Restoration ecology (class 22)

Question 1

What is ecological restoration?

Answer 1

The practice of restoring the species and ecosystems that occupied a site at some point in the past but were degraded, damaged, or destroyed

Question 2

What is restoration ecology?

Answer 2

The science of restoration- the research and scientific study of restored populations, communities, and ecosystems

Question 3

When are businesses or governments required by law to restore habitats they have degraded?

Answer 3

After strip mining, waste disposal, chemical pollution on military bases

Question 4

What is compensatory mitigation?

Answer 4

Also called biodiversity offset. A new site is created or rehabilitated in compensation for a site that has been destroyed elsewhere by development

Question 5

What 2 policies does the gov. of Canada use with conservation allowances?

Answer 5

• the Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat (DFO), supported habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act
• Canada’s Federal Policy on Wetland Conservation (FPWC)- conservation allowances to address impacts on wetlands in relation to the federal environmental assessment process

Question 6

What could conservation allowances involve?

Answer 6

De-listing an identified portion of a sanctuary or wildlife area, and at the same time, adding a new portion of land (the allowance area) to the listed area

Question 7

What happens when the allowance activity is aligned with “SARA’s” goals?

Answer 7

Environment Canada could include an allowance as part of permit conditions to further protect the species in order to make that proposed impact acceptable

Question 8

What does the Federal Policy on Wetland Conservation provide?

Answer 8

The FPWC provides a framework for mitigating proposed impacts on wetlands that are connected to federal actions
- also commits all federal departments to the overall goal of no net loss of wetland functions on federal lands or as a result of federal programs

Question 9

What are Environment & climate change Canada’s 6 elements of conservation allowance design?

Answer 9

1) Equivalency
2) Additionality
3) Location
4) Timing
5) Duration
6) Accountability

Question 10

6 elements:

Define equivalency

Answer 10

Conservation allowance projects should compensate for adverse impacts by protecting, enhancing, or restoring equivalent ecological function at another site

Question 11

What are “ecological functions”?

Answer 11

• processes that are carried out by an ecosystem and that are needed for the self-maintenance of that ecosystem (like nutrient cycling or seed dispersal)

Question 12

What should the ratio of conservation allowance area vs impacted habitat?

Answer 12

Greater than 1:1. Normally at least 2:1.

Question 13

6 elements:

Define additionality

Answer 13

Conservation allowances should provide ecological protection beyond what would be provided under a “business as usual” scenario. Ensures that the new ecological features replace what’s been lost.

Question 14

6 elements:

Define location

Answer 14

The location of conservation allowance should have a comparable ecosystem values (such as species composition and habitat structures)

Question 15

6 elements:

Define timing

Answer 15

Want allowances that can be implemented before the adverse impacts of proposed development occur

Question 16

6 elements:

Define duration

Answer 16

The positive effects of the conservation allowance should last an appropriate amount of time to compensate for the duration of ecological loss

Question 17

6 elements:

Define accountability

Answer 17

Allowances should be formalized with documentation

Question 18

What are the 3 mitigation measures?

Answer 18

1) avoidance of the proposed activity
2) minimize the impact of the activity
3) habitat compensation

Question 19

What should we aim for in restoration?

Answer 19

• pre-European settlement
• functioning ecosystem
• original ecosystem
• novel ecosystem

Question 20

How do we establish desired future condition?

Answer 20

• use reference sites/ecosystems
• knowledge of the former natural disturbance regime & former variability
• local knowledge
• historical references
• scientific literature
• professional opinion

Question 21

What is adaptive restoration?

Answer 21

continued monitoring of restoration sites over many years, so we can assess long-term success and see if further intervention is required

Question 22

What should a successfully restored ecosystem look like?

Answer 22

It should be

• dominated by native species
• contain representatives of all key functional groups of species
• have a physical environ. suitable for these
• and be secure from all outside disturbances

Question 23

How long can ecosystem recovery take?

Answer 23

Can take decades or centuries in some ecosystems (especially in cold sites)

Question 24

What’s the first step after damage to an ecosystem?

Answer 24

Must eliminate or control the damaging agent

Question 25

What happens after damaging agent is taken out of a damaged community?

Answer 25

• original community rebounds on its own
  OR
• not, if the original species is gone and there are no colonists

Question 26

What might you need to remove in highly damaged sites?

Answer 26

contaminants and invasive species

Question 27

What might you need to add to damaged sites?

Answer 27

soil, nutrients, water, native species

Question 28

What are 4 levels of ecological restoration techniques?

Answer 28

1. no action
2. rehabilitation
3. partial restoration
4. complete restoration

Question 29

Why might no action be taken in ecological restoration?

Answer 29

too expensive, other attempts fail, ecosystem has been known to recover spontaneously

Question 30

What constitutes “rehabilitation” in ecological restoration techniques?

Answer 30

Replacing the degraded ecosystem with a different but productive ecosystem type

Question 31

What constitutes “partial restoration” in ecological restoration techniques?

Answer 31

focuses on dominant or resilient species critical to the ecosystem function

Question 32

Why are fungi and bacteria a major community component?

Answer 32

soil decomposition and nutrient cycling

Question 33

Why are soil invertebrates a major community component?

Answer 33

soil structure

Question 34

Why are herbivorous animals a major community component?

Answer 34

reduce plant competition and maintain species diversity

Question 35

why are birds and insects a major community component?

Answer 35

essential for pollination

Question 36

why are birds and mammals a major community component?

Answer 36

insect predators, soil diggers, and seed dispersers

Question 37

What is reconciliation ecology?

Answer 37

developing urban places where people and biodiversity can coexist. Highly visible, benefits quality of life for city dwellers

Question 38

Give 2 examples of urban restoration examples

Answer 38

1. fresh kills landfill on Staten Island

2. Artist rendition of future site restoration (idk what this means)

Question 39

Canada is home to what percent of the world’s wetlands?

Answer 39

25%

Question 40

What will restoring river flow through dams do?

Answer 40

will help regenerate spring floods, beach and habitat for fish etc

Question 41

What is rewilding?

Answer 41

returning species (usually large mammals) to the landscape in order to approximate its natural condition prior to human impact

Question 42

What is the goal of rewilding?

Answer 42

Aimed at restoring and protecting natural processes and core wilderness areas, providing connectivity between such areas, and protecting or reintroducing apex predators and keystone species

Question 43

What is biocultural restoration and whats the goal?

Answer 43

• teaching biology and ecology to kids to create a community literate in conservation issues. The goal is to make people understand the natural history around them