Emerging issues in Selecting Appropriate Native Plants for Ecosystem Restoration (November 2019)
IUCN CEM Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group Webinar Series
You can find the complete Series Playlist here:
• IUCN CEM Ecosystem Restoration Themat...
November 2019
Title: Diversity is Magic: Emerging issues in Selecting Appropriate Native Plants for Ecosystem Restoration
ABSTRACT
Selecting species and seed from appropriate sources to maximize project success faces many challenges, and this presentation will review plant selection for ecosystem diversity for economically and ecologically practical outcomes. Habitat degradation and loss have accelerated globally, resulting in loss of biological diversity and species endangerment at unprecedented scales. Restoring habitats that provide ecosystem services necessary for all life is crucial. One of the biggest hurdles to habitat restoration is the availability of seeds of native plants to provide a diverse and resilient base of the food chain. Plant diversity is now clearly a fundamental driver of ecosystem services and the diversity of other organisms, and native plant diversity is needed because invasive plants tend to reduce diversity and homogenize vegetation on the landscape. Seeding with native plants is one of the few reliable methods of restoring diversity at all levels, even in the face of climate change and controversial novel ecosystems. Therefore, selecting and sourcing the right plants for restoration sites is vital for the successful establishment of diverse and resilient native ecosystems.
Thomas Kaye, Ph.D.
Dr. Tom Kaye is founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE), a nonprofit organization with a mission to conserve native habitats and species through research, restoration, and education. He is also a courtesy Associate Professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University. Tom conducts research on rare species reintroductions, habitat restoration, plant invasions, and plant population responses to climate change, and engages prison inmates in conservation through the Sagebrush in Prisons Project. Sourcing native plants for restoration is a key area of interest, research and publication for Dr. Kaye. He serves as a Commission Member on the IUCN SSC Seed Conservation Specialist Group.
The objective of the Ecosystem Restoration: Global Initiatives in Science and Practice Webinar Series is to provide a forum for IUCN and CEM members to gain insight and knowledge about ecological restoration and to provide opportunities for networking and direct engagement. Each month, a different speaker will give a 40-minute presentation on their work, related to one of four themes: 1) global initiatives in ecological restoration; 2) opportunities in ecological restoration; 3) technical guidance on restoration activities, and 4) new initiatives and projects. Webinars will be held the 3rd Friday of each month from 12 to 1 pm Eastern EDT using the platform “Zoom”. The series is open to all IUCN and CEM members as well as restoration enthusiasts and practitioners.
The objective of the Ecosystem Restoration: Global Initiatives in Science and Practice Webinar Series is to provide a forum for IUCN and CEM members to gain insight and knowledge about ecological restoration and to provide opportunities for networking and direct engagement. Each month, a different speaker will give a 40-minute presentation on their work, related to one of four themes: 1) global initiatives in ecological restoration; 2) opportunities in ecological restoration; 3) technical guidance on restoration activities, and 4) new initiatives and projects. Webinars will be held the 3rd Friday of each month from 12 to 1 pm Eastern EDT using the platform “Zoom”. The series is open to all IUCN and CEM members as well as restoration enthusiasts and practitioners.