WHY WE TEACH – ecological restoration
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Next in our series looking at themes and topics explored by students on CAT Master’s degrees, Dr Jane Fisher introduces ecological restoration, a key module for students taking our MSc Sustainability and Ecology programme and also a subject relevant to those studying MSc Sustainable Food and Natural Resources and MSc Sustainability and Adaptation.
Introduction
There is great potential for subjectivity in the setting of ecological restoration goals. What kind of ecology do we want to restore? Ecosystems naturally change in their distributions, structures and compositions, according to climate and natural fluctuations. We need ecosystems that mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss while still providing us with essential resources. We therefore must be led by evidence of what has gone before and by our knowledge of what will persist and thrive under future climate scenarios.
Why is the topic important?
All over the globe, natural ecosystems have been reduced in their coverage and biomass and become fragmented. A damaged natural ecosystem cannot
sequester carbon, hold water, cycle nutrients or provide habitat for the earth’s organisms as effectively as a large intact ecosystem. These ecosystem functions ensure that the globe remains habitable for life. Restoring the world’s ecosystems is therefore a key aspect of sustainability. We cannot survive without nature and the functions it provides. How to bring nature and ecosystem functions back is what the science of ecological restoration is about.
What are the key aspects to consider?
Climate change and other human-induced stresses mean the conditions under which ecosystems have evolved have changed rapidly. An ecosystem that was once self-perpetuating may no longer be able to survive in that place, despite restoration efforts. Considering the replanting of UK forests, what species will survive the warmer and drier UK summers, for example? Should we be planting ash trees considering the prevalence of ash die-back? Do we need to consider the multiple uses of land, so ecosystems can provide life-supporting functions as well as the production of food, fuel and timber? Choices and trade offs must be made.
Ecosystem changes are hard to predict and therefore restoration practices do not always lead to the expected or desired outcome. If the landscape is left to repair naturally will the outcome be predictable? For example, on our Ecological Restoration module, students visit a upland area where ex-conifer forestry land is succeeding, through natural processes, to a mixed woodland, but this young woodland is a mix of fast-growing conifer, blown in from nearby forestry plantations, rhododendron from old estate gardens, as well as buddleia and sycamore, all non-native, and growing side by side with oaks, birches and rowans. In 30 years’ time, which species will dominate? Will such novel ecosystems be resilient to climate change and diseases in a way that the older mixes are not? Which outcome will best support insects and birds?
Reintroducing species is an important element of restoring ecosystems. The beaver is a prime example in the UK, with its engineering abilities to change the landscape to hold more water, reduce flooding downstream, rewet the ground, and bring about new aquatic ecosystems. However, beavers damage trees and flood land, to the dismay of farmers and forestry workers, and the existing terrestrial vegetation and invertebrates of newly flooded areas will drown. It could be years until the effects of new flooding pass and a new, richer biodiversity emerges.
What are the main teaching methods?
At the Graduate School, we go deeply into natural ecosystem functioning, including influences on food production. Scientifically speaking, ecology is not chiefly about animals or plants. It’s about process and function; what does what, what that means, and how we know. We look as objectively as we can at evidence. We teach ecological restoration though examining fundamental ecological processes before applying them to real world situations. We consider if we need to choose one use of land over another
Advertise here when visiting the CAT woodlands and wetlands to consider which species or habitat functions we might need to prioritise and how these decisions interact with the general use of the site for education. We visit nearby ex-forestry plantations to examine natural processes at work, and the Coetir Anian (Cambrian Wildwood) project – a large upland restoration project looking to restore peat and upland vegetation using mixed management methods. These trips are a great way to look at ecological restoration in practice and meet the people dealing with the complexities.
But it isn’t all UK-based examples. Comparable issues around decision making are made in other parts of the world and Dr Hasseb Irfanullah (visiting research fellow at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh and ex-Programme Coordinator of the International Union for Conservation of Nature) presents students with case studies of tropical mangrove restoration and the restoration of land in Bangladesh around refugee camps to examine the impact of these decisions on human Reach over 40,000 environmentally-conscious readers and support CAT. Contact Alison: alison@emsm.org.uk quality of life and livelihoods.
We use this mix of lectures, including from other guest speakers such as David Bavin (conservation scientist and post-doctoral researcher at the National Trust) and Christopher Price (ex-Chief Executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and Director of Policy at the Country Landowners Association), to inform group discussion, visit sites and run problem-based learning exercises.
How do students use this learning?
We have several students looking to undertake dissertation projects in restoration. Stuart, who studied the ecological impact of beavers, has presented his findings to the Wildlife Trust, and we have had graduates go on to work in ecosystem or habitat restoration or related fields with the Wildlife Trust, National Trust and Natural England, as well as others who have gone on to study PhDs in allied subjects. Rachel used her Master’s thesis, which examined the role of mycorrhizal fungi in meadow restoration, to gain a position as a PhD researcher at Birmingham University.
Study with us
Find out more about CAT Master’s degrees, join an on-site or virtual open day, and explore what funding might be available to you – visit our Graduate School web pages or contact Alis at study@cat.org.uk or on +44 (0)1654 705953.
About the author
Jane is Programme Leader for MSc Sustainability and Ecology and MSc Sustainability and Behaviour Change and co-developed the MSc Sustainable Food and Natural Resources programme. She has professional experience in evaluating and restoring freshwater and wetland environments, a PhD in freshwater ecology, and has taught environmental science, biogeography and ecology at universities for over 18 years.
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