Restoration Ecology

Key terms

• Intervention• Mitigation• Reallocation• Reclamation• Re-creation• Rehabilitation• Remediation• Restoration

Characteristics of Species Prone To Extinction

The 6th Mass Extinction

• Estimate: 50,000 species per year• Global declines in genetic diversity of wildlife

seen; leads to inbreeding depression• Global declines in genetic diversity of

crops/livestock• Global declines in species diversity• Global declines in ecosystem function

The 6th Mass Extinction

Causes of Declining Biodiversity

• Loss of Habitat• Alien species (non-native/exotic) if they

spread rapidly, → Invasive• Population• Pollution• Climate change• Overharvesting

Habitat

Invasive Species

Population

Pollution

Climate Change

Overharvesting

Helping Nature Heal

• Humans have disturbed and degraded nature for as long as we have existed

• We are able to repair some of the damage (ecological restoration)

• Recovery: linked to the idea “natural climax community will return if we leave it alone”

• Modern Ecology: this may not be the case (random process)

Helping Nature Heal

• Aims of restoration driven by human values (beauty, recreation, utility) rather than science

• General principles of restoration are drawn from ecology, hydrology, soil science, etc.

• Most influential American forester: Gifford Pinchot*

• Another pioneer: Aldo Leopold

Gifford Pinchot

• Introduced selective harvest and replanting of choice tree species

• This increased the value of the forest• Also produced a sustainable harvest • First head of U.S. Forest Service

Habitat Destruction

• Deforestation is the greatest eliminator of species,) followed by coral reefs & wetlands

• Fragmentation (roads, logging, agriculture)• Increase vulnerability• Changes migratory patterns (buildings, etc.)• Case Study: Birds as indicators (p 195 – 197)

Invasive Species

Characteristics of Successful Invasive Sp. Characteristics of Vulnerable Ecosystems

r-selected species Climate similar to habitat of invader

Pioneer species Absence of natural predators

Long lived Early successional systems

High dispersal rate Low diversity of native species

Generalists Absence of fire

High genetic variability Disturbed by human activities

Invasive Species

Controlling Invasive SpeciesDo not capture or buy wild plants and animals

Do not remove plants and animals from natural areas

Do not dump aquarium contents into waterways, wetlands, storm drains

Use wood found near your camp site

Do not dump unused bait into waterways

Brush your dog’s fur after being in woods or water

Clean recreational vehicles/gear before going home

CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY FOCUSING ON SPECIES

Laws and Treaties

• Lacey Act, 1900; many amendments; forbids interstate trade of illegally harvested plants and animals

• Convention on International Trade in endangered Species (CITES), 1975; 175 countries

• Marine Mammal Protection Act, 1972

Laws and Treaties

• Endangered Species Act, 1973; amended in ‘82, ‘85, ‘88

• ESA implements CITES agreement• US Fish and Wildlife Service is main overseer• Controversial at times; spotted owl v. logging

in NW US during 1990s

Laws and Treaties

Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)• Conserve biodiversity• Sustainably use biodiversity• Share the benefits that emerge (ex – pharma-

ceuticals)

Other Methods

• Wildlife refuges• Gene/seed banks• Botanical gardens• Wildlife farms• Zoos and aquariums

Nature Can Be Resilient

• First step in restoration: stop whatever is causing the damage

• Ex. – prohibiting logging, mining, etc., may be enough to allow nature to heal by itself

• Sometimes rebuilding populations of native plants and animals is a simple process of restocking breeding individuals to an area

Video Focus Questions: Forest Fires

• Climate impact on frequency, intensity of fires• Human impact on frequency, intensity of fires• Natural recovery from fires• Restoration efforts• Importance of forests

CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY FOCUSING ON ECOSYSTEMS

Forest Restoration

• Lumber companies routinely replant forests that they have harvested

• Mechanical restoration results in a monoculture of uniformly placed trees

• Japan was almost completely deforested at the end of WWII, now more than 60% is forested

• Today: Largest reforestation in China; 50 billion trees have been planted over the past 50 years

Forest Restoration

• Urban planting important• 2007: UN announced “billion tree campaign”• Historically, fire has been important in

controlling vegetation in savannas• Settlers eliminated fire and grazing by native

animals → shrub and tree growth• Accumulated veg. is cleared before fires are

started; herbicides prevent re-growth

Forest Restoration

• Sequoia National Park: 70 years of fire suppression → dense undergrowth → more fuel for destructive fires

Prairie Restoration

• Before European settlement, prairies covered most of the middle U.S.

• Tall-grass: eastern edge of the Great Plains. Less than 2% remains

• Fire is also crucial for prairie restoration; kills many weedy species and removes nutrients (esp. N)

• The Nature Conservancy has established many preserves to protect tallgrass prairies

Prairie Restoration

• Huge areas of short-grass prairie are being preserved

• Bison help maintain prairies; with fire, an important tool in restoration

Wetland and Stream Restoration

• Wetlands occupy < 5% of US land; 1/3 of all endangered species spend at least part of their lives in wetlands

• Until recently governments encouraged drainage for development

• 1972 Clean Water Act began protecting streams and wetlands by requiring discharge permits for dumping waste into sfc waters

Wetland and Stream Restoration

• For wetlands, sometimes all that’s needed is to stop destructive forces

• The Everglades is a fresh water river that comes from springs that has been diverted, causing 90% of wading birds to be lost

• It is hoped that by restoring the former flow will allow the biological community to recover

Wetland and Stream Restoration

• The Chesapeake Bay is a drowned river valley with fresh and salty water mixing

• Overfishing, sewerage discharge, silt, heavy metals, toxic chemicals from industry and agriculture, oil spills and habitat destruction are causing a loss of productive fisheries

• Restoration = minimal success

Wetland and Stream Restoration

• Cities: artificial wetlands provide a low-cost way to filter sewerage

• Stabilizing stream banks, stopping pollution, controlling invasive species, preventing erosion are restoring streams

• Remediation means finding remedies from problems involving noninvasive techniques

• Reclamation implies using intense physical or chemical methods to repair ecosystems