Forest & Nature Conservation
Approaches: Theories, Tools, and Practices Author: Floris Bang
1. Ecosystem Approaches
Restoration
Definition: Actively supporting the recovery of an ecosystem that has
been degraded or damaged by humans.
Focus: Works toward a historical reference point. A moment in the
past (e.g., the Dutch heathlands in 1850) that conservationists try to
restore.
Control: Uses Bottom-up control. Managing the base of the
pyramid: water levels and plants. Humans act as the "manager."
Goal: A clear "target image". Once achieved, humans often must
continue management to prevent the area from changing.
Rewilding
Definition: Restoring natural processes and wilderness, minimizing
human influence.
Focus: Process-oriented. It is not about how the landscape looks,
but how it functions.
Control: Top-down control. Introducing keystone species (grazers or
predators) that steer the rest of the ecosystem.
Goal: Open-ended; determined by nature.
Scale: Landscape scale (large, connected areas).
Pleistocene Rewilding: Introducing "proxy species" that resemble
the Megafauna/flora of the Pleistocene as closely as possible.
Example 1: Oostvaardersplassen (Rewilding)
Approach: Releasing large grazers (horses, cattle, red deer).
Process: Their grazing behaviour, manure, and carcasses create a
dynamic landscape without human management.
, Example 2: The Veluwe (Combination)
Restoration: Keeping heathlands open via sheep herds and human
management to prevent it from turning into forest.
Rewilding: The return of the wolf. Not introduced, but arrived
naturally. Provides top-down control over wild boar and deer
populations.
Example 3: Peatland Recovery (Restoration)
Approach: Building dikes and dams to retain rainwater. Peat only
grows if the soil is waterlogged with nutrient-poor rainwater (bottom-
up). Sometimes live peat moss is planted to speed up the process.
Process: Removing "incorrect" vegetation. During droughts, trees and
grasses grow; these are actively removed.
Similarities: Restoration and Rewilding
1. Repairing human-induced damage.
2. Scientific basis: Both use ecological data and monitoring.
3. Climate adaptation: Both methods make ecosystems more resilient
to extreme drought or rain.
4. Stakeholder management: Both require cooperation with farmers,
residents, and governments.
5. Ecosystem services: Both provide human benefits (clean air, water
storage, recreation).
2. Landscape Approaches
Agriculture is responsible for about 80% of deforestation.
Past: Sectoral approach (rangers protect forest, farmers maximize
yield, water managers regulate water). This fails, leading to:
Integrated Landscape Approach (ILA):
o Holistic approach: A management style that views an area as a
whole rather than in parts; everything is connected.
o Multiple objectives: Simultaneously striving for nature
conservation, food production, and human well-being.
Approaches: Theories, Tools, and Practices Author: Floris Bang
1. Ecosystem Approaches
Restoration
Definition: Actively supporting the recovery of an ecosystem that has
been degraded or damaged by humans.
Focus: Works toward a historical reference point. A moment in the
past (e.g., the Dutch heathlands in 1850) that conservationists try to
restore.
Control: Uses Bottom-up control. Managing the base of the
pyramid: water levels and plants. Humans act as the "manager."
Goal: A clear "target image". Once achieved, humans often must
continue management to prevent the area from changing.
Rewilding
Definition: Restoring natural processes and wilderness, minimizing
human influence.
Focus: Process-oriented. It is not about how the landscape looks,
but how it functions.
Control: Top-down control. Introducing keystone species (grazers or
predators) that steer the rest of the ecosystem.
Goal: Open-ended; determined by nature.
Scale: Landscape scale (large, connected areas).
Pleistocene Rewilding: Introducing "proxy species" that resemble
the Megafauna/flora of the Pleistocene as closely as possible.
Example 1: Oostvaardersplassen (Rewilding)
Approach: Releasing large grazers (horses, cattle, red deer).
Process: Their grazing behaviour, manure, and carcasses create a
dynamic landscape without human management.
, Example 2: The Veluwe (Combination)
Restoration: Keeping heathlands open via sheep herds and human
management to prevent it from turning into forest.
Rewilding: The return of the wolf. Not introduced, but arrived
naturally. Provides top-down control over wild boar and deer
populations.
Example 3: Peatland Recovery (Restoration)
Approach: Building dikes and dams to retain rainwater. Peat only
grows if the soil is waterlogged with nutrient-poor rainwater (bottom-
up). Sometimes live peat moss is planted to speed up the process.
Process: Removing "incorrect" vegetation. During droughts, trees and
grasses grow; these are actively removed.
Similarities: Restoration and Rewilding
1. Repairing human-induced damage.
2. Scientific basis: Both use ecological data and monitoring.
3. Climate adaptation: Both methods make ecosystems more resilient
to extreme drought or rain.
4. Stakeholder management: Both require cooperation with farmers,
residents, and governments.
5. Ecosystem services: Both provide human benefits (clean air, water
storage, recreation).
2. Landscape Approaches
Agriculture is responsible for about 80% of deforestation.
Past: Sectoral approach (rangers protect forest, farmers maximize
yield, water managers regulate water). This fails, leading to:
Integrated Landscape Approach (ILA):
o Holistic approach: A management style that views an area as a
whole rather than in parts; everything is connected.
o Multiple objectives: Simultaneously striving for nature
conservation, food production, and human well-being.
