Ecological Restoration: Principles, Values, and Structure of an Emerging Profession (The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration Series) - Softcover

Clewell, Andre F.; Aronson, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1597261696 ISBN 13: 9781597261692

Publisher: Island Press, 2008

Synopsis

The field of ecological restoration is a rapidly growing discipline that encompasses a wide range of activities and brings together practitioners and theoreticians from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, ranging from volunteer backyard restorationists to highly trained academic scientists and professional consultants.
 
Ecological Restoration offers for the first time a unified vision of ecological restoration as a field of study, one that clearly states the discipline’s precepts and emphasizes issues of importance to those involved at all levels. In a lively, personal fashion, the authors discuss scientific and practical aspects of the field as well as the human needs and values that motivate practitioners. The book:

-identifies fundamental concepts upon which restoration is based
-considers the principles of restoration practice
-explores the diverse values that are fulfilled with the restoration of ecosystems
-reviews the structure of restoration practice, including the various contexts for restoration work, the professional development of its practitioners, and the relationships of restoration with allied fields and activities

A unique feature of the book is the inclusion of eight “virtual field trips,” short photo essays of project sites around the world that illustrate various points made in the book and are “led” by those who were intimately involved with the project described.
 
Throughout, ecological restoration is conceived as a holistic endeavor, one that addresses issues of ecological degradation, biodiversity loss, and sustainability science simultaneously, and draws upon cultural resources and local skills and knowledge in restoration work.

About this title

About the Author

Andre F. Clewell taught botany at Florida State University in Tallahassee for 16 years before entering private practice as a restoration practitioner and plant ecologist. He served as president of the Society for Ecological Restoration and is co-coordinator of the RNC Alliance.

James Aronson is head of the Restoration Ecology group at the Center of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (CNRS), in Montpellier, France, and curator of restoration ecology at the Missouri Botanical Garden. He is co-coordinator of the RNC Alliance.

Review

"Ecological Restoration examines the background of restoration ecology, its progress as a science, and how it is practiced today. 'Virtual field trips' to sites around the world provide excellent models for planning and executing restoration projects. At a time when we seem overwhelmed by damaged ecosystems, this book offers an excellent introduction to repairing them."
(Daniel Simberloff Nancy Gore Hunger Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

"This engagingly written, creatively structured, tightly edited book is in a class of its own. Its hallmark is a holistic, real-world approach to ecological restoration that integrates ecological and social perspectives and encompasses the entire project cycle. Clewell and Aronson's deep understanding of the theoretical and practical dimensions of restoration closes the gap between restoration research and implementation. I recommend Ecological Restoration to scholars and practitioners who work in this rapidly growing, vitally important discipline."
(Richard Cowling Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa)

"Practitioners will welcome this clearly articulated book about the science and practice of ecological restoration, which provides the rationale for an evolving field. Illustrated with case studies from around the globe, the book wraps the elements of ecological restoration practice into a logical, usable framework."
(Karen Rodriguez Society for Ecological Restoration International)

"This slim, accessible volume admirably achieves the goals of comprehensiveness and coherence....The clarity with which Clewell and Aaronson articulate their guiding assumptions...will allow readers to develop informed perspectives of their own on these and other matters....I strongly recommend this volume to the broad audience for which it is intended, including anyone considering teaching graduate or undergraduate courses in ecological restoration. Whether readers hope to introduce themselves to or continue broadening their understanding of ecological restoration, the book will prove useful." (Quarterly Review of Biology)

"In a lively, personal fashion, the authors discuss scientific and practical aspects of the field, as well as the human needs and values that motivate practitioners."
(Abstracts of Public Administration, Development, and Environment)

"A comprehensive account of a discipline."
(CHOICE)

"This text is highly recommended for local groups 'wishing' that someone would do something about that degraded acreage in their midst"
(Wildlife Activist)

"[T]his book [is] a great addition to anyone's library and occupy a unique position in the recent spate of restoration texts. Kudos to the authors."
(Restoration Ecology)

Edition details

• Publisher: Island Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1597261696
• ISBN 13: 9781597261692
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232