Journal ArticleDOI
Ecological Restoration of Streams and Rivers: Shifting Strategies and Shifting Goals
TLDR
In the field of river restoration, a plethora of new studies worldwide provide data on why and how rivers are being restored as well as the project outcomes as mentioned in this paper, and though there is well-accepted theory to support this, research on methods to implement and assess functional restoration projects is in its infancy.Abstract:
Ecological restoration has grown rapidly and now encompasses not only classic ecological theory but also utilitarian concerns, such as preparedness for climate change and provisioning of ecosystem services. Three dominant perspectives compete to influence the science and practice of river restoration. A strong focus on channel morphology has led to approaches that involve major Earth-moving activities, such as channel reconfiguration with the unmet assumption that ecological recovery will follow. Functional perspectives of river restoration aim to regain the full suite of biogeochemical, ecological, and hydrogeomorphic processes that make up a healthy river, and though there is well-accepted theory to support this, research on methods to implement and assess functional restoration projects is in its infancy. A plethora of new studies worldwide provide data on why and how rivers are being restored as well as the project outcomes. Measurable improvements postrestoration vary by restoration method and measur...read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Mapping the world’s free-flowing rivers
Günther Grill,Bernhard Lehner,Michele Thieme,B. Geenen,David Tickner,F. Antonelli,S. Babu,Pasquale Borrelli,L. Cheng,H. Crochetiere,H. Ehalt Macedo,R. Filgueiras,M. Goichot,Jonathan V. Higgins,Zeb S. Hogan,B. Lip,Michael E. McClain,J. Meng,Mark Mulligan,Christer Nilsson,Christer Nilsson,Julian D. Olden,Jeffrey J. Opperman,Paulo Petry,Paulo Petry,C. Reidy Liermann,Leonardo Sáenz,Leonardo Sáenz,S. Salinas-Rodriguez,P. Schelle,Rafael Schmitt,J. Snider,Florence Tan,Klement Tockner,Klement Tockner,Paula Hanna Valdujo,A. van Soesbergen,Christiane Zarfl +37 more
TL;DR: A comprehensive assessment of the world’s rivers and their connectivity shows that only 37 per cent of rivers longer than 1,000 kilometres remain free-flowing over their entire length.
Journal ArticleDOI
The science and practice of river restoration
TL;DR: A review of river restoration can be found in this article, where the authors critically examine how contemporary practitioners approach river restoration and challenges for implementing restoration, which include clearly identified objectives, holistic understanding of rivers as ecosystems, and the role of restoration as a social process.
Journal ArticleDOI
The importance of small waterbodies for biodiversity and ecosystem services: implications for policy makers
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify the priorities for research to underpin better protection of small waters and recommend policy actions needed to better integrate small waters into the management of catchments and landscapes, and identify reliable monitoring programs for small waters, develop effective measures to protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services they provide and ensure that regulators take full account of this critical part of the water environment.
Journal ArticleDOI
Linkages between flow regime, biota, and ecosystem processes: Implications for river restoration
Margaret A. Palmer,Albert Ruhí +1 more
TL;DR: How flow variability influences long-term persistence of riverine assemblages is demonstrated, and researchers are disentangling the direct effects of flow on communities and ecosystem processes from its indirect effects (e.g., via species interactions, light-blocking turbidity).
Journal ArticleDOI
Restoration and repair of Earth's damaged ecosystems
Holly P. Jones,Peter C. Jones,Edward B. Barbier,Ryan C. Blackburn,José María Rey Benayas,Karen D. Holl,Michelle L. McCrackin,Paula Meli,Daniel Montoya,Daniel Montoya,David Moreno Mateos +10 more
TL;DR: It is suggested that though ecosystems are progressing towards recovery following disturbances, they rarely recover completely and recovery rates slowed down with time since the disturbance ended, suggesting that the final stages of recovery are the most challenging to achieve.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Synthesizing U.S. river restoration efforts
Emily S. Bernhardt,Margaret A. Palmer,J. D. Allan,G. Alexander,K Barnas,Shane Brooks,J. Carr,Stephen R. Clayton,Cliff Dahm,J Follstad-Shah,David L. Galat,David L. Galat,S Gloss,Peter Goodwin,David D. Hart,Brooke A. Hassett,Robin Jenkinson,Stephen L. Katz,G. M. Kondolf,Phillip Spencer Lake,Rebecca Lave,Judy L. Meyer,T.K. O'donnell,L. Pagano,B Powell,Elizabeth B. Sudduth +25 more
TL;DR: The authors of as mentioned in this paper developed a comprehensive database of >37,000 river restoration projects across the United States, which are intended to enhance water quality, manage riparian zones, improve in-stream habitat, allow fish passage, and stabilize stream banks.
Journal ArticleDOI
Alternative states and positive feedbacks in restoration ecology
TL;DR: Models of alternative ecosystem states that incorporate system thresholds and feedbacks are now being applied to the dynamics of recovery in degraded systems and are suggesting ways in which restoration can identify, prioritize and address these constraints.
Journal ArticleDOI
Standards for ecologically successful river restoration
Margaret A. Palmer,Emily S. Bernhardt,J. D. Allan,Phillip Spencer Lake,G. Alexander,Shane Brooks,J. Carr,Stephen R. Clayton,Cliff Dahm,J. Follstad Shah,David L. Galat,S. G. Loss,Peter Goodwin,David D. Hart,Brooke A. Hassett,Robin Jenkinson,G.M. Kondolf,Rebecca Lave,Judy L. Meyer,T.K. O'donnell,L. Pagano,Elizabeth B. Sudduth +21 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose five criteria for measuring success of river restoration, with emphasis on an ecological perspective, and suggest standards of evaluation for each of the five criteria and provide examples of suitable indicators.
Journal ArticleDOI
The ecological limits of hydrologic alteration (ELOHA): a new framework for developing regional environmental flow standards
N. LeRoy Poff,Brian Richter,Angela Arthington,Stuart E. Bunn,Robert J. Naiman,Eloise Kendy,Mike Acreman,Colin Apse,Brian P. Bledsoe,Mary C. Freeman,James A. Henriksen,Robert B. Jacobson,Jonathan G. Kennen,David M. Merritt,Jay O'Keeffe,Julian D. Olden,Kevin H. Rogers,Rebecca Tharme,Andrew Warner +18 more
TL;DR: The ecological limits of hydrologic alteration (ELOHA) as mentioned in this paper is a framework for assessing environmental flow needs for many streams and rivers simultaneously to foster development and implementation of environmental flow standards at the regional scale.
Journal ArticleDOI
Enhancement of biodiversity and ecosystem services by ecological restoration: a meta-analysis.
TL;DR: A meta-analysis of 89 restoration assessments in a wide range of ecosystem types across the globe indicates that ecological restoration increased provision of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 44 and 25%, respectively, however, values of both remained lower in restored versus intact reference ecosystems.
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