Restoration Science Research Articles

Plants as agents of hydromorphological recovery in lowland streams

This applied study investigated the recovery trajectory of a channelized, lowland stream following removal of channel dredging and livestock grazing. Fine-scale relationships between macrophyte establishment and key physical descriptors (flow velocity, water depth and substrate) were analysed to explain channel adjustments and associated pioneer landform development. Through a process of biogeomorphic succession, macrophytes regulated the cohesiveness, erosion and transport of sediments, thereby affecting morphological responses and improving physical habitat diversity. The observations and analysis in this study capture the role of flow-sediment-vegetation interactions in self-organisation of a lowland stream, and demonstrate how better understanding of this phenomenon may inform river management and restoration science. Coupled relationships between macrophyte succession, flow and sediment patterns promoted hydromorphological recovery and re-naturalisation of the stream form. This dynamic was reflected in greater depth and substrate diversity characterised by increasing substrate coarseness and higher mean velocities. By regulating variations in local flow velocities, macrophytes created both low velocity-fine bed substrate and high velocity-coarser substrate habitat patches, and a range of shallow and deeper depth habitat patches. The process encouraged landform development on the channel margins and extension of the riverbank into the channel, thereby enhancing planform sinuosity as a two-stage channel formed. Such natural progression towards more heterogeneous habitat may sustain greater species diversity than artificially simplified rivers and deserves greater attention in restoration science.

Does the road to land degradation neutrality in India is paved with restoration science?

The land in India is under severe threat of degradation. According to the 2016 Atlas of Land Degradation and Desertification, 29.3% of the total geographical area of India has been degraded or converted to deserts. To maximize ecological and economical benefits through the restoration of degraded ecosystems, India became a party to Bonn Challenge and United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 and has pledged to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 during conference of parties 14 of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification at Delhi. In Paris Agreement 2015, India has also pledged to increase forest tree cover through reforestation and afforestation initiatives, bringing degraded ecosystems under restoration, and sequester additional 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2030. These positive commitments are encouraging, but developing effective strategies for implementation of ecological restoration on the ground we need to understand (1) distribution of differently degraded ecosystems; (2) the status of scientific thoughtfulness and practices of restoration; and (3) review of empirical studies those can scientifically guide to pave the road to land degradation neutrality in India. Therefore, this study briefs about the distribution of degraded ecosystems, development of the science of restoration ecology, and its understanding and provide a synthesis of appropriate case studies on different degraded ecosystems, including forests, mined areas, and degraded and/or abandoned lands.

The Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science: Engaging Marginalized Students in STEM Fields through Data Acquisition and Computational Thinking

In an increasingly data driven world, the need for a qualified STEM workforce is essential. Increasing the diversity of this workforce increases the social and economic possibilities for the individual as well as national economic status and global prominence in innovation and technology. The Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science has created a nexus between STEM education and possible college and career pathways in data science through ecological experiences in the classroom and in the field. Focusing on data collection and interpretation, New York City students from underserved communities are exposed to the local marine environment and efforts to restore aquatic species as well as the water quality in New York Harbor. The use of an innovative and motivating curriculum for both students and teachers bolstered confidence in acquired skills and content. By introducing students to these heretofore untapped STEM areas of interest, the BOP CCERS + STEM C Project has created opportunities in college and career options for underrepresented populations and the possibility of growing a more diverse STEM workforce.

The Billion Oyster Project and Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science Curriculum Impact on Underrepresented Student Motivation to Pursue STEM Careers

The Billion Oyster Project and Curriculum and Community Enterprise for the Restoration of New York Harbor with New York City Public Schools (BOP-CCERS) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) supported initiative and collaboration of multiple institutions and organizations led by Pace University. The NSF project, Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST), had generated a large amount of data through engagement with teachers and students throughout New York City public schools. One purpose of this project is to engage with middle and high school science teachers to assist them in using project-based learning and real-world data collection in their classrooms with their students through harbor restoration initiatives. It was found that Underrepresented Minority (URM) students reported having higher levels of interest in STEM and science than did the non-URM students. While this is a success, it was found that the URM students had lower expectations for success in STEM courses and interest in STEM careers. It was concluded that URM students may need additional support in order to build their confidence and help them to become aware of opportunities in STEM education and careers.

Biome Awareness Disparity is BAD for tropical ecosystem conservation and restoration

Abstract We introduce the concept of Biome Awareness Disparity (BAD)—defined as a failure to appreciate the significance of all biomes in conservation and restoration policy—and quantify disparities in (a) attention and interest, (b) action and (c) knowledge among biomes in tropical restoration science, practice and policy. By analysing 50,000 tweets from all Partner Institutions of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, and 45,000 tweets from the main science and environmental news media world‐wide, we found strong disparities in attention and interest relative to biome extent and diversity. Tweets largely focused on forests, whereas open biomes (such as grasslands, savannas and shrublands) received less attention in relation to their area. In contrast to these differences in attention, there were equivalent likes and retweets between forest versus open biomes, suggesting the disparities may not reflect the views of the general public. Through a literature review, we found that restoration experiments are disproportionately concentrated in rainforests, dry forests and mangroves. More than half of the studies conducted in open biomes reported tree planting as the main restoration action, suggesting inappropriate application of forest‐oriented techniques. Policy implications. We urge scientists, policymakers and land managers to recognise the value of open biomes for protecting biodiversity, securing ecosystem services, mitigating climate change and enhancing human livelihoods. Fixing Biome Awareness Disparity will increase the likelihood of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration successfully delivering its promises.

Toward natural approaches in restoration: Experiments of co‐evolving physical and biological structures in a self‐organizing step‐pool channel

AbstractAlthough the science and practice of river restoration has progressed in recent years toward more natural approaches, few example projects of headwater step‐pool channels exist in the literature. This study examined a restoration design in the headwaters of Wildcat Creek (Berkeley, California, USA) that allowed the creek to form its own stable morphology, instead of utilizing an engineered form. The creation of an experimental reach—where natural flows redistributed randomly placed clasts into step‐pool sequences after construction of an initial plane‐bed channel—afforded opportunity to test hypotheses regarding a co‐evolution of self‐organizing geomorphic and ecological responses over time. During three seasons following the initial restoration, we documented how the streambed self‐organized into step‐pool sequences by constructing plan maps and surveying changes in channel morphology. Concurrently, we sampled benthic macroinvertebrates in step, pool, and intermediate run habitats in the experimental reach and in an upstream reference reach. Results showed how natural flows created a characteristic step‐pool pattern quickly following the second post‐construction storm season. Taxonomic and functional metrics revealed that benthic macroinvertebrate communities assembled at a similarly rapid pace, becoming more distinct and diverse among habitat types as the step‐pool morphology developed. Multivariate ordination revealed that the benthic macroinvertebrate community in the experimental reach became more similar to that in the reference reach over time. Findings suggest a rapid morphologic and ecological co‐organization in the development of a complex stable step‐pool channel, giving promise for natural approaches in future restoration designs of “letting the river do the work,” to the extent afforded by local socioeconomic factors.

Variability in caries management decision-making in a dental school setting.

To assess variability in caries management decision-making by faculty and dental students. Understanding sources of variability during training can aid in implementing evidence-based clinical decision-making in caries management. A voluntary, anonymous survey including clinical scenarios was distributed online to dental students in their first (D1) and third-year (D3) of training, and to faculty in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics. The response rate was100% (108/108) for D1 students, 56% (73/130) for D3 students, and 39% (34/88; 12 full-time and 22 part-time) for faculty. D1 students, who were completing a cariology course, were in general more conservative in restorative thresholds for less severe caries lesions than D3 students and sometimes clinical faculty (e.g., for lesions at the DEJ, a significantly [p<0.05] higher percentage of D3 students would restore these [53%] compared to D1 students and faculty [19% and 18%, respectively; p>0.05]). For all groups, the threshold for doing restorative intervention was shifted toward less severe caries lesions as the caries risk increased (e.g., very few respondents would restore an occlusal lesion confined to enamel, with significantly [p<0.05] less percentage of D1 students [lower risk scenario-LR=4%; higher risk scenario-HR=22%] compared to D3 students and faculty [LR=15% and 18%; HR=66% and 62%, respectively; p>0.05]). Class lectures/preclinical instructors were the most important factor influencing decision-making for D1 students, versus clinical experiences/instructors for D3 students. Although the majority of respondents used best-evidence deciding caries management, there was variability in how to manage less severe lesions, with caries risk influencing clinical thresholds, and clinical experiences influencing students' decision-making over time.

Prediction and uncertainty in restoration science

Restoration outcomes are notoriously unpredictable and this challenges the capacity to reliably meet goals. To harness ecological restoration's full potential, significant advances to predictive capacity must be made in restoration ecology. We outline a process for predicting restoration outcomes, based on the model of iterative forecasting. We then describe six challenges that impede predictive capabilities in restoration and, for each, an agenda for overcoming the challenge. Key challenges include the lack of clear goals, insufficient knowledge of why restoration outcomes vary, difficulty quantifying known drivers of variation prior to initiation of restoration projects, model uncertainty, the need to scale up local understanding to guide large‐scale restoration efforts, and temporally variable conditions that hinder long‐term forecast accuracy. Meeting these challenges will require research to resolve key drivers of variation in restoration outcomes; however, there is also a critical need to begin forecasting efforts in restoration ecology immediately. Although early efforts may be of limited practical utility, iterating between model development and evaluation will resolve data needs, minimize uncertainty, and lead to predictions that practitioners can confidently embrace. In turn, a robust predictive capacity will help to reliably meet goals, enhance cost‐effectiveness, and guide policy decisions to help see out the promise of the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Marine ecosystem restoration in a changing ocean

Multiple human impacts on natural ecosystems cause ongoing widespread habitat loss, with consequent decline of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Seas and oceans, the largest biomes of the biosphere, show increasing numbers of degraded habitats. Ecological restoration offers a major tool to reverse this trend and recover biodiversity, along with human health and well‐being. The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration promotes global‐scale restoration of degraded habitats and we can exploit lessons learned from terrestrial restoration projects to improve and accelerate marine ecosystem restoration science, practice, and policy. Nonetheless, major differences in land and sea limit direct transfer of terrestrial approaches. Limited ecosystem baselines, greater stochasticity and connectivity, longer timescales needed for effective restoration, associated high costs and advanced technologies required to access and intervene in marine environments (especially in the deep sea), and difficulty in scaling up restoration efforts all hinder the effectiveness and expansion of marine ecosystem restoration. Pilot actions in European waters over ca 5 years in the EU‐funded MERCES consortium (Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas) have identified and developed new, promising tools and strategies to catalyze restoration actions, including engagement of funding organizations, governmental bodies, scientists, and citizens. We are now better positioned to implement restoration actions on a wide range of protected, vulnerable, and critical marine habitats, including seagrass meadows, algal forests, shallow rocky shore, and even some deep‐sea habitats. Outcomes from the MERCES project support future restoration initiatives by demonstrating restoration potential in the marine environment.

Green Job Opportunities Through the Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science in New York City

This paper examines the current understanding of the green economy movement and the critical role that education plays in attracting a viable workforce for this relatively new crusade. By connecting youth with the importance of environmental concerns in their community, tangible opportunities for sustainable change are created. By giving human agency to some of the most marginalized populations in New York City, the opportunity to experience environmental challenges in the community in which they live exposes these students to a plethora of enriching and rewarding employment opportunities. By combining the stewardship of their environment with formal and informal education, the Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science in New York City is presenting multiple pathways for employment and educational opportunities in the green economy.

Quantifying the influences of natural and human factors on the water footprint of afforestation in desert regions of northern China.

To mitigate desertification and alleviate soil erosion, a wide range of ecological restoration initiatives have been implemented in arid and semi-arid areas, the water consumption of ecological projects and driving mechanisms received increasing attention to balance economy development and ecology restoration at different scales. In this study, the water footprint (WF) was employed as an indicator of water consumption by afforestation, and trend analysis, texture classification and geographical detector methods were used to identify the afforestation area and assess the influences of natural and human factors on the afforestation WF in the desert regions of northern China. The results revealed four major findings. (1) The afforestation area increased by 73,764.31km2, from 2003 to 2017, accounting for 2.42% of the study area. (2) On average, the afforestation WF increased from east to west, ranging from 0 to 58.9m3/gC, indicating its high spatial heterogeneity. (3) Potential evapotranspiration was the dominant factor influencing the afforestation WF, explaining 20.4% of the variation in afforestation WF. (4) The explanatory power of natural and human factors was disparate at the different scales and the interactions between different factors had higher impact than that of single factors. These findings could provide valuable information to support more sustainable ecological restoration science and interventions in arid and semi-arid areas.

Measuring savanna woody cover at scale to inform ecosystem restoration

AbstractThe maturity of remote sensing and ecosystem restoration science provides new opportunities to monitor and assess ecosystem indicators at finer resolutions and at suitable scales. A key link in joining these fields is creating a framework to apply these rich datasets to ecosystem restoration projects. Savanna woodland ecosystems have discontinuous tree cover that is an important, but potentially highly variable, structural component of these ecosystems. Woody cover in savannas is also well suited to being measured with remote sensing techniques. We extracted woody cover from a 66‐yr time series of aerial imagery covering 1718 ha of mesic savanna ecosystem in northern Australia, adjacent to the Ranger uranium mine and encompassing portions of Kakadu National Park. This ecosystem is proposed as a reference ecosystem that may be used to comparatively assess and monitor restoration trajectories of the mine site in the coming decades. The spatiotemporal patterns of change in woody cover were assessed at spatial extents similar to the mine site. We were able to construct a robust distribution of canopy cover values and associated spatial heterogeneity that can be used to set closure criteria, inform restoration trajectories, and guide monitoring activities for the restored mine site.

CONSERVATION ETHICS AND PRINCIBLES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL TEXTILE

Textiles made of organic fibers, include anthropologic knowledge about lifestyle, art idea, mythology, daily life and religious traditions of the culture made them. These tangible examples of Cultural identity of the society important for transfer traditional knowledge from next generation. Textile Cultural artefacts responsibility and interest of conservation and restoration science professionals can find from archaeological excavations or gathering from urban areas and given to museums from collectors. Historic textiles are hard to found well preserved and hard to passing it onto the next generation compared to artefacts made from inorganic materials because of they made of organic materials. Every country on the earth has their own definition of Cultural Heritage and preservation laws. Under this diversity in the field of conservation and restoration science, it is necessary to establish standard definitions and use a common language at academic field likewise in every profession. Ethical codes and principles made for conservation of Cultural Heritage are a guide for conservation professionals. Politics of conservation practices change by technology development. In recent years, by analytical research, has been noticed that active conservation activities can damage the cultural heritage hence passive conservation activities like documentation and preservative conservation becomes priority. Descriptive scanning model based on screening of literature related to textile conservation was adopted for this paper. Keywords: Cultural heritage, archaeological textile, conservation, restoration, ethics

A Review on River Revival

The noticeable decline of flow and drying of rivers in non-monsoon period is observed by smaller hydrologic units (sub-catchments and watersheds). The flow depletion or drying of rivers is generally observed initially near the origin and then progressively in the larger hydrologic units. Rivers are losing water because of variety of possible reasons, including the installation of dams and the use of water for agriculture. But in many cases the decrease in flow is because of climate change, which is altering rainfall patterns and increasing evaporation because of higher temperatures. Reduced run-off is increasing the pressure on freshwater resources in world as well as in India, especially with more demand for water as population increases. Inspite of the fact that large sums of money have been spent on river rehabilitation across the globe, the understanding of the science of restoration is incoherent. A scientific and global intervention and approach to tackle such challenges to river management in India requires a highly effective approach, which must be process-based, predictive and must be capable of yielding the desired outcome. River restoration is one of the most prominent areas of applied water-resources science, supporting a multibillion dollar industry across many countries and helping to drive fundamental river research to address knowledge gaps that limit successful restoration. A revival strategy should identify a future prospect and long run for the river basin, the desired outcome of the strategy over the planning horizon (goals), and specific, measurable targets to be achieved over the short to medium term (objectives). River restoration can be supported by a combination of policies, strategies and project-level and global-level plans. Keeping this in view this paper presents some of the revival works carried out in India as well as in abroad.

РЕСТАВРАЦІЙНА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ І ГЛОБАЛЬНІ ЗАГРОЗИ: ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЇ ТЕОРЕТИЧНИХ КОНЦЕПЦІЙ

The purpose of the article is to study the dependence of the cultural heritage objects preservation on their social value and highlight the global trends in the restoration industry. The research methodology applies the general scientific methods of theoretical research, as well as general logical scientific methods of analysis, comparison and explanation. An integrated approach consists in the use of the methods of studying of the historical facts, confirmed by various sources. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the study of transformations of restoration theoretical concepts due to global economic and political processes. The dependence of the preservation of works of art on their social value is revealed and it is emphasized that the scientific significance of the monument is not always a sufficient argument for its preservation. Conclusions. The article considers the restoration activity as a component of the cultural life of modern society and defines the concept of the social value of art objects as its ideological superstructure. The author of the article defines the global threats to the preservation of the world cultural heritage and studies the influences of political and economic factors on the preservation of art objects. Particular attention is paid to the ambiguity of interpretations of the basic concepts of restoration science by representatives of different cultures and the need to create a universal heritage protection doctrine. Alternative concepts of modern restoration theory are presented. The author points out that considering the dangers and challenges of our time, it is necessary to rethink the established postulates of restoration activities, to look for effective models for cultural heritage integration into the modern cultural context.

Reliability of evidence-review methods in restoration ecology.

In restoration science, evidence reviews play a crucial role in summarizing research findings in practice and policy. However, if unreliable or inappropriate methods are used to review evidence, decisions based on these reviews may not accurately reflect the available evidence base. To assess the current value of restoration reviews, we examined a sample of meta-analyses and narrative syntheses (n = 91) with the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Synthesis Assessment Tool (CEESAT), which uses detailed criteria to assesses the method of policy-relevant evidence synthesis according to elements important for objectivity, transparency, and comprehensiveness. Overall, reviews scored low based on this standard: median score 16 out of 39, modal score 15, and mean 16.6. Meta-analyses scored higher than narrative syntheses (median 17 vs. 5, respectively), although there were some outlier narrative syntheses that had high scores, suggesting that quantitative synthesis does not solely reflect the reliability of a review. In general, criteria spanning the more fundamental review stages (i.e., searching for studies and including studies) received low scores for both synthesis types. Conversely, criteria comprising the later stages of the review (i.e., critical appraisal, data extraction, and data synthesis) were generally well described in meta-analyses; thus, these criteria achieved the highest individual CEESAT scores. We argue that restoration ecology is well positioned to advance so-called evidence-based restoration, but review authors should elucidate their conceptual understanding of evidence syntheses and recognize that conducting reliable reviews demands the same methodological rigor and reporting standards used in primary research. Given the potential of evidence reviews to inform management, policy, and research, it is of vital importance that the overall methodological reliability of restoration reviews be improved.

Patina in a time of transformation of artworks as a material feature of the past

The purpose of the article is to define the term "patina" in its material and immaterial dimensions, as well as to study the genesis of this concept in a wide range of its interpretations in the context of the values of authenticity and value of works of art. Methodology. The study includes general scientific methods of analysis, comparison, and explanation. The method of discourse analysis contributed to the understanding of the meaning of the term "patina" in different periods of formation of the restoration theory. The method of comparative analysis was used to compare different interpretations of the concept by researchers of one chronological period. The use of context analysis is due to the function of intertemporal communication of works of art and their social dependence. System method - to identify the general principles of building a structure, the natural relationships between its various criteria. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the study of contradictions in the interpretations of the meaning of patina and in the combination of theoretical developments of scientists of the post-Soviet space with modern world restoration science. Conclusions. The study of various models of relationships between the initial state of the work and its temporal changes, analysis of a wide range of patina values, consideration of the restoration interpretation of an art object allow us to recognize patina as one of the criteria of the authenticity of a work of art. Scientific research and study of the concept of "patina" are of great importance for practical restoration, as they form the basis of specific restoration projects, methods, and recommendations.

Restoration Activities in Ukraine in the Context of Global Conservation Trends

The article studies the current state of the Ukrainian restoration industry in the context of development of new global concepts due to the threats and challenges of the present day. The general tendencies of political and economic interests, prevailing overcultural values, are outlined; the social value of the art object is determined as an important factor of its sustainable preservation.Attention is paid to the features of development of restoration activities in Ukraine; the main shortcomings and problems are identified; the ways of development of the national restoration industry in line with the developments of global restoration science are projected. The aim of the article is to study the state of restoration work in the Ukrainian, the impact of new global concepts and practical approaches to preservation on the development of Ukrainian restoration. The methodology includes general methods of theoreticalresearch, general logical scientific methods of analysis, comparison and explanation. The main ways of involving communities intoconservation and restoration activities were determined, including revaluation, communication of the conservation specialists withthe general audience, implementation of educational programs aimed at various age groups.

Ecosystem restoration is risky … but we can change that

The forthcoming UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration brings the challenge of massively increasing restoration efforts to halt and reverse environmental degradation. This challenge must move beyond a focus on the size and number of projects to a focus on how those projects are designed and implemented. Approaches based on restoring the fundamental ecological processes that lead to self-sustaining ecosystems are essential.

Can direct sperm exposure be used as a tool to induce female corals to spawn?

Understanding the potential for sexual cues (pheromones) to synchronize gamete release in broadcast spawning, reef-building coral species is important for coral reef conservation and coral restoration science focused on advancing assisted sexual reproduction interventions. Here, I present an observation that I hope spurs renewed interest in research on endogenous reproductive cues in scleractinians.