Alternative states and positive feedbacks in restoration ecology
Suding, Katharine N. Gross, Katherine L. Houseman, Gregory R.
Suding, Katharine N.
Gross, Katherine L.
Houseman, Gregory R.
Other Names
Location
Time Period
Advisors
Original Date
Digitization Date
Issue Date
2004-01
Type
Article
Genre
Keywords
Restoration,Ecology
Subjects (LCSH)
Citation
Suding, K. N., Gross, K. L., & Houseman, G. R. (2004). Alternative states and positive feedbacks in restoration ecology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 19(1), 46-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2003.10.005.
Abstract
There is increasing interest in developing better predictive tools and a broader conceptual framework to guide the restoration of degraded land. Traditionally, restoration efforts have focused on re-establishing historical disturbance regimes or abiotic conditions, relying on successional processes to guide the recovery of biotic communities. However, strong feedbacks between biotic factors and the physical environment can alter the efficacy of these successional-based management efforts. Recent experimental work indicates that some degraded systems are resilient to traditional restoration efforts owing to constraints such as changes in landscape connectivity and organization, loss of native species pools, shifts in species dominance, trophic interactions and/or invasion by exotics, and concomitant effects on biogeochemical processes. Models of alternative ecosystem states that incorporate system thresholds and feedbacks are now being applied to the dynamics of recovery in degraded systems and are suggesting ways in which restoration can identify, prioritize and address these constraints.
Table of Contents
Description
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd.
Journal
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
Book Title
Series
Digital Collection
Finding Aid URL
Use and Reproduction
Archival Collection
PubMed ID
ISSN
1872-8383
0169-5347
0169-5347