Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
perspectives as well as greater scientific foundations in restoration projects (Jordan
2003; Choi 2007; Temperton 2007). In other words, ecological economics has much
to contribute to, and learn from, restoration ecology and ecological restoration.
This chapter introduces the lessons learned in the field of ecological economics to
advocates of restoration in order to bring greater effectiveness to our collective actions.
In this chapter, we critically review various concepts from neoclassical and ecological
economics, explain why they would prove to be useful in understanding the socioeco-
nomic and political contexts of ecological restoration, and suggest the key areas of so-
cial research interests for postnormal ecological restoration studies. To illustrate the
interface between highlighted economic concepts and on-the-ground restoration ef-
forts, we provide examples from forest restoration in the western United States and de-
tail why these connections are applicable to broad ranges of restorative actions.
Is Ecological Restoration a Rational Choice?
Ecological restoration is our effort to mediate past mistakes and reestablish the eco-
logical integrity of an ecosystem while protecting human interests. According to the
Society for Ecological Restoration, “Ecological restoration is the process of assisting
the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed” (SER
2004, 3). One would be hard pressed to argue against the “recovery of damaged eco-
systems,” in principle and, indeed, both ecological restoration and restoration ecology
experienced astonishing growth in the past decades (Choi 2004, 2007; Davis and Slo-
bodkin 2004). Although significant research efforts help settle the public concerns for
biological and ecological consequences of most forms of restoration, the majority of
restoration-related management action to date has been either mitigation required by
law (Holl, Crone, and Shultz 2003) or as a response to protect social and economic in-
terests threatened by degraded ecosystem functions and processes. For example, most
forest restoration efforts in the western United States have primarily been fuels reduc-
tion treatments within or near the wildland-urban interface. Likewise, large restora-
tion projects in the Florida Everglades, Denmark's Skern River, and the San Fran-
cisco Bay delta were all catalyzed only when degradation caused by development
began severely impacting social and economic interests, typically in the form of re-
duced water quantity or quality (Weisskoff 2000; Mitsch and Jorgensen 2004).
Currently, capital and property, along with the associated ecosystem services nec-
essary for the inflation of their economic value, need to be at risk in order to galvanize
the social, political, and economic will to undertake large restoration projects. How-
ever, anticipating future risks combined with the economic and ecological gains that
come from proactive management certainly justify ecological restoration of degraded
areas prior to their impingement on society's lifestyle. We believe that a basic under-
standing of economic efficiency and its limits can help us answer the question of
whether or not ecological restoration is a rational choice, and can provide an explo-
ration of a new role for economics in ecological restoration—one that does not throw
the baby out with the bathwater.
