Restoring forest ecosystem services through trait-based ecology

作者：Isabelle Aubin, Élise Deschênes, Kierann Santala, Erik J. S. Emilson, Amanda Schoonmaker, Anne C.S. McIntosh, Bérenger Bourgeois, Françoise Cardou, Angélique Dupuch, I. Tanya Handa, Mélanie Lapointe, Jonathan Lavigne, Audrey Maheu, Solange Nadeau, M. Anne Naeth, Eric W. Neilson, Philip A. Wiebe · 发表于：Environmental Reviews · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1139/er-2023-0130 · 被引用次数：16 · 研究领域：Forest Management and Policy、Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies

Restoration is moving towards a more mechanistic approach that emphasizes restoration of ecosystem services. Trait-based approaches provide links between species identity and ecosystem functions and have been suggested as a promising way to formally integrate ecosystem services in the design of restoration programs. While practitioners have been routinely using informal knowledge on plant traits in their practices, these approaches are underutilized as operationalization remains challenging. The goal of this paper is to provide guidance for applied scientists and restoration practitioners looking to apply a trait-based approach to restore forest ecosystems. We present a five-step framework: (1) selection of services to be restored, (2) trait selection, (3) data acquisition, (4) analytical planning, and (5) empirical testing and monitoring. We use three Canadian case studies to illustrate the applicability of our framework and the variety of ways trait-based approaches can inform restoration practices: (1) restoration of urban woodlots after an insect outbreak, (2) restoration of a smelter-damaged landscape surrounding an urban area, and (3) reclamation of remote upland forests after oil- and gas-related disturbances. We describe the major mechanisms and traits that determine vegetation effects on ecosystem services of importance in each case study. We then discuss data availability, methodological constraints, comparability issues, analytical methods, and the importance of em...