Determining appropriate goals for restoration of imperilled communities and species

Abstract

Summary1. Conservation and restoration practitioners often struggle to define appropriate targets for restoration. Frequently, 'pre-settlement conditions' (the conditions that are believed to have existed prior to European settlement) are used. In this review, we draw on our experiences working with land-managers to restore native ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest (USA) to discuss some of the challenges in using pre-settlement conditions as a restoration target. 2. We have found that information on the structure and composition of pre-settlement communities does not exist in sufficient detail to set quantitative restoration targets. 3. The systems we work in have been so altered from the historic condition (as we best understand it), that mimicking the anthropogenic and 'natural' disturbances that shaped these communities is both difficult and unlikely to guarantee success. 4. Furthermore, the pre-settlement condition may not be an appropriate restoration goal given ongoing global changes, including species invasions, habitat loss, and climate change. 5. Synthesis and applications. We suggest that rather than focusing on historic benchmarks, restoration goals should be based on ecological principles that will lead to resilient, functioning ecosystems. We provide real-world examples for how scientists and managers can work together to define and test appropriate and effective restoration methods and targets.

Modeling caterpillar movement to guide habitat enhancement for Speyeria zerene hippolyta, the Oregon silverspot butterfly

“…The clear formulation of such goals is an important determinant of a habitat restoration project's success (Miller and Hobbs 2007). We formulated our research question in close collaboration with land managers with local knowledge about the species and its requirements, as recommended by Thorpe and Stanley (2011). This collaboration revealed a knowledge gap about the foraging behavior of larvae of S. z. hippolyta in relation to their host plants.…”

“…First, for a study to usefully guide conservation practice, it is important to ask the right questions. Here, collaboration between scientists and land managers can promote studies that are both rigorouslydesigned and that answer questions that are relevant to management (Campbell 2007;Milner-Gulland et al 2012; Thorpe and Stanley 2011). Secondly, in the case of habitat restoration or improvement, goal-setting is key to determining the success of a project (Oates 1995;Miller and Hobbs 2007).…”

“…Secondly, in the case of habitat restoration or improvement, goal-setting is key to determining the success of a project (Oates 1995;Miller and Hobbs 2007). However, identifying habitat improvement goals can be difficult, because detailed information about a site's historical state is often unavailable (Thorpe and Stanley 2011). Finally, basic information about how organisms use/respond to habitat elements is often lacking (New et al 1995;Pollard and Eversham 1995;Miller and Hobbs 2007;New 2007;Settele and Kühn 2009;Thomas et al 2009;Henry and Schultz 2013), making it difficult to know what specific aspects of the habitat to restore or manage.…”

Adapt to more wildfire in western North American forests as climate changes

“…3) (50, 51, 52). However, quantifying ecological objectives outside the HRV will be increasingly important in guiding management as fire regimes and climate continue to change (90,91). Given such uncertainties, management must be adaptive and iterative, and monitoring will be critical to assessing progress.…”

Wetland Reserve Program Enhances Site Occupancy and Species Richness in Assemblages of Anuran Amphibians in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA

“…Nevertheless, the created pools studied by Korfel et al (2010) had greater taxonomic evenness and diversity, and were as productive (in terms of amphibian biomass) as natural pools. By extension, restoration goals that focus on the production of resilient, functional ecosystems under the guidance of established ecological principles may have a much greater likelihood of success (Thorpe and Stanley 2011).…”