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Faure E, Levrel H, Quétier F. Economics of rewilding. AMBIO 2024; 53:1367-1382. [PMID: 38850468 PMCID: PMC11300785 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02019-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Rewilding, a concept often defined as an open-ended approach to ecological restoration that aims to establish self-sustaining ecosystems, has gained much interest in recent conservation science and practice. The economic dimensions of rewilding remain understudied, despite repeated calls for research, and we find that synthetic or programmatic contributions to the scientific literature are still missing. Here, we mined Scopus and Web of Science databases through a systematic review, looking for "rewilding" with various economic terms in the peer-reviewed literature, in the English language. We then screened out a 257 references-rich corpus with 14 variables, including the position of rewilding regarding positive and negative economic effects in specific sectors, and geographical or ecological foci. Our corpus amounts to ca. 40% of recent rewilding literature, with a clear emphasis on European study sites and the economic consequences of rewilding initiatives. Rewilding studies often refer to positive economic impacts on tourism and hunting, e.g., through higher income and employment rates, although very few studies properly quantify these. Conversely, most authors find rewilding harms farming, which is threatened by abandonment and damages by wildlife, raising interest in potential EU subsidy regimes. We highlight the surprising paucity of rewilding literature truly focusing on economics and/or providing detailed quantification-with remarkable exceptions. While rewilding's ecological relevance is no longer in question, demonstrating its economic benefits and sustainability will undoubtedly help scaling up. Thus, we advise rewilders to systematically measure and report investments and outcomes of rewilding initiatives, and to adopt common standards for cost and benefit assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Faure
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS - Univ. Grenoble Alpes - Univ. Savoie Mont-Blanc, Grenoble, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement, AgroParisTech - Cirad - CNRS - EHESS - Ecole des PontsParisTech, Nogent-sur-Marne, France
| | - Harold Levrel
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement, AgroParisTech - Cirad - CNRS - EHESS - Ecole des PontsParisTech, Nogent-sur-Marne, France.
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Mutillod C, Buisson É, Mahy G, Jaunatre R, Bullock JM, Tatin L, Dutoit T. Ecological restoration and rewilding: two approaches with complementary goals? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:820-836. [PMID: 38346335 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
As we enter the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and address the urgent need to protect and restore ecosystems and their ecological functions at large scales, rewilding has been brought into the limelight. Interest in this discipline is thus increasing, with a large number of conceptual scientific papers published in recent years. Increasing enthusiasm has led to discussions and debates in the scientific community about the differences between ecological restoration and rewilding. The main goal of this review is to compare and clarify the position of each field. Our results show that despite some differences (e.g. top-down versus bottom-up and functional versus taxonomic approaches) and notably with distinct goals - recovery of a defined historically determined target ecosystem versus recovery of natural processes with often no target endpoint - ecological restoration and rewilding have a common scope: the recovery of ecosystems following anthropogenic degradation. The goals of ecological restoration and rewilding have expanded with the progress of each field. However, it is unclear whether there is a paradigm shift with ecological restoration moving towards rewilding or vice versa. We underline the complementarity in time and in space of ecological restoration and rewilding. To conclude, we argue that reconciliation of these two fields of nature conservation to ensure complementarity could create a synergy to achieve their common scope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Mutillod
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
| | - Élise Buisson
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
| | - Gregory Mahy
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
- Université de Liège, Biodiversité et Paysage, 27 Avenue Maréchal Juin, Gembloux, 5030, Belgique
| | - Renaud Jaunatre
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INRAE, UR LESSEM, St-Martin-d'Hères, F-38402, France
| | - James M Bullock
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, OX10 8BB, Wallingford, UK
| | - Laurent Tatin
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
| | - Thierry Dutoit
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, site Agroparc BP 61207, Avignon Cedex 09, 84911, France
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van Katwijk MM, van Tussenbroek BI. Facultative Annual Life Cycles in Seagrasses. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2002. [PMID: 37653920 PMCID: PMC10223934 DOI: 10.3390/plants12102002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Plant species usually have either annual or perennial life cycles, but facultative annual species have annual or perennial populations depending on their environment. In terrestrial angiosperms, facultative annual species are rare, with wild rice being one of the few examples. Our review shows that in marine angiosperms (seagrasses) facultative annual species are more common: six (of 63) seagrass species are facultative annual. It concerns Zostera marina, Z. japonica, Halophila decipiens, H. beccarii, Ruppia maritima, and R. spiralis. The annual populations generally produce five times more seeds than their conspecific perennial populations. Facultative annual seagrass species occur worldwide. Populations of seagrasses are commonly perennial, but the facultative annual species had annual populations when exposed to desiccation, anoxia-related factors, shading, or heat stress. A system-wide 'experiment' (closure of two out of three connected estuaries for large-scale coastal protection works) showed that the initial annual Z. marina population could shift to a perennial life cycle within 5 years, depending on environmental circumstances. We discuss potential mechanisms and implications for plant culture. Further exploration of flexible life histories in plant species, and seagrasses in particular, may aid in answering questions about trade-offs between vegetative and sexual reproduction, and preprogrammed senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke M. van Katwijk
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Brigitta I. van Tussenbroek
- Institute of Ocean Sciences and Limnology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos 77580, Mexico;
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Lekammudiyanse MU, Saunders MI, Flint N, Irving A, Jackson EL. Simulated effects of tidal inundation and light reduction on Zostera muelleri flowering in seagrass nurseries. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 188:106010. [PMID: 37141708 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Zostera muelleri is an abundant seagrass species distributed through intertidal and shallow subtidal waters on the subtropical coasts of Australia. The vertical distribution of Zostera is likely defined by tidal influences, particularly desiccation and light reduction stresses. These stresses were expected to affect the flowering of Z. muelleri; however, it is difficult to quantify the effects of tidal inundation with field studies due to multiple confounding environmental factors affecting flowering (e.g., water temperature, herbivory, nutrients). A laboratory aquarium experiment compared the effects of two levels of tidal height (intertidal and subtidal) and light intensity (shaded and unshaded) on flowering timing, abundance, the ratio between flowering shoots and vegetative shoots, the morphology and duration of flower development. The earliest and greatest flowering intensity was recorded in the subtidal-unshaded group, with no flowers observed in the intertidal-shaded group. Notably, the peak flowering time was the same across shaded and unshaded treatments. Shading prolonged the timing of the first flowering and reduced the density of flowering shoots and spathes, while tidal inundation had a more significant effect on the density of flowering shoots and the density of spathes. Results showed that Z. muelleri could flower under low light conditions or tidal stress but not when exposed to both stresses simultaneously in a laboratory 'nursery setting'. Therefore, applying subtidal-unshaded conditions appears to be beneficial for seagrass nurseries aimed at improved flower abundance despite the plants previously being collected from and adapted to intertidal meadows. Further studies that explore the suitable conditions for triggering and optimising the flowering will be beneficial in designing cost-effective seagrass nurseries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuja U Lekammudiyanse
- Central Queensland University, Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre, Gladstone, QLD, 4680, Australia; CSIRO Environment, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia; Central Queensland University, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, North Rockhampton, QLD, 4701, Australia.
| | - Megan I Saunders
- CSIRO Environment, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Nicole Flint
- Central Queensland University, Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre, Gladstone, QLD, 4680, Australia; Central Queensland University, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, North Rockhampton, QLD, 4701, Australia
| | - Andrew Irving
- Central Queensland University, Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre, Gladstone, QLD, 4680, Australia; Central Queensland University, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, North Rockhampton, QLD, 4701, Australia
| | - Emma L Jackson
- Central Queensland University, Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre, Gladstone, QLD, 4680, Australia
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