Convenor: Armin Bischoff. Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE), Avignon University, France

The search for renewable energy sources that can replace fossil energy has resulted in a massive construction of solar parks in Europe. Although contributing to reduction in environmental pollution and CO2 emissions solar parks need large areas and have thus a strong impact on ecosystems, in particular if constructed in semi-natural habitats. The construction usually destroys the vegetation and degrades the soil. However, the subsequent management for solar energy production potentially allows the restoration of semi-natural habitats during the construction period. For example, Mediterranean solar parks are often managed by extensive sheep grazing corresponding to the traditional management of dry grasslands. Our symposium evaluates the ecological impact of solar park construction, shows possibilities to restore semi-natural habitats and discusses management recommendations. A particular focus will be on the effect of solar panels on restoration and ecosystem functions. Solar panels reduce light availability and changes microclimate which may compromise restoration approaches. Solutions to cope with potential negative effects of solar panels are discussed. Finally, the symposium will also discuss possibilities to reduce the ecological impact of solar park construction to facilitate restoration. The invited speakers present the quite young field of research on the topic and provide insights on current challenges for impact studies, mitigation and compensation measures involved in the planning of solar park construction.

Convenors: Josep Maria Espelta Morral. CREAF, Barcelona, Spain

Arndt Hampe. UMR1202 BIOGECO, INRAE, Cestas, France

Europe has historically faced intensive habitat fragmentation, but the region was also the first to undergo a turnaround from diminishing to increasing forest cover. Since 1950, Europe\'s forests have increased by >300 000 km2 (about the size of Italy) as a consequence of farmland abandonment. Projections of the EC estimate that a further 200,000 km2 farmlands are under high risk of abandonment by 2030, suggesting that secondary forests will represent a significant portion of the overall forest cover by 2100. These “new” forests can significantly contribute to carbon uptake and storage, thus contributing to achieve the net-zero carbon emission goal of the EU. Yet, while European and national policies have historically invested billions of euros in actively planting trees on former farmlands, they have to date neglected opportunities for passive forest restoration as a cost-efficient and politically feasible nature-based solution for increasing the extent and multifunctionality of European forests. Instead, natural forest regrowth is commonly conceptualised as a challenge for landscape conservation, management, and policy. Secondary forest establishment propelled by passive or active restoration can foster biodiversity and carbon storage. However, the management of these new forests also needs to address associated environmental hazards , as well as issues of social perception and governance.

This Symposium aims to bring together researchers interested in restoring forests on former agricultural surfaces after land abandonment in Europe. Four keynote talks (30’ each) by renowned experts will provide overviews upon the drivers of forest recovery in abandoned lands, the potential of forest regrowth to provide ecosystem services as well as societal perceptions and demands related with the phenomenon of forest regrowth. These talks will be complemented by standard voluntary communications (15’ each) presented by researchers attending the SERE 2022 conference who wish to contribute to this Symposium.

Confirmed speakers

Keynote 1 What can land use changes over 30,000 years tell us about future ecological restoration options?. Pedro Beja (CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal)

Keynote 2 Drivers and outcomes of forest recovery in abandoned fields. Verónica Cruz-Alonso (Department of Landscape Architecture,Harvard University, USA)

Keynote 3 Ten golden rules for reforestation to optimize carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and livelihood benefits. Kate Hardwick (Kew Botanical Gardens, London, UK)

Keynote 4 Natural forest regrowth and forest restoration – a social science perspective. Georg Winkel (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)

Convenor: María Victoria Jiménez Franco. Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche

The Green Infrastructure is an ecologically coherent network of natural and semi-natural areas, designed and managed for the conservation of ecosystems and the maintenance of the ecosystems services. It is one of the measures against habitat loss and fragmentation, which are considered some of the main threats to biodiversity. Natural landscapes are suffering anthropization processes (deforestation, agricultural intensification, urbanizations, infrastructure constructions, etc.) and the agricultural abandonment as the main drivers of change in landscapes globally. On the one hand, anthropization processes are the main threats associated with wildlife populations and communities, since they generate direct mortality, for instance by destroying wildlife habitats or by road kills. Moreover, wildlife may also suffer changes in their distribution patterns, as well as population isolation that can lead to population and species extinction. On the other hand, the processes of agricultural abandonment generate different stages of succession on the vegetation cover, where populations and species can respond positively (if landscapes reach a pristine habitat) or negatively (if landscapes loss their ecological functions). Therefore, there is a challenge of proposing studies which address mitigation and restoration measures to promote the connectivity between natural areas (ecological corridors, wildlife passes, etc.), as well as policies that promote the Green Infrastructure. These proposals of increasing landscape connectivity will be improve the conservation of species in a context of global change.

This Symposium aims to describe patterns, process as wells as mitigation and restoration measures of effects habitat loss and fragmentation on population trends, abundance, distribution, range shift, genetic diversity or fitness of terrestrial or aquatic wildlife (plants or animal species). Communications for this Symposium may include empirical (experimental or monitored observations) or simulating studies (modeling and simulation techniques) evaluating effects of different wildlife populations. We welcome different results on research studies, projects, management actions or commentaries.

Convenor: Simonetta Fraschetti. Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Italy

Restoration is a key action in the Aichi Biodiversity Target and in the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development” by addressing target 14.2 to “by 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration, to achieve healthy and productive oceans”. Ecosystem restoration in marine ecosystems has made its first steps in the last years, within research projects dedicated to the restoration of marine ecosystems from shallow soft and hard bottoms to the deep sea. Today, new scientific results and technologies are available, but a concerted effort is required to scale up the effort on a wide geographical area and at basin scale, across different marine ecosystems, from the coastal vegetated habitats to the dark deep ocean. Yet, to obtain most benefits from ecological restoration, we must promote its practice and strive to increase the quality of restoration programs, to preserve the Marine Natural Capital. This cannot be achieved without the engagement of society, to produce a shared vision of needs and challenges of conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems. Under the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, we have the chance to build bridges between science, practice and policy, based on scientific excellence, to better understand socio-ecological systems and to bring nature back into our lives (EU Green New Deal, 2019).

Convenors: Moore, Chrystal (Junior representative: Universitat de Barcelona); Sabate, Santiago (Senior representative: Universitat de Barcelona

Addressing the global climate emergency with restoration projects presents both opportunities and challenges. Join us as we share these experiences and obstacles associated with restoring land and mitigating anthropogenic climate change through tree-planting initiatives.

Convenor: James Aronson. EcoHealth Network

Ecosystem health, ecological restoration, and human health: let’s identify and strengthen the linkages

Convenors: Paddy Woodworth. Missouri Botanical Garden, Natural Capital Ireland

Sara Pelaez Sanchez. University of Limerick

James Aronson. Eco-Health Network

Rewilding is becoming a high-profile term in conservation, and it is important that people working for ecological restoration engage with the implications of its use in a clear-minded way. We will argue that the term is unhelpful in promoting biodiversity recovery, but we welcome discuss from those who may think otherwise. 

Convenor: José M. Rey Benayas. University of Alcalá

Rewilding is a form of ecological restoration that is gaining momentum in Europe. Challenges and opportunities about rewilding will be presented by invited speakers that belong to both academic institutions and practitioner organizations. On top of an exchange of experiences, we expect an exciting discussion with the audience about usefulness and effectiveness of rewilding and how to scale it up. The recently created Rewilding Spain Foundation will be presented to the public.

Convenor: Paola Sangalli. EFIB SCIA

The session presents a wide spectrum of different approaches, from a general overview of the possible applications of Soil and Water Bioengineering (SWB) techniques ln ecological restoration to more specific experiences of concrete projects in a very wide diversity of fields: rivers, coastal areas, lagoons, landslides, roads etc. mitigate with innovative and environmentally friendly methods, this serious threat.

Convenor: Diana Colomina Pérez. Forest Programme Coordinator, WWF Spain

In recent years, ecological restoration has continued to evolve towards interventions that apply recognised quality standards in projects based on best management practices, from the design phase and up to the evaluation, in order to certify their quality and effectiveness. The WWF-SER standards for certification of forest ecosystem restoration projects, designed within a working group of experts in the field of restoration, represents an opportunity for public and private entities to implement their restoration practices to the highest quality performance. This workshop will offer a focused participatory session to refine and develop the Standards for the Certification of Forest Ecosystem Restoration Projects, which is currently being applied to Mediterranean forest restoration pilot studies. This event will be targeted for European forestry professionals and ecological restoration experts, who will provide and receive valuable insight involved in the professional review of the current Standards.

Convenor: Toby Aykroyd. Director, Wild Europe Foundation

The essential role of large linked natural ecosystem areas (AKA wilderness and wildlands) in addressing the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity decline is an important feature of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy, Forest Strategy, New Green Deal, and the UN’s Decade of Restoration.

With 10% of the EU’s terrestrial and marine area prospectively earmarked for strict protection (and a further 20% for restoration), there is strong support for ensuring non-intervention is a key element here. Clear principles are also needed for implementation of a strategy for large-scale ecological restoration or ‘rewilding’ of these areas, ensuring this is underpinned by principles of sound science and linked to the forthcoming Restoration Law.

Convenor: Andrea Romero Montoya. FAO

To support the implementation of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (hereafter the “UN Decade”) and help achieve its goals, there is a need for a shared vision of ecosystem restoration. A key step in creating this shared vision is adoption of principles that underpin the full set of ecosystem restoration activities. In 2021, the FAO-led Task Force on Best Practices, the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), and IUCN’s Commission on Ecosystem Management (IUCN CEM) partnered to develop ten principles to guide the UN Decade. These principles detail the essential tenets of ecosystem restoration that should be followed to maximize net gain for native biodiversity, ecosystem health and integrity, and human health and well-being, across all biomes, sectors, and regions. Following publication of the principles, development of standards of practice was initiated to provide guidance on the application of the principles to the planning, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of ecosystem restoration projects. Engagement of SERE members in the development of the Standards of Practice is an important step in the process. During this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to review and provide inputs into the draft Standards of Practice. This feedback will be used to improve the final version.

Convenor: Rodríguez-González, Patricia María (Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Portugal)

Knowledge sharing in Ecological Restoration (ER) imust be improved to better facilitate global ER aims. Education and training requires multidisciplinarity, best practice exchange between science and practitioners and societal involvement and through this can contribute to better restoration outcomes while promoting professional opportunities for future generations.

Convenors: Andrea Romero Montoya. FAO

To boost action for the implementation of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (hereafter “UN Decade”), an FAO-led Task Force on Best Practices was established to enhance knowledge dissemination and capacity development efforts. In 2021, the Task Force implemented a global survey of capacity needs for restoration and based on this assessment has published a summary report that identifies key gaps and capacity development priorities to support the UN Decade. The survey received 1331 responses from all around the world across sectors and regions. Overall, 50% of respondents had no capacity development opportunities to enhance their restoration work. This year, the survey information will be combined with a stock-taking effort to document existing (current and recent) knowledge products and capacity development initiatives with the goal of identifying: i) ways to replicate or extend existing programs; and ii) gaps where knowledge products or capacity development initiatives are needed. The final product will be a Capacity, Knowledge, and Learning Action Plan for the UN Decade. Its scope includes all types of ecosystems, sectors and the four major categories of the restorative continuum. During this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to review and provide inputs into the draft Action Plan, and to identify opportunities for collaboration throughout its implementation.

Convenor: Giovanbattista de Dato. FAO

The Mediterranean region includes more than 88 million hectares of forested area. This vast portion of land is degrading at an alarming speed due to climate change effects and population increase.

Endorsed in 2017 by ten countries (Algeria, France, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey), the Agadir Commitment was proposed to establish a new Regional Mediterranean Initiative on Forest and landscape restoration (FLR) to support the achievement of the Bonn Challenge and Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG 15). The Regional Mediterranean Initiative aims to restore at least 8 million hectares of degraded land in the Mediterranean region by 2030.

Assessing the restoration activities that are being promoted and implemented in the region has been a key element to present the Mediterranean region to the Restoration Flagship Initiatives under the framework of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 (UN Decade).

Restoration Flagship Initiatives will be identified as the best (or most promising) examples of successful ecosystem restoration that countries or regions would like to obtain global recognition for. The main role of Flagships is to provide inspiration to other countries and regions to scale up successful restoration efforts, and to attract global attention and investments.

In this session, the assessment of the restoration activities that are being promoted and implemented in the region will be presented. Successful case studies from different Mediterranean countries are showcased as examples to be replicated in other Mediterranean environments and identified for constituting the representative cases for the Flagship on the Mediterranean region.

Convenor: Ana Nava, EU LIFE programme Comms Team

This session will briefly outline what is the LIFE programme and present the main funding priorities related to nature restoration. Key information on where to find relevant information to submit a proposal will be also shared with the audience (link to the LIFE Info Day sessions, call documents, FAQs...).

A number of LIFE projects showcasing restoration successes in different contexts will feature. A Q&A session will allow the audience to inquire more information in view of potential future applications, gathering first-hand intel from both representatives of the EU Commission and actual LIFE beneficiaries.

The event is addressed at any entity registered in the EU working in the field of nature restoration, especially practitioners (wildlife biologists, restoration ecologists, site managers, etc.), scientists and NGOs, but also academics and other professionals that may be interested in this topic.