Resource Database

Native Plant Conservation Campaign ecosystem services online portal

A diagnostic for collaborative monitoring in forest landscape restoration

Forest landscape restoration (FLR) requires a long-term commitment from a range of stakeholders to plan the restoration initiative collaboratively and see it through successfully. This is only possible when the people involved – whether they are landholders, indigenous groups, government entities, non-governmental organizations or other crucial actors – come together to define common goals and monitor progress toward those goals. Collaborative monitoring can play a crucial role in these processes by providing a structured way to include diverse stakeholders in FLR, generate local buy-in and catalyze social learning. However, collaborative monitoring is new to many FLR planners and, while they may be interested in implementing collaborative monitoring, they may not know where to start. This diagnostic provides a systematic way for FLR planners to assess their FLR initiatives against a checklist of success factors. The diagnostic helps practitioners to: (1) determine whether they are ready for collaborative monitoring; (2) identify what elements need to strengthened; and (3) assess whether existing monitoring systems are on the right track. The diagnostic can be applied on at least two scales: it includes factors to be used at a specific FLR site and it outlines the factors that are intrinsic to a multi-level collaborative monitoring system. It consists of a core matrix of 42 success factors, plus suggestions for performing the assessment.

Forest and landscape restoration dataset

Large areas worldwide have been deforested or degraded with a resulting loss of fertile soils, biodiversity and carbon stock. Deforestation and land degradation threaten the livelihoods, well-being, and resilience of millions of people around the world. Restoration of degraded lands is included as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 15), and multiple international and regional initiatives have been set up in the last few years (Bonn Challenge, 20×20 initiative). This theme focuses on mapping and characterizing restoration initiatives.

Low-tech process based restoration of riverscapes design manual

The purpose of this design manual is to provide restoration practitioners with guidelines for implementing a subset of low-tech tools—namely beaver dam analogues (BDAs) and post-assisted log structures (PALS)—for initiating process-based restoration in structurally-starved riverscapes. While the concept of process-based restoration in riverscapes has been advocated for at least two decades, details and specific examples on how to implement it remain sparse. Here, we describe ‘low-tech process-based restoration’ (LT-PBR) as a practice of using simple, low unit-cost, structural additions (e.g. wood and beaver dams) to riverscapes to mimic functions and initiate specific processes. Hallmarks of this approach include:

• An explicit focus on the processes that a low-tech restoration intervention is meant to promote
• A conscious effort to use cost-effective, low-tech treatments (e.g. hand-built, natural materials, non-engineered, short-term design life-spans) because of the need to efficiently scale-up application.
• ‘Letting the system do the work’ which defers critical decision making to riverscapes and nature’s ecosystem engineers

GIS-based Vulnerability Assessment of Upland Forests in the Cedar River Waters

Presented by SERNW and Rolf Gersonde. Climate change presents new challenges for ecological restoration. The recovery of ecological functions, either through reducing disturbance or by actively promoting ecosystem development is put into question as climate change is likely to alter ecosystem development and composition with uncertain outcome for ecological functions. In the diverse landscape of the Cascade Range, climate impacts are going to vary depending on topography and ecosystem composition. While exposed sites are likely to experience stronger climate impacts and have greater uncertainty regarding ecosystem recovery, other sites (climate refugia) are likely to be less impacted or will be altered more slowly. To aid forest and aquatic restoration at the landscape scale in the Cedar River Municipal Watershed, we conducted a vulnerability analysis of ecosystems to guide ecological restoration efforts at the landscape scale and adapt to projected climate change. We identified elements of climate exposure and ecosystem sensitivity that could be spatially represented and scaled. The elements were combined in an additive model to result in a landscape representation of climate vulnerability. Adding a spatial filter of areas where climate impacts would have greater effect on management goals and adding operational constraints enabled us to identify priority areas for conservation measures to restore late-successional forest habitat and ecosystem resilience. This approach could be adapted to other landscapes and management goals and offers managers a tool to prioritize restoration efforts in an uncertain future.

Soil Bioengineering for the Restoration of Steep and Unstable Slopes and Riparian Areas

Presented by Dave Polster and SER Northwest. Soil bioengineering is the use of living plant materials to perform some engineering function. In some cases, other materials are included. Soil bioengineering systems can be used to treat steep slopes and to provide stability to unstable sites. Soil bioengineering treatments use pioneering species that initiate the natural successional processes associated with the region in which they are applied. This means that in the long run, soil bioengineering systems promote the successional movement of the ecosystem towards later successional stages.

Soil bioengineering systems can be used to stabilize sites that conventional systems would cost millions of dollars to stabilize. In addition, since the soil bioengineering systems promote the natural successional development of the site, there is a long term recovery of the site that does not occur with traditional treatments. In addition unlike traditional treatments, soil bioengineering systems promote the sequestration of Carbon thus help with the current climate crisis.

Pichimahuida: website of a private restoration project in Chilean Patagonia

A dynamic website describing different aspects of a multifaceted private restoration project located in a severely degraded area of Patagonia, Chile. Specific aspects of the project: reforestation with native tree species for the purpose of ecosystem restoration, under Chilean national Law on Native Forest (N° 20.283), more than 230 000 trees of local species planted, 310 hectares affected, average recent documented survival rate is 85 %, largest project in the area; degradation of the whole region is due to catastrophic clearing fires of the ancient forest of the last century, further overgrazing and soil erosion and disappearance; the project is set in an area where the socio-economic approach to such initiatives is challenging; funded by private means, with the reforestation part being partly financed by State subsidies; the operational part, including energy and other supply, is ensured by personally developed and privately funded methods; remotely located and entirely off-grid.

Business for Water Stewardship Project Bank

The Business for Water Stewardship Project Bank was developed in response to growing business interest in projects that restore river flows and recharge ground water and offers an opportunity for organizations to represent their restoration projects on a national platform.

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation uses the Project Bank to share and learn about organizations and restoration projects and to represent specific projects to businesses seeking opportunities to support environmental water stewardship. Where there is a match between business water stewardship goals and restoration projects, the companies may elect to support those efforts.

River Network and BEF teamed up to create easy access for River Network dues paying members to submit their projects for inclusion in the BWS Project Bank.

Protocol Development Tool (PDT) for seed encrusting and pelleting

Seed encrusting and pelleting are seed coating technologies that increase seed size and weight, improving handling, consistency in seed delivery and providing active ingredients for seed protection and enhancement. Though widely used for crop and vegetable seeds, with an estimated value of more than a billion dollars per annum globally, the know-how and methodologies are rarely disclosed by the commercial seed industry sector. As a result, it is difficult to reproduce specific seed coatings for research and comparative evaluation. For small seed producers, particularly the emerging native seed sector, seed enhancement technologies are either unavailable or rarely adopted due to their inaccessibility. Here, we present the first fully disclosed Protocol Development Tool (PDT) for seed pelleting and encrusting. The PDT is customisable, applicable to a wide range of agricultural, horticultural and restoration purposes, and adaptable to suit a variety of seeds and coating materials. The PDT will allow researchers and seed suppliers to test and develop project-specific pelleting and encrusting methods within a standardised and replicable framework.

Best practices for implementing forest landscape restoration in South Asia: An international knowledge sharing workshop

In 2018, the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment and Forest Department, Sri Lanka, in cooperation with the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and others, members of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) held a knowledge-sharing workshop on best practices in implementing forest landscape restoration in South Asian countries.

The workshop aimed at:

• Sharing and discussing lessons from current state-of-the-art scientific and technical knowledge on FLR both at global and regional scales;
• Connecting FLR experts in South Asia and further stimulating exchanges of information, thus providing feedback into national and global FLR policy initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge process;
• Identifying challenges of current land management and impediments to sustainable land management and ecosystem functionality across the region; and
• Contributing to the development of a regional FLR implementation strategy in support of continuous sub-regional learning, sharing of experiences and FLR practice improvements.

This webpage houses a summary of the workshop conclusions, as well as all of the workshop presentations.

Biotic interactions in the tropics – challenges for restoration and conservation in the Anthropocene

When ecosystems are lost or transformed, not only is biodiversity simplified or displaced, but key interactions that modulate ecosystem structure and function are also affected.  Therefore, restoration and conservation must have a complete view of the ecosystems to ensure their recovery.

This webinar explores how biotic interactions influence the restoration of natural tropical ecosystems. We examine how feeding interactions, such as predation and frugivory, affect the carbon cycle in the soil-atmosphere and in the trees. In addition, we will discuss changes in animal composition that may induce changes in the spatial organization of tree cohorts and its implication for restoration as a strategy for reviving and sustaining forests.

Finally, we will explore how changes in animal composition (pollinators and disperser) can be partially reversible if we develop functional ecosystem restoration strategies.

Monitoring the social benefits of ecological restoration

Ecological restoration has traditionally been evaluated by monitoring the recovery of ecological conditions, such as species abundance and diversity, physical form, and water quality; monitoring the social benefits of restoration is uncommon. Current monitoring frameworks do not track who benefits from restoration or by how much. We investigate how ecological restoration could be monitored to provide indications of improvement in terms of social conditions. We provide suggestions for measuring several categories of social indicators, including access, beneficiaries, and quality of benefit, using information compiled from natural and social science literature. We demonstrate how to evaluate ecological and social indicators over time at a site or landscape scale using multi‐criteria analysis. We use flood protection and recreation as example benefits to monitor.

IPBES Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration

The Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration by the IPBES provides a critical analysis of the state of knowledge regarding the importance, drivers, status, and trends of terrestrial ecosystems. The Report recognizes that combating land degradation is an urgent priority in order to protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services that are vital to all life on Earth and to ensure human well-being. The Report identifies a mix of governance options, policies and management practices that can help support stakeholders working at all levels to reduce the negative environmental, social and economic consequences of land degradation and to rehabilitate and restore degraded land. The Report encompasses all the terrestrial regions and biomes of the world, and includes the full range of human-altered systems, including but not limited to drylands, agricultural and agroforestry systems, savannahs and forests and aquatic systems associated with these areas.

A Natural Priority: A report on Parks Canada’s Conservation and Restoration Program

Parks Canada’s Conservation and Restoration (CoRe) projects are as varied as the 33 national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas in which they occur. The diverse projects we report on here run the gamut from restoring forests to re-establishing eel grass; from recovering threatened whales to saving endangered plants; from reducing over-abundant moose to decreasing plentiful urchins; from mitigating invasive species threats to alleviating problems caused by roads. Different contexts, different ecosystems, different communities – and different collaborators. Despite the ways in which CoRe projects differ from one and other, they also have much in common. CoRe projects are organized according to a set of methodological standards. They are designed to identify problems, collaborate with others, invest in solutions and realize achievements in a common manner. By following practical approaches to conservation and restoration, CoRe projects succeed in ways that engage and benefit society.

Tropical Native Species Reforestation Information Clearinghouse (TRIC)

The Tropical Native Species Reforestation Information Clearinghouse (TRIC) is a resource hosted by the Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative (ELTI) and aims to support capacity-building in the field of tropical forest restoration and reforestation. TRIC users can search by resource type, topic, country, region and ecosystem to find valuable reforestation resources. Users can also submit suggested resources for addition to the database.

Reef Resilience Network

The Reef Resilience Network connects marine resource managers with information, experts, resources, and skill-building opportunities to accelerate and leverage solutions for improved conservation and restoration of coral reefs and reef fisheries around the world. The Network is a partnership led by The Nature Conservancy that is comprised of more than 1,350 members, and supported by dozens of partners and TNC staff, as well as over 100 global experts in coral reefs, fisheries, climate change, communication, and more who serve as trainers, advisors, and content reviewers. The Network strengthens members’ ability to effectively manage coral reefs threatened by warming seas, bleaching, coastal development, pollution, overfishing, and changes in ocean chemistry. To achieve this, they synthesize and share the latest science and management strategies to keep busy managers inspired and in-the-know. The website is updated by global experts and features the latest information on key topics, easily searchable summaries of journal articles featuring resilience science, and case studies highlighting successful management strategies and new application of science. They also connect managers and experts to share resources and lessons learned that inform and improve management decisions and inspire greater collaborations.

Getting Better Value from Our Coasts

Scott Cole, EnviroEconomics Sweden Consultancy, talks about valuing multiple eelgrass ecosystem services in coastal ecosystems followed by Johan van der Koppel, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, on using 3D computer graphics to convey restoration goals to decision makers and the general public.

Private Finance in Marine Ecosystem Restoration

Rolf Groeneveld, Wageningen University, talks on identifying private financing mechanisms for marine ecosystem restoration followed by Wenting Chen, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, describing how private finance is being used to restore kelp ecosystems in Northern Norway.

Introducing chicken farming into traditional ruminant-grazing dominated production systems for promoting ecological restoration of degraded rangeland in northern China

Free-range chicken farming (CF) has been demonstrated to be effective in controlling locust plagues and restoring degraded vegetation in rangelands. However, the effects of CF on vegetation growth and soil conditions of rangeland ecosystems are not yet well known. We studied the effects of CF (treated by three stocking rates from low-intensity to high-intensity), livestock grazing (LG) and zero grazing (ZG) on
vegetation characteristics and soil nutrient conditions in a degraded rangeland of northern China. CF significantly improved vegetation growth and soil quality compared with LG. The moderate CF2 with 333 birds per hectare enhanced the aboveground net primary production to 204·0 g m2 yr1 and vegetation cover to 88·8%, which is significantly higher than LG by 80·7% and 62·9%, respectively. Moreover, CF2 neutralized the pH value and raised soil organic matter, total N content, available N content and available P content to approximately 7·59 g kg1, 0·34 g kg1, 83·52 mg kg1 and 3·4 mg kg1, respectively. Compared with ZG, the positive impacts of CF on rangelands depended on the stocking rate, and better performance was achieved when lower stocking rates were used. We also analysed the economic benefits of CF through
a cost–benefit analysis. A local family could obtain a net present value of at least $252·19 per hectare by engaging in CF, which was two-fold higher than LG. Finally, we proposed a novel land-use model that introduces CF into traditional LG dominated system and can be widely applied to promote socio-ecological sustainable development in degraded rangelands.

Reproductive phenology and seed germination in eight tree species from a seasonally dry tropical forest of Morelos, Mexico, implications for community-oriented restoration and conservation

With the aim of providing information for ecological restoration programs, we studied reproductive phenology and seed germination of eight species from the tropical dry forest of Morelos, Mexico. With the participation of students from the local junior high school, we monitored monthly, over one year, the production of flowers, immature and mature fruits for each species. We estimated intensity, duration, seasonality, and synchrony for each fruiting phenophase, and flowering duration. Germination tests were undertaken in a germination chamber (18–32 °C), and under the environmental conditions at the local school. We applied specific pre-germination treatments for each species. Two distinct peaks of mature fruit production were identified: one at the beginning and the other one in the middle of the dry season. Fructification seasonality was significant in most cases. Germination was relatively high in three legumes and particularly low in two Bursera species. Four species responded to the germination environments, and differences among pre-germination treatments were significant in most cases. Knowledge on fruiting patterns and seed viability and germination will allow adequate decision-making for seed collection and plant propagation of the study species. Student participation increased their interest and knowledge on local environmental problems and solutions.

Failing Forward and Lessons Learned

We often hear about restoration success stories – but what about projects that struggled or failed? During this webinar we will heard from members whose projects didn’t go as planned, and the critical insights they learned.

Oportunidades y desafíos para la gobernanza de la restauración del paisaje forestal en América Latina

El presente informe contiene los resultados de una investigación, predominantemente cualitativa, que analiza los marcos legales que regulan la protección de los bosques y las actividades forestales restaurativas en 17 países de América Latina. Empleamos para ello dos herramientas de análisis: (1) un análisis sistemático del contenido y la estructura de los marcos legales a partir de una serie de indicadores predefinidos y (2) un análisis sobre las percepciones de actores públicos y privados acerca del contenido, estructura e implementación de los marcos legales. Finalmente, sintetizamos los resultados en relación a las oportunidades y desafíos de los marcos legales existentes en la región con el fin de proponer recomendaciones para mejorar este aspecto de la gobernanza de la Restauración del Paisaje Forestal en Latinoamérica.

This report, published in Spanish, contains the results of a qualitative study analyzing the legal frameworks that regulate activities related to the protection and restoration of forests in 17 Latin American countries. The study used two analytical methods: (1) a systematic analysis of the content and structure of relevant legal frameworks based on a series of predetermined indicators, and (2) an analysis of the perceptions of stakeholders in the public and private sectors with respect to the content, structure and implementation of these legal frameworks. Lastly, the report synthesizes findings regarding the opportunities and challenges presented by existing legal frameworks in the region and presents recommendations for improving Forest and Landscape Restoration governance in Latin America.

Principles and practices for the restoration of ponderosa pine and dry mixed-conifer forests of the Colorado Front Range

Wildfires have become larger and more severe over the past several decades on Colorado’s Front Range, catalyzing greater investments in forest management intended to mitigate wildfire risks. The complex ecological, social, and political context of the Front Range, however, makes forest management challenging, especially where multiple management goals including forest restoration exist. In this report, the authors present a science-based framework for managers to develop place-based approaches to forest restoration of Front Range ponderosa pine and dry mixed-conifer forests. The authors first present ecological information describing how Front Range forest structure and composition are shaped at multiple scales by interactions among topography, natural disturbances such as fire, and forest developmental processes.  Implementation of these guidelines is expected to enhance forest resilience to disturbance and climate change, as well as sustain important ecosystem services. Finally, this report emphasizes the importance of adaptive management and learning through monitoring and experimentation to address uncertainties inherent in the restoration process.

The global status and trends of Payments for Ecosystem Services

Recent decades have witnessed a considerable increase in Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES)—programmes that exchange value for land management practices intended to provide or ensure ecosystem services—with over 550 active programmes around the globe and an estimated US$36–42 billion in annual transactions. PES represent a recent policy instrument with often very different programmes operating at local, regional and national levels. Despite the growth of these programmes, comprehensive and reliable data have proven difficult to find. This Analysis provides an assessment of the trends and current status of PES mechanisms—user-financed, government-financed and compliance—across the domains of water, biodiversity, and forest and land-use carbon around the world. We report the various dimensions of growth over the past decade (number of programmes, geographical spread, dollar value) to understand better the range of PES mechanisms over time and to examine which factors have contributed to or hindered growth. Four key features stand out for scaling up PES: motivated buyers, motivated sellers, metrics and low-transaction-cost institutions.

Decision support tools for forest landscape restoration: Current status and future outlook

Decision-making bodies at all scales face an urgent need to conserve remaining forests, and reestablish forest cover in deforested and degraded forest landscapes. Degradation is often viewed as ‘the problem’, and restoration as ‘the solution’. But, rather than being a goal, restoration is the means to achieve many goals. Despite the many advances in the development and application of decision support tools in FLR, this review reveals a gap in tools for the implementation of landscape-scale restoration initiatives and for guiding monitoring and adaptive management. The review also reveals that available tools primarily focus on assessing restoration opportunities at a broader scale, rather than within landscapes where implementation occurs. Evidence from research on community-based conservation and forest management suggests that tools for the empowerment, land rights and capacity building of local residents can help nurture strong coalitions of landscape restoration practitioners that apply adaptive management of restoration interventions, and evaluate potential restoration scenarios in their own landscapes.

Harnessing ecological processes to facilitate coral restoration

Incorporating ecological processes into restoration planning is increasingly recognized as a fundamental component of successful restoration strategies. We outline a scientific framework to advance the emerging field of coral restoration. We advocate for harnessing ecological processes that drive community dynamics on coral reefs in a way that facilitates the establishment and growth of restored corals.

CERP Application Webinar

CERP Program Coordinator Jen Lyndall will walk you through the application process. Certification Committee Member, Anne Halford, CERP, will provide a reviewer’s opinion on what works what well on an application. Continuing Education Committee Member, John Wigginton, CERP, will briefly discuss continuing education requirements.

Bombs Away: Militarization, Conservation and Ecological Restoration

Across the globe, hundreds of millions of acres of former military zones and bases are being converted to restoration areas, refuges, and conservation lands. David G. Havlick has traveled the world visiting these spaces of military-to-wildlife transition, and in Bombs Away he explores both the challenges—physical, historical, and cultural—and fascinating ecological possibilities of military site conversions.

Participatory monitoring to connect local and global priorities for forest restoration

New, global initiatives to restore forest landscapes present an unparalleled opportunity to reverse deforestation and forest degradation. Participatory monitoring could play a crucial role in providing accountability, generating local buy in, and catalyzing learning in monitoring systems that need scalability and adaptability to a range of local sites. We synthesized current knowledge from literature searches and interviews to provide lessons for the development of a scalable, multisite participatory monitoring system. Studies show that local people can collect accurate data on forest change, drivers of change, threats to reforestation, and biophysical and socioeconomic impacts that remote sensing cannot. They can do this at one-third the cost of professionals. Successful participatory monitoring systems collect information on a few simple indicators, respond to local priorities, provide appropriate incentives for participation, catalyze learning and decision making based on frequent analyses and multilevel interactions with other stakeholders. Participatory monitoring could provide a framework for linking global, national, and local needs, aspirations, and capacities for forest restoration.

Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Through Prisons

The purpose of the “Sagebrush in Prisons Project,” is to improve habitat for the greater sage-grouse by engaging state prison systems in production of sagebrush and other important plants for habitat restoration on BLM lands. The Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) has partnered with the BLM to grow sagebrush with ten prisons in six states. Inmates are involved in sowing plants, growing them over the summer and planting-out on BLM land in the fall. The program is a win-win-win for inmates, community and the environment. Inmates learn horticulture skills, gain confidence from sowing seeds to daily care for the plants to planting-out on greater sage-grouse habitat.

Stacy Moore is the Ecological Education Program Director with Institute for Applied Ecology, a non-profit located in Corvallis, Oregon.