An article by Valerie Hagger, John Dwyer and Kerrie Wilson ‘What motivates ecological restoration’ has been featured in Editor’s Picks for the September 2017 issue of Restoration Ecology. Hagger et al. surveyed 307 people involved in the restoration of native vegetation across Australia to identify their underlying motivations. The study found that biodiversity enhancement is the main motivation for undertaking restoration, with biodiversity offsetting, water quality improvements, and social reasons as important secondary motivations. It also found that rigorous monitoring designs (e.g. quantitative, repeatable surveys, and use of performance indicators) were rarely used in restoration projects, except for projects motivated by scientific research. It calls for better alignment of different restoration motivations with the planning and monitoring of restoration projects which should deliver greater benefits through setting appropriate objectives and evaluating outcomes against these objectives. 

Citation:

Hagger, V., Dwyer, J. and Wilson, K. 2017. What motivates ecological restoration? Restoration Ecology. 25(5): 832-843. http://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12503