Resource Database

Assisted Natural Recovery as a Preferred Revegetation Method

Natural recovery is a great tool for revegetating natural areas, but often requires some assistance to help the process along. Generally, the goal in revegetating natural areas is getting cover and diversity of desirable species to restore ecosystem functions and build resilience. For this to happen, propagules must be brought to the site by a short list of vectors; namely people, wildlife, seedbank, parent plants, water, and wind. The competition for space in a receptive seedbed is a race to get as many desirable species as possible while the quality of the seedbed rapidly declines. So, where lies the balance between too little effort and too much effort in assisting natural recovery? In a perfect world, restoration would be like industrial-scale gardening with the care and attention of full-time attendees, but that level of effort is rarely possible due to cost and accessibility. This presentation is a review of several reclamation/restoration projects that used assisted natural recovery; looking at what worked, what didn’t work, and what might have worked. The project examples include disturbances from 1 hectare to 30 hectares in size that were reclaimed/restored to forests, peatlands, and mineral wetlands. Applicable conference themes: natural regeneration as a restoration strategy; restoration; reclamation and rewilding of oil, natural gas, and borrow pits; rehabilitation of severely degraded sites; restoration of temperate boreal forests; or standards of practice for restoration.

COVID-19 pandemic shows that passive restoration is globally feasible but… do most decision makers agree?

During early-mid 2020, the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease shows that (A) substantial changes in the consumption/production habits are feasible without the “catastrophic” consequences predicted by market economists, and, as a result, (B) environmental degradation can be reduced significantly (air > water > wildlife). This (C) unplanned “passive restoration” is occurring worldwide for the first time in human history and at a similar rate. We analyzed how key stakeholders reacted to ABC facts (e.g. United Nations, scientists, media/influencers). We conducted a systematic literature review. A set of 157 documents published during 2020 was analyzed including papers and grey literature (50% each). We identified 115 statements related to public health, degradation and restoration. Based on our experience 10 major statements/solutions were selected. Their evidence or lack thereof was discussed in consultations to field experts. Text in brackets denotes our conclusion: (1) ecosystem degradation is a major driver of emerging pathogens (true in particular cases), (2) degradation is responsible for the pandemic spread (disagree: human transportation), (3) high biodiversity mitigates viruses´ transmission by zoonosis (not yet demonstrated), (4) land use intensification facilitates “jumping” of wildlife-human barriers (weak validations), (5) wildlife meat in food markets must be reduce/eliminated to avoid risks of emerging infectious diseases (dubious evidences), (6) healthcare access restrictions increase mortality in other diseases (hypothesis based on previous epidemics), (7) economy is first (disagree: people´s welfare is first), (8) reduce 50% the ecological footprint of energy and technology (agree), (9) restore Nature and (10) change our habits of over-consumption (fully agree).

Seeding or planting to revegetate the world’s degraded land? Preliminary findings from a systematic review

Revegetation is at the core of the actions needed to tackle the challenges of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration. For many plant species, the selection of sowing or planting is paramount to secure revegetation success. Seedling planting has several key advantages over sowing, such as the avoidance of seed predation. However, seed sowing potentially generates lower impact on soil and vegetation. Sowing and planting may produce different root architectures at the level of the revegetated plants, different spatial heterogeneity at the level of restored habitats, and different economic cost in terms of management itself. However, we lack clarity about the conditions under which one method ought to be preferred over the other, and a comprehensive review targeting the studies that have addressed both methods is lacking. To move this topic forward, we are conducting a systematic review on how seeding compares to planting and how existing studies have addressed the difficulties in designing experiments on this question. Following a systematic review protocol, our review includes reproducible searches in relevant online databases, explicitly-defined study selection criteria and procedures, and the extraction of data and meta-data of relevant studies. In this talk, we will present preliminary findings of our review to address the following objectives: (1) collate and describe the available studies, (2) review how existing studies have dealt with methodological difficulties, (3) identify research clusters and gaps, and (4) summarize the results. Overall, we aim to produce new insights to enhance our technical capacity to restore the world’s terrestrial vegetation.

Success of passive restoration across biomes and disturbance types

We conducted a global evaluation of the success of passive restoration, the spontaneous development of successional vegetation to a desired target. Due to very heterogeneous data, we used simple categories: (i) successful – the target was reached, or expected to be reached, within 100 years; (ii) partly successful – the target was only partially reached; (iii) unsuccessful – the target was not reached. We selected 530 studies for our evaluation, covering 8 terrestrial biomes and 10 common types of disturbances, from fully natural (volcanoes) to fully anthropogenic (mining). A large majority of the studies (60%) reported success of passive restoration, 33% of studies reported partial success, and only 7% reported no success. Success of passive restoration increased with latitude and was linked to decreasing influence of invasive alien plants on late successional stages with increasing latitude. The most successful passive restoration was after fire, floods, and glacial retreat, and the least successful was in abandoned arable land and after mining, suggesting increased human alteration decreased the success of passive restoration. Consequently, we can rely more on passive restoration at higher latitudes and in less human-altered landscapes. However, while we provide a general framework, in any particular restoration project, one must carefully consider local conditions.

Beaver Moderated Fire Resilience in the North Cascades, WA, USA

Climate change and fire suppression have altered historic fire regimes creating conditions for larger, high severity fires. Intense burns denude vegetation, alter hydrology, and cause channel incision, impairing riparian function. Burn severity varies based on topography and increases with distance from water sources like lakes, streams, and wetlands. Beaver introduction is a passive technique to restore incised and degraded streams using their unique abilities to build dams, store water and create wetland environments. The objective of this study was to assess whether beaver impoundments increase landscape resistance to wildfire by increasing riparian soil and vegetation moisture levels. We hypothesize that riparian areas impounded by beaver will have increased soil and fuel moisture throughout the fire season compared to riparian zones without beaver. To assess potential ignition and fire behavior, we collected soil and fuel moisture samples throughout the fire season, above, within and below 10 beaver impounded streams and 10 non-impounded reference reaches within the Methow Watershed, WA, USA. Soil moisture differences among transects and beaver/non-impounded sites were compared using a repeated measures analysis. We found that beaver impounded sites had higher average soil and dead fuel moistures than non-impounded sites. Unexpectedly, beaver dam presence was not associated with increased live fuel moisture content. These results suggest that beaver impounded riparia may have a higher capacity to withstand low to moderate burn events compared to non-impounded riparian zones. Beaver restoration could provide land managers with a low-cost method to increase riparian burn resistance on a watershed scale.

Facilitation, restoration, and the continuum mutualism-antagonism

Species interactions can become either positive or negative depending on the costs and benefits for the involved partners. For instance, nurse-beneficiary plant interactions frequently used on restoration are essentially facilitative interactions. However, these interactions can turn into competitive ones depending on the ecological context (e.g. plant species, and sites). Therefore, to detect potential changes in the position of these interactions within the continuum mutualism-antagonism is
decisive for successful restoration of disturbed habitats (e.g. old-fields). To illustrate how shifts in the outcome of plant-plant interactions might alter the success of revegetation campaigns, we used
the system comprised by the Mediterranean dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis) and seven common woody species (Asparagus aphyllus, Daphne gnidium, Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Phillyrea angustifolia, Pistacia lentiscus, Pyrus bourgaeana, and Rubus ulmifolius). To this end, we conducted seed predation and sowing field experiments to compare the performance (seed survival, seedling emergence, survival, and recruitment) in two contrasting microhabitats (beneath palm and open interspaces) in two old-fields of Iberian Peninsula. Seed survival was up to 193 times (P. angustifolia) greater in open interspaces regarding beneath dwarf palm, but seedling survival and recruitment were up to 19 times (A. aphyluus) greater beneath dwarf palm regarding open interspaces. None woody species showed greater seedling survival or recruitment in open interspaces regarding beneath dwarf palm. Importantly, we found strong inter-individual palm variation in their effect on woody performance which also changed throughout life-stages and sites (Fig. 1). We highlight the potential of the Mediterranean dwarf palm for ecological restoration by facilitating woody plants, although it must be used carefully since facilitative effects were species-specific and also depended on life-stages. We encourage restorers to position nurse-beneficiary interactions along the continuum mutualism-antagonism for successful restoration actions.

Restoration of plant-animal interactions in terrestrial ecosystems: A review synthesis

Species interactions are critical to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and services, and to restoration success. However, to our knowledge, there is no systematic assessment of the restoration of species interactions through ecosystem restoration programs. Here, we synthesize the available knowledge on the restoration of plant-animal interactions (herbivory, pollination, seed dispersal and seed predation). Our aim was to assess how plant-animal are affected by restoration, how interactions affect restoration success, and whether such studies have been conducted in global biodiversity hotspots, and in global priority areas for ecological restoration. We reviewed 127 articles that have focused on ecological function recovery in habitat restoration and trophic rewilding. Seed dispersal was the most studied interaction type, followed by herbivory, pollination and seed predation. Accordingly, most trophic rewilding studies focused on seed dispersal and herbivory. Mammals was the most studied animal group, followed by birds, insects, and reptiles. Seed dispersal (p < 0.001) and pollination (p = 0.002) were significantly more prevalent in restored than in degraded sites. Although not significantly, both seed dispersal and pollination had lower response ratios in restored as compared to reference sites. Most studies were conducted in biodiversity hotspots and in priorities for ecological restoration, but a high geographic bias has left many hotspots unstudied. Future research is needed on understudied interactions (seed predation) and taxa (reptiles), and on the role of trophic complexity in restoration success. Moreover, scientists and practitioners should consider predator reintroductions as an effective top-down control that can move restored areas towards a more self-sustaining state.

Keynote Speaker: Agnes Leina

Agnes Leina, from Kenya, is the Founder and Executive Director of Il’laramatak Community Concerns (ICC) whose name denotes ‘caregivers’, or pastoralist. ICC is an Indigenous People’s Organization whose main goal is to restore dignity among Indigenous people, with special emphasis on Girls and Women. ICC envisions a society of Indigenous Peoples of Kenya that is free from all forms of discrimination. Agnes is the Gender Coordinator of IPACC, Indigenous People of Africa Coordinating Committee, a position she has held for the last five years alongside being a member of the Academic Advisory Council of the Global forum for indigenous women (FIMI), a global Indigenous Women’s network. She has advocated for the rights of women, including women pastoralist in a number of international and regional climate change and human rights conferences, meetings and fora.

Keynote Speaker: Nalini Nadkarni

Dr. Nalini Nadkarni is known as the “Queen of the Forest Canopy” and is a Biology Professor at the University of Utah. She explores life in the forest canopies of Costa Rica, and has published over 130 scientific articles and three scholarly books. Nalini is also a passionate communicator to people outside of academia. She brings science and conservation to faith-based groups, urban youth, artists, and incarcerated adults and youth. She is a two-time TED speaker, a National Geographic Society Explorer, and has a “TreeTop Barbie” created by the Mattel Corporation in her image. Nalini has been featured in journals ranging from Science and the Journal of Ecology to Glamour and Playboy Magazine. Her work is supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society, and her awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Archie Carr Medal for Conservation, and the William Julius Wilson Award for Achievement in Social Justice.

Keynote Speaker: Milene Alves

Milene Alves Oliveira Lima is a seed collector in the Brazilian Amazonia with the Xingu Seed Network Association (Rede de Sementes do Xingu) and is currently a master’s student in Ecology and Conservation at the State University of Mato Grosso, Campus Nova Xavantina, investigating the effects of the temperature increase on the germination of the most traded species. Milene was first introduced to the Seed Network in 2013, when she and her mother started participating in seed collection. Since then, she has worked with the organization in the seed storage house with the Nova Xavantina collector group, assisted local leaders, and participated in numerous workshops and meetings to understand local knowledge on the collection, processing, and storage of forest seeds. In 2019, Milene joined the Seed Network Steering Committee.

Keynote Speaker: Moctar Sacande

Dr Moctar Sacande is an expert in forest seeds and dryland restoration at the FAO’s Forestry Division based in Rome, and International Coordinator of the “Action Against Desertifcation” program. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Tropical Plant Physiology by Wageningen University, Netherlands in 2000, and worked as a Research Leader for 15 years at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK before joining FAO to support the on-the-ground implementation of Africa’s Great Green Wall. He uses his deep knowledge of the dryland fora to ensure that planting the right species in the right place is at the heart of large-scale restoration of degraded lands.

Keynote Speakers: Jennifer Pitt and Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta

Jennifer Pitt is director of National Audubon Society’s Colorado River Program, where she works to protect and restore rivers. She is a leading advocate for the United States–Mexico collaboration to restore the longdesiccated Colorado River Delta, and serves as the U.S. co-chair of the binational work group whose partners will, through 2026, implement existing treaty commitments providing environmental fows and habitat creation. Prior to joining Audubon, she worked at the Environmental
Defense Fund where she collaborated with Colorado River stakeholders to produce the unprecedented Colorado River Basin Supply and Demand Study, the frst federal assessment of climate change impacts in the basin and the frst basin-wide evaluation of the impacts of river system operation on water supply reliability and river health. Jennifer worked for a member of Congress and as a ranger for the National Park Service. She graduated from Harvard University and received a master’s in Environmental Science and Policy from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta is the Director of the Coastal Solutions Fellows Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He has been working in conservation and research projects in northwestern Mexico since 1997, in particular in wetland areas of the Sonoran Desert. His activities include the evaluation and recovery of birds and their habitats, the implementation of community-based restoration projects, and the creation of partnerships with governments and stakeholders for the conservation of nature. He was the Director of the Water and Wetlands Program for Pronatura Noroeste in Mexico, where he led the efforts to restore the Colorado River delta for over 20 years, including the restoration of river fows and the facilitation of binational negotiations between Mexico and the US for the Colorado River. Currently, he is the Director of the Coastal Solutions Fellowship Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where he is working to develop capacity and crosscollaborative projects to protect threatened coastal habitats for communities and shorebirds along the Pacifc Flyway from Mexico to Chile. He has co-authored 32 research articles and book chapters. In 2009 he received the National Award for the Conservation of Wetlands in Mexico, in 2012 he received the Emerging Explorer Award from the National Geographic Society, and in 2014 he received the Sonoran Desert Conservation Award. He obtained a BSc in Biochemical Engineering and Marine Sciences from ITESM Campus Guaymas and a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the University of Arizona.

SER E-learning Course

Course Editors: George Gann, Bethanie Walder, Levi Wickwire
Course Adaptation: Chris Lenhart
Acknowledgements:  Speakers: Bethanie Walder, Valter Amaral, Laura Bender, Mark Nason, Rob Mayer, Breanna Kaufman, Chris Lenhart, and Keith MacCallum. All members of the Science and Policy Committee and authors of the various documents referred to herein

Plenary Panel: UN Decade of Restoration: Responding to Climate Destabilization and Wetland/Biodiversity Loss: Brendan Mackey, Dianna Kopansky, Jane Madgwick, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema

Plenary Panel: Restoration in Challenging Conditions: Samira A.S. Omar, Maya Nehme, Princess Basma bint Ali

Virtual field trip to several important dune and mangrove ecological restoration sites on the north coast of Puerto Rico

Restoring the role of fire in the forest ecosystem: a visit to a prescribed fire site in La Mauricie National Park

Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area: Bringing Nature Back to western Lake Ontario using an innovative funding approach and partnership

Parks Canada for Atlantic Salmon Recovery

Maryland Stream Restoration Virtual Field Trip, Diffusive Flow Paths and Floodplain Reconnection: Site visits to restored streams from the Ridge and Valley to the Western Coastal Plain

Restoration of Species Diversity and Hydrologic Function in Wetlands within the Coastal Dune Lake Watershed of the Florida Panhandle

Tropical Coral Reef Restoration with Coral Restoration Foundation in the Florida Keys: a Virtual Dive

Restoration in a snail shell: how Seeds of Xingu Network is working from inside to outside

Restoring riparian forests along Brazil’s Tiete River: Piloting a zero herbicide-pesticide approach

The restoration of natural capital, ecosystem health, and human health are mutually beneficial and self-reinforcing

After several international discussions seeking to link the concept of natural capital to the science and practice of ecological restoration, a large group of natural and social scientists, associated with SER, published Restoring Natural Capital: Science, Business and Practice (Island Press) in 2007. Restoring Natural Capital (RNC) is a process consisting of four elements, 1) ecological restoration and rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems, both natural and cultural; 2) reduction of the negative impacts of production systems and 3) of cities, resource extraction and transport; and, equally critical as all the foregoing, 4) promotion of education and communication to increase awareness of the importance of natural capital and ecosystem services. From this RNC group we evolved the concept of a “family of restorative activities”, to provide guidelines for the large-scale restoration that the UN Decade on Restoration, and other international initiatives, propose. This ‘family’ maps well onto the Restorative Continuum, as described in SER International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration. Because of the multiple, yet connected, benefits derived from restoration we then developed a transdisciplinary, multi-cultural framework (Ecohealth), focusing on the interface of RNC and human health. The RNC approach, and the related concept of ecosystem health, in synergy with essential input from public health professionals and medical doctors, as well as urban and landscape planners, can make both the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and UN Decade for Action on the Sustainable Development Goals, much more effective and attractive, both to broad publics and to policy makers. We present several case studies from Africa, Australasia and elsewhere, and discuss the need for networking to create an agenda for action for the future.

Perceptions of Ecological Restoration Success – Practitioners’ Views

Many ecological restoration projects claim to be successful, however debate over what constitutes ‘success’ in the context of ecological restoration is long-running. In New Zealand local communities commonly collaborate with government agencies in restoration projects, with many taking on responsibilities for project management. Inherent in this approach is a broad range of philosophies, motivations, skills and perceptions of the process aimed at ecological gains. We surveyed restoration practitioners at both community and agency levels to explore the different perceptions of what constitutes restoration success, and how this was measured. We found all stakeholders perceived their projects to be successful, although differences the perception of determinants and measures of success were evident.

Agencies with ecological management responsibilities follow systems-level attributes of success although monitoring is often limited to those that are easiest to measure. Community-based practitioners identify with gains in ecosystem structure, but their measurements of success tend to be species focused, possibly because of the ease by which such outcomes can be measured and, especially for New Zealand, focused by widespread publicity about threatened species and impact of invasive species.

Although all restoration stakeholders aspire to universal outcomes of improved ecological status, for many community-based participants, social motivation and rewards may be as important as their environmental stewardship intentions. This webinar will highlight the scientific and social duality of modern ecological restoration, using a long-running New Zealand restoration project, Tiritiri Matangi Island, as a case study.

Mel Galbraith is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology (Auckland, New Zealand), teaching ecology, biodiversity, biosecurity and restoration ecology within an undergraduate applied science degree. His passion for natural history, especially ornithology, has led to a long involvement in many ecological restoration projects and an increasing interest in socio-ecology. He is a member of the Ornithological Society of NZ (Birds New Zealand; currently a council member), New Zealand Ecological Society (past president) and the New Zealand Biosecurity Institute. Mel was awarded a Fulbright New Zealand award in 2013.

SER-NW Webinar: Beyond Colonial Ecology and Language of the Other

Beyond Colonial Ecology and Language of the Other: An Interdisciplinary Approach to “Invasive” Species Management and Education.

The latest installment in our Inclusion in Ecological Restoration series is presented by Celeste Williams and Lisa Fink. This presentation will explore the language we use and the relationships we have with plants, animals, and our human communities, focusing on Asian and Asian American communities in particular. The presenters plan to include suggestions and best practices for practicing critical ecological restoration and what to think about when choosing language in everyday discussion and to communicate with the public about species considered invasive.

Celeste Mari Williams is an MA student of biology and Seattle playwright striving for voice and visibility for underrepresented communities through arts and science collaborations.

Lisa Fink is a PhD candidate in Environmental Sciences, Studies, and Policy, with English as a focal department, at the University of Oregon, where she is currently an Oregon Humanities Center Dissertation Fellow. She conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of Native American and Indigenous Studies, Asian American Studies, critical ecology, and feminist science studies.

SER Webinar: Connecting Stakeholders to Leverage Knowledge for Ecological Restoration Projects

Ecological restoration efforts are likely to be more successful when project components are informed by relevant stakeholders. However, key stakeholders are often not included in restoration design and deployment. This is largely driven by a lack of practitioner knowledge of and experience with stakeholder relations. In fact, inclusion of stakeholders across the entire restoration process can be accomplished by practitioners with no formal social science training. I will describe several easy (and usually inexpensive) ways to formally cultivate relationships among restoration practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders to improve restoration outcomes. These include: how to identify and work with stakeholders; how to recognize the unique needs and contributions of stakeholder groups, and how to provide information back to stakeholders through outreach. Although how this practice occurs is dependent on restoration context, integrating these approaches more regularly into ecological restoration projects will likely result in more successful, relevant, and community-supported management outcomes.

Dr. Elise Gornish is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in Ecological Restoration at the University of Arizona. Her work largely focuses on identifying strategies for successful restoration in arid land systems and integration of restoration approaches into weed management. Originally from New York, Dr. Gornish received her MS and PhD from Florida State University in 2013. She then completed two years of a post doc at the University of California, Davis before becoming a Cooperative Extension Specialist in Ecological restoration at UC Davis.

In addition to vegetation management, Dr. Gornish is passionate about STEM inclusion and has recently become the Director of UA GALS (Girls on outdoor Adventure for Leadership and Science). This new program focuses on providing science learning and leadership opportunities to traditionally underserved female high school students through backcountry programming.

Webinar: State of Restoration in Greece (2021)

Join Dr. Petros Kakouros (Department of Biotic Resources and Management of Protected Areas, Greek Biotope / Wetland Centre) in a discussion of the state of ecological restoration in Greece. This webinar is part of SER-Europe’s ongoing State of Ecological Restoration in Europe webinar series.

Considering Root Traits for Improved Native Plant Development and Restoration

Trait-based ecology aims to link specific plant traits, or characteristics that affect fitness, to community assembly, biodiversity, and ecosystem function. Trait-based approaches are increasingly being used to understand plant establishment and survival in restoration settings. In this talk, I will discuss how considering plant traits can improve plant selection for revegetation of systems threatened by drought or competition. I will focus on early seedling and root traits, as they hold great promise for better understanding plant establishment and survival in stressful systems.