Functional Restoration of Social-Forestry Systems Across Spatial and Temporal Scales

Abstract

Functional restoration of forests can be addressed as a combined socioeconomic and ecological complex system that involves both spatial and temporal hierarchies. Neither socioeconomic nor ecological systems are stable or have any central control or organization. Instead, they can change at different scales in many ways and be more or less vibrant—and more or less useful to people for different values. Restoration can direct these changes by determining what to control at each hierarchical level and what to allow to change on its own at a given time. Restoration at longer times and broader spatial scales involves much imprecision and uncertainty and is done with a few, careful controls. These controls are passed to each smaller spatial and temporal scale and other, more specific controls are added. Much has changed since most United States forest policies were instituted, so many of these policies need to be reevaluated. Rather than repeat policies and practices that worked in the past, we can look for new restoration solutions that are in line with our current understanding of complex systems. Many old forestry policies in the United States need changing to restore the forest functions in ways helpful to people.