THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

2005 The World Conference on Ecological Restoration 39
Restoration and development of degraded lands in arid and semi-arid areas -
examples and conclusions from Israel and Africa
Brandeis A.
Urban & Regional Planning Ltd., Israel
Degradation of lands and natural resources in arid and semi-arid areas is a major global challenge. The
main reasons for degradation are frequently similar. These can include population growth, nonsustainable
use and overexploitation of natural resources (overgrazing, deforestation, use of salinated water,
etc.), growing use of water, contamination of water or soil, impact of global changes, and human ambition
either to survive (in low income areas) or to use more and more of the resources (in all areas). These
problems are frequently the cause of social or economic crisis, or are related to them. Many differences
can also be found between areas: natural resources, climate, social and economic situation, technological
level, political atmosphere, culture, landscape, and more. Unfortunately there are no prescriptions, no
miracles and no “one-dimensional” solutions. It is important to have a good understanding of the problems
and processes and to prepare a comprehensive multidisciplinary plan based on site-specific analysis.
The solutions will always reflect a delicate balance and combination of physical, economic, social, environmental,
management, educational and other aspects. Public participation, capacity building,
budget, belief and patience are also often essential for success. There are many examples of tools which
can be used for the restoration and development of degraded lands in arid and semi-arid areas: a) develop
new water resources, b) more efficient use of water, c) remove specific problems and restore degraded
land, d) develop new types of agriculture and techniques, e) develop non-agricultural sources of income,
f) develop new infrastructure and political leadership
Keywords: Degradation, arid and semi-arid areas, tools for the restoration.
Qualitative Reasoning Models for Building Understanding of Aquatic Ecosystem
Ecological Restoration
Bredeweg B. 1 , P.B. Salles 2 , E. Cioaca 3 , M. Neumann 4 , T. Nuttle 5 , Y. Uzunov 6 , I.G. Cowx 7 ,
S. Schmutz 8
1 University of Amsterdam, Human Computer Interactions Lab, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2 University of Brasilia, Institute of Biological Sciences, Brasilia
3 Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Romania
4 Interdisciplinary Research Center for Environmental Protection, University of Giessen, Germany
5 Institute of Ecology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
6 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Central Laboratory of General Ecology
7 University of Hull, Hull International Fisheries Institute, England
8 Univ. Natural Resource & Applied Life Sciences, Dept. of Hydrobiology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Austria
In the framework of a project funded by the European Commission, an innovative technique from artificial
intelligence - Qualitative Reasoning- is used to investigate alternative ecological restoration scenarios
in degraded aquatic ecosystems. Our approach involves developing qualitative reasoning models of five
aquatic ecosystems that focus on a variety of environmental problems: 1) eutrophication and water pollution
processes, indicated through aquatic community composition in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve,
Romania; 2) effects of organic pollution and other urban and industrial pollution on abiotic and biotic
structures, River Mesta, Bulgaria; 3) biological populations and communities, biodiversity, habitats,
and ecosystem interactions within the Riacho Fundo, Brazil; 4) driving forces of underlying river restoration
actions in Austria; 5) different degrees of water quality, flow regulation and habitat degradation
problems in the River Trent and Yorkshire River Ouse, England. QR models developed by ecologists will
describe each system both to learn about their specific restoration system, and to develop a deep understanding
about cause and effect processes in the environment, to support practical decision-making.
Keywords: Qualitative reasoning, aquatic ecosystem ecological restoration.
Restoring coastal turf communities in Taranaki, New Zealand
Bridge D. L., B.D. Clarkson
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
Distinctive indigenous turfs, typically less than 15 millimetres in height, grow on the margins of coastal
terraces in areas that are exposed to strong salt laden winds, such as, headlands and coastal indentations.
These communities are dominated either by the endemic grass Zoysia minima (Poaceae) or the herb
Selliera radicans (Goodeniaceae) and support nine species officially classified as rare or endangered. Removal
of the adjacent natural sequence of vegetation has put these fragile communities under threat of