Restoration Ecology Burning South Prairie – April 2003
A definition Restoration ecology - the full or partial replacement of biological populations and/or their habitats that have been extinguished or diminished; ideally the restoration will return normal ecosystem function to an area and hopefully the project will also have social or economic value to humans
A (Very) Brief History of Ecological Restoration
The Man Who Planted Trees
Environmental Restoration in the American West
Restoration in London – after the Great Stink of 1858
Response to the Great Stink – Improve Drainage and Restore Streams
Improved Drainage Following The Great Stink
Restoration in Boston
Back Bay Fens Today
Restoration in the Midwest Nachusa Grasslands
Aldo Leopold planting at the Shack
CCC crewman planting Curtis Prairie
CCC crew watering Curtis Prairie – late 1930’s
University of Wisconsin Arboretum
The Founders of Green Oaks – Henry Green, George Ward, Alvah Green, and Paul Shepard
Green Oaks prior to prairie restoration – South Prairie
Early prairie establishment at Green Oaks – late 50’s
Pete Schramm burning the Prairie – 1980’s
Green Oaks from the Air
Restoration Projects Can Be Highly Variable
1996 – Montana Wolf Reintroduction Protest
Yellowstone Wolf Pack Locations
Yellowstone Wolf Prey
A more complex and typical restoration project
Restoration of a Garbage Dump – Fresh Kills, Staten Island, NY
Fresh Kills
Fresh Kills Restoration
Mine Reclamation – the most difficult restoration project
Mine reclamation in progress
Mitigation Mitigation is the alleviation of some process Mitigation is related to restoration - mitigation is sometimes required when a group wants to develop a wild area such as a wetland and thus destroy the wetland
Controversies about Mitigation Often the success rate for mitigation projects is fairly low Many ecologists fear that if mitigation is seen to be successful we will allow many development projects to proceed with the assumption we can easily recreate nature - however there is some question as to how well we can actually restore what is lost or destroyed
Salt marsh restoration plan in Rhode Island
Mitigation of ANWR?
1967 Torrey Canyon Oil spill
1989 – Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill clean efforts
Tony Bradshaw
Flavors of Reclamation Reclamation is the general process of repairing damaged ecosystems Restoration - here we attempt to put back exactly what existed in the ecosystem prior to the disturbance Rehabilitation - here we attempt to put back most of what existed in the ecosystem prior to the disturbance, but we don't try to put everything back Replacement - no attempt is made to restore what was lost - here we replace the original ecosystem with another one Recovery or neglect - here we allow nature to takes it course - depend upon natural processes of seed dispersal and germination to start plants, natural dispersal of animals to repopulate the area Enhancement - activity designed to improve the ecosystem, even if the change is fairly minimal
Walnut Creek NWR – now named Neil Smith NWR
Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Nachusa Grasslands
Reintroduction of Animals Only 16 of 145 reintroductions of captive bred individuals have been successful 86% of reintroductions of native game animals have been successful 46% of reintroductions of native threatened, endangered or sensitive animals have been successful
Przewalski’s Horse
Przewalski’s Horse
Przewalski’s horse reserves – Mongolia and Uzbekistan
When reintroducing animals, we have learned that: 1. larger founder populations are more successful 2. habitat suitability is important 3. increased number and sizes of clutches (litters) enhances success of establishment 4. herbivores are more successfully established than carnivores 5. competing species in an area may prevent successful establishment
Six basic steps for restoring an ecosystem 1. Set a goal 2. Determine a strategy and methods 3. Remove the source of degradation 4. Restore the physical environment 5. Restore the biota 6. Be patient – restoration takes time
Always Remember: As Frank Egler said, “Ecosystems are not only more complex than we think, ecosystems are more complex than we can think.”