Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3570-3588 : Catherine Febria
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Restoration Ecology
Publication Date
1-1-2022
Keywords
conceptual overview, evidence-based restoration, interactive online platform, knowledge mapping, research synthesis, science–practice links
DOI
10.1111/rec.13676
ISSN
10612971
Abstract
Information on restoration science and practice is dispersed across large numbers of scientific papers, reports, books, and other resources, and there is a lack of synthetic approaches and of linkages between ecological theory and practice. With recent calls for scaling up ecological restoration, there is an urgent need for improving the effectiveness of restoration ecology by presenting existing knowledge in an organized and accessible form. Practitioners benefit from knowing which theories explain patterns and processes in a specific ecosystem, and scientists need an overview of empirical evidence supporting current theories. Strengthening links between restoration practice and science benefits both areas. Based on a new approach used for organizing and assessing hypotheses in invasion biology, we suggest the development of an interactive online platform that promotes the integration of restoration science and practice by (1) presenting an overview of restoration ecology; (2) mapping theoretical work relevant for ecological restoration; (3) displaying direct links to relevant publications; and (4) providing summaries of empirical evidence for ecological theories in specific settings. This online knowledge base should be developed in an open process, bringing together the restoration community with experts in semantic web and natural language processing, library scientists, web designers, and other specialists. The platform should become an evolving, searchable, openly accessible, and intuitively organized tool for future ecological restoration.
E-ISSN
1526100X
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Heger, Tina; Jeschke, Jonathan M.; Febria, Catherine; Kollmann, Johannes; Murphy, Stephen; Rochefort, Line; Shackelford, Nancy; Temperton, Vicky M.; and Higgs, Eric. (2022). Mapping and assessing the knowledge base of ecological restoration. Restoration Ecology.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/ibiopub/140