3.3B Regeneration and rewilding Notes

Rewilding: Restoring Natural Ecosystem Processes

This can involve the reintroduction of apex predators and keystone species, reconnecting fragmented habitats, and minimizing human influences such as agriculture and resource harvesting.

Rewilding Methods

1. The reintroduction of apex predators and keystone species helps regulate ecosystems by controlling prey populations and maintaining biodiversity.
   1. The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park restored balance by reducing elk overpopulation, which allowed vegetation to recover and benefited other species such as beavers and birds.
2. The re-establishment of habitat connectivity through wildlife corridors allows species to migrate, breed, and maintain genetic diversity.
   1. The European Green Belt Initiative has restored habitat connectivity across former Cold War borders, benefiting species such as wolves, lynx, and bears.
3. The cessation of agriculture and resource harvesting allows degraded land to regenerate naturally.
   1. The Knepp Estate in England shifted from intensive farming to a rewilding project, which led to the return of species such as nightingales and white storks.
4. The minimization of human influences and ecological management supports ecosystem recovery by reducing pollution, human settlement, and infrastructure development.
   1. Large-scale rewilding projects, such as those in the Scottish Highlands, have focused on reforesting areas, restoring wetlands, and removing barriers to natural processes.

Case Study: Hinewai Reserve, New Zealand

1. Hinewai Reserve, a private rewilding project in New Zealand, demonstrates how natural regeneration can restore biodiversity.
2. Once used for intensive sheep grazing, the land was left to regenerate naturally under the guidance of conservationist Hugh Wilson.
3. The project focused on allowing native vegetation, such as native ferns and beech trees, to recover without active replanting.
4. Over time, native forests have regrown, and populations of birds such as bellbirds, fantails, and kererū have increased.
5. The reserve has also promoted sustainable ecotourism and environmental education while maintaining strict conservation policies, including limiting human activity in key restoration areas.
6. Despite initial resistance from local farmers who feared an increase in invasive plant species, Hinewai Reserve has become an example of successful passive rewilding, showing that ecosystems can recover if left undisturbed.

Conservation and Regeneration Measures for Biodiversity Recovery

1. The biodiversity planetary boundary represents the safe limits within which ecosystems can function without risking irreversible damage.