Restoration

When a species goes extinct locally you can do a great deal, still. You may have lost some of the genetic diversity, but there is still the option of transplanting, of reintroducing species, and rebuilding local populations.

--E. O. Wilson
Harvard biology professor, naturalist, and author

Like human beings, park ecosystems in modern landscapes occasionally require "medical" attention to maintain their health. Information on park vital signs is being developed through the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program to help park managers recognize when changes in certain key species or natural processes in parks are cause for action. For example, a rapid population decline in a species may signal the need for intervention to stop it; the information may also indicate the need for further study to understand cause-and-effect relationships and to guide ultimate restoration. As the following articles indicate, in 2000 the National Park Service sought to restore several plant and animal species and natural processes that were in decline. They also illustrate the increasing awareness among park managers of the benefits of working with adjacent landowners and other partners to restore park ecosystems to health.

Articles

Restoring the abundance of the endangered Sonoma spineflower
By Michelle Coppoletta and Barbara Moritsch

Restoring a mixed-grass prairie and a cultural landscape
By Kurt Foote

Whitebark and limber pine restoration under way in Glacier
By Tara Williams

Endangered bonytail returns to the wild
By Stephen Petersburg

Restoration of Bonneville cutthroat trout populations in Great Basin
By Neal W. Darby

Working with park neighbors to protect habitat for anadromous fish
By Brannon Ketcham

Sidebars

Scientific review of research on mountain goats in Olympic

Award-Winner Profile - Dinosaur National Monument resource manager honored

Milestone reached in the removal of Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams

Point Reyes and Golden Gate take first step in restoring wetlands

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This material is from Natural Resource Year in Review--2000, published by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, in May 2000 (publication D-1459)

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Last Updated: 06/17/2001
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