Ecological Restoration
A Global Challenge

This book combines theory and practice plus ideas and case studies on ecological restoration from local to global scales.

Francisco A. Comín (Edited by)

9780521877114, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 February 2010

318 pages, 40 b/w illus. 20 colour illus. 31 tables
25.4 x 18 x 2 cm, 0.81 kg

' … a sound introduction to ecological restoration.' Bulletin of the British Ecological Society

Ecological restoration projects seek to recover the natural functioning of degraded ecosystems, most often areas disturbed by human large scale projects such as agriculture developments, road building, mining and urban sprawl. While scientists focus on the ecological basis of habitat repair, practitioners, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and local people, tend to worry about social, economic, cultural and political aspects. The value of ecological restoration is discussed here with examples including tropical forests in Vietnam and Australia; degraded environments in China as a paradigm of global issues; the restoration of wetlands and the coastal zone and how to proceed with urban developments. The author also uniquely assesses how ecological restoration can be used against the impacts of climate change. In addition to strategies for extending ecological restoration at global scale, it provides useful ideas and tools for the everyday work of professionals,researchers and students.

Part I. Global Perspectives for Ecological Restoration: 1. The challenges of humanity in the twenty-first century and the role of ecological restoration Francisco A. Comín
2. The global carbon cycle: current research and uncertainties in the sources and sinks of carbon Dario Papale and Riccardo Valentini
3. Using international carbon markets to finance forest restoration Johannes Ebeling, Malika Virah-Sawmy and Pedro Moura Costa
4. The value of a restored earth and its contribution to a sustainable and desirable future Robert Costanza
5. Focal restoration Eric Higgs
6. Ethical dimensions of ecological restoration Rebecca L. Vidra and Theodore H. Shear
Part II. Towards the Practice of Ecological Restoration at Global Scale: 7. Undertaking forest restoration on a landscape scale in the humid tropics: matching theory and practice in developed and developing countries David Lamb
8. Land degradation and ecological restoration in China Bojie Fu, Dong Niu, Yihe Lu, Guohua Liu and Wenwu Zhao
9. Conservation, restoration and creation of wetlands: a global perspective William J. Mitsch
10. Uses, abuses and restoration of the coastal zone Francisco A. Comín, Jordi Serra and Jorge A. Herrera
11. Spatial ecological solutions to mesh nature and people: Boston suburb, Barcelona region, and other urban regions Richard T. T. Forman
12. The role of ecological modelling in ecosystem restoration Sven Erik Jørgensen
13. Restoration as a bridge for cooperation and peace Amos Brandeis.

Subject Areas: Environmental science, engineering & technology [TQ], Conservation of the environment [RNK], Applied ecology [RNC], Ecological science, the Biosphere [PSAF]