Center for Earth and Environmental Science
Indiana University ~ Purdue University, Indianapolis

IUPUI
School of Science
Department of Earth Sciences

Ecosystem Restoration

The field of ecosystem restoration seeks to repair or reconstruct ecosystems damaged by humans or natural forces.    There are numerous stages and definitions of restoration ecology, which are dependent upon the final condition land managers wish the landscape to look like and function as well as how changed the landscape is from its original condition.  For example, wetlands converted to agricultural lands had water drained off of the landscape through a series of pipes and ditches and the native plants and animals removed.  To restore the original wetland, the drainage pipes are removed and, if necessary, native plants are replanted and native animals are restored to the landscape.  However, restoration of a site with a seriously altered or polluted landscape can not as easily be restored to a near-pristine condition.  Some forms of mining and hazardous materials spills would be examples of seriously altered and polluted landscapes.  In these cases, scientists, land managers, policy analysts, and others will many times work together to determine the best suited types of biological communities to restore to the landscape.  The final outcome depends upon the overarching goals of the site usage and the restoration.  The site may be most beneficial as a wildlife sanctuary with passive recreation such as bird watching and hiking or it may be a restored or constructed wetland that has ecological benefits such as water filtration and flood control.  Restored landscapes have also been incorporated into more traditional-looking city parks, which contain active forms of recreation such as play grounds, golf courses, and swimming pools. 

To achieve the goals of the restoration scientists use many different types of methods, both initially and for maintaining the site.  Restoration methods are chosen based upon the severity of the impact and the type of ecosystem restored.  Common methods CEES scientists utilize with community partners include:

Installing native plant species When restoring native plants, it is important to reintroduce species native to the specific ecosystem and region where the restoration is occurring.  This is called the ecoregion (a geographically distinct area of land that is characterized by a distinctive climate, ecological features, and plant and animal communities).  This will help ensure the plants will grow and allow for the restored ecosystem to function appropriately.	Removing invasive exotic plant species Invasive exotic species are plants or animals which have been relocated to an ecosystem that is not their native range.  Invasive exotics can be problematic because they do not have predators to keep the populations maintained in their new ranges.  As a result, the invasive exotics outcompete the native plants and animals for resources, changing the structure of the ecosystem in which they have invaded.	Collecting and Disbursing Native Seeds Restoration ecologists generally collect seeds from plants to be used within the same ecoregion, which is a geographically distinct area of land that is characterized by a distinctive climate, ecological features, and plant and animal communities.  Seeds are collected from parent plants in the autumn when they are dry, stored for the winter, and planted in the spring.  The collection, storage, and planting procedures are all dependent upon the specific plant species.
Prescribed Burning Utilized by trained professionals to predominately maintain prairies and some types of wetland ecosystems.  Prescribed burning encourages the growth of grasses and flowering plants while removing species like trees and shrubs.	Agricultural Tile Removal Removing subsurface tile drainage networks allows water to flow back into wetlands.  These clay-fired tiles were installed by earlier farmers to move water from a wetland to a ditch or creek in order to plant agricultural crops.	Letting Native Organisms Recolonize Sometimes it is best to allow nature to  recolonize the native plants and animals at a certain point in the restoration.  Many times when the native plants and food sources have been reestablished, native animals will come back to a habitat on their own.

Ecosystem Restoration Links:

Ecological Society of America:  http://www.esa.org/
National Ecological Observatory Network:  http://www.neoninc.org/
Nature Serve Explorer:  http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/
Restoration Ecology Principles: http://courses.washington.edu/ecoshaw/re/
Society for Ecological Restoration:   http://www.ser.org/
Workshop Biology:  http://yucca.uoregon.edu/WB/

Top

The Center for Earth and Environmental Science conducts ecosystem restoration research, particularly within wetland and floodplain ecosystems, with numerous community partners.  To learn more about our programs, please visit the ecosystem restoration research web pages.

CEES additionally engages K-12 students and teachers, university students, and community members in ecosystem restoration education and work day programs.  Please visit our education outreach, community outreach, and service learning web links to learn how to become engaged in our programs.

Top

Center for Earth and Environmental Science
 School of Science
 Indiana University~Purdue University, Indianapolis
 723 West Michigan Street, SL118
 Indianapolis, IN 46202
 http://www.cees.iupui.edu
 cees@iupui.edu