Ecological restoration : a global challenge / edited by Francisco A. Comín.

Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2010.

xxv, 291 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. (some col.), maps ; 26 cm.

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.

English

May 20, 2011

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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. Comi;n; 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. Comi;n, 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.