Establishing Reference Models for Ecological Restoration—Case Study from Colorado National Monument, USA

Patrick J. Comer (), Gregory E. Eckert and George D. Gann
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Patrick J. Comer: NatureServe, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
Gregory E. Eckert: National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
George D. Gann: Society for Ecological Restoration, Washington, DC 20009, USA

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: Restoration practitioners specify goals that describe how the focal ecosystem will look or function upon reaching recovery goals. Goals may be influenced by the level of degradation, surrounding landscape conditions, societal choice, and a changing climate regime. The Society for Ecological Restoration’s International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration recommend that goals should be informed by reference models of site conditions, which include the biotic composition, the environmental setting, and dynamic processes—had anthropogenic degradation not occurred—while accounting for anticipated changes. The SER principles address many aspects of ecological restoration, and practical steps include conceptualizing the structure and function of the natural system, measuring ecological integrity, and assessing potential climate change effects and adaptations. Models optimally reflect a variety of information sources and are based, where possible, on multiple reference sites of similar native ecological conditions. Using a project site from the Colorado National Monument in the USA, we illustrate a stepwise process to address these principles and standards by compiling and synthesizing map, text, and tabular information from reference materials and sites. By addressing these principles and systematically utilizing existing frameworks and locally available data, practitioners can streamline the establishment of reference models for ecological restoration.

Keywords: ecological restoration; restoration goals; reference models; invasive plants; ecological classification; reference sites; ecological integrity; climate change adaptation; restoration standards (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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