What is ecological restoration?

Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of a damaged ecosystem. This process involves actively taking steps to rehabilitate and restore ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed, with the goal of returning them to a stable and healthy state. This can include activities such as replanting native vegetation, removing invasive species, restoring natural water flows, and enhancing soil quality.

By focusing on restoring ecosystems, ecological restoration plays a critical role in increasing biodiversity, improving ecosystem functions, and providing vital services that ecosystems offer, such as carbon sequestration, water purification, and habitat for wildlife. The success of these restoration activities can lead to more resilient ecosystems that are better able to withstand future environmental changes and stresses.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of ecological restoration. Introducing non-native species can often lead to further harm rather than restoration since non-native species can disrupt existing ecosystems. Undermining ecosystem functions is contrary to the goals of restoration, which seeks to enhance and support those functions. Limiting human impact is generally about conservation efforts, which is related but distinct from the specific practice of restoring ecosystems that have already been degraded.