Integrating Approaches Based on Flora and Fauna for Successful Ecological Restoration

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of human-induced pressures impacting ecosystems globally, the "United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration" initiative is designed to catalyze a robust and inclusive movement. This movement aims to bolster restoration efforts and steer the world towards a more sustainable future. Despite the longstanding advocacy from restoration ecologists for a more holistic approach to ecosystem restoration and the monitoring of its effectiveness, current practices often prioritize abiotic factors and flora. There is a common yet unverified assumption that fauna will naturally recover in tandem with improvements in vegetation. To achieve a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of restoration success, it is essential to expand the scope of evaluation beyond the traditional focus on flora. This includes incorporating an analysis of trophic interactions, which encompass the positions, linkages, and diversity within the food web. By combining these ecological dynamics with the existing community metrics, we can achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the impact and success of restoration efforts. This integrated approach not only enhances the ecological integrity of the restoration process but also ensures a more resilient and biodiverse ecosystem, aligning with the objectives of the “United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect studies on restoration from both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and to develop methodologies for (1) assessing the response of trophic structures to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, (2) integrating flora-based and fauna-based restoration design, and (3) monitoring restoration success through trophic structures. Studies highlighting outstanding cases from the "Decade on Ecosystem Restoration" are especially encouraged.

Authors are encouraged to submit articles on, but not limited to, the following subjects:

• Biodiversity monitoring for restoration;
• Ecosystem multifunctionality in restoration;
• Environmental drivers of aquatic ecosystem dynamics;
• Insect restoration;
• Large-scale ecological restoration planning;
• Nature-based solutions for trophic restoration;
• New methods in monitoring and assessment of trophic structure;
• Plant–animal interactions during restoration;
• Megafauna restoration;
• Soil fauna restoration;
• Stakeholder engagement in restoration;
• Trophic cascade during restoration;
• Trophic rewilding as a restoration approach.

Dr. Shengbin Chen
Dr. Jing Liu
Prof. Dr. Changliang Shao
Prof. Dr. Yi Ding
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Ecologies ecologies	1.7	1.8	2020	25.6 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
Forests forests	2.4	4.4	2010	16.9 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Water water	3.0	5.8	2009	16.5 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Conservation conservation	-	-	2021	39.7 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
Land land	3.2	4.9	2012	17.8 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	3.3	6.8	2009	20 Days	CHF 2400	Submit

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21 pages, 3043 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Screening Suitable Ecological Grasses and the Seeding Rate in the Muli Mining Area

by Liangyu Lyu, Qingqing Liu, Miaohua He, Pei Gao, Zongcheng Cai and Jianjun Shi

Sustainability 2024, 16(23), 10184; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310184 - 21 Nov 2024

Viewed by 478

Abstract

To target the lack of suitable grass species in the ecological restoration process of the Muli mining area, nine ecological grass species of Gramineae, Gentianaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Ranunculaceae were selected as experimental materials to simulate the external alkaline environment for a seed germination [...] Read more.

To target the lack of suitable grass species in the ecological restoration process of the Muli mining area, nine ecological grass species of Gramineae, Gentianaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Ranunculaceae were selected as experimental materials to simulate the external alkaline environment for a seed germination test, which could be used to explore the response of seed germination to the environment. At the same time, Poa pratensis L. ‘Qinghai’, Deschampsia cespitosa, Koeleria cristata, and Elymus tangutorum were used as test materials to carry out a variety of comparison and screening tests of suitable seeding rates. The effects of the seeding rate on plant coverage, biomass, forage nutrients, and soil properties were analyzed by a variety of comparison and seeding rate tests. The results showed the following: (1) The relative germination rate of Koeleria cristata, Elymus tangutorum, Deschampsia cespitosa, and Poa pratensis L. ‘Qinghai’ was more than 70%, and the coverage in the returning green period was more than 60%, which was significantly higher than that of other treatments (p < 0.05) and can better adapt to the environment of the Muli mining area compared to other grass species. Meanwhile, the adaptability of Pedicularis kansuensis, Gentiana macrophylla, and Aconitum pendulum was weak. (2) It was found that when the seeding rate was 9 g·m⁻², the biomass of Poa pratensis L. ‘Qinghai’, Deschampsia cespitos, and Koeleria cristata was the highest, which was 296.45 g·m⁻², 224.32 g·m⁻², and 236.35 g·m⁻², which was significantly higher than that of other treatments (p < 0.05); the aboveground biomass was 356.24 g·m⁻² when the seeding rate of Elymus tangutorum was 18 g·m⁻², which was significantly higher than that of other treatments (p < 0.05). The membership function showed that the comprehensive evaluation value was 0.701, 0.576, 0.610, and 0.673 when the seeding rate of Poa pratensis L. ‘Qinghai’, Deschampsia cespitos, and Koeleria cristata was 9 g·m⁻² and the seeding rate of Elymus tangutorum was 18 g·m⁻². To sum up, it is recommended that the four ecological grass species of Poa pratensis L. ‘Qinghai’, Deschampsia cespitosa, Koeleria cristata, and Elymus tangutorum can be used as the main grass species for ecological restoration in high-altitude and alpine areas such as the Muli mining area, which is affected by an alpine climate and fragile habitats. The optimum sowing rate of Poa pratensis L. ‘Qinghai’, Deschampsia cespitosa, and Koeleria cristata is 9 g·m⁻², and that of Elymus tangutorum is 18 g·m⁻². This cultivation method can effectively promote plant growth and development, improve the physicochemical properties of soil, and is conducive to improving the stability and sustainability of artificial grassland in alpine mining areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Integrating Approaches Based on Flora and Fauna for Successful Ecological Restoration)

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