Editorial: Roles for scientists in community-based ecological restoration

David D. Hart

You may not have noticed yet, but a community group near you is probably involved in the ecological restoration of a local watershed. Whether their objective is to help remove an abandoned dam, plant streamside vegetation, fence livestock out of streams, or reduce the spread of invasive species, these groups are working hard to improve environmental quality and build a brighter future for their communities. Because many of these restoration projects are initiated by grassroots and volunteer organizations rather than by large government agencies, the participants may not be familiar with the broad range of scientific and technical issues surrounding the nascent field of ecological restoration. Nor are they likely to have major funding to support research. Nonetheless, the thousands of local projects initiated around the country every year offer great opportunities for scientific participation.

Scientists can aid, and potentially benefit from, such community-based restoration in several ways. First, at its core, successful restoration is critically dependent on scientific understanding. Specifically, ecological restoration programs seek to reduce the negative effects of human activities on ecosystems, while enhancing various physical, chemical, and biological processes by which these systems recover from disturbance. Thus, biologists and other scientists can use their knowledge of "how nature works" to help identify the threats to ecological integrity and develop methods for facilitating the recovery of these complex systems.

Scientists can also help ensure that future restoration efforts produce important new understanding of ecological systems. To date, outcomes of many local restoration projects have not even been quantified. To improve this situation, scientists can develop testable hypotheses about the causes of an ecosystem’s impairment, as well as the ways in which ecological recovery can be enhanced. Similarly, scientists should look for opportunities to use restoration projects as true experiments and encourage the acquisition of data to determine how ecological systems respond to the restoration "treatment." As more of these objective assessments of restoration outcomes are made, researchers will not only gain new scientific insights but also help determine which restoration practices work best, thereby contributing to more effective ecological restoration.

Scientists who participate in local restoration projects will necessarily communicate with nonscientists about the scientific enterprise and the ways it can be used both to create new knowledge and to help solve real-world problems. The more effectively we can translate the sometimes arcane world of science and explain its relevance to issues of local concern, the more likely that society will value science as a cornerstone of understanding and problem solving. Whether directly or indirectly, such dialogue can also lead to greater public support for scientific research.

Perhaps the best reason for participating in a local restoration project is the personal satisfaction it can offer. Community-based restoration is an inherently optimistic and constructive endeavor, in which citizens are working in their own backyards to help sustain the planet’s life support systems. What could be more satisfying than the knowledge that you are adding value to such efforts?

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