Restoration of forest resilience: An achievable goal?

Abstract

Although the concept of resilience is increasingly being incorporated into environmental policy and linked to ecological restoration goals, there is considerable uncertainty regarding how resilience should be defined and measured in practice. Here we briefly review some of the definitions of resilience that have been proposed, including those referred to as ''ecological'' and ''engineering'' resilience. We also examine evidence for the existence of multiple stable states in forest ecosystems, on which concepts of ecological resilience are based. As evidence for multiple stable states is limited, we suggest that ecological resilience may often have limited value as a goal for forest restoration. We illustrate how engineering resilience can potentially be measured by estimating the rate of forest recovery following disturbance, through analysis of recovery trajectories using metaanalysis and ecological modelling approaches. We also highlight the potential value of resistance as a restoration goal, which can similarly be estimated using such approaches. Based on application of these concepts, we suggest how guidance for restoration practitioners could potentially be developed, to support the practical achievement of both resilience and resistance during forest restoration.

Restoring forests: What constitutes success in the twenty-first century?

“…In practice, several active adaptation strategies may be used to pursue restoration goals; while these vary in functional methodology, they each share similar key objectives. Following Adrian Newton's keynote presentation, Newton and Cantarello (2015) analyze the uncertainty regarding the ability to define and measure forest resilience in a restoration context. One of the challenges they uncover is our reliance upon identification of multiple stable states, which forms a basis for integration of the ecological resilience concept.…”

Managing Forests for Water in the Anthropocene—The Best Kept Secret Services of Forest Ecosystems

“…Resilience is often suggested as a policy goal and a performance measure for the stability of social and ecological systems; however, there is significant debate on what resilience means and how to measure and manage for it [86]. Ecological definitions focus on concepts of resistance (related to the risk and severity of impact from exposure to disturbance), recovery (ability to return to the prior functioning state) and proximity to thresholds or tipping points [83,85,86].…”

Growth and survival rate of endemic trees of Ethiopia: Olea africana and Hagenia abysinicca in the degraded lake of Haramaya Watershed, Ethiopia

“…This is due the fact that the country has a wide variety of ecological characteristics associated with ample diversity of plant and animal species (Alemayehu, 2002). However, a number of studies indicated that almost all of the natural vegetation of Ethiopia is under an extreme pressure of anthropogenic threats (Yirdaw, 1996;Million, 2001;Tesfaye, 2015;Newton and Cantarello 2015). Given about 85% of the population Ethiopia is living in the rural areas, their livelihood system is either directly or indirectly depends on agriculture, which provides about 52% of the country's GDP (World Bank, 2000;CIA, 2001).…”