BioRestNet: a network of biocultural restoration

challenges for an inclusive restoration

Felipe Melo

Nottingham Trent University - UK

What are the current challenges of ecological restoration?

• Improved techniques of restoration 👍
• Informed planning 👍
• Geopolitical momentum 👍
• Environmental justice 👎
• Ecological knowledge gaps 👎

How to pursue environmental justice and develop a competitive research agenda on restoration?

Traditional Ecological Knowledge - TEK

• Knowledge frontier
• De-colonial perspective
• Would benefit from interdisciplinary
• Largely related to nature and livelihoods

TEK for Assessing Landscapes

• Participatory mapping
• Landscape Biographies
• Unforeseen landscape metrics

TEK for Ecology

• Functional ecology of useful species
• Functioning of productive ecosystems
• Role of secondary succession
• Technical recommendations

TEK for adding value to restoration

• Restoration for livelihoods
• Enforcement of alternative knowledge systems
• Environmental Justice

Why a network?

• It is the best way to scale up restoration
• Allows sharing of knowledge
• Strengthen actions
• Disseminate models

An example from the Brazilian Caatinga

• Culturally important species Sena et al (2022)
• Database on plant uses
• Multiple benefits
• Maintain natural features

Toscano et al (in press) Cons Biol

Goals of the BioRestNet

• A worldwide database on TEK contribution to restoration
  • Plants & Animals
  • inspired on TRY and GlobUNT
• Ecological assessments of TEK
• Generate participatory models of restoration
• Citizen Science promotion (Earthwatch Project led by Dr. Antonio Uzal)

Experimental Design of the BioRestNet in Kenya

Module 1 - Biocultural Inventory

Question: What are the plants and animals that contribute more to both ecosystem functioning and livelihoods?

Assessment of Culturally Important Species

source: Conservation through Reconciliation

Asembling of databases of Culturally Important Species

Reyes-Garcia 2023

Meaningful Functional Traits

Module 2 - Landscape Scale

Question: How landscape features affects biodiversity and livelihoods in the Savannah?

Assessing Working Landscapes

• The Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF)
• 100km² landscapes
• 16 cluster
• 10 plots per cluster

Module 3 - Local manipulative experiment

• Simulate biodiversity
• Functional diversity
• Measure Ecosystem Functions

How to mainstream Biocultural Restoration?

• What are the best landscape perspectives?
• How to integrate TEK into productive restoration models?
• How to create an effective network of Biocutlural Restoration?

Thank you

felipe.melo@ntu.ac.uk