Restoration Ecology Burning South Prairie – April 2013

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

Neil Smith NWR Prairie

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Nachusa Grasslands

Restoration of a Garbage Dump – Fresh Kills, Staten Island, NY

Fresh Kills

Fresh Kills Restoration – Replacement of Ecosystem

Enhancement

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

European Bison Historic (Holocene) Distribution

European Bison – Current Distribution

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.”

Social Factors

Cultural Differences ‘East is east and west is west, and never the twain shall meet.’ - Rudyard Kipling

Attitudes toward Dogs

Attitudes towards Snakes

Attitudes towards Rats Temple of Bhagwati Karniji

Just say no

Urban-Rural Divide Where does milk come from?

Urban Knowledge?

Elephants Raiding Crops

Deer Eating Corn

Sundarbans Tigers

Male – Female Differences? Rachel Carson – women give birth and nurture children – thus more likely to be caring about nature

Male – Female Differences? Mother Nature – positive image or limiting to women?

One model of Ecofeminism

Hunter-Gatherer Societies

Attitudes towards Animals – from Stephen Kellert

Wolf Attack Stories

Aldo Leopold – 1911, Arizona

Wolves Everywhere

Moby Dick

Aquarium keepers

Korean Dog Market Protest

Differing approaches to the world Anthropocentrism – the view that humans are the center of the universe Biocentrism – the view that all living organisms are equally important and occupy the center of the universe Biocentrism sometimes equated with Biophilia – innate love of biodiversity

An Ethical Sequence