Mechanical and chemical bioremediation |
Scalping sites in conjunction
with revegetation, chemical dispersers and microbial inoculants for
pollutants, typically funded by polluters |
Not feasible beyond site
scale nor remote areas with no machinery access |
Vrba et al.
2003; Brown et al. 2017 |
Replicate historic disturbance regime |
Fire and grazing in terrestrial
systems, flooding for freshwater systems; range of historic variation
often the goal, integrates well with First Nations knowledge systems |
Limited applicability in peri-urban and multifunctional landscapes,
historic data often unavailable |
Pedroli et al. 2002; Greenberg
& Collins 2015 |
Revegetation |
The default approach for many terrestrial and subtidal
biomes, useful way to involve wide range of stakeholder groups,
especially beneficial when disturbance and visitation are restricted |
Only some plant groups can be propagated and transplanted, long lead
time can be challenging for maintaining engagement |
Linhart 1995;
Ellison 2000 |
Translocation and facilitated dispersal |
Routine in freshwater systems,
terrestrial applications prioritize ecosystem engineers, equally
applicable to widespread species to keep them common |
Costly, risky in
terms of both low success and tenuous social license (intervention often
framed as ‘unnatural’) |
Seddon 2010; Watson & Watson
2015 |
Augmenting natural substrates |
Re-snagging and re-meandering rivers,
adding coarse woody debris and outcrops to woodlands, returning oyster
shells to temperate reefs; topsoil replacement for mine sites, cost
effective and well suited to experimental comparisons |
Not all
structures can be augmented, logistically complex to upscale,
environmental alterations may displace early successional taxa |
Erskine
& Webb 2003; Wondendorp & Keenan 2005 |
Adding engineered structures |
Concrete reefs, nest boxes, simulated
burrows; all increase heterogeneity of surfaces and boost microclimatic
diversity |
Costly at scale, can be subverted for commercial gain
(e.g., fish attracting devices), not addressing shortage of
resources over longer time-scales |
Jaap 2000; Cowan et al.
2021 |
Eradicating invasive species |
Reducing populations of invasive species
down to a level where displaced native taxa can re-establish, useful way
to engage with local communities |
Costly and ongoing, biological
control requires significant investment and expertise |
Veitch & Clout
2002; Glen et al. 2013 |