Reversing two centuries of wetland degradation: Can science better inform policy and practice?

Abstract

Perhaps more than any other ecotone, the land-water interface has been reclaimed solely for human uses-living space, ports and harbors, and agriculture-essentially extirpating other goods and services that these ecosystems provide. Although the importance of ecosystem services associated with wetland transition zones has been increasingly recognized in the past 60 years, the approach to restoration and rehabilitation has largely lacked scientific rigor. The status of coastal wetland restoration science is discussed herein with specific attention to design criteria that attempt to restore wetland functions and ecological fidelity. Methods for better integration of restoration science and practice to inform policy, and the quantification of restored functions are described within the context of three case histories.