Links to natural regeneration case studies
There are many existing examples of restoration projects that include harnessing natural regeneration as the principal approach.
The following list will expand over time as we learn more about what projects exist around the globe – but here are some important examples.
SETS OF CASE STUDIES
- SER’s Restoration Resource Centre Project Database contains a number of case studies – search for ‘natural regeneration’. See https://www.ser-rrc.org/project-database/
The Assisted Natural Regeneration Guide by Conservation International contains numerous case studies which can be filtered by the search term ‘regeneration’ – see https://www.conservation.org/research/guide-assisted-natural-regeneration- The online publication ‘The Role of Assisted Natural Regeneration in Accelerating Forest and Landscape Restoration: Practical Experiences from the Field’ published by the World Resources Institute contains a range of important case studies. The publication has translations in Portuguese and Spanish See:https://www.wri.org/research/assisted-natural-regeneration-case-studies
- EMR project summaries – https://site.emrprojectsummaries.org/ – published as part of the Australasian journal Ecological Management & Restoration. You can find more by visiting the site and search term ‘regeneration’ and ‘bush regeneration’. Some outstanding examples:
FACILITATED REGENERATION
- Regeneration of indigenous vegetation at Third Reedy Lake as it has dried over summer and autumn 2022.. Freshwater wetland restoration Victoria, Australia. Scattered trees were planted to replace the previously drowned ones but regeneration of ground stratum species has arisen from the soil seed bank after hydrological amendments to reinstate the wetland’s wetting and drying cycles.
- Post-fire facilitated regeneration at Rutidosis Ridge, Scottsdale Reserve, Bredbo NSW Grassy woodland restoration, NSW Australia. Severe wildfire in Feb 2020 triggered germination and resprouting of native ground stratum species as well as weeds at weed-dominated site, previously grazed for many decades. Regular precision spraying has secured the recovery and facilitated more.
- Crowdy Bay National Park, NSW – Facilitated regeneration of a littoral rainforest patch post 2019-20 summer wildfire Rainforest restoration NSW Australia. .Community members secure post-wildfire recovery in a coastal natural park using bush regeneration techniques.
- Rotary Park facilitated regeneration project, Lismore NSW Rainforest restoration, NSW Australia. Local government engaged professional regenerators to painstakingly release natives from weed in a severely degraded remnant using precision herbicide spray, securing the remnant as a high conservation value area by 10-15 years.
- Minyumai Indigenous Protected area, NSW Australia – facilitated regeneration of a weed-dominated clearing (using fire followed by intensive weed follow up work) shows substantial recovery over time assisted by Indigenous rangers.
- Regeneration of Lismore’s Bushland cemetery, NSW Australia – Regeneration treatments as well as translocation in highly degraded areas transformed this highly weed dominated area into a natural burial ground in perpetuity.
AABR cases – published by the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators (AABR) https://www.aabr.org.au/category/case-studies/ and also see their regenTV platform https://www.aabr.org.au/regentv/ that has some very relevant regen-oriented case study videos which are fully searchable. Some outstanding examples:
- Subtropical rainforest restoration at the Rous Water Rainforest Reserve. Rainforest restoration, NSW Australia. An inspiring case study of a remnant in the Big Scrub area being on the full recovery trajectory using a facilitated regeneration approach without tree planting. (Video)
- Wetland restoration case studies from Discovery Bay-SA. Wetland restoration, South Australia, Australia. Three wetland restoration case studies are presented by Mark Bachmann of Nature Glenelg Trust focusing on reinstating hydrology to allow wetland regeneration. (Video)
- Phoenix Flats rising from Ash Island, Kooragang Wetland Rehabiltiation Project, Hunter Valley, NSW. Saline wetland restoration NSW, Australia. This project created 10ha of coastal saltmarsh, Phoenix Flats, from a degraded, disused paddock by creating physical and hydrological conditions that allowed natural colonisation through tidal flushing.
- Coward’s Wetland, The Gap Road, Woodburn, NSW A facilitated regeneration approach was trialed in an exotic pasture grass-dominated clearing in a forested wetland site resulting in outstanding regeneration. See also here for further information on this project.