Ecosystem Restoration continued

Terminology - Resistance-Inertia – resistance to change within a system (e.g. How much impact needed (threshold) to cause a change in ecosystem structure/function) - Resilience – ability of an ecosystem to return to a pre-impact state - Elasticity – rapidity with which an ecosystem returns to a pre- impact state

Predicting Recovery of impacted ecosystems Epicenters – source of colonizers? Transportability – movement within the ecosystem? Habitat conditions – suitable for recovery? Residual stressors – unsuitable for recovery? Management capability – responsive to anthropogenic input?

Class A Restoration Return to a pre-disturbance condition or a condition that would have existed if no disturbance had occurred Cairns, 1981

Class B Restoration (Rehabilitation) Re-establishment of selected ecosystem attributes (e.g. fisheries, wetlands for flood storage). Probably not self-maintaining because only some attributes are restored and managed. Re-establishment of selected ecosystem attributes (e.g. fisheries, wetlands for flood storage). Probably not self-maintaining because only some attributes are restored and managed. Cairns, 1981

Restored wetlands on Slab Cabin Run, State College, PA

Class C Restoration (Enhancement) Replacement with an alternative ecosystem. May replace ecosystem lost elsewhere. May become self-maintaining, but often requires substantial managment Cairns, 1981

Class D Restoration Recovery left entirely to natural processes. Outcome highly uncertain. Result may not resemble pre- disturbance condition. Cairns, 1981

“Prediction is difficult. Especially the future” - Sam Goldwyn

Class F Restoration Restoration in an area with high risk of ecoaccidents. Restored species should be selected for resilience and ecological value. Cairns, 1981

Class G Restoration (Decontamination) Restoration after contamination by genetically altered organisms Cairns, 1981

Class H Restoration Restoration designed to protect the health of adjacent ecosystems Cairns, 1981

Restoration Success and Failure 1. Ecological damage contained (stabilization of hazards) 2. Integration with adjacent ecosystems 3. Potential for self-maintenance 4. Successional comparability 5. Equivalent ecosystem services 6. Monitoring follows expected trends Cairns, 1981

Ecosystem Management A. Objectives 1. To foster rapid, natural return to pre-impact state (help nature along) 2. To maintain restored ecosystems as close to desired state as possible (long-term maintenance of system)

Ecosystem Management B. Methods of Ecological Management 1. Survey – determine what is there 2. Surveillance – changes in presence /absence of organisms 3. Monitoring – assess system function

Ecosystem Management C. Integrating Environmental Management 1. Testing at population, community levels 2. Predictive modeling 3. Field validation 4. Biological monitoring Summary: Ecosystem management must be based on a combination of factors: historical, current impacts, present and future goals

“The acid test of our understanding is not whether we can take ecosystems to bits on pieces of paper, however scientifically, but whether we can put them together in practice and make them work” - AD Bradshaw