Ecological Restoration
Principles, Values, and Structure of an Emerging Profession
The field of ecological restoration is a rapidly growing discipline that encompasses a wide range of activities and brings together practitioners and theoreticians from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, ranging from volunteer backyard restorationists to highly trained academic scientists and professional consultants.
Ecological Restoration offers for the first time a unified vision of ecological restoration as a field of study, one that clearly states the discipline’s precepts and emphasizes issues of importance to those involved at all levels. In a lively, personal fashion, the authors discuss scientific and practical aspects of the field as well as the human needs and values that motivate practitioners. The book:
- identifies fundamental concepts upon which restoration is based
- considers the principles of restoration practice
- explores the diverse values that are fulfilled with the restoration of ecosystems
- reviews the structure of restoration practice, including the various contexts for restoration work, the professional development of its practitioners, and the relationships of restoration with allied fields and activities
A unique feature of the book is the inclusion of eight “virtual field trips,” short photo essays of project sites around the world that illustrate various points made in the book and are “led” by those who were intimately involved with the project described.
Throughout, ecological restoration is conceived as a holistic endeavor, one that addresses issues of ecological degradation, biodiversity loss, and sustainability science simultaneously, and draws upon cultural resources and local skills and knowledge in restoration work.
Dedication
Preface
Introduction
PART I: Introduction and Essential Background
Chapter 1: Essence of Restoration
Virtual Field Trip 1: Restoing Desertified Vegetation in Australia
Chapter 2: Ecological Impairment and Recovery
Virtual Field Trip 2: Restoring Cultural Landscapes in Central Chile
Chapter 3: Cultural Ecosystems, Fire, and Alternative States
PART II: Elements of Restoration Projects
Chapter 4: Ecological Attributes of Restored Ecosystems
Virtual Field Trip 3: Restoring Wet Prairie in Mississippi, USA
Chapter 5: Reference Models and Developmental Trajectories
Chapter 6: Project Planning and Evaluation
PART III: Values That Restoration Addresses
Virtual Field Trip 4: Restoring a Communal Savanna in South Africa
Chapter 7: Values and Ecological Restoration
Virtual Field Trip 5: Restoring Forests and People's Well-Being in Southern India
Chapter 8: A Four-Quadrant Model for Holistic Ecological Restoration
PART IV: Structure of an Emerging Profession
Virtual Field Trip 6: Restoring Drained Peatleands for Sustainable Use in Germany
Chapter 9: Relationship of Restoration to Related Fields
Virtual Field Trip 7: Restoring Dogleg Branch in Florida, USA
Chapter 10: Project Roles and Contexts
Virtual Field Trip 8: Setting Up a Long-Term Restoration Ecology Research Site in Southern France
Chapter 11: Recognizing the Profession and the Professional
PART V: Holistic Ecological Restoration
Chapter 12: The Concept of Holistic Ecological Restoration: A Synthesis
Appendix: Guidelines for Developing and Managing Ecological Restoration Projects
Glossary
References
About the Authors and Collaborators
Index
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