Abstract
Outcomes from restoration projects are often difficult for policymakers and stakeholders to assess, but this information is fundamental for scaling up ecological restoration actions. We evaluated technical aspects of the interventions, results (ecological and socio-economic) and monitoring practices in 75 restoration projects in Mexico using a digital survey composed of 137 questions. We found that restoration projects in terrestrial ecosystems generally relied on actions included in minimal (97%) and maximal (86%) intervention, while in wetlands, the preferred restoration strategies were intermediate (75%) and minimal intervention (63%). Only a third of the projects (38%) relied on collective learning as a source of knowledge to generate techniques (traditional management). In most of the projects (73%), multiple criteria (>2) were considered when selecting plant species for plantings; the most frequently used criterion was that plant species were found within the restoration area, native or naturalized (i.e., a circa situm criterion; 88%). In 48% of the projects, the biological material required for restoration (e.g., seeds and seedlings) were gathered or propagated by project implementers rather than purchased commercially. Only a few projects (between 33 and 34%) reached a high level of biodiversity recovery (>75%). Most of the projects (between 69 to71%) recovered less than 50% of the ecological services. Most of the projects (82%) led to improved individual relationships. The analysis revealed a need to implement strategies that are cost-effective, the application of traditional ecological knowledge and the inclusion of indigenous people and local communities in restoration programs at all stages—from planning to implementation, through monitoring. We also identified the need to expand research to develop effective tools to assess ecosystems’ regeneration potential and develop theoretical frameworks to move beyond short-term markers to set and achieve medium- and long-term goals. Cautious and comprehensive planning of national strategies must consider the abovementioned identified gaps.
Highlights
Restoration intervention is implemented to restore damaged ecosystems
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) from local communities, such as Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), has been recognized to have a valuable contribution to projects [15,16], TEK is currently almost never considered in restoration programs [17,18,19,20,21]
Favoring natural regeneration can potentially be applied to very large areas [4]
Summary
Minimal intervention, called “passive restoration” [1] or “unassisted forest regeneration” [2], includes actions to remove chronic disturbance for allowing natural succession to proceed [3]. This intervention is considered cost-effective for large-scale restoration [4]. Maximal intervention involves establishing restoration plantings, including enrichment planting [3]: establishment of valuable timber species in species poor forest [9] This approach is the most effective for recovering biodiversity, but it is usually an expensive technique [10,11]. The adequate selection of the level of restoration intervention depends on previous ecological knowledge, degree of disturbance, objectives, available budget, and restoration scale
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