Restoration

Ongoing changes to the earth’s climate, disruptions of nutri-ent cycles, and changes in land use are expected to result in extensive disruptions to natural communities and ecosys-tems. These disruptions will likely result in the extinction of valued species of plants and animals and the loss of important ecological services. At the same time, the poten-tial strategies for minimizing the effects of these changes on ecosystems at the regional scale are extremely limited. Restoration of degraded ecosystems is one promising strategy for reducing the negative impacts of global change. Ecological restoration attempts to promote recovery of ecosystems damaged by human activities. Restoration is increasingly attempted in freshwater, wetland, grassland, and forest ecosystems. The results of these efforts have been mixed. Many restoration projects involve high input