The restoration and management of nature (original) (raw)

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION: Conceptual Analysis and Ethical Implications (Pro gradu)

Growing human populations and their growing appetites have caused severe environmental degradation. Ecological restoration promises an answer to environmental degradation and consequently serves as a major form of environmental management in the future. This Master’s thesis is a conceptual analysis of ecological restoration, also looking at the ethical implications that should follow from the concept. It is important to define the concept clearly to ensure that it fully responds to the causes and challenges of environmental degradation instead of simply justifying them by assuming that it is possible to restore nature without any problems. In addition, ecological restoration goes to the very heart of environmental philosophy, by challenging the dichotomy between nature and humans and therefore, offers a welcome perspective to the search of human place in the natural world. The thesis takes an analytical approach to the search for an appropriate definition of ecological restoration. Conceptual analysis is the main form of inquiry and the aim is to understand how the term has been understood and how it should be understood in a global context. This thesis looks at how ecological restoration has been defined in both philosophical and ecological literature, but the emphasis is on the philosophical literature. The analysis is confined to the most influential work covering ecological restoration, that is, of Robert Elliot (1982 and 1997), Eric Katz (1992 and 1997), Andrew Light (2000, 2012 and 2009), Eric Higgs (2003) and William Throop (2000 and 2012). Also Aldo Leopold’s (1949) work will be covered, even though he does not write about ecological restoration. The analysis is done by framing ecological restoration within four categories: goals, values, means and overall attitude. Framing ecological restoration within these categories ensures a thorough analysis of all the aspects of the concept that might otherwise remain hidden. If one of these categories is missing the concept would be lessened. The concepts of ‘nature’ and ‘wilderness’ have a major impact on how ‘ecological restoration’ is understood. The dichotomy of nature and humans distorts the debate surrounding ecological restoration. Therefore, the concept of nature needs to be defined clearly or even redefined in order to allow ecological restoration. The aim of the thesis is to resolve this conceptual conflict. Ecological restoration has the potential to re-build the relationship between nature and humans and offers the opportunity to re-evaluate the concept of nature, so that it does not necessarily exclude humans. If defined carefully, ecological restoration has the potential to restore damaged ecosystems.

Nature`s value restored? - commentary on the restoration debate

Can a restored environment be equally valuable to the pristine area that preceded it? Which values are most important to take into consideration? In this essay I discuss primarily Robert Elliot and Eric Katz´s objections to restoration, concluding that their position does work if considered in a biocentric view, but not in a ecocentric one. I also tries, focusing on other values, to asses whether natures values can be enhanced whit human intervention.

History, Ecosystems, and Human Agency in Restoration Ecology

2007

Restoration ecology has been accused of “faking nature,” meaning it pretends that natural systems can be replaced by artificial ones with equal value. The argument is flawed in that it assumes that the reference state for restoration projects is always pristine nature. Mostly, however restoration tries to improve degraded systems and the reference states are formed by human interaction with the environment. Restoration ecology operates on a different scale than other disciplines in ecology as it necessarily involves judgement about the value of nature, and here lies its benefit for conservation.

Restoration Ecology: the challenge of social values and expectations

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2004

Given that society often does not articulate a clear policy goal for applied ecologists, what should a conscientious restoration ecologist do? First, know clearly the boundary between scientific or technical issues and value judgments. Second, to the extent possible, try to exhort decision makers to focus on the often fractious value choices rather than technical and scientific debate which often ends up serving as a surrogate polemic for an inability to adjudicate value debates. Third, be brutally honest with decision makers about the technical feasibility of each possible policy option and the uncertainties associated with the resulting ecological consequences. Often, the most useful input that restoration ecologists can provide is to identify the probability of success for various possible restoration targets and the associated ecological risks. Restoration ecology is a promising, but still emerging science. Practitioners should strive to avoid falling into the trap of mixing personal policy preferences and judgments with scientific information and expression. Restoration ecology has too much to offer society to risk losing its credibility by having its potential scientific contributions dismissed because it is infected with policy advocacy masquerading as policy neutral science.