Navigating transformations from degraded to functional ecosystems

Reversing ecosystem degradation is complex and presents uncertainties, even when recreating the properties and processes of historical ecosystems. Similar challenges are encountered in natural resource management. We propose that adapting management tools from this domain will improve management options, and the resist-accept-direct framework could be appropriate for restoring degraded ecosystems. However, in this context, we argue that separate pathways are needed for actions that actively revert the ecosystem towards a historical baseline and those that aim to resist current and future changes. This distinction allows our resist-accept-direct-revert framework to enhance clarity and transparency in planning, communication, and management, especially in restoration and rewilding contexts involving poorly understood or novel ecosystems, and where unforeseen detrimental consequences could occur.