Beyond ecology: ecosystem restoration as a process for social-ecological transformation.

Restoration is a means for achieving and sustaining social-ecological system recovery. Failing to plan for both longer-term social and ecological impacts compromises the chances of attaining the intended benefits. Equity and power dynamics are crucial social dimensions to be considered in restoration. Integrating goals, metrics, and activities acknowledging power asymmetries and different types of equity must be done early on and throughout restoration design and evaluation. A logic model applied to restoration can help identify indicators that reflect the necessary inputs and activities to achieve the desired outputs, outcomes, and impacts that encompass social, economic, and ecological dimensions. We must shift attention from a project-based lens to situating restoration as a process within broader social-ecological systems to achieve lasting transformational change. Ecosystem restoration conventionally focuses on ecological targets. However, while ecological targets are crucial to mobilizing political, social, and financial capital, they do not encapsulate the need to: integrate social, economic, and ecological dimensions and systems approaches; reconcile global targets and local objectives; and measure the rate of progress toward multiple and synergistic goals. Restoration is better conceived as an inclusive social-ecological process that integrates diverse values, practices, knowledge, and restoration objectives across temporal and spatial scales and stakeholder groups. Taking a more process-based approach will ultimately enable greater social-ecological transformation, greater restoration effectiveness, and more long-lasting benefits to people and nature across time and place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]