Chap 14 Flashcards
(18 cards)
Restoration ecology
the application of the principles of ecology of the practice of restoration
the research and scientific study of restored populations, communities, and ecosystems
Ecological restoration
the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action
Compensatory mitigation
a new site, often incorporating wetland communities, is created or rehabilitated in compensation for a site that has been destroyed elsewhere by development
restoration
generally, development is permissible, with agreement of compensatory mitigation
Place the environmental costs of development mostly on the individuals or entities that are impacting the environment
restoration comes______
with costs
most ecologists agree that wetlands cannot be replaced
reference sites
control sites that provided explicit restoration goals allowing for quantitative measures of the success of a project
Restoration Goal
is usually to re-create a historic landscape or species assemblage
requires choosing a specific time and place as a reference point
In the U.S, ________________ is usually the reference point
per-European settlement
reference point
when ecological damage is extensive, often difficult to determine
There are _____ main approaches to restoring communities
4
- passive restoration
- Rehabilitation
- Partial restoration
- complete restoration
Passive restoration
Taking no action and letting the ecosystem recover on its own
the typical approach for old agricultural fields of the eastern US
Rehabilitation
a degraded ecosystem is replaced with a different but productive ecosystem type
E.g, a degraded forest might be replaced with a productive pasture
Partial restoration
at least some of the ecosystem functions and some of the original, dominant species are restored
focuses on dominant species or especially resilient species that are critical to ecosystem function
Complete restoration
the area is completely restored to its original species composition and structure by an active program of site modification and reintroduction of the original
Case study: The Louisiana coast
has more than 4 million acres of wetlands
40% nations
among the world’s most diverse and productive
loses 25-35 square miles (25,000 acres) per year, 80% of the nation’s wetland loss occur here
BP oil drilling platform exploded
oil flowed for 86 days
208 million gallons of oil released into Gulf of Mexico
oil covered 68,000m^2
remediation
the active removal of pollutants from the environment
Bioremediation
the use of certain species of plants and bacteria that accumulate heavy metals and other toxins to restore soil health
Case study: The Louisiana coast; Plan
in 2012 the state released Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast
outlined plans to spend $50 bil over 50 yrs
lgest restoration plan ever assembled
