1. What Functions?

2. What is the role of restoration in a resource management agency such as the Forest Service? Involved both WO and field. Involved NFS, S&PF, and Research.

3. Simple but difficult questions: Restore to what? When? Where?

4. Strong consensus that ecosystem restoration is an overarching and unifying theme for many FS programs and activities. Central to our mission.

5. Need general principles that have wide application: both terrestrial and aquatic systems.

6. Integrated approach to restoration that includes the social, biological, and physical sciences.

7. Need an ecosystem-based (vertical and horizontal) approach to restoration?

8. Need to consider multiple spatial scales (local and landscape).

9. Always the question: Restore to what?

10. Instead of keying on restoring composition and structure to a previous condition, focus on restoring ecosystem health. Advocate moving from backward- to forward-looking concept. Restoration becomes a form of climate adaptation.

11. Ecosystem based Multiple spatial scales Involves social, physical, and biological sciences Thinking about the future Will it work in practice? Is it cost effective? What are appropriate reference conditions? How do you measure success?

12. Ecosystem Function Ecosystems have characteristic functional properties that are defined by their process: Mineral weathering Organic matter decomposition Cycling of water and nutrients Energy flow Biomass (carbon)

13. Ecosystem Function Other properties are more associated with species, populations, or communities: Photosynthesis and respiration Reproduction Regeneration Mortality Succession

14. Measuring ecosystem health of the forest. We have much experience. Mortality, regeneration, productivity, structural complexity, age class distribution, species diversity, abundance of invasive species.

15. Reference condition = Beginning condition Δ in condition. Is it improving through time? How much?

16. Time factor. When to restore? Most difficult of the basic questions because resources are always limited. Few guidelines available.

17. Touchstones: ECOMAP Group, USFS. National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units by Cleland, Avers, McNab, Jensen, Bailey, King, and Russell. In: Boyce and Haney, eds. Ecosystem Management Applications… Yale University. 1997. Ecoregions Map of North America. FS Miscellaneous Pub. 1548. Robert Bailey. 1998. Restoring Nature. Perspectives from the Social Sciences and Humanities. Edited by Gobster and Hull. Island Press. 2000. Forest Landscape Restoration, Integrating Natural and Social Sciences. Edited by Stanturf, Lamb and Madsen. Springer. 2012. Bosworth and Brown. Investing in the Future: Ecological Restoration and the USDA Forest Service. J. For. 2007.

18. Functional Restoration. It’s all about investing in the future.