Foundations of Restoration Ecology: The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration (Science Practice Ecological Restoration)

379 Pages·2006·3.85 MB·English

by  Richard J. Hobbs

SCIENCE/NATURE
T S P E R S E R I
HE CIENCE AND RACTICE OF COLOGICAL ESTORATION OCIETY FOR COLOGICAL ESTORATION NTERNATIONAL
Advance praise for Foundations of Restoration Ecology
F
OUNDATIONS OF
“Restoration is a keystone strategy for conserving biodiversity, and ecology has matured into Falk
a central discipline of the biological sciences. This important work shows us that their synergy
Palmer
offers new hope for the future of life on Earth.” R E
—Edward O. Wilson, author of two Pulitzer Prize–winning books, Zedler ESTORATION COLOGY
University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
“Humanity has damaged more than half the land surface on Earth, making restoration an
essential tool to preserve biodiversity. It is also the ultimate test of whether we scientists know
enough to do the job. There is no better place to find out than inside this book.”
—Stuart Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology, Duke University
“The publication of this book is an important event, a coming-of-age of restoration—it’s
an indispensable key to the survival and well-being of classic ecosystems, setting the context
for basic ecological research. A rich trove of ecological theory in productive and provocative R
dialogue with restoration practice.”
E
—William R. Jordan III, director, New Academy and DePaul University Institute
S
for Nature and Culture F
T
O
“This volume explores classical ecological theory from a perspective that identifies optimal O
strategies behind the practical application of restoration ecology in the near future. The U
R
editors and authors have produced a paragon of sustainability science.”
A N
—Jelte van Andel, professor of plant ecology, University of Gronigen, The Netherlands
T D
“This is a comprehensive synthesis of the conceptual basis of the field of restoration ecology.
I
With contributions by leading theoretical ecologists as well as by recognized restoration O A
ecologists, it covers the range of hierarchies from population genetics to macroecology.” T
N
—Edith B. Allen, professor, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, I
O
University of California, Riverside
E
N
DONALD A. FALK is on the faculty in dendrochronology at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring
C
Research, University of Arizona. MARGARET A. PALMERis a professor of entomology at S
the University of Maryland and director of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory at the O
O
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences. JOY B. ZEDLER is the Aldo
L
Leopold Chair of Restoration Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. O F
Foundations of Restoration Ecology is part of the series The Science and Practice of G
Ecological Restoration, from the Society of Ecological Restoration International and
Y
Island Press.
Washington • Covelo • London
www.islandpress.org
All Island Press books are printed on recycled, acid-free paper. Edited by
Cover design by Amy Stirnkorb
Donald A. Falk, Margaret A. Palmer, and Joy B. Zedler
Cover photos: Clockwise from left: Karner Blue butterfly, courtesy of Ellis Margolis,
University of Arizona; Gaillardia, courtesy of Mark Simmons, Lady Bird Johnson
Foreword by Richard J. Hobbs
Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas; Ptarmigan Mountain at the head of Lick Creek,
Bob Marshall Wilderness area, Flathead National Forest, Montana, courtesy of
James P. Riser II; and Sierra Tarahumara, Sonora, Mexico, courtesy of Don Falk.
i
about island press
Island Press is the only nonprofit organization in the United States whose principal purpose is the pub-
lication of books on environmental issues and natural resource management. We provide solutions-
oriented information to professionals, public officials, business and community leaders, and concerned
citizens who are shaping responses to environmental problems.
In 2006, Island Press celebrates its twenty-first anniversary as the leading provider of timely and
practical books that take a multidisciplinary approach to critical environmental concerns. Our growing
list of titles reflects our commitment to bringing the best of an expanding body of literature to the envi-
ronmental community throughout North America and the world.
Support for Island Press is provided by the Agua Fund, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Doris
Duke Charitable Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Kendeda Sustainability
Fund of the Tides Foundation, Forrest C. Lattner Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, The John
D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Marisla Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foun-
dation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, Oak
Foundation, The Overbrook Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Winslow
Foundation, and other generous donors.
The opinions expressed in this book are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views of these foundations.
about the society for ecological
restoration international
The Society for Ecological Restoration International (SER) is an international nonprofit organization
comprising members who are actively engaged in ecologically sensitive repair and management of
ecosystems through an unusually broad array of experience, knowledge sets, and cultural perspectives.
The mission of SER is to promote ecological restoration as a means of sustaining the diversity of life
on Earth and reestablishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture.
SER, 285 W. 18th Street, #1, Tucson, AZ 85701. Tel. [phone], Fax [phone], e-mail,
[email protected], www.ser.org.
foundations of restoration ecology
Society for Ecological Restoration International (SER)
The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration
James Aronson, editor
Donald A. Falk, associate editor
Wildlife Restoration: Techniques for Habitat Analysis and Animal Monitoring,
by Michael L. Morrison
Ecological Restoration of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Forests,
edited by Peter Friederici, Ecological Restoration Institute
at Northern Arizona University
Ex SituPlant Conservation: Supporting the Survival of Wild Populations,
edited byEdward O. Guerrant Jr., Kayri Havens, and Mike Maunder
Great Basin Riparian Ecosystems: Ecology, Management, and Restoration,
edited byJeanne C. Chambers and Jerry R. Miller
Assembly Rules and Restoration Ecology: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice,
edited byVicky M. Temperton, Richard J. Hobbs, Tim Nuttle, and Stefan Halle
The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands,
edited byStephen Packard and Cornelia F. Mutel
The Historical Ecology Handbook: A Restorationist’s Guide to Reference Ecosystems,
edited byDave Egan and Evelyn A. Howell
Foundations of Restoration Ecology,
edited byDonald A. Falk, Margaret A. Palmer, and Joy B. Zedler
Foundations of
Restoration
Ecology
Edited by
Donald A. Falk, Margaret A. Palmer, and Joy B. Zedler
Foreword by
Richard J. Hobbs
Society for Ecological Restoration International
Washington •Covelo •London
Copyright © 2006 Island Press
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission
in writing from the publisher: Island Press, 1718 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300,
Washington, D.C. 20009, USA.
No copyright claim is made in the work of Jeanne C. Chambers, Carla M. D’Antonio, Eric E. Knapp,
Constance I. Millar, and Christopher M. Richards, employees of the federal government.
ISLAND PRESSis a trademark of The Center for Resource Economics.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Foundations of restoration ecology / edited by Donald A. Falk, Margaret
A. Palmer, and Joy B. Zedler ; foreword by Richard J. Hobbs.
p. cm. — (Science and practice of ecological restoration)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-59726-016-9 (cloth : alk. paper)— ISBN 1-59726-017-7 (pbk. :
alk. paper)
1. Restoration ecology. I. Falk, Donald A. II. Palmer, Margaret A.
III. Zedler, Joy B. IV. Series.
QH541.15.R45F68 2006
577—dc22
2005026650
British Cataloguing-in-Publication Data available
Printed on recycled, acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
contents
foreword ix
Richard J. Hobbs
acknowledgments xi
1.Ecological Theory and Restoration Ecology 1
Margaret A. Palmer, Donald A. Falk, and Joy B. Zedler
PART I. Ecological Theory and the Restoration of Populations
and Communities 11
2.Population and Ecological Genetics in Restoration Ecology 14
Donald A. Falk, Christopher M. Richards, Arlee M. Montalvo,
and Eric E. Knapp
3.Ecophysiological Constraints on Plant Responses in a Restoration Setting 42
James R. Ehleringer and Darren R. Sandquist
4.Implications of Population Dynamic and Metapopulation Theory
for Restoration 59
Joyce Maschinski
5.Restoring Ecological Communities: From Theory to Practice 88
Holly L. Menninger and Margaret A. Palmer
6.Evolutionary Restoration Ecology 113
Craig A. Stockwell, Michael T. Kinnison, and Andrew P. Hendry
PART II. Restoring Ecological Function 139
7.Topographic Heterogeneity Theory and Ecological Restoration 142
Daniel Larkin, Gabrielle Vivian-Smith, and Joy B. Zedler
8.Food-Web Approaches in Restoration Ecology 165
M. Jake Vander Zanden, Julian D. Olden, and Claudio Gratton
9.The Dynamic Nature of Ecological Systems: Multiple States and
Restoration Trajectories 190
Katharine N. Suding and Katherine L. Gross
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viii contents
10.Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Restored Ecosystems:
Extracting Principles for a Synthetic Perspective 210
Shahid Naeem
11.A Modeling Framework for Restoration Ecology 238
Dean L. Urban
PART III. Restoration Ecology in Context 257
12.Using Ecological Theory to Manage or Restore Ecosystems Affected
by Invasive Plant Species 260
Carla M. D’Antonio and Jeanne C. Chambers
13.Statistical Issues and Study Design in Ecological Restorations:
Lessons Learned from Marine Reserves 280
Craig W. Osenberg, Benjamin M. Bolker, Jada-Simone S. White,
Colette M. St. Mary, and Jeffrey S. Shima
14.Ecological Restoration from a Macroscopic Perspective 303
Brian A. Maurer
15.Climate Change and Paleoecology: New Contexts for Restoration Ecology 315
Constance I. Millar and Linda B. Brubaker
16.Integrating Restoration Ecology and Ecological Theory: A Synthesis 341
Donald A. Falk, Margaret A. Palmer, and Joy B. Zedler
about the editors 347
about the contributors 349
index 355
foreword
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is
where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
Henry David Thoreau (1854)
It is axiomatic that any building needs firm foundations on which to rest, to ensure its
strength and persistence. The taller the building the deeper and more secure its foundations
must be. So, too, with fields of endeavor: lasting success and influence depends on the devel-
opment of firm foundations on which the field can develop and grow.
For restoration ecology, these foundations are being put in place now. The importance of
restoration ecology as the science that informs the practice of ecological restoration has in-
creased dramatically over a relatively short period of time. Although the need for environ-
mental repair has been recognized for a long time, and there have been attempts to restore
different types of ecosystem for many decades, the science underpinning these attempts is
still young and in a formative stage.
Restoration ecology has been raised within other parent disciplines, particularly ecology,
which have their own long and venerable traditions. It is in these disciplines that restoration
ecology finds the principles and ideas to guide its development. The building blocks with
which the scientific foundations of restoration ecology are being constructed come from a
broad range of topics and approaches within theoretical and applied ecology and other fields.
These building blocks are not necessarily taken unchanged into restoration ecology; rather,
they often need to be reworked in recognition of the fact that the science interacts strongly
with the practicalities of doing restoration. Theory has to make sense in practice. Indeed, the
practice of restoration should ideally serve as a testing ground, which can help inform and
improve ecological theory, as has been eloquently argued in the past (Bradshaw 1987).
At the same time, the success and effectiveness of restoration practice can be significantly
enhanced by ensuring that ideas and approaches being used are based on an up-to-date un-
derstanding of how ecosystems are put together and function, and by being able to learn from
successes and failures in other systems and other parts of the world. The practice of ecologi-
cal restoration has frequently been based largely on local understanding of how particular
ecosystems work, without any real reference to a recognized body of theory or generalized
framework. Some of these local restoration projects have been spectacularly successful in
ix