What is Restoration Ecology?

Restoration Ecology addresses the question how to repair various human-disturbed sites. It provides a scientific basis for practical ecological restoration and promotes, among others, the use of spontaneous or reasonably managed succession in the greatest possible extent without using traditional methods of technical reclamation.

Restoration Ecology Group

"Promotion of spontaneous or reasonably
controlled succession in order to restore disturbed sites"

What is Restoration Ecology?

Restoration ecology combines ecological theory and practical applications leading to restoration of disturbed, degraded or comletely damaged ecosystems (see more on http://www.ser.org/). It is a relatively young scientific discipline. Probably the first comprehensive attempt to restore the whole ecosystem was an experiment established in the 1930s at the campus of the University of Wisconsin. For educational purposes they tried to restore different types of prairie originally occuring in the surroundings. The experiment was successful and still continues.

The Restoration Ecology Working Group in České Budějovice belongs to the European tops in this field of study. Current importance of restoration ecology is emphasized among others with the directive of the European Union, according to which at least 15 % of disturbed or damaged ecosystems are to be restored by 2020 in each member state (see Legislation and outcomes for conservation and reclamation practice). Succession, either spontaneous or controlled, is a fundamental ecological process which is necessary to be taken into account in every restoration project.