Review article - Peer-reviewed, 2022
Restoration ecophysiology: an ecophysiological approach to improve restoration strategies and outcomes in severely disturbed landscapes
Valliere, Justin M.; Alvarez, Jaume Ruscalleda; Cross, Adam T.; Lewandrowski, Wolfgang; Riviera, Fiamma; Stevens, Jason C.; Tomlinson, Sean; Tudor, Emily P.; San Wong, Wei; Yong, Jean W. H.; Veneklaas, Erik J.Abstract
As human activities destroy and degrade the world's ecosystems at unprecedented scales, there is a growing need for evidence-based methods for ecological restoration if we are to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. Mining represents one of the most severe anthropogenic disturbances, often necessitating intensive intervention to restore the most basic attributes of native ecosystems. Despite examples of successful mine-site restoration, re-establishing native vegetation in these degraded landscapes remains a significant challenge. Plant ecophysiology-the study of the interactions between plants and the environment-can provide a useful framework for evaluating and guiding mine-site restoration. By understanding the physiological mechanisms that allow plants to establish and persist in these highly disturbed environments, practitioners may be able to improve restoration outcomes. Specifically, methods in plant ecophysiology can inform site preparation and the selection of plant material for restoration projects, aid in monitoring restoration progress by providing additional insight into plant performance, and ultimately improve our ability to predict restoration trajectories. Here, we review the challenges and benefits of integrating an ecophysiological perspective to mine-site restoration in Western Australia, a global hotspot of biodiversity and mining operations. Using case studies and examples from the region's diverse ecosystems, we illustrate how an ecophysiological approach can guide the restoration of some of the world's most severely disturbed landscapes. With careful selection of study species and traits and consideration of the specific environmental conditions and stressors within a site, the restoration ecophysiology framework outlined here has the potential to inform restoration strategies across ecosystems.Keywords
adaptive management; conservation physiology; environmental stress; mine-site restoration; plant physiology; rehabilitationPublished in
Restoration Ecology2022, volume: 30, number: S1, article number: e13571
Authors' information
Valliere, Justin M.
University of Western Australia
Valliere, Justin M.
Curtin University
Alvarez, Jaume Ruscalleda
University of Western Australia
Alvarez, Jaume Ruscalleda
Curtin University
Cross, Adam T.
Curtin University
Lewandrowski, Wolfgang
University of Western Australia
Riviera, Fiamma
Curtin University
Riviera, Fiamma
University of Western Australia
Stevens, Jason C.
Curtin University
Stevens, Jason C.
University of Western Australia
Tomlinson, Sean
University of Adelaide
Tomlinson, Sean
Curtin University
Tudor, Emily P.
University of Western Australia
Tudor, Emily P.
Curtin University
San Wong, Wei
Curtin University
San Wong, Wei
University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
Yong, Jean W.H. (Yong, Jean W.H)
Curtin University
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biosystems and Technology
Veneklaas, Erik J.
University of Western Australia
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG15 Life on land
SDG13 Climate action
UKÄ Subject classification
Ecology
Horticulture
Botany
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13571
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/113759