What Role Should Government Regulation Play in Ecological Restoration? Ongoing Debate in São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract

Around the world, there is growing desire and momentum for ecological restoration to happen faster, with better quality, and in more extensive areas. The question we ask is how can laws and governmental regulations best contribute to effective, successful, and broad-scale restoration? In the state of São Paulo, Brazil, there is a legal instrument (SMA 08-2008) whose aim is to increase the effectiveness of tropical forest restoration projects in particular. It establishes, among other things, requirements regarding the minimum number of native tree species to be reached within a given period of time in restoration projects and the precise proportion of functional groups or threatened species to be included when reforestation with native species is used as a restoration technique. There are, however, two differing perspectives among Brazilian restoration ecologists on the appropriateness of such detailed legal rules. For some, the rules help increase the chances that mandatory projects of ecological restoration will succeed. For the other group, there is no single way to achieve effective ecosystem restoration, and the existing science and know-how are far from sufficient to establish standardized technical and methodological norms or to justify that such norms be imposed. Both points of view are discussed here, aiming to help those developing new legislation and improving existing laws about ecological restoration. The precedents established in São Paulo, and at the federal level in Brazil, and the ongoing debate about those laws are worth considering and possibly applying elsewhere.

Effect of Frost on Germplasm Used in Restoration of Degraded Area in the Serra Do Itajaí National Park

“…This fact is debated by several Brazilian researchers in ecological restoration projects that discuss the benefits of minimal restoration wealth (ARONSON, 2010;DURIGAN et al, 2010;ARONSON et al, 2011;MARTINS et al, 2015). The greater the wealth, the greater the genetic diversity, which favors the adaptation to the most varied environmental situations (REIS et al, 2003) since they are not related.…”

Cobertura florestal ou função ecológica: a eficácia da restauração na bacia do Rio Sorocaba e Médio Tietê

“…Surge a necessidade da adoção de técnicas que garantam a restauração de áreas com maior fragilidade e o desenvolvimento de metodologias que permitam o restabelecimento dos processos ecológicos (VIANI, 2005;MUCHAILH et al, 2010). Essa abordagem cria o dilema de como mecanismos legais podem levar à recuperação não só da cobertura florestal, mas principalmente das funções e dos processos ecológicos (GRAF, 2008;ARONSON et al, 2011; • o início do projeto de restauração;…”

Ecological restoration of Xingu Basin headwaters: motivations, engagement, challenges and perspectives

“…US$250 ha yr -1 , or much longer for cattle raising [21]. In addition to cost constraints [21,22], which would be particularly difficult to manage in a region the size of the Xingu Basin, there were logistic limitations in the production and transportation of seedlings to restoration sites. Farms are often more than 100 km distant from cities and are usually connected by dirt tracks that are impassable during the rainy season.…”

“…While this may be a successful short-term technique [19,20], it has been extremely costly in Brazil, around US$5000 ha -1 estimated for the Atlantic Forest, which is the equivalent to average conventional agricultural revenues over a 20-year period, i.e. US$250 ha yr -1 , or much longer for cattle raising [21]. In addition to cost constraints [21,22], which would be particularly difficult to manage in a region the size of the Xingu Basin, there were logistic limitations in the production and transportation of seedlings to restoration sites.…”