Restoration of Ailing Wetlands 英文参考文献.docVIP

Primer RestorationofAilingWetlands OswaldJ.Schmitz* SchoolofForestryandEnvironmentalStudies,YaleUniversity,NewHaven,Connecticut,UnitedStatesofAmerica This is not to suggest that human-caused damages to the Abstract: Itiswidelyheldthathumankind’sdestructive tendencies when exploiting natural resources leads to irreparable harm to the environment. Yet, this thinking runs counter to evidence that many ecological systems damaged by severe natural environmental disturbances (e.g., hurricanes) can restore themselvesvia processes of natural recovery. The emerging field of restoration ecologyiscapitalizingonthenaturalrestorativetenden- cies ofecological systemstobuildascience ofrepairing the harm inflicted by humans on natural environment. Evidence for this, for example, comes from a new meta- analysis of 124 studies that synthesizes recovery of impacted wetlands worldwide. While it may take up to two human generations to see full recovery, there is promise, given human will, to restore many damaged wetlandsworldwide. environment are not prevalent or problematic. Indeed, an expanding human population has translated into increased demand for natural resources and environmental services [4–6]. Theglobalhumanfootprintisnowsolargeandfar-reachingthat somehaveevenbeguntoquestionthewholenotionthattheplanet could somehow be rationally divided into places that were available to be domesticated by humans and places that safely remainedwild[5].Therealityisthatasthebioticandbiophysical conditionsoftheenvironment becomedegraded inplaces where humansexist,theyoftentendtoabandonthoseplacesandsearch for new ones to exploit. But, living on a finite planet with finite space and finite resources means that there is limited if any recourse to continue to abandon degraded areas and shift exploitation to nondegraded ones [5–7]. The time has come to operationalize Leopold’s vision of an integrated environmental scienceandpracticethatprovidesthescientificunderstandingand meanstorest