Restoration is a major
approach to reversing biodiversity loss worldwide. There has been considerable
research on restoration methodology, but the theoretical basis for this work
has derived primarily from applied fields such as agronomy and civil engineering. When ecological theory has been applied to
restoration, it has tended to focus either on restoring biological components of communities while ignoring ecosystem
functioning, or on restoring ecosystem functioning without regard to
communities. We argue that the BEF
perspective provides a unique opportunity to integrate these two views and
improve restoration success in a number of areas. First, restoring biodiversity may increase
ecosystem functioning through “classical” BEF mechanisms such as complementarity
or selection effects. Second, BEF theory
suggests that biodiversity may significantly increase the temporal stability of
ecosystem function, and therefore service provision, in restored systems. Third, evidence suggests that biodiversity
may be necessary for the provisioning of multiple services in restored
ecosystems because different species possess traits that affect different
ecosystem functions. We see an
opportunity for economic analysis comparing biodiversity's benefits of risk
management and provisioning multiple services to the costs of creating and
maintaining diversity in restorations.
For BEF science to be applicable to restoration practices, more studies
must take place in the restoration context (using realistic mixes of species, measuring
functions related to ecosystem services), and better information on
ecologically important traits is required.
Finally, there is a real need for greater effort on the part of
scientists to ensure that results are conveyed to restoration practitioners.