Influencing Landscape-Scale Revegetation Trajectories through Restoration Interventions

Abstract

This review focuses on potential approaches to restoring vegetation across former agricultural land, mainly considering the relatively well-studied case of once-forested landscapes. It presents an ecological framework within which the potential consequences of different practical interventions are described and compared, and then identifies implications for restoration decision-making. There is a still-growing range of restoration interventions other than high-cost intensive tree-planting. These aim to accelerate vegetation recovery at different stages of forest redevelopment, by removing factors that would otherwise have an inhibitory influence. Potential interventions include adding seed, installing structures to attract seed dispersers, selectively protecting or removing different vegetation elements (trees or ground plants) in the regenerating communities, and managing fire, livestock grazing or wildlife. Given the potential variety of approaches, at a landscape scale, the best solution is most likely a spatial mosaic that tailors specific restoration interventions to differing contexts and outcomes. However, the current evidence base is insufficient to adequately guide decisions about how to match method to site, landscape and cost. Research has typically been small-scale and often disconnected from restoration practice. Larger-scale investment in collaborative and innovative restoration trials and experiments is needed to enable better decision-making.