Restoration

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  • Created by: naomi
  • Created on: 10-01-14 14:24
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  • Restoration
    • returning a degraded ecosystem to its former state
    • the ultimate conservation challenge
    • could have a positive impact on areas where biodiversity has declined
    • example
      • Wallasea - Essex - Europe's largest manmade nature reserve - wetlands and salt marshes
    • Positives
      • social
        • starting to counteract a lot of damage already done by humans
        • knowledge increased
        • science and research
      • economic
        • provides jobs
      • environmental
        • restored wetlands will elp reduce flooding and water pollution
        • creates habitats fpr species and rare species
        • atracts wildlife to the area being restored
        • can be done in-situ
    • Negatives
      • social
        • some may not be for it
        • some may have to move
        • makes people think they can destroy the environment then restore it - but can't return to previous state
      • economic
        • very expensive and may not be successful
        • needs constant maintenance as may become under same threat again
        • may need the land to develop on in the future - dredge it etc
      • environmental
        • flood risk
        • some areas are beyond help e.g. quarries/mines where soil may be contaminated
    • Restoring England's wetlands
      • 50 year project to restore England's damaged wetlands will help bring back rare and threatened species
      • the restored wetlands will help reduce flooding and water pollution, and make sure the future of England's wetlands is safe
      • Wetlands = key habitat in the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity
      • WHY ARE WETLANDS IMPORTANT?
        • they provide sustainable livelihoods for people
        • they support a unique range of wildlife
        • they form part of a healthy and functional landscape
        • they help recharge underground water supplies, store sediments and filter out pollution
        • they buffer the extremes of weather associated with climate change
      • WHY ARE WETLANDS THREATENED?
        • over past three centuries - devastating losses of wetlands in England
        • fens have been drained, grazing marshes ploughed or converted to intensive agriculture
        • reedbeds have been polluted, rivers straightened and their flood plains isolated from their former flooding regime
        • lowland bogs have been extensively mined for their peat
      • WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PROTECT THEM?
        • Natural England, English Heritage, RSPB, Wildlife Trusts, The Environment Agency formed a partnership to develop and implement a vision for wetlands and the wildlife they support
        • technical advisory group supported the partnership during the project's development - with representatives from the National Trust, Pond Conservation, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and World Wildlife Fund
        • brought together a range of information about existing wetland projects and the potential for future wetlands
          • presented using GIS mapping tools to enable others to access and use the information when developing their plans and strategies
        • wetlands are linked to local communities and land managers across England - involved a range of organisations in developing the vision
        • involving others - hope to inspire people and achiever much better co-ordinated actions towards common goals
        • vision project launched at a special event at the WWT London Wetland Centre in 2008
      • NEW FUNDING
        • Natural England - donating funds of up to £2 million por year over next 3 years to help make this a reality
        • looking to create and restore wetlands in areas as diverse as the Meres and Mosses of the West Midlands, the fens of South Lincolnshire and the peatlands of the Humberhead levels
        • will help make significant progress towards the Biodiversity Action Plan commitment to create 8 new landscape scale wetlands in the UK by 2020
        • demonstrate greater use of natural processes in flood risk management

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