Challenges of ecological restoration: lessons from forests in northern Europe

Panu Halme; Katherine A. Allen; Ainars Aunins; Richard H.W. Bradshaw; Guntis Brumelis; Vojtech Cada; Jennifer L. Clear; Anna-Maria Eriksson; Gina Hannon; Esko Hyvärinen; Sandra Ikaunice; Reda Irsenaite; Bengt Gunnar Jonsson; Kaisa Junninen; Santtu Kareksela; Atte Komonen; Janne S. Kotiaho; Jari Kouki; Timo Kuuluvainen; Adriano Mazziotta; Mikko Mönkkönen; Kristiina Nyholm; Anna Oldén; Ekaterina Shorohova; Niels Strange; Tero Toivanen; Ilkka Vanha-Majamaa; Tuomo Wallenius; Anna-Liisa Ylisimiö; Ewa Zin

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2013.08.029

Challenges of ecological restoration: lessons from forests in northern Europe

Panu Halme, Katherine A. Allen, Ainars Aunins, Richard H.W. Bradshaw, Guntis Brumelis, Vojtech Cada, Jennifer L. Clear, Anna-Maria Eriksson, Gina Hannon, Esko Hyvärinen, Sandra Ikaunice, Reda Irsenaite, Bengt Gunnar Jonsson, Kaisa Junninen, Santtu Kareksela, Atte Komonen, Janne S. Kotiaho, Jari Kouki, Timo Kuuluvainen, Adriano MazziottaMikko Mönkkönen, Kristiina Nyholm, Anna Oldén, Ekaterina Shorohova, Niels Strange, Tero Toivanen, Ilkka Vanha-Majamaa, Tuomo Wallenius, Anna-Liisa Ylisimiö, Ewa Zin

Section for Environment and Natural Resources

127 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

The alarming rate of ecosystem degradation has raised the need for ecological restoration throughout different biomes and continents. North European forests may appear as one of the least vulnerable ecosystems from a global perspective, since forest cover is not rapidly decreasing and many ecosystem services remain at high level. However, extensive areas of northern forests are heavily exploited and have lost a major part of their biodiversity value. There is a strong requirement to restore these areas towards a more natural condition in order to meet the targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Several northern
countries are now taking up this challenge by restoring forest biodiversity with increasing intensity. The ecology and biodiversity of boreal forests are relatively well understood making them a good model for restoration activities in many other forest ecosystems. Here we introduce northern forests as an ecosystem, discuss the historical and recent human impact and provide a brief status report on the ecological restoration projects and research already conducted there. Based on this discussion, we argue that before any restoration actions commence, the ecology of the target ecosystem should be established with the need for restoration carefully assessed and the outcome properly monitored. Finally, we identify the most important challenges that need to be solved in order to carry out efficient restoration with powerful and long-term positive impacts on biodiversity: coping with unpredictability, maintaining connectivity in time and space, assessment of functionality, management of conflicting interests and social restrictions and ensuring adequate funding.

Original language	English
Journal	Biological Conservation
Volume	167
Pages (from-to)	248-256
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0006-3207
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.08.029
Publication status	Published - Nov 2013

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Faculty of Science

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Halme et al 2013 Challenges Biol ConsFinal published version, 1.58 MB

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Halme, P., Allen, K. A., Aunins, A., Bradshaw, R. H. W., Brumelis, G., Cada, V., Clear, J. L., Eriksson, A-M., Hannon, G., Hyvärinen, E., Ikaunice, S., Irsenaite, R., Jonsson, B. G., Junninen, K., Kareksela, S., Komonen, A., Kotiaho, J. S., Kouki, J., Kuuluvainen, T., ... Zin, E. (2013). Challenges of ecological restoration: lessons from forests in northern Europe. Biological Conservation, 167, 248-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.08.029

Halme, P, Allen, KA, Aunins, A, Bradshaw, RHW, Brumelis, G, Cada, V, Clear, JL, Eriksson, A-M, Hannon, G, Hyvärinen, E, Ikaunice, S, Irsenaite, R, Jonsson, BG, Junninen, K, Kareksela, S, Komonen, A, Kotiaho, JS, Kouki, J, Kuuluvainen, T, Mazziotta, A, Mönkkönen, M, Nyholm, K, Oldén, A, Shorohova, E, Strange, N, Toivanen, T, Vanha-Majamaa, I, Wallenius, T, Ylisimiö, A-L & Zin, E 2013, 'Challenges of ecological restoration: lessons from forests in northern Europe', Biological Conservation, vol. 167, pp. 248-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.08.029

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title = "Challenges of ecological restoration: lessons from forests in northern Europe",

abstract = "The alarming rate of ecosystem degradation has raised the need for ecological restoration throughout different biomes and continents. North European forests may appear as one of the least vulnerable ecosystems from a global perspective, since forest cover is not rapidly decreasing and many ecosystem services remain at high level. However, extensive areas of northern forests are heavily exploited and have lost a major part of their biodiversity value. There is a strong requirement to restore these areas towards a more natural condition in order to meet the targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Several northerncountries are now taking up this challenge by restoring forest biodiversity with increasing intensity. The ecology and biodiversity of boreal forests are relatively well understood making them a good model for restoration activities in many other forest ecosystems. Here we introduce northern forests as an ecosystem, discuss the historical and recent human impact and provide a brief status report on the ecological restoration projects and research already conducted there. Based on this discussion, we argue that before any restoration actions commence, the ecology of the target ecosystem should be established with the need for restoration carefully assessed and the outcome properly monitored. Finally, we identify the most important challenges that need to be solved in order to carry out efficient restoration with powerful and long-term positive impacts on biodiversity: coping with unpredictability, maintaining connectivity in time and space, assessment of functionality, management of conflicting interests and social restrictions and ensuring adequate funding.",

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T2 - lessons from forests in northern Europe

AU - Halme, Panu

AU - Allen, Katherine A.

AU - Aunins, Ainars

AU - Bradshaw, Richard H.W.

AU - Brumelis, Guntis

AU - Cada, Vojtech

AU - Clear, Jennifer L.

AU - Eriksson, Anna-Maria

AU - Hannon, Gina

AU - Hyvärinen, Esko

AU - Ikaunice, Sandra

AU - Irsenaite, Reda

AU - Jonsson, Bengt Gunnar

AU - Junninen, Kaisa

AU - Kareksela, Santtu

AU - Komonen, Atte

AU - Kotiaho, Janne S.

AU - Kouki, Jari

AU - Kuuluvainen, Timo

AU - Mazziotta, Adriano

AU - Mönkkönen, Mikko

AU - Nyholm, Kristiina

AU - Oldén, Anna

AU - Shorohova, Ekaterina

AU - Strange, Niels

AU - Toivanen, Tero

AU - Vanha-Majamaa, Ilkka

AU - Wallenius, Tuomo

AU - Ylisimiö, Anna-Liisa

AU - Zin, Ewa

PY - 2013/11

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N2 - The alarming rate of ecosystem degradation has raised the need for ecological restoration throughout different biomes and continents. North European forests may appear as one of the least vulnerable ecosystems from a global perspective, since forest cover is not rapidly decreasing and many ecosystem services remain at high level. However, extensive areas of northern forests are heavily exploited and have lost a major part of their biodiversity value. There is a strong requirement to restore these areas towards a more natural condition in order to meet the targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Several northerncountries are now taking up this challenge by restoring forest biodiversity with increasing intensity. The ecology and biodiversity of boreal forests are relatively well understood making them a good model for restoration activities in many other forest ecosystems. Here we introduce northern forests as an ecosystem, discuss the historical and recent human impact and provide a brief status report on the ecological restoration projects and research already conducted there. Based on this discussion, we argue that before any restoration actions commence, the ecology of the target ecosystem should be established with the need for restoration carefully assessed and the outcome properly monitored. Finally, we identify the most important challenges that need to be solved in order to carry out efficient restoration with powerful and long-term positive impacts on biodiversity: coping with unpredictability, maintaining connectivity in time and space, assessment of functionality, management of conflicting interests and social restrictions and ensuring adequate funding.

AB - The alarming rate of ecosystem degradation has raised the need for ecological restoration throughout different biomes and continents. North European forests may appear as one of the least vulnerable ecosystems from a global perspective, since forest cover is not rapidly decreasing and many ecosystem services remain at high level. However, extensive areas of northern forests are heavily exploited and have lost a major part of their biodiversity value. There is a strong requirement to restore these areas towards a more natural condition in order to meet the targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Several northerncountries are now taking up this challenge by restoring forest biodiversity with increasing intensity. The ecology and biodiversity of boreal forests are relatively well understood making them a good model for restoration activities in many other forest ecosystems. Here we introduce northern forests as an ecosystem, discuss the historical and recent human impact and provide a brief status report on the ecological restoration projects and research already conducted there. Based on this discussion, we argue that before any restoration actions commence, the ecology of the target ecosystem should be established with the need for restoration carefully assessed and the outcome properly monitored. Finally, we identify the most important challenges that need to be solved in order to carry out efficient restoration with powerful and long-term positive impacts on biodiversity: coping with unpredictability, maintaining connectivity in time and space, assessment of functionality, management of conflicting interests and social restrictions and ensuring adequate funding.

KW - Faculty of Science

U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.08.029

DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.08.029

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0006-3207

VL - 167

SP - 248

EP - 256

JO - Biological Conservation

JF - Biological Conservation

ER -

Challenges of ecological restoration: lessons from forests in northern Europe

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