restoration of E. cava forest was tried using ropes implanted with E. cava juveniles and removal of herbivorous fish by fixed net and gill net. The shoreline survey conducted in February 2008 revealed that 55 ha of E. cava forest was restored along the coast.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2010