Making rewilding fit for policy

Abstract

Abstract1. Rewilding, here defined as "the reorganisation of biota and ecosystem processes to set an identified social-ecological system on a preferred trajectory, leading to the self-sustaining provision of ecosystem services with minimal ongoing management," is increasingly considered as an environmental management option, with potential for enhancing both biodiversity and ecosystem services.2. Despite burgeoning interest in the concept, there are uncertainties and difficulties associated with the practical implementation of rewilding projects, while the evidence available for facilitating sound decision-making for rewilding initiatives remains elusive.3. We identify five key research areas to inform the implementation of future rewilding initiatives: increased understanding of the links between actions and impacts; improved risk assessment processes, through, for example, better definition and quantification of ecological risks; improved predictions of spatio-temporal variation in potential economic costs and associated benefits; better identification and characterisation of the likely social impacts of a given rewilding project; and facilitated emergence of a comprehensive and practical framework for the monitoring and evaluation of rewilding projects. Policy implications.Environmental legislation is commonly based on a "compositionalist" paradigm itself predicated on the preservation of historical conditions characterised by the presence of particular species assemblages and habitat types.However, global environmental change is driving some ecosystems beyond their limits so that restoration to historical benchmarks or modern likely equivalents may no longer be an option. This means that the current environmental policy context could present barriers to the broad implementation of rewilding projects. To progress the global rewilding agenda, a better appreciation of current policy opportunities and constraints is required. This, together with a clear definition of rewilding and a scientifically robust rationale for its local implementation, is a prerequisite to engage governments in revising legislation where required to facilitate the operationalisation of rewilding.

Capturing pests and releasing ecosystem engineers: translocation of common but diminished species to re‐establish ecological roles

“…Our data suggest that for CAGS it is critical to consider soil texture, and that at least rough approximations of soil type are readily available in spatially explicit online databases. Informed release site selection can therefore promote more cost‐effective rewilding ( sensu Pettorelli et al ., ) and help managers create ecological systems that will be more sustainable with less intervention (Pesendorfer et al ., ).…”

“…Translocation – the deliberate human‐mediated movement of organisms on the landscape – has become a conservation tool adopted to address a variety of conservation problems including re‐establishment of extirpated populations, supplementation or genetic rescue of small, isolated populations, and increasingly for environmental mitigation (Germano et al ., ), as well as more forward‐looking applications such as assisted colonization to mitigate climate‐mediated and other anthropogenic changes in habitat suitability (Seddon & Armstrong, ) and rewilding (Pettorelli et al ., ). Although the science of translocation biology has advanced more rapidly in recent decades, there remain several gaps in approaches taken in this developing field (Armstrong & Seddon, ; Taylor et al ., ).…”

The use of cattle Bos taurus for restoring and maintaining holarctic landscapes: Conclusions from a long‐term study (1946–2017) in northern England

“…In situations such as HNV systems using breeds from other countries, or rewilding projects that use Heck cattle (a synthetic "re-creation" of the aurochs; Lorimer & Driessen, 2014), or a more recent development, the "tauros" (Pettorelli et al, 2018;Richmond, Sinding, & Gilbert, 2016), cultural significance is less evident, but may develop as time progresses. In situations such as HNV systems using breeds from other countries, or rewilding projects that use Heck cattle (a synthetic "re-creation" of the aurochs; Lorimer & Driessen, 2014), or a more recent development, the "tauros" (Pettorelli et al, 2018;Richmond, Sinding, & Gilbert, 2016), cultural significance is less evident, but may develop as time progresses.…”

“…This will help to remedy what Pettorelli et al (2018) describe as "a perceived lack of empirical information [relevant to rewilding] … much could be achieved by adequately synthesizing existing information." This will help to remedy what Pettorelli et al (2018) describe as "a perceived lack of empirical information [relevant to rewilding] … much could be achieved by adequately synthesizing existing information."…”

Larger Than Life: Injecting Hope into the Planetary Health Paradigm

“…Some of this expansion is likely because someone, somewhere, cared enough to join with others in an effort to work around whatever barriers to green space expansion (e.g., from commercial, industrial developers) there might be. Researchers are actively working toward the reintroduction of species in careful, evidence-informed ways (a process called rewilding) to benefit entire ecosystems; this includes reintroduction of large apex predators and possibly even microbiota [49,50].…”