Integrating Climate Change and Ecosystem Services into Ecological Restoration Efforts

Abstract

Environmental degradation and biodiversity loss are urgent global challenges, and ecological restoration is a key strategy to reverse these trends by recovering essential ecosystem services. However, uncertainties in restoration strategies and the escalating impacts of climate change can threaten their success by altering biodiversity, ecological interactions, and ecosystem resilience. This dissertation explores how climate change can affect the ecosystem services provisioned by ecological restoration, by using two different approaches. In the chapter 1, it was conducted a systematic literature review over 3,033 studies identifying global trends, knowledge gaps, and challenges in integrating ecological restoration, climate change and ecosystem services. I revealed that many benefits promoted by ecological restoration are underrepresented in the ecological literature, especially when considering the impacts of climate change on them. It is argued thataddress such identified gaps is essential to ensuring the long-term benefits of ecological restoration, including its role in mitigating the impacts of climate change. In the chapter 2, I explored how climate change impacts forest restoration planning for water security by using the Rio Doce basin in Brazil as case study. This chapter demonstrates how incorporating multiple climate change scenarios can significantly alter the prioritization of areas targeted for restoration. These findings underscore the risks of ignoring climate change in restoration planning, losing the opportunity to reach their current ambitious goals. Together, these chapters emphasize the need for developing adaptive strategies to ensure the long-term effectiveness of ecological restoration in a changing climate, fostering more sustainable and resilient ecosystems