Restoration Ecology

Restoration Ecology

The scientific study focused on restoring degraded ecosystems to their natural conditions.

Preservation

Protecting pristine wilderness from human impacts.

Restoration

Returning a degraded habitat or ecosystem to a condition as close as possible to its original one.

Bioremediation

Using living organisms to remove or neutralize environmental toxins.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Forests

Large areas dominated by trees and undergrowth, contributing to biodiversity.

Dams

Structures built to hold back water and create reservoirs; often removed in river restoration.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits provided by ecosystems to humans, including clean water and pollination.

Prescribed Burns

Controlled fires used for ecosystem management and maintenance.

Cultural Landscape

An area shaped by human experience, often overlaid on natural landscapes.

Reconciliation Ecology

Creating habitats for species diversity within human-dominated landscapes.

Sediment Runoff

Soil and debris washed into waterways, often harming aquatic ecosystems.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Urban Nature

Natural areas within urban environments that support local flora and fauna.

Carbon Sequestration

The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Grasslands

Ecosystems characterized by vast open spaces with grasses as the dominant vegetation.

Coral Reefs

Marine ecosystems formed by coral polyps, which provide habitat for diverse marine life.

Habitat Fragmentation

Breaking up of larger habitats into smaller, isolated patches.

Rangelands

Lands on which the vegetation is primarily grasses, used for grazing livestock.

Forest Restoration

The process of returning a deforested area to its original forested state.

Pollutants

Substances that contaminate the environment and can harm ecosystems.

Wildlands

Lands that are largely untouched by human activities.

Wilderness Act of 1964

Legislation aimed at preserving designated wilderness areas in the US.

Ecological Restoration

The practice of restoring or rehabilitating ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed.

Grassland Restoration

Efforts to return degraded grasslands to a more natural and functional state.