Ecological Restoration Title

Florida Everglades Drained for agriculture and urban development Only 50% original today Largest restoration in world Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Water flow and quality Native, endangered and exotic species Habitat restoration

What is Ecological Restoration? Defined as providing assistance to the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed General principles: Ecosystems are dynamic. No simple set of rules. Adaptive management is necessary. Consider life, geology and hydrology.

What is “natural”? “Balance of Nature” - Major Tenets Left undisturbed, nature achieves a permanency of form and structure that persists indefinitely. If disturbed and disturbance removed, nature returns to exactly the same permanent state. In this permanent state of nature, there is a “great chain of being” with a place for each creature.

Science and Values Science to discover what used to be, what is possible, what an ecosystem or species requires to persist, and how different goals can be achieved Selecting goals for restoration is a matter of human values

What is Usually Restored? Forests Wetlands Streams and Rivers Lakes Beaches Habitats of threatened and endangered species

Rivers, Streams and Wetlands Degraded due to urbanization, agriculture, timber harvesting and channelization Kissimmee River Yellowstone National Park Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Prairie Restoration Once covered more land in the US than any other kind of ecosystem Two kinds: original prairie and plowed Cemeteries and roadways

Prairie Restoration Managed properly, grazing by bison can restore or improve the biodiversity of tallgrass prairie Fires enhance growth of dominant tall grasses that bison prefer

Reclamation Strip mining for coal Water pollution Sediment clogged streams Damage from landslides Fumes Mine fires Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program Coal production tax

Success Criteria The restored ecosystem has The general structure and process of the target ecosystem Is capable of sustainable supporting the system Is linked with and appropriately integrated into the larger landscape community of ecosystems Minimal potential threats Adapted to normally respond to expected disturbances Is self-sustaining as possible