ABSTRACT
The practice of ecological restoration and the science of restoration ecology have been called ‘beacons of hope’ in sustaining biological diversity of degraded environments (e.g. Dobson et al., 1997). Due to its potential to provide guidance for land and water management and facilitate innovative new techniques, restoration ecology has more recently been aligned with silviculture among other applied disciplines (Sarr et al., 2004; Sarr and Puettman, 2008). However, our developing understanding of the potential impacts of global climate change on local biota has thrown into question the concept of restoration of a particular condition, especially one based solely on historical information. Is ecological restoration still a valid construct in a changing world?
