Restoring Ecosystems (DP IB Biology) : Revision Note

Naomi Holyoak

Last updated

Restoring Ecosystems

  • Human activities, such as deforestation and overharvesting of resources, can destabilise ecosystems

  • Conservation efforts at the ecosystem level aim to improve ecosystem stability by restoring natural ecosystem processes

    • This type of ecosystem restoration project is sometimes known as rewilding

  • Restoration strategies may involve

    • Species reintroductions

      • Reintroduction of apex predators will control populations of herbivores and allow the restoration of habitat vegetation; this can increase the diversity of plant species, which will in turn boost overall biodiversity

      • Reintroduction of keystone species can alter the structure of an ecosystem

    • Improving habitat connectivity

      • The establishment of wildlife corridors, e.g. by planting hedgerows throughout farmland, can connect small pockets of habitat

      • When habitats are connected organisms can roam over larger areas; this gives access to more resources and allows populations to increase in size

    • Limiting human influence

      • This may involve preventing the harvesting of resources by, e.g. logging, fishing, or agriculture

      • Ecological management techniques, e.g. controlled grazing or burning, may be used to restore a habitat

Restoration of Hinewai Reserve, New Zealand

  • Hinewai Reserve was once farmland, but is now privately owned, with the aim of restoring the natural ecosystem of the area

  • Some initial human intervention was involved, with the removal of non-native species, but the area is now managed with minimal human intervention to allow native communities to be restored by succession

  • Human activities are limited in the area, though the public can enjoy walking in the Reserve 

hinewai-reserve-rewilding-photo

 CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hinewai Reserve in New Zealand is considered to be a an example of successful rewilding

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Naomi Holyoak

Author: Naomi Holyoak

Expertise: Biology Content Creator

Naomi graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in Biological Sciences. She has 8 years of classroom experience teaching Key Stage 3 up to A-Level biology, and is currently a tutor and A-Level examiner. Naomi especially enjoys creating resources that enable students to build a solid understanding of subject content, while also connecting their knowledge with biology’s exciting, real-world applications.

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