Foundations of Restoration Ecology: The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration

by Donald A. Falk (Editor), Joy B. Zedler, Margaret A. Palmer (Editor)

As the practical application of ecological restoration continues to grow, there is an increasing need to connect restoration practice to areas of underlying ecological theory. Foundations of Restoration Ecology is an important milestone in the field, bringing together leading ecologists to bridge the gap between theory and practice by translating elements of ecological theory and current research themes into a scientific framework for the field of restoration ecology. Each chapter addresses a particular area of ecological theory, covering traditional levels of biological hierarchy (such as population genetics, demography, community ecology) as well as topics of central relevance to the challenges of restoration ecology (such as species interactions, fine-scale heterogeneity, successional trajectories, invasive species ecology, ecophysiology). Several chapters focus on research tools (research design, statistical analysis, modeling), or place restoration ecology research in a larger context (large-scale ecological phenomena, macroecology, climate change and paleoecology, evolutionary ecology). The book makes a compelling case that a stronger connection between ecological theory and the science of restoration ecology will be mutually beneficial for both fields: restoration ecology benefits from a stronger grounding in basic theory, while ecological theory benefits from the unique opportunities for experimentation in a restoration context. Foundations of Restoration Ecology advances the science behind the practice of restoring ecosystems while exploring ways in which restoration ecology can inform basic ecological questions. It provides the first comprehensive overview of the theoreticalfoundations of restoration ecology, and is a must-have volume for anyone involved in restoration research, teaching, or practice.

Genres: Science, Plants, Ecology

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2006

Reviews

[Gabrielle]

This book is quite good. Each chapter is written by a different set of authors who are experts in that specific area of restoration ecology. Known ecological theories are discussed in the context of real restoration efforts.

[Sara]

See the other restoration ecology book on my list for the review.

[Melody Rudenko]

Mostly read, good basics, lots of theory for reader to mull.

[Anna Funk]

Just what you'd expect.