Measuring rewilding progress

Rewilding is emerging as a promising restoration strategy to enhance the conservation status of biodiversity and promote self-regulating ecosystems while re-engaging people with nature. Overcoming the challenges in monitoring and reporting rewilding projects would improve its practical implementatio...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Torres, Aurora, Fernández, Néstor, Zu Ermgassen, Sophus, Helmer, Wouter, Revilla, Eloy, Saavedra, Deli, Perino, Andrea, Mimet, Anne, Rey-Benayas, José M., Selva, Nuria, Schepers, Frans, Svenning, Jens-Christian, Pereira, Henrique M.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/413582
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/413582
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85055177248
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Restoration
Biodiversity
Ecological processes
Ecosystem integrity
Ecosystem management
Monitoring
Descripción
Sumario:Rewilding is emerging as a promising restoration strategy to enhance the conservation status of biodiversity and promote self-regulating ecosystems while re-engaging people with nature. Overcoming the challenges in monitoring and reporting rewilding projects would improve its practical implementation and maximize its conservation and restoration outcomes. Here, we present a novel approach for measuring and monitoring progress in rewilding that focuses on the ecological attributes of rewilding. We devised a bi-dimensional framework for assessing the recovery of processes and their natural dynamics through (i) decreasing human forcing on ecological processes and (ii) increasing ecological integrity of ecosystems. The rewilding assessment framework incorporates the reduction of material inputs and outputs associated with human management, as well as the restoration of natural stochasticity and disturbance regimes, landscape connectivity and trophic complexity. Furthermore, we provide a list of potential activities for increasing the ecological integrity after reviewing the evidence for the effectiveness of common restoration actions. For illustration purposes, we apply the framework to three flagship restoration projects in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Argentina. This approach has the potential to broaden the scope of rewilding projects, facilitate sound decision-making and connect the science and practice of rewilding.