To capitalise on the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, we need institutional redesign to empower advances in restoration ecology and rewilding

Abstract

1. The UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration signifies the ambition to move beyond a defensive focus on biodiversity protection towards a proactive agenda of restoring ecosystems to generate value for people and nature.2. The international nature regime, based on the linked concepts of biodiversity and sustainable development, has achieved much. However, its institutions are built on a 'compositional' approach to ecology that 'locks in' arbitrary ecological baselines and constrains an ambitious approach to ecosystem restoration.3. Rewilding and the wider field of restoration ecology foreground the dynamic nature of ecosystems, the need to consider system function and the importance of trophic networks for ecosystem recovery. Rewilding science extends these new directions with a focus on restoring the functional effects of large megafauna and random biotic and abiotic disturbance. 4. I argue that historic processes of institutional reductionism, which enabled the construction of a strong protective biodiversity regime, have created institutions that lack the flexibility and innovation culture needed to create new policy and practice to support the recovery of ecosystem integrity and open-ended restoration processes such as rewilding. 5. Given this, we need to initiate ordered and effective processes of institutional redesign. To this end, I have proposed five actions for discussion, namely: (a) adopt and embed a positive, hopeful and empowering narrative of nature recovery; (b) create 'nature recovery innovation zones', where existing policy and regulations are relaxed and new approaches are developed and tested; (c) develop functional classifications of nature to support the design of 'new generation' policy instruments; (d) create markets for ecosystem recovery based on units of ecosystem change to support the emergence of a nature recovery land economy; and (e) introduce programs of professional training in the science, principles and opportunities of ecosystem recovery at all levels in government and non-government conservation agencies. | 1405 People and Nature JEPSON How to cite this article: Jepson, P. R. (2022). To capitalise on the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, we need institutional redesign to empower advances in restoration ecology and rewilding.

Restore or rewild? Implementing complementary approaches to bend the curve on biodiversity loss

“…To ensure that benefits of potential synergies can be reaped, the restoration and rewilding communities need to come together, inform each other, and develop a shared agenda supporting the emergence of resilient, effective, nature‐based solutions (Jepson, 2022). Indeed, there is some progress in this direction.…”

“…Nature is a formidable ally in tackling the pressing environmental and societal challenges of our times, such as the current breakdown of our climate, but only if it can be allowed to recover at scale. To ensure that benefits of potential synergies can be reaped, the restoration and rewilding communities need to come together, inform each other, and develop a shared agenda supporting the emergence of resilient, effective, nature-based solutions (Jepson, 2022).…”

“…With rewilding being a developing concept in ecosystem stewardship, scientific discussion has so far focused on highlighting the conceptual similarities and differences between restoration and rewilding practices (see e.g., Jepson, 2022; Svenning, 2020), particularly in the light of a call to drop the term altogether (Hayward et al, 2019). The complementary nature of these approaches has been previously alluded to (Anderson et al, 2019; Corlett, 2016a).…”

Mapping the information landscape of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Strategy

“…These actions will require, in turn, strong, long‐lasting political will and positive behavioral changes from decision makers to rural communities and from social workers to scientists with support from both crowdfunding and institutional funding (Abhilash 2021). Furthermore, transdisciplinary research (Edrisi & Abhilash 2021; Farrell et al 2022) will be needed, along with a “culture of innovation” that brings in policies and practices to support the recovery of ecosystem integrity (Jepson 2022). Others emphasize enhancing the scientific evidence base to inform the wide range of management decisions in the context of the UNDER (Cooke et al 2019; Sutherland et al 2021; Farrell et al 2022).…”

The Curriculum and Community Environmental Restoration Science (STEM + Computer Science) Remote Learning Curriculum Use and Evaluation

“…By utilizing the talents, skills and education of the younger generation, environmental restoration and redevelopment can become realities. It is time to act and empower them (Jepson, 2022).…”