Sammanfattning

Ecological restoration is becoming an increasingly common management tool worldwide. However, a challenge still exists on how to effectively monitor restoration outcomes and evaluate restoration success for ecological restoration managers. In this review, the goal is to evaluate whether the research in a degraded area has been sufficient for fostering efficient restoration measures and follow-up of restoration success based on the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) criteria. We selected the Inner Mongolian Steppe (IMS) in China as a model system. This area has been the subject of substantial research over the most recent years to understand degradation processes and restoration outcomes. We put together the variables used to assess degradation and restoration needs in the IMS and analyzed restoration results based on SER's nine criteria for evaluating restoration success. We found that the accomplished research in the IMS only partially supplied the data needed for evaluation of restoration success. The available results were sufficient for a proper evaluation of species composition and tentatively supported assessments of another seven criteria but not self-sustainability. Grazing exclusion led to the fastest and most successful recovery of degraded steppe, but landscape-scale processes during restoration in the IMS are still incompletely known. Our review supports large-scale restoration of the IMS and emphasizes the need for long-time monitoring for a more complete evaluation of the outcome of the IMS restoration following all SER's criteria.

Nyckelord

ecological processes; ecosystem degradation; evaluation criteria; grasslands; restoration assessment

Publicerad i

Land Degradation and Development
2020, Volym: 31, nummer: 3, sidor: 285-296
Utgivare: WILEY

SLU författare

• Nilsson, Christer

  • Institutionen för vilt, fisk och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    
  • Umeå Universitet

Globala målen

SDG15 Skydda, återställa och främja ett hållbart nyttjande av landbaserade ekosystem, hållbart bruka skogar, bekämpa ökenspridning, hejda och vrida tillbaka markförstöringen samt hejda förlusten av biologisk mångfald


UKÄ forskningsämne

Ekologi


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3440

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/103844