How much does is cost to restore a grassland?

Abstract

Knowledge of the costs involved to implement a restoration project is imperative to most cost‐effectively allocate restoration funds, aid the prioritization of efforts, minimize waste, and conceive realistic objectives. When integrated with information regarding ecological and other socioeconomic indicators, consistent and complete cost‐reporting not only informs evaluations of overall project success but also aids practitioners and academics alike to assess the suitability of restoration innovations prior to implementation. Yet, despite awareness of the lack of cost information in restoration literature for at least 30 years, cost reporting, and thus analysis of cost variability, is still rare. This study discusses the results of a literature review and questionnaire conducted with grassland restoration practitioners internationally in order to better understand the costs related to grassland restoration, and to attempt to explain sources of variability in cost data. Only 12 scientific papers reporting cost data were retrieved, and although widely distributed, only 15 responses to the survey were registered. Northern hemisphere temperate grassland restoration projects dominated. Costs for grassland restoration were extremely variable, with costs of individual restoration activities/phases ranging from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. This variation derives from the highly context‐dependent nature of ecological restoration. The lack of cost data may hinder implementation of broader scale restoration projects, and mechanisms should be sought to collect standardized information and make it better available.