Practitioners' perceptions on ecological restoration: activities, challenges and solutions on two small oceanic...

Ecosystem degradation worldwide causes biodiversity loss and negatively impacts their functioning, eroding the services they provide to the detriment of society and human well-being. The magnitude of this crisis makes ecological restoration a global priority, but progress has been hampered by a variety of factors including a low uptake of evidence-based management by practitioners, limited monitoring of restoration success, and social and political drivers occurring in competitive, multi-stakeholder management contexts. Exploring practitioners' opinions, perceptions and motivations can thus provide useful insights and identify barriers to upscale ecological restoration and increase its effectiveness. This study aimed to assess the rationale behind the implementation of current restoration activities, and characterise the barriers to adopt improved approaches that have been shown to be more cost-effective. Using a questionnaire-based survey on Mauritius and Rodrigues oceanic islands, both well-known in the fields of terrestrial ecological restoration and conservation, we explored (1) the modalities of restoration activities implemented for native terrestrial habitats conservation, (2) challenges impacting their implementation, and (3) potential solutions from conservation practitioners' perspectives. We interviewed 54 conservation practitioners, conducted a hierarchical clustering analysis to categorise the restoration activities they implement, and identified the most frequently perceived challenges hindering them, along with the perceived solutions foreseen to improve restoration success. Four clusters of activities were identified. Restoration activities are dominated by the control of invasive species, in-situ planting of native plants propagated in nurseries, and ecological monitoring activities, while research, fauna conservation, and policy enforcement are implemented by a minority of practitioners. Conservation practitioners describe many challenges that hinder their activities, most of which arising at the organisation and national (including governance) levels. Most solutions perceived to improve restoration success, however, are technical and site-specific (e.g., use of specific equipment, better methods to control invasive species, new technology). It is therefore necessary to better structure the efforts implemented to adequately address predominant challenges, and clarify what indicators are used to measure restoration success to ensure a robust evaluation of restoration projects. This assessment of conservation practitioners' perceptions and actions can be used as a tool to leverage improvements in restoration activities for biodiversity conservation, and shift the current ecological restoration approaches towards more cost-effective and research inclusive solutions that will enable the upscaling of ecological restoration that is required if sustainable conservation is to be achieved.