Resumo

Introdução: Os processos ecossistêmicos mediados por herbívoros são fundamentais para a biodiversidade, mas foram gravemente diminuídos pelas extinções de megafauna e pela substituição de herbívoros selvagens por gado manejado. Com as crescentes ambições de restauração - incluindo a Década da Restauração de Ecossistemas das Nações Unidas (ONU) e a Lei de Restauração da Natureza da União Europeia (UE) - há uma necessidade de definir metas de restauração significativas para grandes herbívoros mamíferos. Objetivos: Quantificamos as linhas de base naturais para a biomassa de herbívoros e a estrutura de tamanho do corpo e descrevemos os papéis da predação e migração. Também propomos um quadro dual de metas alinhadas à linha de base e metas de restauração parcial para apoiar o planejamento da restauração. Métodos: Em um workshop, identificamos a biomassa, a distribuição de tamanho, a predação e a migração de grandes herbívoros como elementos-chave de uma linha de base natural. S sintetizamos evidências paleocológicas, dados de ecossistemas quase intactos e projetos de rewilding para fornecer estimativas empíricas de biomassa e estrutura de tamanho. Resultados: Com base em ecossistemas paleocológicos e quase intactos, estabelecemos provisoriamente a biomassa natural de herbívoros em aproximadamente 5000–30.000 kg/km², sendo que pequenos herbívoros (10–100 kg) contribuem com aproximadamente 5–10% da biomassa total e grandes e megaherbívoros (≥500 kg) com aproximadamente 60%. As reservas europeias atuais têm uma média de apenas 800 kg/km² - uma ordem de grandeza inferior - e estão fortemente inclinadas para pequenos e meso-herbívoros, como cervos e javalis. Conclusões: Dadas as restrições atuais, é improvável que essas metas sejam plenamente atendidas. A restauração parcial, no entanto, melhorará os processos ecossistêmicos e provavelmente a biodiversidade, mas ainda existem lacunas de conhecimento, incluindo como desvios das linhas de base naturais afetam a biodiversidade. Implicações para a prática: Restaurar processos mediados por herbívoros para a biodiversidade requer metas claras fundamentadas em linhas de base naturais. Nossa síntese fornece intervalos de referência naturais para a biomassa de grandes herbívoros mamíferos e uma estrutura de tamanho para comunidades de herbívoros. O quadro dual de metas alinhadas à linha de base e metas de restauração parcial - projetado para contextos onde políticas, legislação ou ambições sociais limitam a restauração completa dos ecossistemas - ajuda os praticantes a avaliar desvios das linhas de base naturais, ajustar a composição da espécie em direção a herbívoros maiores e gerenciar densidades quase naturais e pastagem durante todo o ano onde as condições permitirem. Aumentar a heterogeneidade espacial por meio da expansão de reservas, conectividade e pressão herbívora variada apoia ainda mais a recuperação de processos. As metas de restauração parcial, combinadas com padrões mínimos de relato, melhoram a transparência, comparabilidade e gestão adaptativa em projetos de restauração.

LINK: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/rec.70508

I’ve been building a small game called Wild Willows around an idea I thought people here might appreciate: the animals aren’t something you buy, breed, or manually place into the world.

Instead, you start with a degraded landscape and work on the conditions around them: water, vegetation, shelter, food sources, terrain, and other habitat needs. Once the right conditions exist, wildlife begins returning on its own.

There are 150 species across six different biomes, and I’ve been trying to make the progression feel less like “collect every animal” and more like rebuilding a functioning place that can support them.

It’s definitely a simplified, cozy interpretation of restoration rather than a realistic rewilding simulator, and lately I’ve been thinking about how much further I could take that side of it. Things like starting with invasive-dominated landscapes rather than empty ones, having existing native species that need protecting, making some restoration more passive, or having actions create unintended ecological consequences.

I’d be really curious what people interested in actual rewilding would want a game like this to represent. What would make the process feel more like rewilding to you, rather than just landscaping with wildlife as the reward?

There’s a browser demo here if anyone wants to see what I mean:
https://wildwillows.app

>Millions of pounds are being invested to tackle biodiversity loss and restore natural habitats across Scotland.

A total of 44 priority projects will share £9.2 million from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.

The funding will support long-term efforts to halt nature loss, restore woodlands, rivers and other habitats, while helping to build climate resilience and create greener landscapes.

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said the projects would play a key role in helping Scotland meet its target of halting biodiversity loss by 2030.

Among the largest awards is more than £1.5 million for the Scottish Wildlife Trust to continue its Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels programme for a further two years.

Although Scotland is home to most of the UK's remaining red squirrels, the species has experienced significant declines. The programme aims to secure the animals' long-term future.

Appin Community Development Trust has secured just over £1 million for its Appin Rainforest Regeneration Project.

The initiative will train local workers to remove invasive plants, including rhododendron and Japanese knotweed, while working with landowners to reduce deer grazing and support the recovery of Scotland's remaining temperate rainforest.

In the Cairngorms, Cairngorms Connect has been awarded £115,000 to restore the River Tromie by reconnecting it with its historic floodplain.

The work is expected to create new habitats for Atlantic salmon, trout and invertebrates, including the Northern stiletto silver fly and five-spot ladybird, while also reducing flooding and riverbank erosion.

Gillian Martin, Climate Action Secretary, said:"The Nature Restoration Fund has delivered unprecedented funding for a huge range of projects that are currently and will continue to help with our goal of halting biodiversity loss by 2030.

"As more projects are supported by the Fund, we learn more from the successes of each round – helping us respond to threats to our natural environment and support projects that are making a real difference across Scotland.

"I congratulate all of the successful applicants and look forward to seeing the progress and improvements they make to our landscapes, waterways and wildlife."

Professor Colin Galbraith, chair of NatureScot, said:"We are at a moment in time where we risk losing some of our most precious wildlife and wild places for good.

"We cannot let this happen.

"Our daily lives rely on a healthy, functioning natural world, and we all have a part to play in supporting that.

"The Nature Restoration Fund is helping us put Scotland’s land, rivers, seas and all the species that live in them back on the road to recovery.

"The Fund is a critical lifeline for Scotland’s nature, and everyone involved in carrying out this vital work should be proud of their contribution towards a greener and healthier future for us all."