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OOS-33: Restoring and designing ecosystems for a crowded planet: Provision of
ecosystem services or mere window dressing?
Endorsed
by Ecoscience, Laval University
Wednesday,
August 10, 1:30 PM - 5 PM, Meeting Rooms 510a and 510c, Level 5, Palais
des congrès de Montréal
Organizers:
M. Luisa Martinez
(maluisam@ecologia.edu.mx), Margaret Palmer
Description:
It
is projected that within the next 50 to 100 years the human family will be as
large as 8 to 10 billion people with an even greater impact on the environment.
Given this perspective, restoration or creation of ecological structures and
services are becoming increasingly relevant. However, while thousands of
restoration projects take place every year, the vast majority are not evaluated
for their success, with respect to ecological processes. How well are ecosystem
services being re-established? What can be learned from cross-country
comparisons? Are “designed ecosystems” a viable solution when environmental
degradation is extreme? The goals of this session are: (1) to consider how a
perspective of ecosystem functioning may be realistically used in a restoration
or ecological design context; (2) to evaluate the extent to which ecosystem
services are being re-established in degraded habitats; and (3) to bring
scientists together from different countries to compare methods and share
perspectives on restoration and ecosystem function.
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