Looking Ahead

Abstract

policy, and education. Recognizing that the field of ecological restoration is undergoing rapid, and in some areas uneven development, the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan sponsored a two-day meeting of practitioners, scientists, and policy-makers to discuss emerging issues in the field. Among the 60 participants--19 from various departments at the University of Michigan, and 21 from other institutions-were many leaders in the field. Their discussion, held over two days early in March, 1996 resulted in some fresh perspectives on the challenges facing those in the field of ecological restoration. Perhaps most significant was the recognition that in all areas, from research to policy and education, the task of restoration both challenges traditional disciplinary and cultural boundaries and provides opportunities for breaking down barriers and building bridges. Reed Noss, editor of Conservation Bio/ogy and coordinator of the Wildlands Project, kicked off the two-day workshop by describing the role of ecological restoration as part of a larger strategy for protecting biological diversity. He noted that ecosystems in the United States are in bad shape, estimating that less than 5 percent of the land in the 48 coterminous states is in pristine or high-quality condition, 2550 percent is moderately degraded, and 5070 percent is highly to severely degraded. As a result, we need conservation strategies that protect remaining examples of endangered ecosystems and that also identify the long-term conservation management and restoration needs for all ecosystems. Speaking on research issues related to ecological restoration, Roger Anderson, Professor of Biology at Illinois State University at Normal, argued for greater collaboration between restorationists and researchers to build a solid scientific basis for restoration efforts. He urged increased use of restoration as a process for learning more about ecosystem structure, function, and maintenance. William Niering, Professor of Botany at Connecticut College and editor of Restoration Ecology, supported this, exhorting academics to develop approaches to teaching about restoration that are firmly grounded in ecological theory, encourage interdisciplinary interactions, and provide students with first-hand experience.