Challenges and opportunities for grassland restoration: A global perspective of best practices in the era of climate change

• Published in: Global ecology and conservation Vol. 46; p. e02612
• Main Authors: Lyons, Kelly G., Török, Péter, Hermann, Julia-Maria, Kiehl, Kathrin, Kirmer, Anita, Kollmann, Johannes, Overbeck, Gerhard E., Tischew, Sabine, Allen, Edith B., Bakker, Jonathan D., Brigham, Christy, Buisson, Elise, Crawford, Kerri, Dunwiddie, Peter, Firn, Jennifer, Grobert, Devin, Hickman, Karen, Stradic, Soizig LE, Temperton, Vicky M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-10-2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Carbon sequestration; Climate adaptation; Environmental Sciences; Landscape multifunctionality; Plant materials; Soils; Target species; Target species; Soils; Climate adaptation; Plant materials; Carbon sequestration; Landscape multifunctionality
• ISSN: 2351-9894; 2351-9894
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02612

Grasslands are ubiquitous globally, and their conservation and restoration are critical to combat both the biodiversity and climate crises. There is increasing interest in implementing effective multifunctional grassland restoration to restore biodiversity concomitant with above- and belowground carbon sequestration, delivery of carbon credits and/or integration with land dedicated to solar panels. Other common multifunctional restoration considerations include improved forage value, erosion control, water management, pollinator services, and wildlife habitat provisioning. In addition, many grasslands are global biodiversity hotspots. Nonetheless, relative to their impact, and as compared to forests, the importance of preservation, conservation, and restoration of grasslands has been widely overlooked due to their subtle physiognomy and underappreciated contributions to human and planetary well-being. Ultimately, the global success of carbon sequestration will depend on more complete and effective grassland ecosystem restoration. In this review, supported by examples from across the Western world, we call for more strenuous and unified development of best practices for grassland restoration in three areas of concern: initial site conditions and site preparation; implementation of restoration measures and management; and social context and sustainability. For each area, we identify the primary challenges to grassland restoration and highlight case studies with proven results to derive successful and generalizable solutions.
•Grassland biodiversity and the ecosystem services are undervalued.•Restoring resilient grasslands is critical to global carbon sequestration goals.•Successful restoration of grasslands requires a concerted and consistent effort.•Multifunctional approaches are essential for successful grassland restoration.•We summarize best practices to improve grassland restoration success worldwide.