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regimes, appropriate soil conditions and other
benei cial biogeochemical and nutrient cycles
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2000).
Moreover, recommendations favor the imple-
mentation of simple, ecologically sound struc-
tural engineering approaches that are less likely
to give rise to unanticipated complications down
the road.
Employing renewable resources - To mimic
natural systems and minimize long-term human
maintenance costs, a designed wetland should
incorporate as many renewable resources
as possible (Mitsch and Jørgensen 2003). For
instance, designs could make use of natural
sources and l ows of water rather than attempt
to pump water in from a distance. Instead of
building erosion buffers from fabricated materi-
als that might require constant maintenance,
planning riparian buffers and vegetated stream
banks to minimize erosion and stabilize banks
during high-water events would be more sus-
tainable. Similarly, artii cial vegetation manage-
ment techniques that require constant upkeep
should be avoided (U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency 2000).
Using locally available resources would
support ecological integrity and make the
restored system more resilient to disturbances
and adaptable to changes (U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency 2000). Harnessing the power
of l owing water to deposit silt and alluvium
along riparian or deltaic wetlands and tidal
action to l ush out nutrient and sediment loads
along coastal marshes minimizes the need for
artii cial equipment to complete such tasks.
Such actions ensure a self-propagating system
that requires minimal human intervention once
an initial set of conditions has been established
(Mitsch and Jørgensen 2003). Even so, restored
systems do require some long-term manage-
ment to ensure their sustainability.
Rel ecting local geography - A wetland
rehabilitation project must be integrated in the
context of the broader landscape and watershed
within which it is located, either through biotic
or abiotic exchanges (Society for Ecological Res-
toration International 2004). Restoration projects
are necessarily localized. Yet, their design must
incorporate elements that also are germane to
the broader socio-ecological context. Bioengi-
neering of stream banks to prevent erosion
would have positive downstream externalities
beyond a particular wetland restoration site.
Similarly, a restoration project must consider
how it interfaces with or complements and aug-
ments other related projects in the area that
might also be working to expand habitat corri-
dors, minimize pollution, control runoff, improve
water quality, and control erosion (U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency 2000).
Adaptive management - Adaptive manage-
ment approaches ensure that adjustments could
be made to the overall restoration or rehabilita-
tion plan during any stage of its implementation
based on new information received or i eld
observations (Ramsar Convention Secretariat
2007a). Restoration efforts do not always follow
a set path and many unanticipated events could
necessitate changes to overall plans. Adaptive
management allows for adjustments to be made
throughout the implementation of a project.
Project monitoring is, thus, essential, and pro-
gress must be evaluated continually against
expected goals.
Balancing ecosystem and human needs -
Wetlands provide both human and ecosystem
services. Restoring wetlands requires a i ne
balance between meeting the needs of both. In
the developing world, wetland ecosystems have
been molded through centuries of human use.
In certain cases, resource-use practices have
struck a remarkably i ne balance between
meeting human needs and allowing for the
regeneration of the ecosystem and the preser-
vation of its ecological processes. However,
increased demand for resources may place
pressures on existing ecosystems. Restoration
projects in such contexts might incorporate
indigenous resource-use strategies and tradi-
tional knowledge that benei t the recovery of
these ecosystems (Society for Ecological Resto-
ration International and IUCN Commission on
Ecosystem Management (SERI IUCN) 2004;
Ramsar Convention Secretariat 2007a).
If humans form an integral part of how a
wetland is used, their views and needs must be
integrated and balanced with the ecological and
conservation objectives of a restoration project.
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