What motivates ecological restoration?

Abstract

Ecological restoration projects are motivated by diverse environmental and social reasons. Motivations likely vary between stakeholders or regions, and influence the approach taken to plan, implement, and monitor restoration projects. We surveyed 307 people involved in the restoration of native vegetation across Australia to identify their underlying motivations. We also elicited information on planning, implementation, and monitoring of restoration projects. We found that biodiversity enhancement is the main motivation for undertaking restoration, with biodiversity offsetting, water quality improvements, and social reasons as important secondary motivations. Motivations varied significantly by stakeholder type and region. Restoration projects primarily motivated by ecosystem service provision (e.g. water quality improvements and social reasons) sought less pristine ecological outcomes than projects motivated by biodiversity enhancement or offsetting. Rigorous monitoring designs (e.g. quantitative, repeatable surveys, and use of performance indicators) were rarely used in restoration projects, except for projects motivated by scientific research. Better alignment of different restoration motivations with the planning and monitoring of restoration projects should deliver greater benefits through setting appropriate objectives and evaluating outcomes against these objectives. These improvements will increase the capacity of the restoration practice to meet international biodiversity commitments and communicate restoration outcomes to stakeholders.

Using structured decision‐making to set restoration objectives when multiple values and preferences exist

“…This result points to potential gaps in the set of objectives identified at the workshop that could be considered when revisiting objectives or management alternatives at later phases in the SDM process, or taken into account when communicating with the public about the project aims and its expected outcomes. Nonetheless, the fundamental objectives identified at the workshop (Table ) are consistent with the findings of a study on what motivates restoration in Australia (Hagger et al ).…”

Use of seasonal forecasting to manage weather risk in ecological restoration

“…The methods used to design the survey and undertake sampling, and a copy of the full survey are provided in Hagger et al (2017). Restoration was defined as any method of reinstating native vegetation on previously cleared lands, including by plantings, seeding, assisted natural regeneration, or a combination of these methods.…”

Water availability drives aboveground biomass and bird richness in forest restoration plantings to achieve carbon and biodiversity cobenefits

“…Large‐scale reforestation is occurring worldwide, but many efforts involve planting productive monocultures (Chen et al, ; Hua et al, ) that may have limited benefits for biodiversity (Lindenmayer et al, ). In Australia, reforestation projects vary from native mixed‐species plantings that aim to reinstate habitat and enhance biodiversity (Hagger, Dwyer, & Wilson, ; Paul, Roxburgh, England, et al, ), to native forestry plantations and monocultures of eucalypts that aim to maximize timber yield or carbon sequestration (Paul, Roxburgh, de Ligt, et al, ; Stephens & Grist, ). Land managers in Australia can obtain payments for these planting types based on carbon sequestration predicted by the national carbon accounting model (DEE, , ).…”