Integrating socioeconomic and ecological data into restoration practice

Area of Science:

• Coastal Ecology
• Restoration Ecology
• Decision Science

Background:

• Mangrove restoration investment is rising, driven by global initiatives.
• Restoration failures are common due to inadequate site selection ignoring ecological and socioeconomic factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a decision analysis approach for selecting mangrove restoration sites.
• To identify sites with the highest probability of restoration success by integrating ecological and socioeconomic data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized decision analysis to create a site-selection framework.
• Incorporated metrics for propagule establishment, sea-level rise resilience, ecosystem services, and community dynamics.
• Applied spatial optimization to rank 468 potential sites in Marismas Nacionales Nayarit, Mexico.

Main Results:

• Integrated ecological and socioeconomic metrics significantly improved site selection outcomes compared to single-criterion approaches.
• Site selection based on both factors captured 46% of potential functioning mangroves, versus 16% for socioeconomic metrics alone.
• The approach successfully integrated diverse data under rapid timelines.

Conclusions:

• A systematic, integrated decision process is crucial for successful mangrove restoration site selection.
• This adaptable approach can guide mangrove restoration efforts globally, enhancing ecosystem resilience and function.