Faustian Bargains? Restoration Realities in the Context of Biodiversity Offset Policies

background

This article presents an analysis of the effectiveness of forest restoration as a mechanism to offset biodiversity loss.

Research Goals & Methods

Biodiversity offsetting is defined by the authors as "compensating for losses of biodiversity components at an impact site by generation (or attempting to generate) ecologically equivalent gains, or 'credits', elsewhere", considering only direct actions and not indirect ones (such as financial compensation). The analysis is based on a conceptual model that encompasses three constraints of the biodiversity offsetting mechanism: (i) time lags; (ii) uncertainty; and (iii) measurability of the values being offset.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The authors argue that the constraints could be incorporated into offset policies that involve active adaptive management, time discounting, explicit accounting for uncertainty, and biodiversity banking. However they point out that is difficult to achieve a result of no net biodiversity loss because the restoration of an ecosystem to its original state is likely unfeasible, especially considering the practical time-frames. The recommendation is that restoration should be used as a means of biodiversity offsetting in the presence of definable and measurable ecosystem values and impacts on biodiversity, solid evidence of the feasibility of restoring these values, and accountability of time lags and uncertainties. Finally, the authors conclude that it is urgently needed to establish links between offset policies and on-ground restoration initiatives, as well as between actors involved in the science of restoration with those in the policy-making process.