Imperiled: The Encyclopedia of Conservation - Restoring Biodiversity and Living With Nature (Based Solutions)

The restoration of biodiversity has become an international priority, requiring both protection, especially in areas representative of global biodiversity, and its restoration outside protected areas. This article summarizes the range of restoration approaches, from passive methods which end harmful human activities, to active methods including: reintroductions; replanting reforestation, revegetation; restocking to reinforce and rebuild populations; reconstruction of river banks and beds; reconnecting fragmented habitats with wildlife corridors to aid recolonization; rehabilitation by removal of human impacts, including infrastructures and polluted soils; and removal of (a) dams and weirs in rivers, (b) barriers to natural tidal flows, (c) drains from wetlands, (d) non-native invasive plants introduced predators. These measures are now being considered jointly with actions to mitigate against climate change within the frame of “nature-based solutions.” Five indicators of recovery of biodiversity are proposed.