Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Ecological and environmental problems
Sustainability science
Human ecology
Ecological economics
Ecological restoration
Ecological engineering
Fig. 16.3
Numerous scientific
disciplines feed restoration
ecology which in turn aids in the
orientation of applied endeavours
and enterprises confronting
specific ecological and
environmental problems at
all levels of complexity.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
Population and
community ecology
Hydrology, pedology,
geomorphology, etc.
Systems and
landscape ecology
corresponding to the sum of the values of all the goods
and services that ecosystems provide to individuals and
to society. For those goods and services that are
traded in explicit markets, such as minerals, timber,
fuelwood, oils, resins, wild fruits and berries, medi-
cinal plants and mushrooms, it is possible to obtain their
market prices. Indeed, to calculate their respective mon-
etary values at a given time is often a straightforward
exercise, since market prices provide a great deal of
the necessary information. However, there are many
other ecosystem goods and services, for example
clean air, erosion protection, carbon sequestration, aes-
thetic amenities and recreational facilities, for which
well-defined property rights do not exist, which are
not traded in explicit markets and, therefore, do not
have explicit market prices. This is a crucial challenge
for the emerging integrative or sustainability science,
mentioned above. Restoration ecology and ecological
restoration are vital components of this new approach
or paradigm, but they must be integrated with con-
servation and long-term regional and 'planetary
ecological management' for well-being and sustain-
ability (Prescott-Allen
et al.
1991, Gadgil 1995, van
Eeten & Roe 2002, Carey 2003, 2004).
In Fig. 16.3 we summarize these ideas schematically.
Here it becomes clear which role restoration ecology
has to play. Ecological theories, as treated in Chapters
2-6, are now confronted with problems they did not
have to confront when they were first developed.
Large datasets are available, and significant progress
has been made in understanding alternative stable
states, species interactions, cross-scale effects and
metapopulation dynamics, to mention only a few. The
challenge now is to make such knowledge applicable
to the task of predicting and piloting the development
of future, mostly non-equilibrium, emerging eco-
logical systems, not only in terms of statistical prob-
abilities, but in specific cases and in a context of
pragmatic problem-solving and sustainability science.
This approach indicates the way forward.
16.3 The way forward
Restoration ecology is a branch of science that is
not only in the forefront of theoretical and applied
ecology today, but also at the cusp of integrative
sustainability science, ecosystem science and human
