Skip to main content
Dryad

Database outcomes systematic review on participatory restoration ecology scenarios

Data files

Mar 23, 2022 version files 33.68 MB

Abstract

Large-scale ecological restoration is crucial for effective biodiversity conservation and combating climate change. However, perspectives on the goals and values of restoration are highly diverse, as are the different approaches to restoration e.g., ranging from the restoration of cultural ecosystems to rewilding. We assess how the future of nature is envisioned in participatory scenarios, focusing on which elements of rewilding and nature contributions to people have been considered in scenario narratives across Europe. We use the Nature Futures Framework to study how different perspectives on the the relationship of people with nature are captured in participatory scenarios. We found that a range of material, regulating and non-materical benefits were well represented in participatory scenarios. The different ecological aspects of rewilding were also present in many participatory scenarios, but not as well represented as nature contributions to people. Nature as culture was  the main perspective present in the scenarios, with expected highest positive impacts on non-material benefits and to a lessesr extent on regulating benefits. Nature for nature futures were  associated with positive impacts on regulating benefits and negative impacts on material benefits, being the only type of future associate with positive impacts on all three components of rewilding. Nature for society futures were associated with moderate positive impacts on all three types of nature contributions to people. Business as usual futures were associate with negative impacts on regulating and non-material benefits and on all three components of rewilding. Our results also highlight two major gaps that should be addressed in participatory restoration planning and models. Firstly, there is a paucity of spatially explicit approaches, with most studies failing to transform the results of participatory scenario planning into model projections. Secondly, we found scenarios that explored co-benefits between multiple nature perspectives were overall missing from the literature.