Yogita is an engineer and a wildlife conservation researcher. She has been practicing Heartfulness meditation since 2015.

Yogita Karpate

<h4
 id="h-yogita-karpate-explores-ecosystem-restoration-and-ecological-resilience-and-how-an-integrated-perspective-opens-up-a-more-enlightened-approach-to-creating-policies-for-humanity-coexisting-with-all-the-other-species-that-share-planet-earth-with-us">
 YOGITA KARPATE
 explores ecosystem restoration and ecological resilience, and how an
 integrated perspective opens up a more enlightened approach to creating
 policies for humanity coexisting with all the other species that share
 planet Earth with us.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 I have been intrigued by the idea of ecological restoration since I came to
 know that the United Nations declared 2021-2030 the
 <a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“Decade for Ecosystem
 Restoration.”</a>
 It relates to my research on Ecological Resilience. Therefore, I thought it
 was a great opportunity to rethink the causes of ecosystem degradation, how
 they relate to ecological resilience, how it impacts our lives, if
 restoration is realistic, and what we can do about it?



 I’ll start with what we are missing. Many people think that natural
 landscapes are all forests. Since people are now more conscious about their
 responsibility toward conservation, communities and governments are
 investing in the afforestation of degraded lands. As a result, lands that
 historically never had trees are also being converted to forests. Using
 non-endemic trees for afforestation has given rise to another ecological
 threat, “biological invasion,” which has been a hot topic among ecologists
 for many years. Forests are undoubtedly important, but so are other
 ecosystems.



 This is a good time to remind ourselves of the definition of an ecosystem. I
 like the definition on the
 <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ecosystem/" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">National Geographic Society’s website</a>: “An ecosystem is a geographic area
 where plants, animals, and other
 organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, work together to form a bubble
 of life.”



 Ecosystems range from lush dense rainforest to sparsely vegetated savannah,
 from freshwater streams to vast expanses of ocean, from rocky arid regions
 to deserts, and from rustic villages to densely populated urban areas.



 Ecosystems sometimes naturally exist in combination, for example, a
 forest-grassland ecosystem where forests and grasslands coexist in a mosaic
 pattern.&nbsp;Each ecosystem has intrinsic ecological value and is home to a
 variety of plants, shrubs, trees, grasses, animals, birds, and diverse human
 communities.&nbsp;



 Ecosystems also impact our lives. Ecosystem Services are the link between
 nature and humans.
 <a href="https://www.iucn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The International Union of
 Conservation of Nature </a><a
 href="https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-ecosystem-management/our-work/cems-thematic-groups/services">defines</a>
 them as “the benefits people derive from ecosystems.” The services provided
 by forests are often described, but less attention is given to the services
 provided by other ecosystems. For example, grasslands are an “Open Natural
 Ecosystem (ONE),” having a great potential for carbon storage. Scientists<a
 href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/grasslands-may-trump-forests-at-carbon-storage-in-a-warming-world/">
 say</a>
 that grasslands sequester carbon below ground, protecting the carbon from
 wildfires.&nbsp;



 Terrestrial ecosystems have been victim to changes in land-use practices.
 Marine and freshwater realms have been subjected to unregulated fishing, oil
 spills, and chemical pollution. ONEs are threatened by overgrazing,
 agriculture, plantations, and human settlement. After the announcement of
 the
 <a href="https://www.bonnchallenge.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“Bonn Challenge”</a>
 in 2020,
 <a href="https://researchmatters.in/news/ill-conceived-idea-replacing-natural-grasslands-%E2%80%98forests%E2%80%99%E2%80%94lessons-past-mistakes"
 target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">afforestation of grasslands is being done in the name of climate
 change
 mitigation.</a>
 Unfortunately, policymakers have missed giving ONEs the importance they
 deserve. Forest-grassland ecosystems are being threatened by the invasion of
 non-native fast-growing species, and climate change. The same is happening
 to other ecosystems, where the absence of policies for restoration and
 conservation is catalyzing their degradation.



 All ecosystems have a natural capacity to heal themselves up to a certain
 threshold. Once this threshold is crossed, the health of the ecosystem is
 not retrievable. The ability of an ecosystem to bounce back to its original
 state after being subjected to external disturbance is a measure of its
 “resilience.” Restoration of ecosystems can only help when the system is
 resilient.



<img decoding="async" width="700" height="466" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Think_ecosystem2_83bd1adb8f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T11:59:33.837Z" />



<hr />

<h4 class="text-center">
 The ability of an ecosystem to bounce back to its
 original state
 after being subjected to external disturbance is a measure of
 its “resilience.” Restoration of ecosystems can only help when
 the system is resilient.
 
</h4>

<hr />


 According to the United Nations, “Ecosystem restoration means assisting the
 recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as
 conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.”&nbsp;



 Active restoration on land can be done by planting, and enhancing soil
 nutrient properties, and in water by regulating fishing, and controlling
 water pollution. It can also be done passively by removing human-induced
 pressures and letting ecosystems heal on their own. When done
 scientifically, restoration won’t just heal our planet but will also help
 the economy to thrive. The United Nations goes as far as saying that the
 <a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">economic benefits of ecosystem restoration</a>
 are nine times the cost of investment.&nbsp;



 Although we understand the urgency of ecological restoration, unscientific
 restoration is not sustainable. It may also lead to larger problems such as
 disease, biological invasions, and loss of biodiversity. Scientists propose
 developing a holistic framework based on cost-effectiveness and long-term
 sustainability of restoration work.



 How can we actively participate in restoration? Many of us feel clueless but
 I believe we can do much more than just offer occasional financial
 contributions. Contribution to ecosystem restoration shouldn’t be limited to
 planting trees or cleaning lakes, which again become occasional activities,
 especially in urban areas.&nbsp; From increasing mining in ecologically
 sensitive areas to wildlife hunting, and extraction of non-timber forest
 products, drivers of ecosystem degradation point toward the rising demands
 created from urban areas.



 The most effective contribution we can make is to become more conscious
 about our lifestyle.
 <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-020-01480-1">Research</a>
 says that ecosystem health is closely linked with human health and therefore
 science-backed restoration is critical to the survival of humans. Being
 conscious about our well-being will not only reduce the load on our pockets
 but will also heal the planet.



 To conclude, I would like to revisit what we are missing from the lens of
 conservation science. Wildlife conservation can be approached in two ways:
 one is the utilitarian approach, which focuses on how nature conservation
 benefits us, and the other is the coexistence approach, which talks about
 the simultaneous existence of species. The former approaches restoration to
 enhance ecosystem services, whereas the latter focuses on minimizing
 negative interactions between species. Both approaches are effective and
 scientific. It is we who decide which way to approach ecosystem restoration.



 This reminds me of an informal interaction I had with an elephant biologist,
 who asked me “Why should we conserve elephants in our neighborhood
 forests?” My answer back then, as a newbie in the field, was, “Because
 wide-ranging animals help the conservation of larger patches of natural
 habitats.” He disagreeably accepted my analytical opinion with a smile
 and said, “Because it’s their intrinsic right to live in the forest, which
 is their home.” I couldn’t agree with him more.&nbsp;


References


 <a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/</a>



 <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ecosystem/" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ecosystem/</a>



 <a href="https://www.iucn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.iucn.org/</a>



 <a
 href="https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-ecosystem-management/our-work/cems-thematic-groups/services">https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-ecosystem-management/our-work/cems-thematic-groups/services</a>



 <a
 href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/grasslands-may-trump-forests-at-carbon-storage-in-a-warming-world/">https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/grasslands-may-trump-forests-at-carbon-storage-in-a-warming-world/</a>



 <a href="https://www.bonnchallenge.org/">https://www.bonnchallenge.org/</a>



 <a href="https://researchmatters.in/news/ill-conceived-idea-replacing-natural-grasslands-%E2%80%98forests%E2%80%99%E2%80%94lessons-past-mistakes"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://researchmatters.in/news/ill-conceived-idea-replacing-natural-grasslands-%E2%80%98forests%E2%80%99%E2%80%94lessons-past-mistakes</a>



 <a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration</a>



 <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-020-01480-1#auth-Martin_F_-Breed">Breed</a>, M.F. et
 al., 2021. Ecosystem Restoration: A Public Health Intervention,
 EcoHealth ,18: 269-271.
 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-020-01480-1" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-020-01480-1</a>



 <a
 href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Perring%2C+Michael+P">Perring</a>,
 M.P. et al., 2015. Advances in restoration ecology: rising to the
 challenges of the coming decades, Ecosphere,&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1890/ES15-00121.1"
 target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://doi.org/10.1890/ES15-00121.1</a>