Book description
Land conversion, climate change and species invasions are
contributing to the widespread emergence of novel ecosystems, which
demand a shift in how we think about traditional approaches to
conservation, restoration and environmental management. They are novel
because they exist without historical precedents and are
self-sustaining. Traditional approaches emphasizing native species and
historical continuity are challenged by novel ecosystems that deliver
critical ecosystems services or are simply immune to practical
restorative efforts. Some fear that, by raising the issue of novel
ecosystems, we are simply paving the way for a more
laissez-faire attitude to conservation and restoration.
Regardless of the range of views and perceptions about novel
ecosystems, their existence is becoming ever more obvious and
prevalent in today's rapidly changing world. In this first
comprehensive volume to look at the ecological, social, cultural,
ethical and policy dimensions of novel ecosystems, the authors argue
these altered systems are overdue for careful analysis and that we
need to figure out how to intervene in them responsibly. This book
brings together researchers from a range of disciplines together with
practitioners and policy makers to explore the questions surrounding
novel ecosystems. It includes chapters on key concepts and
methodologies for deciding when and how to intervene in systems, as
well as a rich collection of case studies and perspective pieces. It
will be a valuable resource for researchers, managers and policy
makers interested in the question of how humanity manages and restores
ecosystems in a rapidly changing world.
Richard J. Hobbs is Professor of Restoration Ecology and
Australian Laureate Fellow at the University of Western Australia,
where he leads the Ecosystem Restoration and Intervention Ecology
Research Group. His current research focuses on pulling together
different disciplines including restoration ecology, conservation
biology and landscape ecology to develop a more effective ecology for
the 21st century.
Eric S. Higgs is Professor of Environmental Studies at the
University of Victoria (Canada), and director of the Mountain Legacy
research project. Author of Nature by Design: People, Natural
Process and Ecological Restoration, he focuses on advancing
principles and practice of ecological restoration in a rapidly
changing world.
Carol Hall has worked on community conservation issues in North
America and Africa during the past 15 years. She is a co-author of the
World Commission on Protected Areas' Ecological Restoration for
Protected Areas: Principles, guidelines and best practices (in
press, Gland, Switzerland: IUCN), and currently Program Director for
the Restoration Institute, University of Victoria.
