©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.
Restoring Wildlife: Ecological Concepts and Practical Applications
Abstract:The book interweaves theoretical and practical aspects of wildlife biology that are directly applicable to the restoration and conservation of animals. It provides an understanding of the fundamentals of wildlife populations and wildlife-habitat relationships as it explores the concept of habitat, its historic development, components, spatial temporal relationships, and role in land management. It applies these concepts in developing practical tools for professionals.
Resource Type:BookPublication Date: 2009
Seagrass Restoration
Abstract:This chapter updates the progress that has been made over the last decade and reviews the current status of seagrass restoration and transplant research in those areas of the world where much activity has taken place: Europe, Australasia and the United States. Within each region, a brief background is provided on seagrass geographic distribution, community species composition, causal nature of seagrass decline and an overview of attempts to facilitate recovery via transplanting. The chapter concludes with an evaluation of the ecological and economic appropriateness of restoration as a tool for conserving seagrass.
Resource Type:BookPublication Date: 2009
Restoring Wetlands for Wildlife Habitat
Abstract:This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction, Approaches to Restoration of Wildlife, Planning the Restoration of Wetlands for Wildlife Habitat, Planning the Long Term Management, Monitoring Success, Case Study: Transplantation of a Mire.
Resource Type:Book ChapterPublication Date: 2009
A Method for Evaluating Outcomes of Restoration When No Reference Sites Exist
Abstract:Ecological restoration typically seeks to shift species composition toward that of existing reference sites. Yet, comparing the assemblages in restored and reference habitats assumes that similarity to the reference habitat is the optimal outcome of restoration and does not provide a perspective on regionally rare off-site species. When no such reference assemblages of species exist, an accurate assessment of the habitat affinities of species is crucial. We present a method for using a species by habitat data matrix generated by biodiversity surveys to evaluate community responses to habitat restoration treatments. We apply this procedure to an open woodland restoration project in north Mississippi (U.S.A.) by evaluating initial plant community responses to restoration. Results showed a substantial increase in open woodland indicators, a modest decrease in generalists historically restricted to floodplain forests, and no significant change in disturbance indicators as a group. These responses can be interpreted as a desirable outcome, regardless of whether species composition approaches that of reference sites. The broader value of this approach is that it provides a flexible and objective means of predicting and evaluating the outcome of restoration projects involving any group of species in any region, provided there is a biodiversity database that includes habitat and location information.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
A Role for Assisted Evolution in Designing Native Plant Materials for Domesticated Landscapes
Abstract:Developers of native plant propagation materials for wildland restoration may emphasize naturally occurring genetic patterns or, in contrast, the material’s empirical performance in comparative field trials. We contend that both approaches have value and need not be mutually exclusive. Anthropogenic influences have pushed many ecosystems across ecological thresholds, to less desirable states, so that actively managing for “domesticated nature” – nature as modified, either intentionally or inadvertently, by humans – is more realistic and more likely to succeed than recreating the original ecosystem.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
A Spatial Model to Prioritize Sagebrush Landscapes in the Intermountain West for Restoration
Abstract:We prioritized landscapes for restoring Sagebrush habitats within the intermountain western region of the United States using geographic information system (GIS) modeling techniques to identify areas meeting a set of conditions based on (1) optimum abiotic and biotic conditions favorable for revegetation of Sagebrush; (2) potential to increase connectivity of Sagebrush habitats in the landscape to benefit wildlife; (3) location of population strongholds for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercusurophasianus, a species of conservation concern); and (4) potential impediments to successful restoration created by Cheatgrass (Bromustectorum, an invasive exotic annual grass). Our results represent an integral component in a hierarchical framework after which site-specific locations for treatments can be focused within high-priority areas. Using this approach, long-term restoration strategies can be implemented that combine local- scale treatments and objectives with large-scale ecological processes and priorities.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
A Unified Framework for the Restoration of Southeast Asian Mangroves: Bridging Ecology, Society and Economics
Abstract:The effect of intensive human intervention, poor socio-economic conditions and little knowledge on mangrove ecology pose enormous challenges for mangrove restoration in Southeast Asia. We present a framework for tropical mangrove restoration. Our proposed restoration framework addresses the ecology, economy and social issues simultaneously by considering the causes of mangrove degradation. We provide a step by step guideline for its restoration. We argue that although, ecological issues are of prime importance, economic and social issues must be considered in the restoration plan in order for it to be successful.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Adaptive Co-Management for Social-Ecological Complexity
Abstract:Building trust through collaboration, institutional development, and social learning enhances efforts to foster ecosystem management and resolve multi-scale society–environment dilemmas. One emerging approach aimed at addressing these dilemmas is adaptive co- management. This method draws explicit attention to the learning (experiential and experimental) and collaboration (vertical and horizontal) functions necessary to improve our understanding of, and ability to respond to, complex social–ecological systems. Here, we identify and outline the core features of adaptive co-management, which include innovative institutional arrangements and incentives across spatiotemporal scales and levels, learning through complexity and change, monitoring and assessment of interventions, the role of power, and opportunities to link science with policy.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Adaptive Monitoring: A New Paradigm for Long-term Research and Monitoring
Abstract:Long-term research and monitoring can provide important ecological insights and are crucial for the improved management of ecosystems and natural resources. However, many long-term research and monitoring programs are either ineffective or fail completely owing to poor planning and/or lack of focus. Here we propose the paradigm of adaptive monitoring, which aims to resolve many of the problems that have undermined previous attempts to establish long-term research and monitoring. This paradigm is driven by tractable questions, rigorous statistical design at the outset, a conceptual model of the ecosystem or other entity being examined and a human need to know about ecosystem change. An adaptive monitoring framework enables monitoring programs to evolve iteratively as new information emerges and research questions change.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Agro-Successional Restoration as a Strategy to Facilitate Tropical Forest Recovery
Abstract:With the increasing need to restore former agricultural lands worldwide and in the tropics, in particular, it is critical to explore different models for how to restore these lands in a cost- effective manner which best simulates natural forest recovery and provides for human livelihoods. We propose that agro-successional restoration, which we define as incorporating a range of agroecology and agroforestry techniques as a transition phase early in forest restoration, could be used more widely to overcome socioeconomic and ecological obstacles to restoring these lands.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Agroforestry for Ecosystem Services and Environmental Benefits: An Overview
Abstract:As prelude to the special issue, this paper examines four major ecosystem services and environmental benefits of agroforestry: (1) carbon sequestration, (2) biodiversity conservation, (3) soil enrichment and (4) air and water quality. Past and present evidence clearly indicates that agroforestry, as part of a multifunctional working landscape, can be a viable land-use option that, in addition to alleviating poverty, offers a number of ecosystem services and environmental benefits. This realization should help promote agroforestry and its role as an integral part of a multifunctional working landscape the world over.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
An Evaluation of Farmers’ Experiences Planting Native Trees in Rural Panama: Implications for Reforestation with Native Species in Agricultural Landscapes
Abstract:This study evaluates the experiences of farmers participating in a native species reforestation initiative in rural Panama to identify lessons learned that can guide on-going or future tree planting efforts. Based on the results of a questionnaire administered to program participants and non-participants (n = 68), we found that trees are important to farmers for multiple reasons, primary a variety of environmental and economic benefits.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Are Pine Plantations Valid Tools for Restoring Mediterranean Forests? An Assessment along Abiotic and Biotic Gradients
Abstract:The ecological impacts of forest plantations are a focus of intense debate, from studies that consider plantations as “biological deserts” to studies showing positive effects on plant diversity and dynamics. This lack of consensus might be influenced by the scarcity of studies that examine how the ecological characteristics of plantations vary along abiotic and biotic gradients. Here we conducted a large-scale assessment of plant regeneration and diversity in plantations of southern Spain. Tree seedling and sapling density, plant species richness, and Shannon’s (H_) diversity index were analyzed in 442 pine plantation plots covering a wide gradient of climatic conditions, stand density, and distance to natural forests that act as seed sources.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Special Issue on Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems
Abstract:Together these 12 papers examine key restoration ecology concepts, provide a range of modeling tools, and review information and case studies to help aquatic restoration design and monitoring. We hope that the information and ideas will stimulate further technique and concept development and contribute to the challenging but urgent task of restoring the aquatic ecosystem attributes and services that underpin societal wellbeing.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Species Invasions and the Limits to Restoration: Learning from the New Zealand Experience
Abstract:Species invasions impose key biotic thresholds limiting the success of ecological restoration projects. These thresholds may be difficult to reverse and will have long-term consequences for restoration because of invasion legacies such as extinctions; because most invasive species cannot be eliminated given current technology and resources; and because even when controlled to low levels, invasive species continue to exert substantial pressure on native biodiversity. Restoration outcomes in the face of biological invasions are likely to be novel and will require long-term resource commitment, as any letup in invasive species management will result in the loss of the conservation gains achieved.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
The Assembly, Collapse and Restoration of Food Webs
Abstract:If our understanding of food webs is to have a firm empirical basis, we need to describe and attempt to model the structure of webs for a variety of natural and human-modified ecosystems. At present, a significant proportion of ecosystem management is based upon a blend of ‘conventional wisdom’, insights from single-species studies, pressure to conserve charismatic vertebrates, attempts to balance the integrity of the natural ecosystem with the benefits it is expected to provide to the local community (‘community conservation’), and occasional adaptive management.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
The Emerging Era of Novel Tropical Forests
Abstract:We live in the era of secondary forests that is rapidly giving way to a new era of novel tropical forests. Research in Puerto Rico documents the emergence of novel forests, which are different in terms of species composition, dominance, and relative importance of species from forests that were present before the island was deforested. These novel forests emerged without assistance. They are a natural response to the new environmental conditions created by human activity. Natural processes have remixed or reassembled native and introduced plant and animal species into novel communities adapted to anthropogenic environmental conditions. Novel forests are expected to protect soils, cycle nutrients, support wildlife, store carbon, maintain watershed functions, and mitigate species extinctions. The dawn of the age of tropical novel forests is upon us and must not be ignored.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
The Restoration of Parasites, Parasitoids, and Pathogens to Heathland Communities
Abstract:Higher trophic level species such as parasites, parasitoids, and pathogens are frequently ignored in community studies, despite playing key roles in the structure, function, and stability of ecological communities. Furthermore, such species are typically among the last in a community to reestablish due to their reliance upon lower trophic level resources and a requirement for persistent, stable ecological conditions. Consequently their presence alone can be indicative of healthy ecosystems. Using replicated, quantitative food webs we studied the impacts of a restoration treatment upon the interactions of a tri-trophic community consisting of plants, their bumble bee pollinators, and the parasites, parasitoids, and pathogens of the bumble bees at heathland sites.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
The Rise of Restoration Ecology (Special Issue of Science)
Abstract:In art, restoration involves recapturing an object’s aesthetic value. In ecology, the stakes are arguably much higher: Our planet’s future may depend on the maturation of the young discipline of ecological restoration. In this issue, we sample restoration projects around the world and consider the state of the science of this emerging field.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
The Role of Plant Interactions in the Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems: A Meta-analysis across Life-forms and Ecosystems
Abstract:Pre-existing vegetation can have large impacts on species establishment in degraded habitats. Inhibition predominates in herbaceous communities typical of early-successional stages, whereas facilitation prevailes in communities dominated by shrubs and trees. Even productive systems (e.g. mesic temperate habitats) appear suitable for the application of facilitation as a restoration tool of woody communities. Whereas restoring herbaceous communities seems largely reliable on removal techniques, augmenting populations of nurse shrubs and trees should be considered a promising strategy for restoring woody late-successional communities.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Threshold Models in Restoration and Conservation: A Developing Framework
Abstract:The recognition that a system can appear resilient to changes in the environment, only to reach a critical threshold of rapid and unexpected change, is spurring work to apply threshold models in conservation and restoration. Here we address the relevance of threshold models to habitat management. Work to date indicates these concepts are highly applicable: human impacts can widen the range of habitats where threshold dynamics occur and shift communities into new states that are difficult to reverse. However, in many applied settings, threshold concepts are being adopted without evaluation of evidence and uncertainty. We suggest a framework for incorporating threshold models that reflects an emphasis on applicability to decision making and management on relatively short timescales and in human impacted systems.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Tree Regeneration in Church Forests of Ethiopia: Effects of Microsites and Management
Abstract:Tree regeneration is severely hampered in the fragmented afromontane forests of northern Ethiopia. We explored how trees regenerate in remnant forests along the gradient from open field, forest edge to closed sites and canopy gaps inside the forest. We investigated the effects of seed sowing, litter removal, and weeding on the regeneration success along this gradient. Regeneration success was investigated for four indigenous tree species, and measured in terms of seedling establishment, growth, and survival. Species performed differently according to site conditions. These results suggest that simple measures may improve seedling establishment, and that, for some species, forest edges are particularly useful for growth and survival after succesful establishment. Together with erecting fences, needed to protect seedlings against grazing, seed sowing, planting seedling, and soil scarification may contribute to maintain and restore church forests in the fragmented landscapes of northern Ethiopia.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Untangling the Biological Contributions to Soil Stability in Semiarid Shrublands
Abstract:Communities of plants, biological soil crusts (BSCs), and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are known to influence soil stability individually, but their relative contributions, interactions, and combined effects are not well understood, particularly in arid and semiarid ecosystems. In a landscape-scale field study we quantified plant, BSC, and AM fungal communities at 216 locations along a gradient of soil stability levels in southern Utah, USA.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Using Facilitation Theory to Enhance Mangrove Restoration
Abstract:Coastal populations depend on mangrove ecosystems for economic products, such as shrimp ponds, fish farms, and timber products, and for the ecosystem services they provide, such as coastal stabilization, wave attenuation, and nursery habitat for fish. These services, from both natural and converted mangrove areas, cannot be minimized, and, as Samson and Rollon (Growth Performance of Planted Mangroves in the Philippines: Revisiting Forest Management Strategies) suggest, it may not be feasible or prudent in all cases to restore former mangrove areas to mangrove forest. In many cases, the best decision will include a mix of exploitation, conservation, and restoration. Whether mangrove restorations proceed in mangrove or nonmangrove habitats, restorations are much more likely to be successful if they assume positive, rather than negative negative, density dependence during initial ecosystem development and thereby capitalize on advances in facilitation theory.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Wetlands and Global Climate Change: The Role of Wetland Restoration in a Changing World
Abstract:The following global recommendations are offered to scientists, practitioners and policymakers to provide some perspective as well as a stimulus for discussion with a goal toward developing a new direction for global wetland conservation in a changing world.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Who’s In and Why? A Typology of Stakeholder Analysis Methods for Natural Resource Management
Abstract:Stakeholder analysis means many things to different people. Various methods and approaches have been developed in different fields for different purposes, leading to confusion over the concept and practice of stakeholder analysis. This paper asks how and why stakeholder analysis should be conducted for participatory natural resource management research. The range of methods that can be used to carry out each type of analysis is reviewed. These methods and approaches are then illustrated through a series of case studies funded through the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) programme. These case studies show the wide range of participatory and non-participatory methods that can be used, and discuss some of the challenges and limitations of existing methods for stakeholder analysis. The case studies also propose new tools and combinations of methods that can more effectively identify and categorise stakeholders and help understand their inter-relationships.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
Why Climate Change Makes Riparian Restoration More Important than Ever: Recommendations for Practice and Research
Abstract:Over the next century, climate change will dramatically alter natural resource management. Specifically, historical reference conditions may no longer serve as benchmarks for restoration, which may foster a “why bother?” attitude toward ecological restoration. We review the potential role for riparian restoration to prepare ecological systems for the threats posed by climate change. Riparian ecosystems are naturally resilient, provide linear habitat connectivity, link aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and create thermal refugia for wildlife: all characteristics that can contribute to ecological adaptation to climate change. Because riparian systems and the projected impacts of climate change are highly variable geographically, there is a pressing need to develop a place-based understanding of climate change threats to riparian ecosystems. Restoration practitioners should consider how they can modify practices to enhance the resilience of riparian ecosystems to climate change. Such modifications may include accelerating the restoration of private lands, participating in water management decisions, and putting the emerging field of restoration genetics into practice.
Resource Type:Peer-reviewed ArticlePublication Date: 2009
A Review of Techniques for Monitoring the Success of Peatland Restoration
Abstract:An important element of all peatland restoration projects is a programme of monitoring to check results and progress. Several peat project workshops identified a demand for technical guidance on monitoring techniques. So Natural England commissioned this study to: 1) Review the range of peatland restoration monitoring techniques available and 2) Identify those that were consistent, informative and easily applicable for peatland restoration projects at a range of scales and budgets.
Resource Type:Technical DocumentPublication Date: 2009
Adapting to Climate Change
Abstract:The question of how forests and forest-dependent people will adapt to climate change is a growing area of research and has been at the heart of a number of recent conferences. One of these, the international conference on Adaptation of Forests and Forest Management to Changing Climate with Emphasis on Forest Health: A Review of Science, Policies and Practices (Umea_, Sweden, August 2008), spawned the contents of this special double issue of Unasylva. The conference, organized by FAO, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, brought together over 300 researchers, managers and decision-makers from 50 countries.
Resource Type:Technical DocumentPublication Date: 2009
Assessment of Forest Degradation by Local Communities: The Case Study of Ghana
Abstract:The rate of forest degradation is continuously increasing throughout Ghana. To mitigate the effect of degradation, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) funded a project to rehabilitate some degraded forests with the collaboration of local communities. Due to resource constraints, three sites were to be selected from five potential sites Asukese, Bonsam Bepo, Southern Scarp, Afrensu Brohuma and Pamu Berekum within three forest ecological zones on the basis of perceived rates of degradation. Thus to select the final three areas for the project, assessment was done using indicators developed collaboratively with the local communities based on their experience on what had been the state of the forest before degradation as well as how their livelihoods have been impacted because of degradation.
Resource Type:Technical DocumentPublication Date: 2009