Program on the Environment

Ecological restoration has emerged as one way to combat the climate crisis by increasing the resilience of ecosystems suffering from disturbances. However, it often focuses on restoring a historical ecosystem condition, which is becoming increasingly unfeasible as climate change drastically changes the function and appearance of ecosystems. The purpose of this research was to investigate the steps restoration practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area are taking to plan for climate change and gather suggestions about the best ways to adapt restoration to an uncertain future. To accomplish this task, I synthesized firsthand experience from my internship with Grassroots Ecology, interviews with restoration professionals from across the region, and a review of the literature on the connections between ecological restoration and climate change. Results showed that while some practitioners are explicitly planning for future impacts of climate change in their restoration plans, many others are not able to do so. This is often due to limited resources, including money and time, which contribute to an uncertainty of future disturbances. While practitioners may differ in their approaches to restoration with regard to climate change, most emphasized three keys for the future: 1) practice adaptive management and learn from mistakes, 2) prioritize stakeholder engagement, especially volunteers, and 3) ensure diversity at every stage of a restoration project. By implementing these three keys in their work, practitioners everywhere can ensure that their local restoration is resilient to future disturbances and can protect biodiversity for generations to come.