The social-ecological ladder of restoration ambition

Marina Frietsch; Manuel Pacheco-Romero; Vicky M Temperton; Beth A Kaplin; Joern Fischer

doi:10.1007/s13280-024-02021-8

The social-ecological ladder of restoration ambition

Ambio. 2024 Apr 23. doi: 10.1007/s13280-024-02021-8. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Marina Frietsch^#^{1

2}, Manuel Pacheco-Romero^#^{3

4}, Vicky M Temperton⁵, Beth A Kaplin^{6

7}, Joern Fischer³

Affiliations

¹ Social-Ecological Systems Institute, School of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Lueneburg, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany. marina.frietsch@leuphana.de.
² Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda. marina.frietsch@leuphana.de.
³ Social-Ecological Systems Institute, School of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Lueneburg, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany.
⁴ Department of Biology and Geology, Andalusian Center for the Assessment and Monitoring of Global Change (CAESCG), University of Almería, Almería, Spain.
⁵ Institute of Ecology, School of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lüneburg, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany.
⁶ Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
⁷ School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 38652237
DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02021-8

Abstract

Expanding in both scope and scale, ecosystem restoration needs to embrace complex social-ecological dynamics. To help scientists and practitioners navigate ever new demands on restoration, we propose the "social-ecological ladder of restoration ambition" as a conceptual model to approach dynamically shifting social and ecological restoration goals. The model focuses on three dynamic aspects of restoration, namely degrading processes, restoration goals and remedial actions. As these three change through time, new reinforcing and balancing feedback mechanisms characterize the restoration process. We illustrate our model through case studies in which restoration has become increasingly ambitious through time, namely forest landscape restoration in Rwanda and grassland restoration in Germany. The ladder of restoration ambition offers a new way of applying social-ecological systems thinking to ecosystem restoration. Additionally, it raises awareness of social-ecological trade-offs, power imbalances and conflicting goals in restoration projects, thereby laying an important foundation for finding more practicable and fairer solutions.

Keywords: Ecosystem restoration; Forest landscape restoration; Grassland restoration; Social–ecological systems.