Download Restore to what?

Wetland
Restoration
Success Stories
Presented by Arin C. Haverland
To restore or not to
restore?…that is the question!
In restoring wetlands we must ask:






Restore to what?
Is restoration of wetlands more important than
existing wetlands?
Is it advantageous?
Help or Hinder biodiversity?
Will endangered species become more susceptible
to invasive species?
To what degree will habitats be destroyed in the
process?
Challenges in Wetland Restoration
Complex, Costly & Controversial
The term “wetland” is ambiguous
Multiple agencies-NOAA, WFS. WWF, EPA,
ACOE, NRCS
Lack of records and ecologically mature
restored wetlands, lack of understanding
No immediate results, great uncertainty
Difficult to mimic flood pulsing and
disturbance regimes
Actual boundaries are difficult to pinpoint
Planning
Necessary, but
often an uphill
battle!
Challenges
Choosing a Project Site
Setting Goals and Objectives (such as full or
partial, active or passive restoration)
Using Reference Sites
 Translating to Action
Using Adaptive Management
 Securing Interest &
Publicizing the Project
Participation
Implementation
 Leadership
Monitoring
 Outlasting Political
Trends
Past, Present, and Future
Restorations


Design Theories are too
linear
Adequately monitor during
and after completion
“A major problem for all restorationists is that
they are attempting to recreate an ecosystem that is
no longer present on the site and is known only
from historical records”. (Allison 2002)
Green Oaks, Illinois
A survey of the third oldest tallgrass prairie restoration in the
Midwest demonstrates the difficulty in achieving a “Complete
Restoration” (Allison 2003)
Methods and Results
Original goal not achieved, but still SUCCESSFUL!
Agricultural Land
297
100
105
75 from
Original
list
71.4% Species Richness
Species Rich
Tallgrass Prairie
More Good News…
Continued Success in Europe!
(A. P. Grootjans and S. K. Verbeek 2002)
Meadows
Ag
Fens/Bogs
Ag
Grasslands
Meadow
Modeling Success
Used techniques
from river valleys in
Germany, Poland,
and the Netherlands
Success = Mineral
Soils, Disturbance
Dynamics, choose
areas least affected
by Drainage and
Agriculture
Yet another lovely response
curve….
 Mowing,
Rewetting and
Sod Cutting Regimes were
Manipulated & Monitored
 Flood pulsing and
Disturbance Regime
Finally…the take home message!




Do not second guess nature!
Restoration is complex, often costly, and the
results are uncertain.
Restoration is easier anf more successful then
creation.
As wetland functions are increasingly
understood, restorations may be significantly
more successful !!!!!!!!!!!