Rewild

Rewilding is a form of environmental conservation and ecological restoration that aims to reinstate natural processes and, where appropriate, missing species to ecosystems, allowing them to manage themselves. The ultimate goal is to create more biodiverse, resilient, and self-sustaining environments. Rewilding often involves reducing human intervention and allowing natural disturbances, such as wildfires or flooding, to shape the landscape.

Key Principles of Rewilding:

• Core Areas: Establishing large, protected core areas where natural processes can unfold with minimal human interference.
• Connectivity: Creating corridors and linkages between core areas to allow for the movement of species and the flow of genetic material.
• Keystone Species: Reintroducing, or reinforcing existing populations of, keystone species (such as predators or ecosystem engineers) that have a disproportionately large impact on their environment, driving ecosystem structure and function.
• Passive Management: Minimizing active management interventions, allowing natural processes to take precedence.
• Landscape-Scale Approach: Considering the ecological context at a large spatial scale, recognizing that ecosystems are interconnected.

Distinction from Restoration:

While both rewilding and ecological restoration aim to improve ecosystems, they differ in their approach. Restoration often focuses on returning an ecosystem to a specific historical state, whereas rewilding is more forward-looking, focusing on restoring natural processes and allowing ecosystems to evolve and adapt. Rewilding tends to require less ongoing human management compared to restoration projects.

Arguments for Rewilding:

• Biodiversity Enhancement: Creating habitat for a wider range of species.
• Ecosystem Resilience: Increasing the ability of ecosystems to withstand environmental changes.
• Carbon Sequestration: Enhancing natural carbon storage capacity in forests, wetlands, and soils.
• Economic Benefits: Promoting ecotourism and other nature-based industries.
• Natural Flood Management: Restoring natural floodplains to reduce flood risk.

Criticisms of Rewilding:

• Potential Conflicts with Land Use: Concerns about the impact on agriculture, forestry, and other land uses.
• Risk of Unintended Consequences: Potential for reintroductions of species to have negative impacts on existing ecosystems.
• Ethical Considerations: Debates about the role of humans in managing or "leaving alone" natural systems.
• Practical Challenges: Difficulties in implementing rewilding projects in densely populated areas or landscapes heavily altered by human activity.
• Defining "Natural": The concept of what constitutes a "natural" or "wild" state can be subjective and contested, especially in landscapes with a long history of human influence.

Examples of Rewilding Projects:

• Yellowstone National Park (USA): The reintroduction of wolves has had a significant impact on the park's ecosystem.
• Oostvaardersplassen (Netherlands): A controversial experiment in creating a self-regulating ecosystem with large herbivores.
• Knepp Wildland (UK): A pioneering project transforming intensive farmland into a biodiverse landscape.

Rewilding is a rapidly evolving field with ongoing debate about its definition, principles, and practical applications. It represents a growing recognition of the importance of natural processes in creating healthy and resilient ecosystems.