1 - Introduction

Abstract

Wetlands deliver a myriad of ecosystem services that benefit people and nature. They provide food and fiber, habitat for plants and animals; buffer waves and floodwaters; remove pollutants; and sequester carbon. They offer recreational opportunities and a spiritual connection to the natural world. Wetlands worldwide have been lost at an alarming rate; therefore, there is much interest in restoring and creating them. Compared with terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, wetlands possess unique hydrology, vegetation, and soils that must be reestablished to restore them. It is critical to set preestablished goals prior to restoration. This is necessary because (1) not all wetlands provide the same kind and levels of ecosystem services, (2) it may not be possible to restore the environmental template, especially hydrology and water chemistry, needed to reestablish these services, and (3) some services, such as habitat for rare and endangered species and water quality improvement, are not compatible with each other. This book aims to introduce how modern ecological knowledge including theory, disturbance, succession, ecosystem development, and traditional ecological knowledge can guide restoration efforts and how practices, introducing propagules, amendments, and beneficial associations of species can accelerate development of a fully functioning and self-sustaining ecosystem.