Climate & Environment

Restoration Ecology

Meaning statusEstablishedSource recordDirect source requestedWhy these are different

Definition

Restoration ecology is the scientific study of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged or destroyed ecosystems and habitats — the processes of succession, assembly, soil recovery, species reintroduction and landscape connectivity that determine whether restoration succeeds. The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) links the science to practice standards, defining ecological restoration as assisting the recovery of an ecosystem degraded, damaged or destroyed.

References

www.decadeonrestoration.orgBulk import source

This reference provides supporting context for how “Restoration Ecology” is defined and used.

www.ser.orgBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

Overview

How it is used

The discipline informs the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), national restoration programmes, mine rehabilitation standards and biodiversity offset practice.

Why it matters

Global commitments promise restoration at unprecedented scale; restoration ecology is the difference between planting trees and rebuilding ecosystems.