Ecological Restoration

Environmental Assessment, Management & Restoration

Restoration is the act of returning an ecosystem to a closer approximation of its conditions prior to disturbance. Restoration is a major undertaking because it involves scientific and policy aspects, adaptive management in many cases, and lots of time and money. Even still, the premise of WSTB reports is that some degree of ecological restoration of aquatic ecosystems is possible [view report].

In the United States, a large-scale restoration effort is underway in the Florida Everglades [view report], where a diverse group of organizations is working to reverse the effects of nearly a century of wetland drainage and impoundment. One major prerequisite for successful restoration is storing water to meet the needs of both the ecosystem and the surrounding cities [view report]. Another is doing the core science needed to understand the system [view report].

Will restoring the historical hydrologic regime in the Everglades wetlands reverse trends of biological decline? That is a key premise of both Everglades restoration and most stream restoration activities. In the Everglades, both flow magnitude and direction may be important for formation and maintenance of the unique landscape [view report]. But restoring flows to Florida Bay to previous levels may have unintended consequences for the marine environment [view report].

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State of Louisiana have proposed plans to restore and protect coastal Louisiana, where remarkable land loss for the last 50 years are due to natural and human causes. This land loss has increased storm vulnerability and amplified risks to lives, property, and economies. While the restoration plan's individual projects are scientifically sound, there should be more larger-scale projects that provide a comprehensive approach to addressing land loss over such a large area [view report]. Their efforts should be part of a comprehensive plan to rebuild New Orleans and coastal Louisiana in response to the recent hurricanes and should be guided a detailed map of the future landscape of the area.

Instream flow levels in Texas rivers and streams are considered critical to establishing or maintaining a sound ecological environment [view report], and in some cases instream flows will be used to restore these streams. In the northwestern U.S., instream flow levels in the Columbia River have been connected to declining salmon populations, although impacts of various environmental variables on salmon smolt survival are not clearly established [view report].

Books Related to Ecological Restoration
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