Top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Considering that ecosystem restoration is a long-term process, the evaluation of each stage of its trajectory may allow us to predict the success of the restoration goals. Given that there are plenty of indicators in the scientific literature for measuring restoration success, and there are stakehol...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21003174 |
| _version_ | 1818401790881693696 |
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| author | Renata Evangelista de Oliveira Vera Lex Engel Priscilla de Paula Loiola Luiz Fernando Duarte de Moraes Edgar de Souza Vismara |
| author_facet | Renata Evangelista de Oliveira Vera Lex Engel Priscilla de Paula Loiola Luiz Fernando Duarte de Moraes Edgar de Souza Vismara |
| author_sort | Renata Evangelista de Oliveira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Considering that ecosystem restoration is a long-term process, the evaluation of each stage of its trajectory may allow us to predict the success of the restoration goals. Given that there are plenty of indicators in the scientific literature for measuring restoration success, and there are stakeholders which are the key actors of restoration, our aim was to determine a common and simple set of indicators ranked by stakeholders for evaluating the restoration trajectory. We selected 52 indicators for monitoring high-diversity forest restoration projects in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and organized them into six categories: (1) physical and structural, (2) composition/biodiversity, (3) environmental services, (4) ecological processes, (5) economic and (6) social. We sent questionnaires to stakeholders from five Brazilian states, who evaluated these indicators (with rates ranging from 0 to 3, where 0 = not important or should not be considered; 1 = low importance; 2 = important; and 3 = very important, considering four time-stages throughout the process (2–3, 3–10, 10–50 and > 50 years). Based on this assessment, we ranked the indicators and tested whether the importance of the categories changed between them and over time. We present the “top ten” indicators (with the ten highest grades) for each stage, selected, and ranked by practitioners, that can be used to evaluate restoration projects and provide guidance for restoration policies. In the initial stage, from 2 to 3 years, social attributes were highly important, related to the degree of acceptance by the community. Economic indicators were also important at the initial stage, when the costs of developing, deploying, and maintaining restoration actions are high. Physical and structural indicators were more important in the short-term stage, from 3 to 10 years. Ecological indicators related to composition/biodiversity and ecological processes became relevant after 3 years and kept so onwards. Only in the long-term, addressing ecosystem services became an important indicator of the restoration success, to stakeholders. Overall, stakeholders care for forest structure and establishment of plants in all stages, while composition/biodiversity and richness gain importance in more advanced phases of restoration trajectory. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T07:58:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-074163a897784326bf61c0e9dab2ef2c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T07:58:04Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-074163a897784326bf61c0e9dab2ef2c2022-12-21T23:10:30ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2021-08-01127107652Top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the Brazilian Atlantic ForestRenata Evangelista de Oliveira0Vera Lex Engel1Priscilla de Paula Loiola2Luiz Fernando Duarte de Moraes3Edgar de Souza Vismara4Federal University of São Carlos/UFSCar/CCA – Rural Development Department, PO Box 153, 13.600-970, Araras, SP, Brazil; Corresponding author.São Paulo State University/UNESP/FCA - Forest Science Department, PO Box 237, 18.610-970, Botucatu, SP, BrazilSão Paulo State University/UNESP – Department of Biodiversity, Phenology Lab, Rua 24 A, 1515, 13.506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilEmbrapa Agrobiologia, Rodovia BR 465 Km 7, 23891-000 Seropédica, RJ, BrazilFederal Technological University of Paraná/UTFPR, Estrada para Boa Esperança Km 4, 85660-000 Dois Vizinhos, PR, BrazilConsidering that ecosystem restoration is a long-term process, the evaluation of each stage of its trajectory may allow us to predict the success of the restoration goals. Given that there are plenty of indicators in the scientific literature for measuring restoration success, and there are stakeholders which are the key actors of restoration, our aim was to determine a common and simple set of indicators ranked by stakeholders for evaluating the restoration trajectory. We selected 52 indicators for monitoring high-diversity forest restoration projects in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and organized them into six categories: (1) physical and structural, (2) composition/biodiversity, (3) environmental services, (4) ecological processes, (5) economic and (6) social. We sent questionnaires to stakeholders from five Brazilian states, who evaluated these indicators (with rates ranging from 0 to 3, where 0 = not important or should not be considered; 1 = low importance; 2 = important; and 3 = very important, considering four time-stages throughout the process (2–3, 3–10, 10–50 and > 50 years). Based on this assessment, we ranked the indicators and tested whether the importance of the categories changed between them and over time. We present the “top ten” indicators (with the ten highest grades) for each stage, selected, and ranked by practitioners, that can be used to evaluate restoration projects and provide guidance for restoration policies. In the initial stage, from 2 to 3 years, social attributes were highly important, related to the degree of acceptance by the community. Economic indicators were also important at the initial stage, when the costs of developing, deploying, and maintaining restoration actions are high. Physical and structural indicators were more important in the short-term stage, from 3 to 10 years. Ecological indicators related to composition/biodiversity and ecological processes became relevant after 3 years and kept so onwards. Only in the long-term, addressing ecosystem services became an important indicator of the restoration success, to stakeholders. Overall, stakeholders care for forest structure and establishment of plants in all stages, while composition/biodiversity and richness gain importance in more advanced phases of restoration trajectory.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21003174AttributesRankingMonitoringForest restorationSuccessStakeholders |
| spellingShingle | Renata Evangelista de Oliveira Vera Lex Engel Priscilla de Paula Loiola Luiz Fernando Duarte de Moraes Edgar de Souza Vismara Top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Ecological Indicators Attributes Ranking Monitoring Forest restoration Success Stakeholders |
| title | Top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest |
| title_full | Top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest |
| title_fullStr | Top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest |
| title_short | Top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest |
| title_sort | top 10 indicators for evaluating restoration trajectories in the brazilian atlantic forest |
| topic | Attributes Ranking Monitoring Forest restoration Success Stakeholders |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21003174 |
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