Restoration ecology: Ecological fidelity, restoration metrics, and a systems perspective

Although the importance of ecosystem services associated with estuarine wetlands and their functional linkages to other estuarine habitats have been increasingly recognized in the past 60 years, the approach to “restoration” and “rehabilitation” of degraded wetland habitats has largely lacked the application of systems thinking and scientific rigor; and has resulted in a “disconnect” between the science and practice of wetland restoration. Examples of coastal wetland restoration science are discussed in the context of wetland functions that promote secondary production, ecological fidelity and their “connectedness” to both adjacent waters and the coastal zone. A means to integrate restoration science and practice to inform policy, and the quantification of restored functions in a systems framework is also described in the context of a sample case history.