Setting the scene for dryland recovery: an overview and key findings from a workshop targeting seed‐based restoration

Abstract

With nearly a quarter of global dryland systems considered to be degraded, the level and scale of degradation often exceed the thresholds for autogenic recovery, requiring human intervention to ensure that ecosystem biodiversity, structure, and function can be improved. A “Think Tank” workshop focusing on advancing the ecological approaches to large‐scale restoration in degraded environments was held at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Western Australia. Acknowledging that adaptive and broadly multidisciplinary strategies are paramount to achieving restoration in a repeatable and cost‐effective manner, the workshop served as a forum to bring together plant scientists, ecologists, engineers, and environmental managers involved in dryland restoration from around the globe. This introductory paper to this special issue summarizes important contemporary challenges facing dryland restoration worldwide, offers a synthesis of the fundamental workshop themes, and provides a contextual overview for the series of invited papers in this issue, comprising reviews and case studies in seed and restoration technologies.

Restoration of Open‐Cut Mining in Semi‐Arid Systems: A Synthesis of Long‐Term Monitoring Data and Implications for Management

“…Additionally, the long‐term monitoring data outlined here have allowed BHPBIO to take significant steps towards cost effective, large‐scale, ecologically sound restoration in semi‐arid and arid environments. For example, the recently released Pilbara Seed Atlas (Erickson et al, ) and published outcomes from the BHPBIO sponsored ‘Think Tank’ workshop (Kildisheva et al, ) have highlighted the large knowledge basis that has now been developed to address challenges in the restoration process evident through annual monitoring results.…”

Seed conglomeration: a disruptive innovation to address restoration challenges associated with small‐seeded species

“…Millions of hectares of drylands are degraded, resulting in an annual loss of over US$40 billion in productivity (Brauch & Spring ; Kildisheva et al ). New technologies are needed to aid in the establishment of a diversity of native plants to sustain various animals and microorganisms, reinstate ecosystem process and function, and improve resiliency in the face of climate change (Kildisheva et al ; McDonald et al ). Lack of plant diversity can be caused, in part, by limited seeding success of small seeds (Chambers ; Leishman et al ).…”

Anticipatory natural resource science and management for a changing future

“…In particular, research about what controls post‐disturbance recovery patterns can help identify treatment options that shift the products of succession toward desirable conditions (Kildisheva et al . ). Data from monitoring programs, particularly those with relatively frequent re‐measurements at levels of different land‐use intensity, provide valuable insight into the status and trends of natural resources that can be examined to identify controls.…”