Thresholds and Ecosystem Restoration Symposium
A Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute & Delta Science Program Symposium
Among the goals of habitat restoration are the recovery of a particular set of ecological functions and services. Trying to understand and predict the trajectory and pace of recovery raises important questions for resource managers. Answers to these questions are important for restoration decision-making and the development of monitoring and assessment plans.
The traditional view of ecosystems is that they predictably return to their pre-disturbance state or trajectory following disturbance or alteration. Recently, an increasing number of studies indicate that some ecosystems may experience multiple ‘alternative states’ and possibly ‘stable equilibria’ where change from one state to another may be discontinuous, abrupt, and have multiple trajectories. How can scientific understanding of ecosystem multiple states more effectively inform restoration and management, and vice versa?
Addressing these questions requires scientists to understand challenges that managers confront in making decisions about ecosystem restoration. They also require managers to understand the methods available to diagnose ecosystem changes and associated uncertainties. To achieve this exchange, this one-day symposium will bring together scientists and managers considering multiple stable states in a wide variety of ecosystems. The central goals of the symposium are to (1) inform scientists about decision-making processes and real-world challenges in ecosystem management and restoration, (2) inform managers of the latest decision support tools emerging from science on ecosystem multiple stable states, and (3) promote dialogue and collaboration among scientists and managers working on the Delta-estuary-marine ecosystem continuum.
For details visit: https://marinescience.ucdavis.edu/events/upcoming-events/thresholds_and_ecosystem_restoration