The mighty Himalayas is home to many species. Besides providing ecological and economic services, the largest mountain range in the world has numerous unique ecosystems hidden within, which have rich biodiversity. The Himalayan high altitude areas located above the forests – the alpine meadows and the cold deserts […]
When we talk about remediation of impacts of human activities, it will always have two aspects: recovering what is lost and preserving what remains. Recovering what is lost comes under the banner of restoration ecology. Preventing further loss, on the other hand, is the work of a field […]
Rangelands are grasslands heavily used for the purpose of meeting animal farm requirements. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is these lands that are heavily affected by overgrazing. I’ve written extensively about the role overgrazing plays in land degradation. Let’s now look at what we can do […]
Minespoils are one of the most degraded bits of land to have been generated by human activity. Even nature thinks so. Why do I say that? Because if nature was to restore a minespoil at her own pace, it would take centuries for her to bring back a […]
In a previous post, I suggested how land degradation can be overcome by 10 simple and effective management practices. However, these steps are mostly to prevent further land degradation. What to do when faced with a piece of land that is already degraded? How is it restored to […]
Overcoming land degradation is possible with dedicated efforts at conservation, restoration and improved land management practices. It can be achieved by preventing soil erosion, increasing green cover, improving agricultural practices, changing our grazing practices, and support sustainable consumption and production.
Restoration ecology is an up and coming field with a huge number of applications. Sites ranging from minespoils, degraded rangelands, wastelands and floodplains have been recognized with immediate need for ecological restoration. But essentially, the blueprint for the restoration project remains the same. What is that?
