Rewilding watersheds: using nature’s algorithms to fix our broken rivers
Natalie K. Rideout
A G 1 , Bernhard Wegscheider B 1 , Matilda Kattilakoski A , Katie M. McGee C D , Wendy A. Monk E and Donald J. Baird F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Canadian Rivers Institute, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, 10 Bailey Drive, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
B Canadian Rivers Institute, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, 2 Bailey Drive, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
C Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7R 4A6, Canada.
D Centre for Biodiversity Genomics and Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
E Environment and Climate Change Canada @ Canadian Rivers Institute, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, 2 Bailey Drive, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
F Environment and Climate Change Canada @ Canadian Rivers Institute, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, 10 Bailey Drive, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
G Corresponding author. Email: nrideout@unb.ca
Marine and Freshwater Research 72(8) 1118-1124 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF20335
Submitted: 20 November 2020 Accepted: 21 January 2021 Published: 5 March 2021
Journal Compilation © CSIRO 2021 Open Access CC BY
Abstract
Rewilding is an ecological restoration concept that promotes the natural recovery of ecosystems, through (initial) active or passive removal of human influence. To support the application of rewilding approaches in rivers and their watersheds, we propose a framework to assess ‘rewilding potential’ based on measurement of basic river ecosystem functions (e.g. restoring flood and nutrient pulses), including examples of specific indicators for these processes. This includes a discussion of the challenges in implementing rewilding projects, such as lack of spatio-temporal data coverage for certain ecosystem functions or tackling ongoing problems once active management is removed. We aim to stimulate new thinking on the restoration of wild rivers, and also provide an annotated bibliography of rewilding studies to support this.
Keywords: freshwater, ecosystem processes, biodiversity, ecology, floodplains, restoration.
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