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1. Forest restoration and hydrology

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120342  

   Jones, Julia; Ellison, David; Ferraz, Silvio; Lara, Antonio; Wei, Xiaohua; Zhang, Zhiqiang (September 2022, Forest Ecology and Management)
2. The state factor model and urban forest restoration

   https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juaa018  

   Smith, Jason; Hallett, Richard; Groffman, Peter M (January 2020, Journal of Urban Ecology)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract A ‘state factor’ model of ecosystems can serve as a conceptual framework for researching and managing urban ecosystems. This approach provides alternative goals and narratives to those derived from historically grounded dichotomies between nature and culture, which can reify constructions of human influence as inherently destructive. The integration of human behaviour and state factors is critical to the application of a state factor model to urban ecosystems. We emphasize the role of culture in co-producing urban ecosystems and the importance of feedbacks between urban ecosystems and state factors. We advocate for ecosystem models that encourage local agency and actions that enhance the capacity of cities to constructively adapt to environmental change. We contrast this approach to efforts intended to minimize human impacts on ecosystems. The usefulness of the state factor model for informing such efforts is assessed through a consideration of the norms and practices of urban forest restoration in New York City. Despite the limitations and challenges of applying a state factor model to urban ecosystems, it can inform comparative research within and between cities and offers an intuitive framework for understanding the ecological conditions created in cities by human behaviour. 

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3. Global forest restoration and the importance of prioritizing local communities

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01282-2  

   Erbaugh, J. T.; Pradhan, N.; Adams, J.; Oldekop, J. A.; Agrawal, A.; Brockington, D.; Pritchard, R.; Chhatre, A. (January 2020, Nature Ecology & Evolution)

   Forest restoration occupies centre stage in global conversations about carbon removal and biodiversity conservation, but recent research rarely acknowledges social dimensions or environmental justice implications related to its implementation. We find that 294.5 million people live on tropical forest restoration opportunity land in the Global South, including 12% of the total population in low-income countries. Forest landscape restoration that prioritizes local communities by affording them rights to manage and restore forests provides a promising option to align global agendas for climate miti-gation, conservation, environmental justice and sustainable development. 

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4. Development of a carbon calculator tool for riparian forest restoration

   https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12400  

   Matzek, Virginia; Stella, John; Ropion, Pearce; Marrs, Rob (October 2018, Applied Vegetation Science)
5. Review and assessment of smartphone apps for forest restoration monitoring

   https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.14136  

   Schweizer, Daniella; Cole, Rebecca J; Werden, Leland K; Cedeño, Gerald Quirós; Rodriguez, David; Navarro, Kassandra; Esquivel, Jose Marcel; Max, Simeon; Chiriboga, Fidel E; Zahawi, Rakan A; et al (May 2024, Restoration Ecology)

   With increased interest in forest restoration comes an urgent need to provide accurate, scalable, and cost‐effective monitoring tools. The ubiquity of smartphones has led to a surge in monitoring apps. We reviewed and assessed monitoring apps found through web searches and conversations with practitioners. We identified 42 apps that (1) automatically monitor indicators or (2) facilitate data entry. We selected the five most promising from the first category, based on their relevance, availability, stability, and user support. We compared them to traditional field techniques in a well‐studied restoration project in Costa Rica. We received further feedback from 15 collaborator organizations that evaluated these in their corresponding field restoration sites. Diameter measurements correlated well with traditional tape‐based measurements (R² = 0.86–0.89). Canopy openness and ground cover showed weaker correlations to densiometer and quadrat cover measurements (R² = 0.42–0.51). Apps did not improve labor efficiency but do preclude the purchase of specialized field equipment. The apps reviewed here need further development and validation to support monitoring adequately, especially in the tropics. Estimates of development and maintenance costs, as well as statistics on user uptake, are required for cost‐effective development. We recommend a coordinated effort to develop dedicated restoration monitoring apps that can speed up and standardize the collection of indicators and provide evidence on restoration outcomes alongside a centralized repository of this information. 

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