What innovative methods are being used to restore degraded ecosystems?

Restoration is moving beyond simply planting trees. Many projects now focus on repairing the conditions that let native species and natural processes recover—and use new tools to decide where help is needed most.

• Assisted natural regeneration: Instead of planting an entire site, teams protect surviving trees and seedlings, control grazing or invasive plants, and let the forest regrow. This can support more diverse, locally adapted vegetation.
• Remote sensing and environmental DNA: Satellite images, drones, acoustic sensors, and environmental DNA (eDNA) help map damage and detect species that are difficult to observe directly. Repeated surveys can show whether a project is actually improving habitat.
• Targeted seed delivery: Locally sourced seeds can be spread by hand or, in hard-to-reach areas, by drones. The best results depend on matching seed species and timing to local soils, climate, and future conditions.
• Nature-based coastal and river restoration: Living shorelines combine marsh plants, sand, and sometimes oyster reefs to reduce erosion while retaining habitat. Reconnecting rivers with floodplains can also restore wetlands and give floodwater room to spread.
• Restoring ecological processes: Beaver dam analogues can slow water and help rebuild wetland conditions where natural beaver activity is absent. In some landscapes, Indigenous-led cultural burning restores lower-intensity fire patterns and supports fire-adapted ecosystems.

Researchers are also testing soil fungi and other microbial communities to help native plants establish, though these treatments are highly site-specific. No single technique works everywhere: lasting recovery usually depends on stopping the original pressures—such as pollution, drainage, or repeated disturbance—alongside the restoration work.