Nucleation in tropical ecological restoration

background

Due to centuraries of human development, there is a need to restore degraded areas and reconcile productive uses of land with conservation goals. One means of ecological restoration is facilitation, which aims to accrue positive interactions between species. Nucleation has been shown as a effective stategy for facilitation. 

Goals & Methods

The main goal of this paper is to present restoration techniques based on nucleation, in which small areas (nuclei) of vegetation are established on degraded lands to support facilitation.  Reviewing a series of studies, the authors detail 9 nucleation techniques, stating that each promote landscape connectivity on both inward and outward flows. 

conclusions & takeaways

The authors conclude that while ecological restoration is vital, there is a breakdown between theory and practice. They call on restorers to be more observant in their practice and to commit to greater intergration of theory in practice design.