National standards for the practice of ecological restoration in Australia

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Abstract

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SERA) is an independent, nonprofit ecological restoration organization that connects the restoration community (industry, government, and practitioners) across the Australasian region. It is a regional chapter of the peak international body for restoration, the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) (www.ser.org). Contributors. This document was prepared by the SERA Standards Reference Group: Kingsley Dixon (Chair and co-editor), Tein McDonald (Co-editor), Justin Jonson (Co-editor), David Lamb, David Freudenberger, Peter Erskine, and Vern Newton; delegates of the project's 12 Advisor and Partner organizations: James Fitzsimons, Ben Carr, Simon Branigan (The Nature Conservancy), Scott Meier, Jen Ford (Australian Association of Bush Regenerators), Zoe Metherill (Australian Institute of Landscape Architects), Anne Cochrane, Martin Driver (Australian Network for Plant Conservation), Lucy Sutherland, Peter Cuneo, David Merritt (Australian Seed Bank Partnership), Jim Radford, Angela Sanders, Matt Appleby (Bush Heritage Australia), Keith Bradby, Paula Deegan (Gondwana Link), Paul Gibson-Roy, Bindi Vanzella (Greening Australia), Brian Bainbridge (Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association), Amelia Hurren (Trees for Life), Nathan Wong, Robyn Edwards (Trust for Nature Victoria), Louise Duff, Hanna Kogelman, and Timothy Mouton (WetlandCare Australia). We acknowledge the contributions of many agencies, researchers, industry bodies, contractors, and individuals whose comments on earlier versions improved the relevance and rigor of the Standards. While these people and organizations are too many to mention by name we particularly acknowledge the following people who contributed substantial information on genetics or environmental change: Andre Clewell, Linda Broadhurst, Nola Hancock, Lesley Hughes, Suzanne Prober, Margaret Byrne, Martin Breed, Andy Lowe, Nick Gellie, Siegy Krauss, Maurizio Rossetto, Ary Hoffman, Rebecca Jordan, Nigel Tucker, Trevor Booth and George Gann. Andre Clewell additionally contributed inspiration and ideas that led to the attributes list and recovery wheel shown in Figs 2 and 5; and the final draft was further improved by valuable comments from George Gann and Andre Clewell. This Special Issue is sponsored by Curtin University and The University of Western Australia. MINISTER'S FOREWORD Australia is a country gifted with outstanding landscapes, unique and productive ecosystems, and thousands of species that occur nowhere else on Earth. These places, plants, animals, and systems are a core part of what it means to be Australian, they define us, and we all have a role to play in securing the future of our environment. There are many parts of Australia that have become degraded and this has severe consequences for our quality of life and the natural values of this country. The Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia and its partners have taken a bold step to help ensure these areas, from urban bushland to the outback, can be restored using sound stewardship and the best possible science. The Society has produced the world's first set of standards for restoration practice: National Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration in Australia. Australian Government initiatives, such as the Green Army, 20 Million Trees, and the National Landcare Programme, ensure we are working better with, and investing in, natural resource management groups, industry, farmers, and local communities to support the protection, conservation, and rehabilitation of Australia's natural environment. Australia's Threatened Species Strategy also sets out the Government's commitment to reduce threats to our plants and animals, create and enhance safe havens and new habitat, improve the quality of existing habitat, and improve recovery practices including through the use of national recovery plans and conservation advices. The Standards are a blueprint to ensure communities across Australia succeed in delivering sound environmental benefits. The Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia and its partners are to be commended for delivering this world-first initiative that offers a way to change the face of ecological restoration in a positive and enduring way for all Australians. Supporting the recovery of our landscape requires a coordinated team approach and these Standards allow all Australians to contribute to rebuilding our wonderful natural heritage. This land is ours to protect and we all have a role to play. The Hon Greg Hunt MP Minister for the Environment Government of Australia The contemporary call for restoration and rehabilitation comes at a critical point in our planet's history where human influence is all pervasive. Australia's long and relatively uninterrupted evolutionary past means the continent possesses ancient soils and exceptionally diverse and unique biota—yet its terrestrial and marine ecosystems carry a more recent legacy of extensive and continuing environmental degradation, particularly in urban, industrial, and production landscapes and aquatic environments. Anthropogenic climate change is superimposing further pressure on ecosystems, whose vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by other causal factors including land clearing, overharvesting, fragmentation, inappropriate management, disease, and invasive species. Degradation is so severe in most cases that it will not be overcome without active and ecologically appropriate intervention including mitigation of these causal factors and of The of ecological restoration and rehabilitation to role from where we are the of to where we as and of It is in this that the National Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration in Australia has prepared by the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA) in with its 12 Partner and all of are to conservation management of Australia's ecological This document the and of ecological restoration and its with other of environmental The Standards the restoration and and the to and a restoration to the of its The Standards are can be of from community to industry or SERA and its have produced these Standards for by industry, and land and of at all of to the of restoration and rehabilitation across all The document a blueprint of and the that will as as organizations in to and ecologically appropriate environmental in all land and ecosystems of Australia. 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While will be a approach in the restoration the use of species from more and where the of from a with to the to improve for natural it be Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA)

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