©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.
Act respecting the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water
Abstract:The Quebec Government reformed in June 2017 the legal framework applicable to wetlands and bodies of water in order to modernize the measures that ensure their conservation. The Act respecting the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water amended various Acts to reflect different components of the reform. More specifically, the Act to affirm the collective nature of water resources and provide for increased water resource protection is amended to recognize the ecological functions of wetlands and bodies of water, and to make regional county municipalities responsible for developing and implementing a regional wetlands and bodies of water plan in their respective territories. That Act is further amended to grant the Minister the power to develop and implement programs to promote the restoration and creation of wetlands and bodies of water. The Natural Heritage Conservation Act is amended to facilitate the conservation of certain wetlands and bodies of water through their designation and the establishment of their boundaries on a plan. The Environment Quality Act is also amended to set out special requirements for documenting authorization applications for projects in wetlands and bodies of water. The new provisions are intended to prevent the loss of wetlands and bodies of water and to foster the development of projects with minimal impacts on those environments. Compensation measures, generally in the form of a financial contribution, are also provided for cases where it is impossible to avoid adverse effects on the ecological functions of wetlands and bodies of water.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The Act respecting the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water: Critical legal analysis of wetland compensation funds in Quebec
Abstract:Confronted with a significant loss of wetlands, many jurisdictions have adopted laws and policies that require developers to compensate negative impacts on wetlands by creating or restoring similar ecosystems, after taking appropriate avoidance and minimisation measures (mitigation hierarchy). Likewise, in 2017, the Government of Quebec adopted an act (Bill 132) that sets the objective of no net loss of wetlands and relies on the mitigation hierarchy to regulate human activities that may affect their integrity. Whereas this approach has the potential to promote sustainable development and incentivise developers and decision-makers to better consider their impacts, it is not without pitfalls. Aside from the avoidance and minimization stages not being sufficiently considered, compensatory measures have often been poorly designed and executed. This presentation will critically review the legal safeguards that have been established in Québec to ensure the effective implementation of compensatory measures in light of past experiences in other countries. To address the aforementioned issues, the new framework provides for the pre-identification of restoration and creation sites in regional wetland conservation plans, taking into account a watershed approach. In addition, the government of Quebec opted for a public compensation fund (in-lieu fees) instead of relying on permittee responsible measures or wetland banks. Whereas such a public fund can be invested more strategically by aggregating measures and by locating them in priority areas, the ex post implementation, however, raises interim losses. In addition, the equivalency between losses and gains is more difficult to ensure.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The Present and the Future: How Iceland is Working Toward Evidence-Based Policymaking to Restore and Sustain Healthy Rangeland Ecosystems
Abstract:For the last decades, ecosystem restoration of severely degraded rangelands and improved rangeland management have been official environmental and agricultural policy tasks of the Icelandic government. Several new agri-environmental programs and projects have been established since 1990, with the aim of maintaining and improving the ecological condition of rangeland ecosystem and to facilitate behavioural changes among sheep farmers to ensure sustainable rangeland management. Nevertheless, a recent study showed that these had not succeeded and that the current governance system for rangeland management was structurally limited, and not designed to maintain and improve the ecological condition of rangelands’ ecosystems.
In 2017, a nationwide ecosystem condition monitoring program was established by the government and sheep farmers. The aim of the program is to generate data that can be used to secure sustainable land management. The monitoring process is multilevel with scientists, land users and public participating. The first results from this program were published in 2020. They indicated that only 26% of Iceland consists of productive and stable vegetation and soils, while around 62% of its surface is
used for sheep grazing. The monitoring is expected to provide results that can be applied directly into evidence-based policymaking, securing that future land management will be based on ecosystem condition and ecological capacity. However, to facilitate that, the related social-ecological system (SES) needs to be strengthened. In this talk we will discuss the existing bottlenecks within the SES and potential leverages for strengthening the SES towards improved land management practices.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Dryland Riparian Restoration: A Nature-Based Solution to Mitigate Drought, Erosion, Flooding, and Atmospheric Carbon
Abstract:Over 70 percent of global drylands have experienced degradation and loss of ecosystem services. The need to maintain and restore these services make drylands a focal system for the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Despite the widespread extent of degradation on drylands, there are many gaps in our understanding of plant establishment in seeded restoration. Seeded restoration aims to restore plant biodiversity, forage, and habitat, yet fewer than 10% of seeds successfully establish across dryland restoration projects globally. This failure can be traced to the germination and emergence life history stages, suggesting that the abiotic requirements for germination and emergence are not being met. Locations where these requirements are met, favorable microsites, are often identifiable by microtopography or remnant vegetation. Until recently, identifying microtopography and remnant vegetation across large spatial scales was not feasible. However, advances in perception and sensing technology, such as RealSense cameras and flash lidar, offer new possibilities to identify these features and deliver seeds. In this study, we conduct experiments to quantify the parameters of several common microsites that could improve germination and emergence in a degraded dryland field experiment. We will report on the diameter and depth of soil depressions, the size of soil cracks, the presence of litter, and the amount of shrub shade as they impact plant establishment. We will further share key takeaways on how this data can be used in combination with in situ perception and sensing to identify and deliver seeds to favorable microsites for scalable restoration.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Recovery after reclamation? Quantifying traits of plant communities in Alberta’s reclaimed grasslands
Abstract:Understanding the underlying processes affecting post-disturbance ecosystem succession can have practical implications in land use management and reclamation and restoration practices. We lack, however, a good understanding of the long-term recovery of areas affected by severe, anthropogenic disturbances. To address this, we examined changes in plant communities and their functional traits in 18 reclaimed grassland sites in southern Alberta disturbed by previous oil and gas well pad development (8-30 years since reclamation certification). These sites were then compared to proximate reference sites in natural grasslands. Young well pads, reclaimed using more recent approaches and criteria, showed evidence of expected ecological patterns after disturbance. These sites had a higher prevalence of plants and plant traits characteristic of sites at an early to midsuccessional stage. Conversely, old reclaimed well pads were not showing signs of ecological succession towards conditions typical of undisturbed grasslands. The old reclaimed well pad sites were characterised by plants possessing a narrower range of traits than those at the reference sites. Knowledge of plant species composition and their associated traits can greatly improve our understanding of the recovery process in reclaimed ecosystems and inform more effective restoration and reclamation practices in these highly impacted landscapes.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Seed sourcing: a challenge for scaling up grassland restoration
Abstract:The conflict between maintaining evolutionary potential by genetic variation and using locally adapted genotypes of species is generating uncertainty during seed sourcing for restoration. In the lack of information about genetic diversity for most of the native species, fitness traits are used to estimate variability in local adaptation. In flagship countries seed transfer and propagation zones guide native seed markets. To scale up restoration, seed sourcing must be regulated along scientific evidence, and the market developed in other countries as well. We have tested the effect of geographical and ecological distance on seed traits (seed mass, chamber and outdoor germination) of four sand grassland species in the Pannonian ecoregion, Europe. Altogether 34 locations were sampled, scattered over app. 40.000 km2 (Fig.). Ecological distance between locations was estimated by climatic, hydrologic, topographic and edaphic patterns included in the potential natural vegetation model. The geometry for the delineation of regions was obtained from three biogeographical maps, resulting in seed transfer zones of separate ecological characteristics. Traits showed significant differences between sites, however, the differences did not correlate with geographical, nor with ecological distance in most of the cases. The results suggest that in the lack of pattern in variability, the transfer of sand grassland species cannot rely on zones. We assume that a compromise, to consider the whole sampled area as one zone, can balance between maintaining evolutionary potential and assuring the feasibility of restoration, without risking maladaptation. Further research on the genetic variability may provide the final proof.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The long-term effect of restoration interventions and the impact of landscape context on the restoration of Pannonic sand grasslands
Abstract:To help upscale ecological restoration of degraded lands longer time scales and the impact of the surrounding landscape should be considered when assessing restoration efforts. We evaluated the impact of three different major restoration interventions, mowing, carbon amendment and seeding on sand grassland restoration in the long-term, up to 23 years after the first application. We also assessed the impact of the surrounding landscape in terms of species pool and distance from main propagule sources of target and invasive species. The design included eight experimental blocks belonging to three experiments with at least one treatment type, different landscape context and time scale of monitoring in the Kiskunság Biosphere Reserve, Hungary, Europe. We evaluated long-term restoration trajectories with the help of multivariate analysis (PCoA and PRC) and direct comparison to reference based on the relative cover of target and neophyte species for each experiment separately. We used linear mixed effects models to evaluate the role of treatments and time for each experiment separately, plus landscape factors for all experiments together. Seeding was the best method in restoring sand grasslands favoring target species and controlling invasion. Mowing facilitated the establishment of both target and neophyte species. Carbon amendment had some minor positive impact on target species, but was neutral to neophytes. A larger species pool of neophytes and proximity to plantations increased the cover of neophytes in restored plots, therefore should be considered when prioritizing areas and efforts for restoration. Our result support that long-term monitoring is crucial in evaluating ecological restoration.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Conifer removal effects on sagebrush plant communities a decade after treatment
Abstract:Tree-removal treatments are widely implemented in expanding woodlands to reduce fuel loads and improve habitat, but few studies have measured treatment outcomes over long timescales or large geographic areas. The Sagebrush Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP) evaluated the effectiveness of prescribed fire and cut-and-leave treatments in sagebrush communities experiencing tree expansion across the Great Basin region. We used ten years of data to test how treatments interacted with tree density, soil climate, and time since treatment to affect plant functional groups and dominant species. Non-sprouting shrubs (Artemisia spp.), sprouting shrubs, perennial graminoids, and annual grasses responses depended on tree density and soil climate, which largely reflected the dominant species’ life history traits. Sites with warm and dry soils, regardless of tree density, did not recover desirable understory conditions after prescribed burning, while sites with cool and moist soils showed favorable burn responses, particularly at low to moderate tree density. Cut-and-leave treatments sustained or increased desirable understory plants with smaller increases in exotic annual plants in both soil climates across the tree-density gradient. Both treatments reduced biocrust cover. Selecting appropriate tree-removal treatments requires considering site abiotic and biotic conditions, as well as the relative abundance and life-history traits of dominant species.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Implementation and Evaluation of Roadside Restoration Treatments in Heathland Vegetation
Abstract:Ecological restoration associated with construction of infrastructure has the main aim to mitigate effects on biodiversity and landscape aesthetics. Reclamation of roadsides in Iceland has historically focused on soil stabilization by seeding grass mixtures and fertilization, but has shifted in recent years towards restoration of native vegetation, mainly by using topsoil or turfs of native sward salvaged from the roadbed. The effectiveness of these approaches is, however, still unclear. The aim of our research was to evaluate the biological and aesthetic outcomes of different approaches to roadside reclamation
and assess the implementation process of new methods using restoration approaches. Species composition and visual characteristics of roadside areas were compared to adjacent undisturbed plant communities in actual, large-scale road construction projects. The implementation process was analyzed by observation and interviews of key partners. Results show that turf transplantation was the quickest and probably most effective way to restore the species composition and visual characteristics of heathland communities on road verges. This was trailed by topsoil addition and finally seeding grasses. The first large-scale turf transplantation project in Iceland demanded extra effort during the planning process with a new way of thinking and multidisciplinary approaches, but the construction phase worked out well. Communication between different partners throughout the project was a key factor in successful implementation. The overall outcome depends on biological and visual factors as well as the attitude towards the implementation demanding a new way of thinking for planners, engineers, contractors – and ecologists.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Restoration enhances resistance of sagebrush-steppe communities following repeated fires but doesn’t reverse changes in ecosystem state
Abstract:Many ecosystems are currently subject to increased fire frequencies and invasive species introductions. Responses to these disruptions vary between ecosystems. For instance, those with species traits that support rapid regeneration post-fire may be unaffected by increased fire frequency. In contrast, ecosystems lacking such traits may respond by shifting to an alternative state. We investigated whether restoration efforts may reverse such shifts and increase resistance of sagebrush-steppe communities subjected to compounded wildfires and invasion by Bromus tectorum from 1992 to 2017. Community responses were assessed by analyzing changes in species abundances at multiple time points in 37 permanent plots in Washington, USA. The greatest change occurred in communities where the obligate seeding shrub Artemisia tridentata was common (> 25% cover). Repeated fires (up to 4) led to the extirpation of A. tridentata, which was initially replaced by native forbs/grasses and subsequently by B. tectorum. When restoration treatments (herbicide, seeding) were applied following fire, invasive species tended to show reduced dominance. Communities where resprouting grasses/shrubs were common showed the least change. Repeated fires did, however, lead to a gradual but substantial reduction (90% by 2017) in resprouting shrub abundances. Our findings suggest that communities with seeding shrubs that require extended fire intervals (< 30 years) to reestablish, lack resilience to increased fire frequency and are vulnerable to invasion. While restoration did enhance resistance in these communities, their shift to an alternative state suggests that they have evolved a degree of unhelpful resilience that requires sustained fire suppression and restorative interventions.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
RESTORATION PROCESS OF AN EXTREMELY DEGRADED PARAMO AREA IN THE ANTISANA WATER CONSERVATION AREA, ECUADOR
Abstract:The Antisana Water Conservation Area is located near the Antisana volcano, to the East of Quito (capital of Ecuador), it presents several levels of degradation due to overgrazing for more than 200 years. Specifically, in the Jatunhuaycu microcatchment, there are areas recognized as “arenales” in view of limited soil cover by vegetation. After grazing was banned several years ago, the proposal of long-term recovery is framed in restoring soil organic matter content, currently at around 6%, towards regular levels for andosols in the area, which is 24 %. This will allow the regeneration of other species of flora, biomass, necromass and therefore a better water regulation. In 2014, native species such as Chuquiragua (Chuquiraga sp.), Jata (Diplostephium sp.), Paja (Calamagrostis sp.) and Yagual (Polylepis incana Kunth) were planted with a “cell” type planting system. In 2015, Lupinus pubescens Benth was sown in a random system over an experimental area of five hectares. Success rates of native species planted and the growth of Lupinus pubescens seeds were evaluated. Success of planted native species was rather limited, but good growth dynamic of the plants germinated from Lupinus pubescens was observed. Later, the influence of the “microhabitat” generated by Lupinus pubescens plants on the natural regeneration of other herbaceous species was evaluated through a study of floristic diversity inside and outside the canopy of Lupinus pubescens plants. Floristic diversity within the canopy is higher in contrast to the other control points, proving that the Lupinus are giving shelter and promoting regrowth of other species.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Tallgrass prairie restoration trajectories at a Midwestern preserve: Fire, Flooding, and Floristic Quality
Abstract:Longitudinal studies of prairie succession are rare yet important. We quantified the floristic quality of an Illinois reconstructed tallgrass prairie, examining floral change since the initial 2007 seeding of 81 species. We sampled early (2008) and later (2016) in the restoration across two transects in each of five sites across the preserve (15, 1-m2 plots per site; 75 plots total per year). Indices were calculated at both plot and community (site scale); including floristic quality index (FQI), mean coefficient of conservatism, mean coefficient of wetness, total species richness (S), native (N) richness, and non-native species (I) richness. Three of the five sites were heavily affected by historic flooding of the Illinois river in 2013. Burning frequency also varied among sites with flooded sites burned less. Community level indices reflected this difference in disturbance history among sites, showing large differences among sites and large ranges in FQI, and N. Although there was no significant change in the average value of indices at the community level (n=5 sites) over time, there was a significant increase in variance over time for multiple indices suggesting differences in restoration trajectories among the sites despite the same initial seeding. Given the appropriate disturbance type (burning) and frequency, floristic quality can increase over the first decade for prairie restorations. However, predicting specific restoration outcomes can be challenging as changing climate brings unexpected impacts (flooding). Managing for ecological surprises will become increasingly necessary given global change; thus making adaptive and reactive management approaches increasingly critical.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Ten Years of Plant Community Change in Mesic and Wet Prairie Following Restoration at the 1,225-hectare Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in Hennepin, Illinois
Abstract:Few studies have assessed the long-term outcomes of landscape-scale restoration in prairie grasslands, an imperiled North American ecosystem. In 2002, restoration of prairie and wetlands began on a 1,225-ha former floodplain along the Illinois River in Hennepin, Illinois that had been levied, drained, and under cultivation since 1909. In 2008, five years after planting, sixty 733-m2 randomly located plots were surveyed in mesic and wet prairie to assess the trajectory of plant community development, evaluate progress towards restoration goals, and inform management actions. The prairie was surveyed again in 2018 to determine changes in plant community composition over the 10-year period. We found that mean plant species’ conservatism increased significantly in both habitats, primarily due to a decline in species with lower conservatism values. Native species richness increased, while non-native richness declined significantly in both habitats. The mean native floristic quality index (FQI) increased in both habitats and attained levels associated with high-quality natural areas (>35). However, diversity metrics declined in portions of the site, and this appeared to be associated with changes in species composition related to hydrology and/or the increasing importance of aggressive native species. Our results indicate that the evolution of restored communities at the landscape scale is related to species turnover and dispersal dynamics. We find that large-scale restoration of plant communities with high floristic quality can be achieved across multiple habitat types, even at sites with extensive agricultural histories. Assessing long-term plant community trajectories requires monitoring, analysis, and adaptive management to sustain successful restoration outcomes.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Challenges to Access and Engage the Restoration Productive Chain in Caatinga Biome: An Experience in a Brazilian Semiarid’s Protected Area
Abstract:The semiarid region, in Brazil’s Northeast, is known for locating the Caatinga biome, the most human-populated dry forest in the world. Caatinga’s natural resources are essential for the subsistence of its inhabitants. This vulnerability context added to Caatinga’s extended dry periods, and the low number of systematic experiences in ecological restoration make it very challenging to plan and execute restoration in that region. The Araripe Plateau is a geological formation in the Caatinga, between three Brazilian states, with a protected area and a national forest, covering over 1 million hectares, and a vegetation range from savanna to evergreen forests. To restore 100 hectares in this area, using low-cost techniques, we first sought to assess the existing production restoration chain, to involve its members in ecological restoration, which is still very incipient in the region. During critical phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, we used online tools and held meetings with stakeholders to build a network. Through a virtual survey form, released between May and September of 2020, we accessed more accurate information about the production of nurseries and seed collection in the region. We found 26 seedling nurseries that could get involved in restoration projects, ten of which have provided more information through the survey form. The majority of the nurseries assessed have more than 1000 seedlings/year production, primarily native species, but most of them are not registered in the Brazilian inspection agency. Seeds collection appears to be a not common activity in the region, although it represents a potential to engage communities.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Initial performance of 50 species of trees planted in a restoration of the Colombian Tropical Dry Forest: influence of the scenario and the restoration strategy
Abstract:Monitoring is a key component of ecological restoration projects, it is required to demonstrate the effectiveness of management strategies, and to make adaptive management decisions. Based on ecological diagnostics of a degraded Tropical Dry Forest TDF in Colombia, a pilot project implemented and monitoring six restoration strategies at different scenarios like degraded pastureland, shrubs, and secondary forests. After one and a half years we analyzed the initial performance of 50 species that were planted. Survival and growth (High and Diameter) were prioritized parameters for monitoring strategies. Of the 21,709 individuals monitored, the survival of all species was higher than 75%; Ochroma pyramidale, Jacaranda caucana, Ceiba pentandra, Senna spectabilis and Gliricidia sepium presented the best performances in increasing Height and diameter. Mixed models were made that allowed to identify that the different restoration scenarios and environmental variables have significant effects on the growth of at least 30 species. Significant differences were found in the growth of typical species of conserved forests such as C. pentandra, Trichilli hirta and Enterolobium cyclocarpum when they were established under canopy; other tree species such as Albizia guachapele, Casearia corymbosa and Jacaranda caucana responded better to restoration scenarios that presented full exposure, perhaps due to their functional characteristics of acquisitive species. These results make it possible to identify the conditions and restoration strategies under various TDF species to obtain the best performances and thus improve the efficiency of restoration programs of one of the most degraded ecosystems in the tropics.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Interactive effects of uneven-aged reproduction and hurricane disturbance on longleaf pine stand dynamics
Abstract:Currently, uneven-aged silviculture is increasingly considered as a way to restore and manage forest ecosystems. We conducted a study in the southeastern US utilizing a replicated, operational scale, long-term experiment established to compare uneven-aged harvest techniques (single-tree and group selection) in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill). Two months following study initiation in 2004, Hurricane Ivan impacted our experimental stands providing an opportunity to explore the combined effects of hurricane disturbance and uneven-aged harvesting on longleaf pine stand dynamics. Data were collected in 2003 (pretreatment), in 2005 (post-treatment), and again in 2010 focusing on (1) forest structure, (2) tree growth, (3) longleaf pine regeneration and (4) understory plant conditions. Group selection plots contained significantly more grass-stage seedlings in 2010 (17,870 seedlings/ha) followed by single-tree selection (11,190 seedlings/ha) and control (8,070 seedlings/ha). However, there were significantly fewer bolt-stage saplings in the group selection plots (53 stems/ha) than in the single-tree selection (605 stems/ha) or control (278 stems/ha). Between 2005 and 2010, relative growth rates of basal area were not significantly different between treatments. Point pattern analyses using the Ripley’s K function indicated variability in the spatial distribution of residual overstory trees both within and between treatments, with evidence of clustering of residual trees and large regeneration gaps observed across all treatment plots. Application of uneven-aged selection methods requires attention to both residual basal area and harvest gap size, but our findings suggest residual basal area may exert a greater influence on longleaf pine stand structure and gap dynamics following a hurricane.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Mapping and Prioritizing Degraded Areas for Restoration in A Protected Area of The Caatinga Biome: A Tool for Restoration Planning in The Brazilian Semiarid
Abstract:Caatinga is an ecological region in the Brazilian Northeast semiarid, covering 912,529 km² over ten states. It is the most populated dry forest in the world, and one of the poorest regions in Brazil, where livelihoods are highly dependent on natural resources. That is why considering the social and ecological context is a must-do while planning Caatinga’s ecological restoration, mainly for its protected areas, where scientifically based guidelines on the most strategic ways to act are needed. This work mapped degraded areas in the Environmental Protected Area Chapada do Araripe, in Caatinga, covering 972,605.18 hectares between three Brazilian Northeastern states (PE, PI, and CE), to create a mechanism of decision making in restoration. We also carried out a prioritization analysis of these areas, based on relevant cost/effectiveness criteria. Public geospatial databases were used to identify different land cover types and degraded areas, by considering those without vegetation within
public or private areas that should be covered by forest, based on Brazilian law. Then, the areas were judged based on a list of criteria, according to their characteristics (eg.: presence of threatened species, traditional peoples, occurrence of fire, ecological connectivity), generating a score that was higher for the most favorable areas for restoration, creating a priority ranking and restoration guidelines for each of area. We identified 28,313.15 hectares degraded areas, of which 92.4% are in Legal Reserves on rural properties. The ranking, as well as the mapped areas, represents an important decision-making tool for managers, for strategic planning of ecological restoration.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Restoration of overgrazed dry Chaco forest using topsoil translocation
Abstract:In dry Chaco forest extensive grazing is practiced and the concentration of livestock around water sources produces highly degraded places. We assessed the role of soil seed bank to restore an overgrazed study area at the northwest of Argentina, but no seedling emergence was found. Thus, we evaluated the restoration of the overgrazed place using topsoil translocations combined with treatments to improve seedling emergence. Before the rainy period begins, in 0.25m2 experimental units we reintroduced 0,0125 m3 of topsoil in places with and without livestock. In addition, to increase the emergence and establishment of new individuals, we improved soil conditions (using soil scarification) and we ameliorated climate conditions (placing topsoil under nurse plants, artificial shadows, or under branches structures). After 15 months (at the end of the rainy period), 5.5 individuals/0.25m2 emerged in the best treatment (with livestock exclusion, soil scarification, and protection with nurse plants). In experimental units with livestock no emergence was found. The majority of individuals emerged were herbs, followed by woody plants, and grasses; we did not find succulent plants. We recommend to complement topsoil translocations with reintroductions of the missing life forms for a better representation of the Chaco forest. The restoration of dry Chaco forest can be achieved by using topsoil translocations after the livestock (disturbance) was removed, before the beginning of the rainy period, in places with soil and environmental conditions improved
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Restoring the Neotropical Dry Forests in the Face of Climate Change
Abstract:Tropical dry forests (TDF) have a broad global distribution, hold unique biodiversity that is climatically restricted by evolutionary history. For the past century, TDFs have faced numerous threats, reducing the surface of this ecosystem, so that in recent decades conservation actions have focused not only on its protection but on its recovery. The main objective of this study was to compile relevant and practical lessons of how the diversity, ecosystem services and community well-being had been recovered through restoration strategies in the TDFs of the Neotropic. A total of 98 studies published between 1990 and 2020 were reviewed, of which most took place in Mexico and the mean restored area was of 74 ha. The most reported disturbances prior to restoration corresponds to cattle, followed by crops and mining. Plantations were the most used restoration strategy of the Neotropics. A total of 99 response variables were identified, of which the most frequently used were related to the vegetation structure (e.g., Survival, Seedling Height), while the least used variables were related with social aspects of
restoration (e.g., economic benefits). It is necessary to recognize that this ecosystem has specific characteristics throughout its distribution in the Neotropic related both to its diversity and environmental variables, as well as to its disturbances, so identifying the best practices would allow stakeholders to improve restoration programs.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Regenerative Agriculture: A Solution to Social, Environmental, & Economic Aggregated-Context-Complications for System Design
Abstract:Background
Ivory Coast has lost +90% of its forests and continues to lose more to cocoa production each year. Painstakingly clear is the necessity for transitioning conventional agriculture practices to regenerative ones. Regenerative practices restore soil and watershed health by supporting greater spectrums of biodiversity and with more diversity comes more complexities. Moving from monoculture, linear and very predictable systems; a transition to regenerative agriculture adds new dimensions of complications. While developing agroforestry system designs for cocoa plantations in Ivory Coast, it became increasingly apparent how even high-level farmer segmentation for broad system designs were barely scraping the surface of smallholder farmers’ needs.
Objective
Our objective was to help smallholder cocoa farmers be investment ready by drafting several regenerative agroforestry system designs with transition plans, business models, and financial models.
Methods
Methods included focus group surveys, one-on-one surveys, literary research, and subject matter expert consultations.
Results
The results from the data collection were revealing, diverse and multi-layered. It was incredibly challenging to try and fit +31,000 smallholder farmers which spanned across +80,000 hectares into a handful of segments. We created an eco-functional design approach that was focused on a process-and-results orientation that allowed for maximum adaptability to the farmers’ unique contexts.
Conclusion
This design approach was not going to be region and crop-specific as we had initially anticipated but ultimately a methodology that could be broadly useful for anywhere in the world. Regenerative agriculture can help slow climate change if we approach regenerative transition in a way that truly helps smallholder farmers and their communities.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Evaluation of Municipal Natural Asset Management Projects
Abstract:In Canada, many urban and near-urban ecosystems are in decline. Unfortunately, municipalities only understand and manage these natural assets as aesthetic or social amenities. They struggle to account for these ecosystems as green infrastructure that provide local communities with a wide range of important services. However, some Canadian municipalities are beginning to incorporate ecosystems such as healthy lakes, forests, or streams into their infrastructure planning with the goal of maintaining and improving services such as stormwater management. This municipal natural asset management requires municipalities to restore, conserve, inventory and track ecosystems under their jurisdiction. However, evidence of the efficacy of this approach is required to upscale it from the currently two dozen pilot communities. This evidence must show that restored and conserved ecosystems can provide services that complement built infrastructure and that municipalities meet the necessary conditions to implement this approach successfully. There is a consequent need for rigorous, long-term monitoring and reporting of municipal natural asset management to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach as a municipal service delivery strategy. Here we present results for a standardized monitoring framework of municipal natural asset management projects. This work has
resulted in an evidence database of the outcomes of municipal natural asset management while showing how pilot communities are reaching awareness, capacity, and implementation outcomes at this time, as measured by selected indicators. Finally, we highlight how economic policy directing municipal investments towards the restoration and conservation of natural assets can help our communities to build back better in a post-COVID-19 world.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Oversight of Ecological Restoration for the Samarco Dam Failure in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Abstract:The Samarco Dam Failure in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil (also known as the Fundão Dam Disaster) is considered to be the worst environmental disaster in Brazil’s history, directly affecting approximately 45 municipalities and costing 19 lives. As result of dam rupture on November 5, 2015, the released sediment was transported over 670 km (circa 416 miles) of river flowing from dam breach into the Atlantic Ocean. In total, approximately 44 million cubic meters of iron ore waste was released into the Rio Doce Basin. The damaged watershed is largely dominated by Mata Atlantica Forest, which is one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world, having lost over 93% of its functional biome, despite being home to an incredible array of biodiversity. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the ongoing efforts to provide technical quality control and oversight of ecological revegetation by Ramboll on behalf of the Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutors Office (MPF) and its Rio Doce Taskforce including successes and challenges. In addition, the presentation will summarize field survival to date for planted and naturally regenerated species for riverine and compensatory wetland projects, as well as monitoring criteria considered for such purpose.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Prioritization Trade-Offs in Restoration Areas for Carbon Market and Koala Conservation
Abstract:Background. A challenge when deciding on priority areas for restoration is to enhance ecological resilience of the targeted ecosystem while providing economic opportunities to local communities. This means the compatibility of various socioecological objectives under alternative prioritization schemes needs to be understood.
Objectives. To spatially analyze trade-offs between ecological and economic management objectives to restore habitats for koala conservation. Production possibility frontiers (PPF) and attainment levels were derived for various restoration scenarios and prioritization objectives.
Methods. Variables modeled were Above Ground Biomass (AGB), Number of dwellings at risk of bushfires (DWELR) and Koala Habitat Suitability (KHS – the probability that the local habitat is suitable for koalas). To focus on koala management, only areas with probability of finding a koala > 0.25 were considered. The ForSysX model was used for optimization of areas treated subject to budget constraints. Priority areas for each objective were identified, attainment curves and PPF were derived for 26 planning areas.
Results. There were strong trade-offs between DWELR and the other two objectives, meaning that increasing efforts towards reducing dwellings at risk of bushfires can compete with efforts for AGB and KHSM. On the other hand, AGB and KHSM were positively correlated. PPF show that few areas have high potential for maximizing two objectives together, but several areas can be maximized for biomass without severe impact on KHSM or DWELR.
Conclusion. Restoring areas for koala conservation and carbon markets have mutual benefits as the latter is a potential funding source for restoration treatments.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The Ecosystem Services of Connectivity
Abstract:Connectivity is critical to maintaining ecological functions and benefits in human-modified landscapes, including urban areas. However, the literature on this topic has been limited by inconsistent terminology and methods, and largely omits human access to nature and its benefits as a form of connectivity. We build upon previous theory to define four distinct but interrelated categories of connectivity (habitat, geophysical, eco-social, and landscape) and use the Ecosystem Services framework to review the socio-ecological benefits which depend on them. There are overlaps, conflicts, and synergies among connectivity categories and their associated services and disservices. Identifying the services which arise from these four categories of connectivity, and how they interact, can help build a common understanding of connectivity to maximize its benefits, improve understanding of complex socio-ecological systems across disciplines, and develop more holistic decision-making processes. We also briefly discuss a framework to incorporate connectivity more effectively into urban planning and ecological stewardship efforts.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Keystone Plants: Essential Components of Restored Landscapes
Abstract:Functional food webs are essential for the successful conservation and restoration of ecological communities, and in terrestrial systems, food webs are built on a foundation of coevolved interactions between plants and their consumers. Because caterpillars transfer more energy from plants to other organisms than any other herbivores, they are essential components of vibrant terrestrial food webs. Yet most caterpillar species are host plant specialists; thus, all plant species are not equal in their ability to produce caterpillar biomass. Here, we collate published data on host plant ranges and associated host plant-Lepidoptera interactions from across the United States and demonstrate that across ecoregions, distributions of plant-herbivore interactions are consistently skewed, with a small percentage of native plant genera supporting the majority of Lepidoptera. Just 5% of local native plant genera support 75% of the local lepidoptera; 14% support 90% of the Lepidoptera. Plant identities critical for retaining interaction diversity are similar and independent of geography. We call these hyperproductive plants keystone genera. Just as keystones supported Roman arches, keystone genera must be included in landscapes to achieve complex, stable food webs. Given the importance of Lepidoptera to food webs and ecosystem function, efficient and effective restoration of degraded landscapes depends on the inclusion of such keystone plants.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Plant-Soil Feedbacks: The Benefit of Field-Based Community Level Study in Uncovering their Role in Restoration
Abstract:Plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) can be a factor in plant invasions and may play a role in native restoration failure. PSFs occur when a plant changes soil properties that then directly influence plant growth, influencing community assemblage. Shortterm greenhouse studies show that invasive species often develops PSFs that negatively affect natives. However, the significance of PSFs in more realistic long-term field settings remains to be seen. In California grasslands, Eurasian grasses are known to alter nitrogen cycling, deep soil organic matter, and microbial community composition, which negatively impact native grasses in greenhouse experiments. To uncover whether these changes can cause restoration failure, we investigated the importance of PSFs on a community level in field conditions. From a larger grassland experiment in Davis, CA, 90-cm deep soil cores were taken from 16 plots dominated by either exotic or native grasses for the last 10 years to compare soil properties. Denuded plots were divided into subplots, seeded with either native mix, exotic mix, or native+exotic mix. Plant performance variables encompassing all life stages were measured for two growing seasons.
Net mineralization and nitrification rates in the top 15-cm of soil were lower in exotic-conditioned soil; with no other differences in soil properties (awaiting microbial community results). Native grasses performed better in exotic-conditioned soil than their home soil in height and community-level cover. These results suggest that invasive-driven PSFs observed in the greenhouse are weakened in the field and that pathogen accumulation may drive native performance. Future studies should also include community level analysis.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Restoration Ecologists might not get what they want: Global Change shifts Trade-offs among Ecosystem Functions
Abstract:Ecological restoration increasingly aims at improving ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) and making landscapes resilient to future threats, especially in biodiversity hotspots such as Mediterranean-type ecosystems. Successful realisation of such a strategy requires a fundamental mechanistic understanding of the link between ecosystem plant composition, plant traits and related ecosystem functions and services, as well as how climate change affects these relationships. Based on empirical data from a large-scale restoration project in Western Australia, we developed and validated the spatially explicit simulation model ModEST, which calculates coupled dynamics of nutrients, water and individual plants characterised by traits. We assessed the role of plant diversity and traits on EMF, the provision of six ecosystem functions, as well as tradeoffs and synergies among the functions under current and future climates. We found that EMF cannot fully be achieved because of trade-offs among functions that are attributable to sets of traits that affect functions differently. Our measure of EMF was increased by higher levels of planted species richness under current, but not future climatic conditions. In contrast, single functions were differently impacted by increased plant diversity. In addition, we found that trade-offs and synergies among functions shifted with climate change.
Our results imply that restoration ecologists will face a clear challenge to achieve their targets with respect to EMF not only under current conditions, but also in the long-term. However, ModEST allows us to assess which long-term target goals can be achieved given the set of available plant species and site-specific conditions.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Restoration inside the agricultural frontier, under what conditions does it work?
Abstract:Forest regrowth could be effective for meeting restoration commitments, but there is a need to understand under what circumstances forest regrowth takes place and how long secondary forests persist. We studied a recently colonized agricultural frontier in Southern Mexico. We quantified the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest loss and regrowth and tested how temporal variation in climate, and spatial variation in land availability, land quality and accessibility affect forest disturbance, regrowth
and secondary forest persistence. We show that Marqués de Comillas consistently exhibits more forest loss than regrowth, resulting in a net decrease of 30% forest cover (1991-2016). Secondary forest cover remained relatively constant while secondary forest persistence increased, suggesting a move away from shifting cultivation. Temporal variation in disturbance and regrowth were explained by annual variation in climate combined with key policy interventions. We found that communal land related to more forest cover and that communities with high-productive soils were able to spare land for forest conservation (more undisturbed forest) and restoration (more persistent secondary forests). When no highproductive soils were available restoration was only possible when farmers owned large tracts of land. We conclude that forest conservation and restoration can be explained by a complex interplay of social and biophysical drivers across time and space. Stimulating private land ownership may cause remaining forest patches to be lost and conservation initiatives should benefit the whole community. Forest regrowth and secondary forest persistence competes with agricultural production so farmers will need to be incentivised to ensure restoration inside the agricultural frontier.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Restoring tropical mountain rain forests degraded by climate change: linking applied ecological research and management action in Costa Rica
Abstract:Climate change will degrade currently mature tropical mountain rain forest ecosystems (TMRF; forests at >300 m asl) and their vital functions and services. Our approach to management responses to this challenge combines the principles and tools of ecological restoration with those of climate action. Here, we synthesize evidence from long-term ecological research in protected areas on a 400-3000 m asl altitudinal gradient in Costa Rica and show its application in tools requested by national authorities for strengthening adaptive capacity in TMRF management and restoration.
We demonstrate high vulnerability to climate change in this landscape using a new approach to measuring ecological sensitivity in hyper diverse forest ecosystems, based on the functional traits of dominant tree species and the breadth of their altitudinal distributions. Lowland ecosystems are highly vulnerable due to the conservative functional traits and narrow altitudinal distributions of their dominant tree species. Above 2000 m asl dominant species have broad altitudinal distributions which together with positive net stand growth suggests lower vulnerability. In this landscape, temperature is the major control of ecosystem characteristics and processes under the uniformly wet climate, which models suggest will continue. Neutral processes and temperature-independent ecosystem functional properties are also important, however, while storms of increasing frequency and intensity may become key drivers of degradation.
Capacity strengthening will focus on adjusted management objectives and operations for TMRF in protected areas in the framework of this evidence base, incorporating adaptation-restoration synergies and the multiple determinants of current and future TMRF ecosystem characteristics we have highlighted.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Soil microbes and priority effects limit conservative forb establishment in restored temperate woodlands
Abstract:What limits conservative forb establishment in restored, temperate woodlands? The primary barrier is typically assumed to be dispersal limitation in fragmented landscapes. One important post-dispersal barrier could be a lack of critical soil microbes, such as mutualistic mycorrhizal fungi. A second barrier could be increased competition from earlier colonists (i.e., inhibitory priority effects).We tested these hypotheses for seven forbs in three restored woodlands in eastern Missouri. To test the effects of soil microbes on early seedling establishment, we monitored seedling growth in a greenhouse for five weeks. Seeds were grown in sterile medium inoculated with a small amount of soil from either a remnant woodland or a restored woodland (n = 1,120 seedlings). Two out of seven species grew 1.6-6.5× (x̄ = 3.7×, s.e. = 0.9×) larger over five weeks when inoculated with remnant soil compared to restored woodland soil. To test the effects of soil microbes and competing vegetation on seedling survival in the field, we introduced potted seedlings in three restored woodlands (n = 832 seedlings). After one year, survival was 2-16% greater for five forb species planted with competing vegetation removed via glyphosate (x̄ = 9%, s.e. = 5%). Two other species had equivalent survival with and without competing vegetation removed. One-year survival was similar for forbs inoculated with remnant soil versus soil from restored woodlands. Preliminary results suggest that microbes associated with remnant woodland soil are most important during early establishment and that removing competing vegetation improves the initial survival of introduced forb seedlings.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program