Biodiversity Restoration Research Articles

Special Protection of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Natural Areas

The presented article provides information on specially protected natural areas of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The environmental strategy implemented under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev since the 70s of the last centuries is successfully continuing in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic today. The article also pays special attention to the beauty of the nature of Nakhchivan and the potential of ecotourism. As a result of the research, it was found that in the past period, in order to improve the environmental situation and protect biodiversity, the negative impact on the environment was minimized, and modern technologies were used in economic development. Specially protected natural territories have been created to protect the flora and fauna species of the territories that fascinate with aesthetic beauty, ecological balance, protection and restoration of biodiversity, the uniqueness of the natural environment, rare and endangered species. The article also contains detailed information about the territories of the Ordubad State Nature Reserve, Ordubad National Park, Shahbuz State Nature Reserve, Arpachay State Nature Reserve and Arazboyu State Nature Reserve, their geographical position, flora and fauna species listed in the Red Book. also reflected. Created and protected reserves, reserves and parks are also of particular importance in terms of visibility when conducting production experiments for high school students.

Continuous Monitoring of Soil Respiration After a Prescribed Fire: Seasonal Variations in CO2 Efflux

Prescribed burns have recently become a widespread environmental management practice for biodiversity restoration to reduce fuel load, to provide forest fire suppression operational opportunities, to favor plant recruitment or to manage wild species. Prescribed fires were again applied in Doñana National Park (southern Spain) after decades of non-intervention regarding fire use. Here, we assessed their impacts on the soil CO2 effluxes over two years after burning to test the hypothesis that if the ecosystem is resilient, soil respiration will have a rapid recovery to the conditions previous to the fire. Using soil automated CO2 flux chambers to continuously measure respiration in burned and unburned sites, we showed that soil respiration varies among seasons but only showed significant differences between burned and unburned plots in the fall season one year after fire, which corresponded with the end of the dry season. Comparing soil respiration values from the burned plots in the three fall seasons studied, soil respiration increased significantly in the fall one year after fire, but decreased in the following fall to the values of the control plots. This study highlights the resilience of soil respiration after prescribed fire, showing the potential benefits of prescribed fire to reduce catastrophic wildfires, especially in protected areas subjected to non-intervention.

Biodiversity conservation and restoration of wetlands in suburban areas: challenges and prospects

Context Wetland loss threatens global biodiversity. Peri-urban wetlands face acute pressures from urban expansion. Aims Investigate biodiversity and land-cover changes in two wetlands undergoing suburbanisation near Hangzhou, China. Methods Seasonal field surveys of birds, fish and amphibians, coupled with remote-sensing analysis of land-cover changes from 2009 to 2020. Key results Suburban wetlands exhibited unique degradation patterns, including reduced species diversity, simplified community structures and proliferation of invasive species, with 91 bird species being recorded, dominated by common residents, 25 still-water fish species with few carnivores and migratory species, and 5 ubiquitous amphibian species detected. Species richness was lower than in nearby conserved wetlands. From 2009 to 2020, 6–7% of the wetlands were lost to urban expansion and converted to artificial vegetation or infrastructure. Conclusions Ecological degradation is driven by rapid urbanisation, with habitats being fragmented by roads and converted to artificial land covers. Water pollution from insufficient treatment and abandoned aquaculture further impairs habitats. Implications Innovative integrated-management framework was proposed for wetlands biodiversity restoration in suburban area. Key strategies include (1) modernising traditional circular economies to sustain wise use, (2) wildlife-friendly infrastructure design, (3) targeted invasive species control, and (4) adaptive co-management informed by ongoing monitoring. This socio-ecological systems approach aims to harmonise biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage and sustainable development in threatened suburban wetlands.

Biodiversity impacts of recent land-use change driven by increases in agri-food imports

AbstractLand-use change such as the conversion of natural habitat to agricultural land has been a major driver of global biodiversity loss, prompting efforts at biodiversity restoration. However, restoration measures in certain areas can shift the detrimental biodiversity impacts elsewhere through the outsourcing of agri-food supply chains to biodiverse regions. This study examines the link between biodiversity impacts from land-use change and shifts in global supply chains from 1995 to 2022 by introducing a marginal allocation into multiregional input–output analysis. Almost 80% of recent global land-use change impacts were associated with increased agri-food exports from Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia + Pacific (excluding China). Conversely, increased imports to China, the United States, Europe and the Middle East accounted for almost 60% of recent global land-use change impacts from a consumption perspective, despite decreasing domestic impacts through restoration. Decreasing biodiversity impacts in temperate and arid regions have been partially achieved by outsourcing agri-food supply to tropical biodiversity hotspots. This results in a cumulated global extinction rate (1.4% global potential species loss since 1995), exceeding the planetary boundary by about fifty times, thus highlighting the need for policies incentivizing habitat protection in tropical regions and sustainable sourcing in agri-food supply chains.

Agroforestry and the Climate Crisis: Prioritizing Biodiversity Restoration for Resilient and Productive Mediterranean Landscapes

This study deals with the future of the traditional agroforestry systems (TAFSs) in the northern Mediterranean Basin. Important productive systems, such as ancient non-irrigated olive groves and extensive silvopastoral systems, from subalpine grasslands to coastal landscapes, are being irreversibly degraded, threatening the bio-cultural heritage of the Mediterranean region, an area recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. In the midst of the global biodiversity and climate crisis, immediate actions are proposed for the protection and conservation management of TAFSs, within a new EU policy framework. Having the TAFSs of Greece in the spotlight of this analysis, a four-step approach was used in order to review the value of agroforestry in terms of (a) biodiversity (birds, mammals, invertebrates and soil biota), (b) agroforestry landscapes, such as traditional olive groves on terraces and valonia silvopastoral systems, (c) ecosystem services, especially concerning cultural values, and (d) the modern threats to traditional agroforestry. Through this research, problems are highlighted and European policy priorities are defined. Our conclusion is that there is an immediate need to revise the European Union rural, forestry, and environmental policies in the Mediterranean region, following the provisions of the new EU Nature Restoration Law, in order to revive agroforestry landscapes and make them productive and sustainable again for the benefit of rural economies, local communities, and biodiversity, especially in marginal Mediterranean mountainous and island areas, where depopulation and susceptibility to wildfires are major threats.

Innovative Geotechnical Solutions for Sustainable Infrastructure Development

Aim: To examine innovative geotechnical solutions for sustainable infrastructure development. Problem Statement: The advancement in the world urbanization together with high rise in global population has alarmed the need for new infrastructures with additional innovative research to be conducted with already existing assets. Thus, It is important that geotechnical engineering should include basic practices targeting resource-efficient and environment-friendly techniques in order to add to sustainable development. Significance of Study: This technical review critically examines the innovative geotechnical solutions for sustainable infrastructure development. The content presented in this manuscript will be beneficial to professionals in the area of geotechnical engineering. Methodology: Recent relevant published articles in the area of innovative geotechnical solutions for sustainable infrastructure development were consulted. These include journal articles, conference papers, Asian Development Bank articles and unpublished doctoral documents. Discussion: The six main environmental objectives of the Taxonomy Regulation to ensure the contours of an environmentally sustainable infrastructure were stated to include: (1) sustainable protection and use of marine and water resources (2) pollution control and prevention (3) switch to a circular economy (4) mitigation of climate change (5) restoration and protection of ecosystems and biodiversity and (6) adaptation of climate change. The three phase methods for sustainability infrastructure development in geotechnics were critically discussed. An imaginary excavation site in the municipality of Rozzano was referenced as a case study to reveal the application of the proposed methodology to the soil treatment systems. It was noticed that the adoption of an LCA introduces additional deep knowledge and the required quantitative analysis for sizing the assessment. Conclusion: The examined innovative geotechnical solutions were contributory to sustainable infrastructure development.

Integrated Assessment of Disturbed Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing Technique

Introduction. Today, there is a need for a shared vision of restoration of disturbed ecosystems, which is defined as “the process of stopping and reversing degradation, leading to improved ecosystem services and restoration of biodiversity.”Problem Statement. The assessment and restoration of disturbed ecosystems has become especially relevant for the Ukrainian society now, as warfare has caused large-scale changes in environment and both short-term and long-term consequences for ecosystems in Ukraine.Purpose. Assessment of ecosystems disturbed as a result of warfare impact by remote sensing.Materials and Methods. Multispectral satellite imagery, ground truth data and ecosystems characteristics of study area have been used. Remotely sensed data processing, geospatial modelling, and mathematical statistics have been applied.Results. A warfare impact on the ecosystems of Ukraine has been overviewed. Possibility of using remote sensing methods have been considered; their advantages and disadvantages have been generalized. A demo example of the described technique for assessing the ecosystem conditions along the E40 highway on the west of Kyiv has been shown with the use of multi-time satellite imagery of very high resolution (0.5 m on the ground) between May 2020 and March 2022. The analysis of the obtained maps allows us to assess short-term changes in land cover: a decrease in the area of water bodies, coniferous and leafy plants, an increase in the open soil area. The ecosystem conditions map of the studied area enables identifying plots of high risk.Conclusions. Integrated remote assessment of the condition of disturbed ecosystems and geospatial analysis of corresponding risks are useful tools for the territory management. Remote sensing techniques are particularly important in the context of largescale warfare. In many cases, only remote sensing techniques can provide information on the condition of ecosystems that areinaccessible or dangerous for ground-based research. Currently, the proposed approach has been elaborated and tested over other territories, different ecosystems and other data sources. Completed and tested integral geo-information technology will be relevant for the post-war recovery of the territory of Ukraine. Further research should be focused on building a pool of quantitative models for probabilistic assessment of the risk of disruption of various ecosystems under diff erent conditions, as well as on obtaining an array of statistical data to increase the reliability of the resulting maps.

An exploration of biodiversity limits to grazing ruminant milk and meat production

The production and consumption of animal-source foods must be transformed to mitigate negative environmental outcomes, including greenhouse gas emissions and land-use change. However, livestock are also key for food production and for livelihoods in some settings, and they can help preserve biodiversity and certain ecosystems. Previous studies have not yet fully explored sustainability limits to the use of grazing lands for food production in the context of biodiversity. Here we explore ‘biodiversity limits’ to grassland ruminant production by estimating the meat and milk production from domestic ruminants limited to grazing areas and stocking densities where livestock can contribute to the preservation or restoration of biodiversity. With biodiversity-friendly grazing intensities at 0–20% biomass removal depending on aridity, this take on biodiversity limits corresponds to 9–13% and 26–40% of the current grassland-based milk and meat production, respectively. This equals only 2.2 kg of milk and 0.8 kg of meat per capita per year, globally, but altered management and moving from meat-specialized to meat-and-dairy systems could increase the potential production while still remaining within this approach to biodiversity limits.

Agroecological Yards, Food Sovereignty and Production of Ecosystem Services in South Bahia, Brazil

Objective: This study aims to characterize productive backyards, in the identity territory of the Far South of Bahia, highlighting the challenges, potential, characteristics, productive arrangements and ecosystem services perceived by families. Theoretical Framework: In this article, we will discuss the concepts of ecosystem services, productive backyards and agroecosystems. Method: The study was carried out in 18 agrarian reform settlement lots in the municipalities of Teixeira de Freitas and Prado/BA. Data were collected through interviews, semi-structured questionnaires, transversal walks, soil collection for chemical analysis and plant collection for identification. Results and Discussion: Productive backyards stood out for being a biodiverse space, important in generating income, especially non-financial income, promoting food sovereignty, improving soils and promoting quality of life for the families surveyed. The backyards ranged from 0.54 to 3.1 hectares and 94.4% have predominantly agroecological management. 230 special species were found, such as fruit, native, medicinal, horticultural and spiritual, and 15 ecosystem services were evaluated. We conclude that backyards are a powerful tool in promoting food sovereignty, generating income, environmental and biodiversity restoration and promoting of ecosystem services. Research Implications: Assess whether ecosystem services resulting from productive backyards are important for the construction of public policies and socio-biodiverse productive strategies for the family farming segment. Originality/Value: It is unprecedented research on settlement projects, presenting a research method, data and important information for evaluating productive backyards.

Understanding Key Stressors for Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Loss: An Overview

Biodiversity hotspots are the regions with high levels of endemic species and significant habitat loss. Coastal areas can exhibit distinct biodiversity hotspots due to their diverse habitats, such as coral reefs, mangrove forests, and intertidal zones. These hotspots often support unique assemblages of species adapted to specific coastal conditions. Ecosystem services provided by marine biodiversity include provisioning services (seafood, resources for medicine); regulating services (stable climate and clean water); cultural services (recreational and mental benefits: sea bathing); and supporting services (nutrient circulation and photosynthesis). Despite some successful conservation efforts, biodiversity continues to decline. Marine ecosystems are vulnerable to rapid changes in diversity and function. Major pressures and threats causing increasing pressure on coastal and marine biodiversity include climate change, ocean acidification, habitat destruction and changes in sea use, invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution. Preservation of coastal biodiversity is of prime importance for human wellbeing. The coastal ecosystems sustain diverse life forms and also safeguard essential ecological services. Therefore conservation and restoration of coastal biodiversity is a timeless responsibility for sustainable development. In light of these observations, this review aims to update recent information from the available literature on the key stressors of marine and coastal biodiversity loss. This study also suggests the strategies to be implemented for successful conservation and restoration of coastal and marine biodiversity.

Vegetative propagation of Bagoadlau (Xanthosthemon philippinensis Merr.) using indolebutyric acid

The research investigated the vegetative propagation of Bagoadlau (Xanthosthemon philippinensis Merr.) stem cuttings using different concentrations of indolebutyric acid (IBA). Pretreated cuttings were planted in polyethylene bags and observed in a fully covered chamber for 45 days. The study employed a single trial of completely randomized design (CRD) with five treatments (500 ppm, 100 ppm, 1,500 ppm, and 2000 ppm), each replicated four times. Results indicated significant variations among treatment means in terms of percent shooting, shoot length, percent rooting, number and length of adventitious roots, and percent callusing. Notably, 500 ppm and 1,500 ppm demonstrated the highest outcomes in percent shooting, shoot length, percent survival, measurement of adventitious roots, count of roots, and percentage of rooting. In contrast, the survival percentage of T2 (500 ppm) displayed the highest rate and consistent performance compared to other treatments. Hence, the study recommends using 500 ppm and 1,500 ppm for effective rooting of Bagoadlau (Xanthosthemon philippinensis Merr.) stem cuttings. The successful propagation of native species like Bagoadlau is particularly relevant to ecosystem restoration efforts in regions marked by land degradation and mining activities. The study addresses several crucial aspects by successfully establishing Bagoadlau on such lands. This includes the restoration of native biodiversity, improved soil, and water quality through stabilizing soil, preventing erosion, and acting as a natural filtration system.

Marked interannual variability in the relative dominance of phytoplankton over submerged macrophytes rather than regime shifts in a shallow eutrophic lake: Evidence from long-term observations

The theory of regime shift is rooted in the concept of fold catastrophe and posits the existence of alternative stable states, such as a lake dominated by phytoplankton or macrophytes under similar environmental conditions. Although regime shifts have been reported in many shallow lakes, recent evidence has revealed that a linear rather than dual relationship between chlorophyll-a (Chla) and nutrients is more common, indicating that regime shifts are rare in nature. Here, long-term field observations and the coverage of the submerged macrophyte area (SMA) retrieved from remote sensing (RS) images of Yilong Lake, in which regime shifts have been reported, were used to re-examine the presence or absence of regime shifts and to explore the drivers of abrupt changes. During the past three decades, Yilong Lake has experienced three abrupt changes in water quality, phytoplankton biomass (Chla) and the SMA. However, the relationship between Chla and nutrients was significantly linear, and the state variables (Chla, Secchi depth and SMA) changed along the gradient of environmental stress, which demonstrates the absence of regime shifts and instead highlights the presence of marked interannual changes. Moreover, we found that nutrients and water depth are the main environmental factors driving the establishment/collapse of the SMA and shaping the relative dominance of phytoplankton over the SMA, further inducing rapid changes in nutrient cycling and water quality in Yilong Lake. The significant interannual variability in the SMA and Chla in Yilong Lake reflects a pronounced weakening of resilience. To enhance resilience, an adaptive strategy involving external nutrient loading reduction, water level management and biodiversity restoration is proposed.

The European Green Deal and prospects for Ukraine

In January 2020, the European Union launched the European Green Deal, a comprehensive programme for the transition to new environmental standards in all sectors of the economy with the aim of making Europe the first carbon-neutral continent. Given Ukraine's European ambitions, it is important for it to understand the requirements of the Green Deal and assess the possibilities of taking these requirements into account in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. Purpose. To examine the requirements and current achievements in the implementation of the European Green Deal with a view to the prospects of Ukraine's post-war recovery. Results. Based on the EU regulations, current thematic reports, statistics and other open-source publications, the article analyses the main components of the European Green Deal in the context of plans and current achievements in their implementation in the following areas: legislative support, emissions trading system, carbon emissions regulation mechanism at the EU border, transport, energy, construction, agriculture and land use, ecosystem and biodiversity restoration, financial support of the green transition, science and education. Some promising directions of post-war recovery of Ukraine in the context of the Green Deal are considered. Conclusions. Despite the harsh criticism of the European Green Deal, it is vital to overcome the most acute environmental crisis in history, which threatens sustainable development and possibly the very existence of humanity. During the first 3 years of the Green Deal implementation, significant progress has already been made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, although there are still some difficulties and obstacles. Ukraine has a significant potential for post-war restoration of the energy and industry sector in line with environmental requirements, but this will require significant investments.

Temporal and spatial trends of imidacloprid-related hazards in France

Neonicotinoids are the top-selling insecticides worldwide. Because of their method of use, mainly to coat seeds, neonicotinoids have been found to widely contaminate the environment. Their high toxicity has been shown to be a major concern in terms of impact on biodiversity, and the use of these insecticides has been associated with population declines of species in different countries. Despite the widespread recognition of the risk of neonicotinoids to biodiversity, their temporal and spatial use remains poorly known in many countries. Yet this information is essential to address the potential impacts of these pesticides on biodiversity and to inform measures to establish protected areas or biodiversity restoration. The present study relied a large publicly available dataset to characterise the temporal and spatial use in France of imidacloprid, the most widely used neonicotinoid worldwide, as well as analysed water contamination surveys between 2005 and 2022 to assess the contamination of the environment. The results show that imidacloprid was the main neonicotinoid used in France over the study period. This use was spatially structured, with higher use in northern and western France, particularly related to cereal and beet crops area. The water contamination survey indicated that imidacloprid has widely contaminated the environment and consequently increased the risk to biodiversity, especially in counties crossed by the Loire, Seine and Vilaine rivers. This risk increased between 2005 and 2018 due to the higher use of imidacloprid and decreased sharply after 2018 due to its ban, although it was reauthorized by derogation for sugar beet in 2021. This study is the first assessment of imidacloprid pressure on biodiversity in France and shows the spatial and temporal correlation between agricultural practices and the freshwater contamination level. These results will help to identify priority areas for mitigation and restoration measures.

Fine-tuning the practical relevance of a quality framework for integrated nature-based interventions in healthcare facilities. A qualitative interview study.

Integrated nature-based interventions in healthcare facilities are gaining importance as promising health and biodiversity promotion strategies. This type of interventions combines the restoration of biodiversity in the vicinity of the healthcare facility with guiding patients in that natural environment for health outcomes. However, quality appraisal of these interventions is still poorly developed. Based on a recent scoping review, the authors developed a preliminary quality framework in support of healthcare facilities designing, implementing and evaluating integrated nature-based interventions. This present study aims to fine-tune the practical relevance of the quality framework within the emerging practice. A qualitative interview study was conducted in seven healthcare facilities in Belgium. Using a combination of snowball and purposive sampling, 22 professionals, involved in the integrated nature-based intervention in their facility, participated in the study. The semi-structured interviews were transcribed and imported into NVivo. A deductive and inductive thematic analysis was used to explore the practical relevance of the quality framework. A stakeholders' assembly review and a member checking of the findings were also part of the study. Twenty-two interviews with nature management coordinators, healthcare professionals, and healthcare managers were conducted by three principal investigators in seven healthcare facilities implementing integrated nature-based interventions. The contextualization and complexity of integrated nature-based interventions in the participating healthcare facilities demonstrated the need for an evidence-based quality framework describing nature-based interventions. The study led to nine quality criteria, confirming the eight quality criteria derived from a previous scoping review, and the identification of a new quality criterion 'Capacity building, leverage and continuity'. These quality criteria have been refined. Finally, a proposal for a quality framework was developed and operationalized in a checklist. Deployment of the quality framework should be embedded in a continuous cyclical, adaptive process of monitoring and adjusting based on evaluations at each phase of an integrated nature-based intervention. Bridging the domains of healthcare and nature management in the context of an integrated nature-based intervention in a healthcare facility requires a transdisciplinary approach. Scientific frameworks such as "complex interventions," Planetary Health and One Health can support the co-design, implementation and evaluation of integrated nature-based interventions within a cyclical, adaptive process. In addition, the importance of the quality of the interactions with nature could gain from more sophisticated attention. Finally, the implications for healthcare facilities, policymakers and education are discussed, as well as the strengths and limitations of the study.

Reducing Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil and Water Using Phytoremediation.

The increase in industrialization has led to an exponential increase in heavy metal (HM) soil contamination, which poses a serious threat to public health and ecosystem stability. This review emphasizes the urgent need to develop innovative technologies for the environmental remediation of intensive anthropogenic pollution. Phytoremediation is a sustainable and cost-effective approach for the detoxification of contaminated soils using various plant species. This review discusses in detail the basic principles of phytoremediation and emphasizes its ecological advantages over other methods for cleaning contaminated areas and its technical viability. Much attention has been given to the selection of hyperaccumulator plants for phytoremediation that can grow on heavy metal-contaminated soils, and the biochemical mechanisms that allow these plants to isolate, detoxify, and accumulate heavy metals are discussed in detail. The novelty of our study lies in reviewing the mechanisms of plant-microorganism interactions that greatly enhance the efficiency of phytoremediation as well as in discussing genetic modifications that could revolutionize the cleanup of contaminated soils. Moreover, this manuscript discusses potential applications of phytoremediation beyond soil detoxification, including its role in bioenergy production and biodiversity restoration in degraded habitats. This review concludes by listing the serious problems that result from anthropogenic environmental pollution that future generations still need to overcome and suggests promising research directions in which the integration of nano- and biotechnology will play an important role in enhancing the effectiveness of phytoremediation. These contributions are critical for environmental scientists, policy makers, and practitioners seeking to utilize phytoremediation to maintain the ecological stability of the environment and its restoration.

Biodiversity increases resistance of grasslands against plant invasions under multiple environmental changes.

Biodiversity often helps communities resist invasion. However, it is unclear whether this diversity-invasion relationship holds true under environmental changes. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of 1010 observations from 25 grassland studies in which plant species richness is manipulated together with one or more environmental change factors to test invasibility (measured by biomass or cover of invaders). We find that biodiversity increases resistance to invaders across various environmental conditions. However, the positive biodiversity effect on invasion resistance is strengthened under experimental warming, whereas it is weakened under experimentally imposed drought. When multiple factors are imposed simultaneously, the positive biodiversity effect is strengthened. Overall, we show that biodiversity helps grassland communities resist plant invasions under multiple environmental changes. Therefore, investment in the protection and restoration of native biodiversity is not only important for prevention of invasions under current conditions but also under continued global environmental change.

Can beavers help improve terrestrial invertebrate diversity?

On a global scale, species biodiversity is declining rapidly, including that of terrestrial invertebrates. Environmental heterogeneity is viewed as a key factor promoting biodiversity, and previous studies have shown how beavers can have a profound effect on both habitat heterogeneity and abundance and diversity of a plethora of water-related and terrestrial organisms. However, less is known about the effects of beavers and successional stages on the terrestrial invertebrate community. Here, we review existing knowledge and outline research trajectories to improve our understanding of how beavers affect the terrestrial invertebrate community with special focus on the importance of each successional stage that beavers provide on terrestrial invertebrates. Although beavers can have a large impact on the terrestrial invertebrate community, more studies are needed that take into consideration successional stages and with standardized sampling designs. A better understanding of how beaver activity affects the terrestrial invertebrate community can help in conservation of endangered species and restoration of biodiversity in terrestrial habitats.

Achieving a Water-Resilient Rotterdam: Past, Present and Future Perspectives

Achieving a Water-Resilient Rotterdam: Past, Present and Future Perspectives

Post-mining ecosystem reconstruction

The global decade of restoration brings into sharp focus the need to rehabilitate lands damaged by mining, to provide safe, stable, and productive landscapes. For the majority of mines, the required final land use is some form of natural, semi-natural or managed ecosystem, such as agriculture, aquaculture or forestry. Mining activities lead to new highly altered landscapes that require rehabilitation. These comprise various on-land stores of waste material and mined land itself. The repair of damaged ecosystems is described by many terms including restoration, rehabilitation, revegetation, ecological restoration, and reclamation. These terms overlap in meaning, have regional biases, and all fall short of what is really required: ecosystem reconstruction. This requires a highly multidisciplinary approach drawing on many disciplines including geotechnical engineering, social science, soil science, law, hydrology, botany, geology, pollination biology, financial planning, alongside ecology. Ideally, mine rehabilitation should be progressive, start early in the life of the mine, and employ a strict regime of characterising and tracking waste materials for use in creating safe and stable post-mining landscapes. These actions will limit risks and optimise outcomes, especially when waste materials contain toxic metals or have high levels of acidity, alkalinity or salinity. Some mine sites are appropriate for the restoration of native ecosystems and biodiversity that existed pre-mining, but many, including landscape features created from waste materials, are not. Criteria for successful land rehabilitation are complex, multivariate, and highly contingent on the agreed final land use. Future advances in mine rehabilitation include the use of geomorphic landscape design and emerging thinking on cradle-to-cradle mining. This primer will discuss the complex factors that need to be considered in ecosystem reconstruction after mining and outlines approaches for optimising land rehabilitation outcomes.