©Stephen Glass
The RRC provides a searchable database of restoration projects from around the world intended to serve as a resource for practitioners, researchers, educators, students, and the general public. Projects have been freely contributed by users of the SER website, or have been compiled from publicly available information by SER staff or other designees of SER. Expand the filter tool below to search for projects by country, region, biome, ecosystem, cause of degradation, or any combination of these factors.
Although SER does review all submissions for relevance, quality, and completeness before approving them for inclusion in the database, they are not subjected to peer review nor has project information been independently verified in the field. SER therefore makes no claim as to the accuracy of the information presented here or the degree to which the methods, techniques, and strategies used for a particular project adhere to generally accepted standards for ecological restoration practice. Anyone interested in learning more about a particular project is encouraged to contact the project lead or the responsible organization directly for further information.
If you have field experiences you’d like to share, we encourage you to submit your own project to the database!
The Project Database is generously supported by Stantec
Netherlands: Assessment of Fire as a Restoration Tool for Coastal Dunes
Country: Netherlands
Abstract: This study was conducted on the east coast of Terschelling Island, The Netherlands to assess vegetative succession on a coastal dune after a wildfire in 1993. Prior to the fire, mosses and tall graminoids predominated on the dune and dramatically altered the structure of what had once been a lichen-rich floristic community interspersed with patches of bare sand. Extensive data collected at the site in 1966 and again in 1990 allowed researchers to follow long-terms trends in species composition...France: Dune Restoration in North Brittany
Country: France
Abstract: Beginning in 1988, the local council of Ille et Vilaine, France began restoring coastal dunes in north Brittany that had suffered severe degradation as a result of sand quarrying and heavy tourism following World War II. Sites chosen for restoration were first fenced to prevent further trampling and were then planted with marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) in hopes that original dune morphology and floristic communities would gradually be achieved. A monitoring study conducted 10 years after the...France: Restoration of Floodplain Wetlands in the Mediterranean Region
Country: France
Abstract: Restoration of wetlands has become an increasing field of application of ecological research due to mitigation regulations, changes in agricultural practices and an increasing consideration of the role of wetlands in the water cycle. In areas where the history of human use of natural areas is old and intense, restoration projects must not only consider ecological objectives but also social aspects. The Vistre project was developed to answer a social demand of restoring the flood storage...Kenya: Shimba Hills Forest Landscape Restoration Project
Country: Kenya
Abstract: The Shimba Hills Forest Landscape Restoration Project was undertaken in 2004 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Lafarge Group to restore degraded stands of Kenya's coastal rainforest adjacent to the Shimba Hills Reserve. These forests have been badly degraded as a result of pressure from encroaching human populations, and it is hoped that in addition to community tree nurseries and buffer-zone seedling plantations, practitioners can begin effecting lasting restoration measures through...Spain: La Restauración del Río Alhárabe
Country: Spain
Abstract: La cuenca del río Alhárabe con sus 40 Km de arroyos es una zona de riberas degradadas en las que se está llevando a cabo un proyecto de restauración y recuperación de la vegetación de ribera. Este proceso practicaría la reintroducción de árboles y arbustos de ribera autóctonos de la zona. Además, para mayor potenciación y virtud ecológica, se consideró plantar prioritariamente especies que estuviesen en peligro de extinción. Los motivos de esta repoblación son muchos, y todos...Argentina: Atlantic Forest Restoration in Iguazú National Park
Country: Argentina
Abstract: This project was initiated in 2001 with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and its partner organization the Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA) to reconnect and restore fragmented stands of Atlantic Forest in the tri-national Upper Paraná eco-region of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. This region is of vital importance in maintaining connectivity among four key parks: Iguaúu National Park in Brazil, Iguazú National Park in Argentina (both Heritage Sites protecting the world...Portugal: Cork Oak Forest Restoration
Country: Portugal
Abstract: The Southern Portugal Green Belt project was undertaken as part of the larger WWF Mediterranean Cork Oak Landscapes Programme to restore the cork oak forest landscape at two pilot sites in Southern Portugal. Spanning the Portuguese provinces of Alentejo and Algarve in an area of exceptional natural value extending 8,000 km2, the restoration targeted cork oak forests belonging to the warm and humid mixed-oak forest type--dominated by cork-oak (Quercus suber). The project aims to increase forest...Chile: Restoration of Araucaria araucana Forests in Region IX
Country: Chile
Abstract: The Villa Las Araucarias forest restoration project was undertaken in the Nahuelbuta Mountains of Chile's Region IX to restore several hectares of threatened Araucaria araucana forest. Exotic species plantations of Pinus radiata, together with livestock grazing and agricultural disturbances, have reduced these forests to a fraction of their original size and have left only isolated stands of the rare and endemic A. araucana. In collaboration with local landowners and community members, project...Canada: Manitoba: Tallgrass Prairie Restoration on Agricultural Fields Removed from Cultivation
Country: Canada
Abstract: Initiated in 1987 by the provincial government of Manitoba, the Beaudry Park restoration project aims to restore native tallgrass prairie to sections of three agricultural fields removed from cultivation. With more than 120 hectares reseeded between 1987 and 2000, and a future restoration site still under cultivation, Beaudry Park is the largest and longest-running project of its kind in Canada and is yielding valuable data about vegetative succession and the relative efficacy of prairie...Latvia: Floodplain Restoration for European Union Priority Species and Habitats
Country: Latvia
Abstract: This EU LIFE project encompasses 16 priority floodplain meadows in Latvia representing a combined area of 14,085 ha. The project sites, not previously addressed under other nature conservation initiatives, are all of unique regional, national and international importance and harbor the best floodplain meadows in the country, including 50% of its Fennoscandian wooded meadows and over 6530 ha of alluvial forests. These meadows provide crucial habitat for several priority bird species--chief among...Canada: British Columbia: Kennedy Flats Watershed Restoration Project
Country: Canada
Abstract: Kennedy Flats Watershed is located in Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. Much of the watershed was logged between 1950 and 1980, and logging and salvage practices of the time were not designed to protect streams or fisheries resources. As a result, many of the streams in the area have reduced fish access, poor water quality and altered hydrological function. The Kennedy Watershed Restoration Project (KWRP) was initiated in 1994 under the federal...Norway: Restoration of Calluna Heathlands
Country: Norway
Abstract: The coastal heathlands of north-western Europe are endangered habitats of great conservation value. Invasion by the bracken Pteridium aquilinum is a major challenge for conservation and restoration of these heathlands, especially in the under-studied northern regions. Today, the herbicide asulam is the most widely applied bracken control measure, but increasing focus on organic farming and nature conservation calls for alternative, preferably mechanical, approaches. In a 7-year replicated...USA: Nevada: Restoration of Riparian Wet Meadows
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The goal of this project was to restore riparian grass and sedge meadows currently dominated by Artemisia tridentata var. tridentata. The project sought to evaluate burning sites with low, intermediate, and high water tables; essentially, dry, intermediate, and wet sites. In order to define the alternative states and thresholds for these ecosystems, the project examined burning and water table effects on both abiotic variables and the establishment of grasses adapted to relatively high (Poa...United Kingdom: England: Calluna Heathland Restoration
Country: United Kingdom
Abstract: Vegetation development after conventional bracken control with herbicide in the uplands is often slow and rarely results in the development of the target community. Two projects were conducted on contrasting sites to investigate cost-effective methods for the re-establishment of vegetation dominated by Calluna vulgaris (heather), which is the usual target community seen as the desired replacement for Pteridium aquilinum (bracken) in the uplands by many land managers. At one site, where grazing...Spain: Restoration of Quercus pyrenaica Forests,Southern Spain
Country: Spain
Abstract: This project sought to understand the role of shrubs in the restoration of Quercus pyrenaica forests in southern Spain. The project was an effort to evaluated two treatments associated with the planting of one year old Quercus pyrenaica seedlings: (1) bare soil, using a 30-cm diameter auger bit (conventional technique) and (2) under the canopy of a pioneer shrub, Salvia lavandulifolia, using a 12-cm diameter auger bit. The project monitored survival and growth for six years. The project set out...Canada: Point Pelee National Park Restoration
Country: Canada
Abstract: At present, forest cover in southwestern Ontario, Canada, remains at less than 5% due to intensive agricultural and urban land use. Although much of the extant forest is increasingly protected by legislation, remnants continue to be degraded by the spread of non-native plant species, overgrazing, and recreational use. Some parks in the region have adopted management programs aimed at mitigating this degradation. Over the last 35 years, cottages and roads at Point Pelee National Park have been...USA: Maine: Multi-species Seabird Colony Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Nesting herring and great black-backed gulls (Larus argentatus and Larus marinus) were removed from a recently abandoned tern (Sterna sp.) colony through a combination of poisoning and shooting. Following gull control, all three species of tern that had nested in the colony prior to the arrival of the gulls returned and nested in increasing numbers. In addition to the restoration of the terns, removal of the gulls led to colonization and/or significant increases in populations of four other...Finland: Restoration of Semi-natural Meadows using Sheep
Country: Finland
Abstract: This project sought to look at the restoration of species-richness of an overgrown semi-natural mesic meadow using sheep grazing after a long period of abandonment. Plant cover was studies in both grazed and ungrazed plots for five years and the responses of different functional plant groups were followed (herbs vs. grasses, tall vs. short species, species differing in flowering time, species representing different Grime's GSR strategies and species indicative of rich vs. poor soil). The...France: Restoration of Meuse River Flood-plain Meadows on Abandoned Farm Fields
Country: France
Abstract: This project was an effort to restore species-rich flood-plain meadows from abandoned arable fields in the valley of the river Meuse, in northeast France. The project area was sown with a commercial seed mixture of Phleum pratense, Festuca pratensis, Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens. Before restoration, the above-ground fallow vegetation was dominated by ruderal and annual species, with only a few meadow species present. Sowing led to tall, dense vegetation, mainly dominated by sown species....Spain: Restoration in Sierra Nevada Protected Area
Country: Spain
Abstract: After a millenarian history of overexploitation, most forests in the Mediterranean Basin have disappeared, leaving many degraded landscapes that have been colonized by early successional shrub-dominated communities. Common reforestation techniques see such shrub communities as competitors against newly planted trees, so such shrubs are commonly cleared before tree planting. However, empirical studies suggest that in stress-prone Mediterranean environments, shrubs have a net positive effect on...Argentina: Restoration of Clearcuts in Nahuel Huapi National Park
Country: Argentina
Abstract: Earlier this century, humans introduced exotic conifers such as ponderosa pine and Douglas fir to Nahuel Huapi National Park (NHNP). Land managers in the Argentine national park service recently recognized that these trees have the potential to invade native plant communities, threaten biodiversity, and change ecosystem structure and function. To address the problem, the park service began clearcutting NHNP's exotic conifer plantations in the 1980s, with the intention of reestablishing native...USA: California: Steinacher Road Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Karuk Tribe of California and the Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests worked on developing a programmatic approach to watershed restoration in the Karuk Ancestral Territory, an area that encompasses the Mid-Klamath and Salmon River sub-basins. In 1996, the Tribe and the two National Forests entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that established a framework for the two partners to jointly identify, plan, and accomplish mutually beneficial projects within Karuk Ancestral...USA: Washington: Olympia Oyster Restoration Project
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Olympia oyster, the Pacific Northwest coast's only native oyster, ranges from southeastern Alaska to Baja, California. For thousands of years, Olympia oysters provided sustenance for tribes and habitat for a host of marine organisms. Until the late 1800s, Olympia oysters were the most abundant bivalves in Puget Sound, where they occupied thousands of acres of productive, diverse habitat. Over-harvesting, sediment loads, and pollution drove the oyster to near extinction. Today, it occupies a...Czech Republic: Species-rich Grassland Restoration, White Carpathians Protected Area
Country: Czech Republic
Abstract: Species rich semi-natural grasslands are an important but threatened habitat throughout Europe and much of the former area has been lost since the 1950s. However, in some countries large areas have been preserved and the demand for meadow recreation by sowing seed mixtures is increasing. In the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic) the use of commercial seed mixtures is undesirable and the use of regional mixtures has been investigated. The costs for seeding large areas...USA: Arizona: Abandoned Farmland Restoration in the Sonoran Desert
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Twenty-five to fifty percent of all the agricultural land in the Santa Cruz and Gila river valleys have been abandoned since the early 1950s. Most of the land was abandoned as water tables and prices dropped, resulting in abandoned agricultural fields that have few or no plants growing on them at all. There is little interest in restoring the lowland desertscrub native to this part of the Sonoran Desert because it is little known and uncharismatic. Much of the land is dominated by the...Spain: Quercus Restoration on Abandoned Agricultural Fields
Country: Spain
Abstract: In abandoned Mediterranean croplands, establishment and growth of woody plants are limited by high radiation and low water availability during summer, and weeds are strong competitors for resources, particularly water. This project was conducted as a 3-year experiment in central Spain to study the response of three Quercus species (Q. coccifera, Q. ilex and Q. faginea) that differ in their habitat requirements under treatment ï¬eld conditions which were resulting from the combination of...USA: Hawaii: Kaupulehu Preserve Tropical Dry Forest Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Although tropical dry forests were once the most common of all tropical forest types, today they are among the most endangered and degraded of all ecosystems in the world. Grass invasions of fountain grass have catalyzed positive feedback loops in which grasses increase the frequency and intensity of the fire regime, which leads to further reductions of woody vegetation and corresponding increases in the spatial distribution and biomass of fire-adapted grasses. The project sought to investigate...Colombia: Chocó Forest Restoration in Afro-Columbian Communities
Country: Colombia, Ecuador, Panama
Abstract: This restoration project draws from Analogue Forestry, which is the name for forestry techniques that integrates the needs of local communities in the restoration of ecosystems, creating food security as well as economic benefits for their families. This project sought to counter the excessive and uncontrolled exploitation of the natural resources in the Chocó bioregion of Columbia among underserved Afro-Columbian communities which had long resulted in the loss of biodiversity and the...China: Inner Mongolia: Stipa Krylovii Steppe Restoration
Country: China
Abstract: The landscapes of Inner Mongolia are widely known for the vast Stipa krylovii steppes. However, overgrazing and other improper land uses have extensively degraded the Stipa krylovii steppe ecosystem in recent decades. Knowledge about the soil seed banks and the remaining vegetation in these damaged ecosystems is crucial for guiding all future restoration efforts. Using a germination method, this project sought to examine the size, composition, and species richness of the soil seed banks in...United Kingdom: England: Restoration of Lowland Grassland on Ex-arable Land
Country: United Kingdom
Abstract: Continuing agricultural intensification across western Europe has resulted in the reduction and fragmentation of species-rich grasslands. This project set out to examine the ecological processes that limit the creation of diverse grassland communities on ex-arable land. The multi-site project on a wide variety of soil types and locations throughout lowland Britain showed it was possible to create and maintain these communities under a hay-cutting and grazing management regime. The project also...