Ecological Restoration Science

We’re planting trees — but losing biodiversity. Global efforts to restore forests are gathering pace, driven by promises of combating climate change, conserving biodiversity, and improving livelihoods. Yet a recent paper published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity warns that the biodiversity gains from these initiatives are often overstated — and sometimes absent altogether. Forest restoration is at the heart of Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to place 30% of degraded ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030. But the gap between ambition and outcome is wide. "Biodiversity will remain a vague buzzword rather than an actual outcome" unless projects explicitly prioritize it, the authors caution. Restoration has typically prioritized utilitarian goals such as timber production, carbon sequestration, or erosion control. This bias is reflected in the widespread use of monoculture plantations or low-diversity agroforests. Nearly half of the Bonn Challenge’s forest commitments consist of commercial plantations of exotic species — a trend that risks undermining biodiversity rather than enhancing it. Scientific evidence shows that restoring biodiversity requires more than planting trees. Methods like natural regeneration — allowing forests to recover on their own — can often yield superior biodiversity outcomes, though they face social and economic barriers. By contrast, planting a few fast-growing species may sequester carbon quickly but offers little for threatened plants and animals. Biodiversity recovery is influenced by many factors: the intensity of prior land use, the surrounding landscape, and the species chosen for restoration. Recovery is slow — often measured in decades — and tends to lag for rare and specialist species. Alarmingly, most projects stop monitoring after just a few years, long before ecosystems stabilize. However, the authors say there are reasons for optimism. Biodiversity markets, including emerging biodiversity credit schemes and carbon credits with biodiversity safeguards, could mobilize new financing. Meanwhile, technologies like environmental DNA sampling, bioacoustics, and remote sensing promise to improve monitoring at scale. To turn good intentions into reality, the paper argues, projects must define explicit biodiversity goals, select suitable methods, and commit to long-term monitoring. Social equity must also be central. "Improving biodiversity outcomes of forest restoration… could contribute to mitigating power asymmetries and inequalities," the authors write, citing examples from Madagascar and Brazil. If designed well, forest restoration could help address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. But without a deliberate shift, billions of dollars risk being spent on projects that plant trees — and little else. 🔬 Brancalion et al (2025): https://lnkd.in/gG6X36WP

This is a simple and effective technique for helping plants and trees establish in testing and arid conditions - even desert. The checkerboard of straw is cheap and easy to instal and provides low level protection and a micro climate as well as a degree of biomass as the straw degrades. Combined with a simple inoculant made of local forest soil ( if available) and mulched over, seeds or small saplings have a good chance of establishing and repairing degraded land. The technique has an interesting and inspiring background story too : The 'six old men of Babusha' were six Chinese farmers from the Gulang region of China. In the 1980's they made a commitment to reverse desertification of their farmland and even to try and re-green areas of the encroaching desert. The work of the original six farmers has been carried on by their sons and grandsons, resulting in the Babusha Forest Farm Cooperative that has now regenerated 25,000 hectares of desert and planted over 40 million native trees. In some areas tree cover has increased from just 3% to over 70% ! They originally worked with what they had available and created straw checkerboard grids en masse, to stabilise the shifting sands while preventing the damaging effects of the local desiccating winds. The highly effective straw grids allowed local trees and vegetation to be planted and to establish in the harsh landscape, offering the crucial first steps needed for restoration. 🌳 🌳 #biodiversity #restoration #reforestation #desertification #ecosystemrestoration #climatechange #nature #miyawakimethod

Fire regimes – the sequence, frequency, intensity and spatial pattern of fires – shape ecosystems. When those regimes shift, many species are pushed to the brink. Our new review article in nature reviews biodiversity synthesises what makes some species especially sensitive to altered fire regimes and what managers can do about it. ⭐ 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: • 𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸? Species with long generation times, low reproductive rates, or limited dispersal, especially in landscapes already fragmented by past fires. • 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Maintaining or restoring spatial patchiness from fire helps create refuges and recovery pathways. • 𝗗𝗼 𝗻𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲: Post-fire actions can make or break recovery – avoid salvage logging, control invasive species, and protect surviving habitat. • 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻: Fire interacts with other stressors (land clearing, grazing, invasive predators, drought). Reducing these co-stressors is essential. • 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺: We need more long-term studies across multiple fire events to understand compounding effects and guide policy. If we want biodiversity to persist under a changing climate, fire management has to move beyond single events and address fire regimes and the cumulative disturbances that amplify risk. Read the review here: https://lnkd.in/gNDYHjwC Photo source: https://lnkd.in/gU3twCNw #fireecology #bushfire #biodiversity #conservation #landscapemanagement #ecology #adaptation #evidencebasedpolicy.

Foxholes: The Simple, Brilliant Reforestation Method You’ve Probably Never Heard Of 🌳 In Madagascar, Ecosia and The Phoenix Conservancy are restoring forests using a method called 'foxholes' and it doesn’t involve planting saplings. It immediately reminded me of half-moon Earth bunds. Simple, effective and surprisingly powerful. Instead of raising delicate nursery saplings and hoping they survive in harsh conditions, foxholes mimic how forests regenerate naturally. Seeds are scattered into shallow basins, where they compete naturally for light, water and nutrients, just as they would in the wild. The results? ⤷ 30x more trees ⤷ 2x the plant diversity ⤷ 30% lower cost than traditional tree planting This technique rebuilds ecosystems, supports local livelihoods and creates space for endangered species like the ring-tailed lemur to return. Foxholes build on restoration techniques developed in Central and South America, especially ‘applied nucleation’, which is the practice of planting small patches of forest to kickstart natural regeneration. And while the method isn’t new, Ecosia is helping it scale, connecting partners across continents, from Madagascar to Brazil. Effective restoration doesn’t need to be high-tech or high-cost. Sometimes, all it takes is a shallow hole and a deeper understanding of nature. One rooted in the same wisdom that has guided indigenous land stewards for generations: work with nature, not against it. #NatureRestoration #Rewilding #TreePlanting #Biodiversity #Conservation 🎞️ Ecosia

These are all lost ponds - mapped, remembered, and ready to return.   Once, nearly every field had a pond. They weren’t just decorative - they were vital for holding water, supporting biodiversity, and structuring the landscape. Frogs, newts, dragonflies, and wild plants thrived in them. Farmers relied on them.   Over time, many were filled in for modern agriculture - quietly erased. But their footprints remain.   At ArchAI, using historic maps from 1900 and our AI-driven process, we’ve traced these ponds across the country. Our Lost Landscapes dataset shows exactly where they once existed, and helps identify which ones can be brought back.   Restoring ponds doesn’t have to be speculative. The data shows where they worked before, and where they could work again. It’s one of the clearest, most targeted opportunities for ecological recovery at scale.   Let’s stop guessing. Let’s bring them back, field by field.   #LostLandscapes #NatureRestoration #PondRestoration #GhostPonds #FreshwaterHabitats #AI #GIS #Ecology

A key principle in ecological restoration is identifying an appropriate reference ecosystem to guide project goals and enable monitoring and assessment. This reference can be a real site or a conceptual model built from multiple data sources, including historical records and field indicators. It reflects the composition, structure, and function of the original, pre-degradation ecosystem, typically including local indigenous species and, in some cases, species that have recently migrated due to climate change. Regional information can help infer the likely original ecosystem when local data is scarce. Reference models should also describe successional stages showing ecosystem decline or recovery. The Ecological Recovery Wheel (ERW), developed by SER, is a tool used to visually track restoration progress by comparing current ecosystem attributes to those of the reference model. The figure below shows one ERW with the baseline conditions, while another after 10 years of restoration demonstrates significant improvement, with over half of the attributes reaching a 4-star rating.#ecologicalrestoration #referenceecosystems #landrestoration

Two decades ago, researchers started an experiment that would challenge the prevailing scientific understanding of plant communities. While modern agriculture reduces systems to single functions, the Jena Experiment showed how complexity creates resilience. The setup was simple but groundbreaking: 82 grassland plots, ranging from monocultures to combinations of 60 species, monitored for over 20 years. What they discovered would expose fundamental flaws in our understanding of agricultural systems. The results were transformative. Plots with 16+ species showed triple the soil carbon storage, built topsoil 2.7x faster, supported 45% more pollinators, and were 50% more drought resistant than monocultures. But the numbers only tell half the story. The real breakthrough came from watching these communities evolve. Species that initially competed fiercely for resources began developing sophisticated sharing networks. The plants weren't just coexisting—they were actively cooperating in ways not previously observed. This wasn't random. High-diversity plots consistently outperformed monocultures across every metric. After 15 years, they showed 84% less variation in biomass production and recovered from drought twice as fast. Nature was proving that diversity equals stability. The findings shatter a core assumption of modern agriculture – that we can predict plant performance based on individual traits. The most productive combinations weren't those that looked good on paper; they were the ones that had time to adapt to each other. Below ground, these plant communities were building complex networks. Soil analysis revealed extensive mycorrhizal connections and unprecedented microbial diversity. The plants weren't just growing together – they were creating entirely new ecosystems. The implications for agriculture are profound. Our current approach of testing combinations for 1-2 seasons systematically underestimates their potential. Many of the most successful plant communities in Jena looked unimpressive until year 3 or 4. The benefits followed a clear timeline: Year 1-2: Competitive establishment Year 3-4: Initial cooperation patterns emerge Year 5-7: Stable resource-sharing networks form Year 8+: Maximum ecosystem services achieved The data tells a compelling story. Without any external inputs, diverse plots achieved: 180% higher carbon sequestration 50% lower pest pressure 70% better nutrient retention 2.3x higher drought tolerance The Jena Experiment isn't just research – it's a wake-up call. We've been simplifying agricultural systems when we should have been embracing their complexity. The future of farming isn't in monocultures – it's in managed ecosystems.

This cardboard donut is helping to grow trees in dry areas! It's called the Cocoon, and it's developed by Dutch company Land Life. So far, they've planted more than 10 million trees with the Cocoon and other innovative planting methods in severely degraded land all over the world. So how does it work? First, you dig a shallow pit and place a seedling inside it and pack it with soil to secure it in place. The Cocoon is then placed around the seedling, and it's filled to the trim with water. A lid is then added to prevent the water inside from evaporating. Soil is then packed around the cocoon, and over time, the water seeps into the soil, helping the seedling's roots grow healthy. A shelter is then added to protect the growing seedling from too much sun exposure, the wind and small animals. The cocoon is made from recycled cardboard, and is 100% biodegradable. Land Life says The Cocoon helps trees establish in arid and degraded environments with only 25 liters of water. Using x1000 less water than traditional methods. It provides survival rates up to 95% in hot and dry areas. There are 2 billion hectares of degraded land worldwide, that's a bigger area than South America. So reforestation projects like this are vital to reverse this critical situation!

We can regenerate anywhere🌴 Restoring our harshest deserts Earth smiles or half-moon bunds have been used for centuries. Indigenous communities using the technique to trap water and restore life. Now, being used for regeneration and to halt desertification in Northern Africa. Historically, they were used in the following ways:  'Egypt: Where they were constructed to manage floodwaters from the Nile and Tigris-Euphrates rivers, the bunds helping to create fertile agricultural lands. India: In arid regions like Rajasthan, similar techniques have been used for centuries to capture monsoon rains and reduce soil erosion. Key Benefits: 🌊 Water Conservation: The excavated bund soil is placed on the downhill side to form a barrier, with the open end facing uphill to capture runoff water. This method significantly improves soil moisture by efficiently capturing and storing rainwater. 🏔 Erosion Control: The bund structures also reduces soil erosion by slowing down water flow and encouraging sediment deposition. 🥙 Food Security: Often food crops that can survive in poor soils (and can grow quickly) are cultivated in or by the bunds, including Pigeon Pea, Lablab, Sweet Potato, Moringa and Sorghum 🏞 Environmental Restoration: This increased vegetation cover helps restore degraded lands (60% of land is degrading in sub-Saharan Africa), promotes biodiversity and sequesters carbon ' There can be a lot of negativity in the world, but amazing projects like this prove, we can restore our natural world, anywhere in the world. #Biodiversity #regeneration #natureconservation #waterconservation 

Disturbing land without a plan? That dirt doesn’t stay put. Once it rains, loose soil becomes sediment pollution—and it doesn’t take long for that mud to end up in nearby streams, lakes, or wetlands. Sediment doesn’t just cloud the water, it chokes aquatic life, fills in critical habitat, and turns once-healthy streams into biologically impaired waterways. Whether you’re managing a 1-acre job or a 500-acre site, your actions upstream affect water quality downstream. The only thing standing between your site and a busted stream? BMPs that are actually designed, installed, maintained, and doing their job. SWPPPs are more than paperwork, they’re the frontline defense for our watersheds. As a society, we need to take responsibility for their effectiveness and preserving and maintaining our water quality. If we don’t, we will pay the price later. Graphic Prompt: Before and After - Bare, unprotected soil on a large grading project. Stormwater is visibly running off the site, carrying sediment into a ditch that leads to a muddy stream below. vs proper BMPs in place: silt fencing, inlet protection, mulched areas, and vegetated buffers. Runoff is visibly reduced and clear. Text: “When You Disturb Land, You Impact Water. Choose Wisely.”