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ECOLOGICAL RECOVERY
Lake 223 acid rain experiment: Scientists added sulfuric acid to an Ontario lake for 17 years. The water recovered, but the fish didn’tA 17-year acid rain experiment at Canada’s Lake 223 changed its water chemistry and disrupted its ecosystem. Although the lake’s acidity ha...
In 1914 passenger pigeon went extinct following the death of Martha in Cincinnati Zoo, over 100 years later more than 500 bird species are facing risk of extinction, finds research studyScientists found that even with complete protection from human-caused threats like habitat loss, hunting, and climate change, about 250 bir...
In 2010, federal wildlife trustees secured $2.65 million for San Francisco Bay tidal marsh restoration. 5 years later, tidal waters returned to 1,250 acres at Cullinan RanchSan Francisco Bay tidal marshes are being restored for a reason that reaches far beyond wildlife. These wetlands filter polluted water and ...
In 2014, East Bay Regional Park District began restoring Dotson Family Marsh, creating channels that reconnected it to the San Francisco Bay. 6 years later, tidal wetlands had returnedHistory of Dotson Family Marsh helps explain why its recovery matters. The broader 150-acre property was acquired by the East Bay Regional ...
In 1966, scientists wiped out almost every insect on tiny islands in Florida. Within days, wildlife began returningEcologists Daniel Simberloff and Edward O. Wilson conducted a groundbreaking experiment in 1966. They removed nearly all arthropods from ti...
In 1994, only a few hundred swift foxes remained. 30 years later, reintroduction campaigns restored populations to thousands across the Great PlainsConservationists have successfully reversed dramatic wildlife declines through dedicated efforts. Bold partnerships and investments have br...
In 2008, Colorado's Curecanti National Recreation Area started screening watercraft for invasive mussels at Blue Mesa. 10 years later, the reservoir remained completely mussel-freeIn 2008, Colorado’s Curecanti National Recreation Area began screening boats and watercraft for invasive mussels at Blue Mesa Reservoir. Th...
In 2011, Andalusia mapped 27,022 hectares of Posidonia habitat. 5 years later, 41 low-impact moorings were installed across four sites to protect seagrass from anchoringThe legacy of the LIFE Posidonia project extends beyond the original 2011–2016 funding period. Its work established better information abou...
In 2006, Delaware listed the Broadkill watershed for nitrogen and phosphorus impairment. 18 years later, BMPs restored 7.6 miles of Ingrams Branch, ending the phosphorusThe restoration of Ingrams Branch is a powerful example of how best management practices can produce measurable improvements in water quali...
In the 1990s, 17 cities joined Germany's Emscher regeneration programme. 30 years later the polluted industrial region had become a green hub with a 70-km landscape parkEmscher story is a powerful example of how environmental regeneration can take place across generations. The region did not become green ov...
In 1994, Idaho listed Rapid Creek for sediment impairment. 18 years later, restoration improved habitat scores and Lower Rapid Creek was removed from the 2012 impaired waters listRapid Creek in southeastern Idaho offers a compelling example of how long-term watershed restoration can transform water quality and aquati...
In 2008, Minnesota listed Fish Lake as impaired for nutrients after severe algae blooms. 16 years later, the lake improved enough to be delisted after treatments and restorationThe 2008 impairment designation was an important step because it formally recognized that the lake was not meeting the desired water-qualit...
In 2016, NYSDEC and partners removed Shapp Pond Dam after 50 years of blocking migratory fish. 4 years later, restored habitat showed significant gains in stream health and wildlifeThe removal of the Shapp Pond Dam in Dutchess County, New York, helped restore aquatic connectivity and improve stream habitat along the Ea...
In 2001, NOAA launched a restoration program after a $64 million Montrose settlement. 24 years later, a rebuilt Palos Verdes reef in California had boosted fish biomass by over 150%Two decades after a $64 million settlement funded coastal recovery, California’s Palos Verdes reef is thriving. Engineers placed 70,000 ton...
In 2016, researchers restored 452 meters of Maryland's Muddy Creek with woodchips, sand and gravel. 2 years later, monitoring found suspended sediment fell 73.8%, improving stream functionMuddy Creek is a tributary of the Rhode River and flows through the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, an important site for ecolog...
In 2012, Ray Milewski and students set research plots at Pennsylvania's Tannersville Cranberry Bog. 10 years later, researchers cleared shrubs to help rare native plants return to the bogIn 2012, Ray Milewski and students established research plots at Pennsylvania’s Tannersville Cranberry Bog. A decade later, researchers cle...
Kullu municipal administration used ecologically sensitive Parvati Valley for waste storage, NGT informedKullu administration used sensitive Parvati Valley for waste storage after a plant closure. Contractor issues and transport disruptions led...
In 2017, USGS and MIT researchers dated a magma pulse to 251.9 million years ago. 9 years later, it links to Earth's worst extinctionEarth faced its worst extinction event around 252 million years ago. Volcanic activity in the Siberian Traps is the leading explanation for...
In 1997, couple started with 11 farms; decades later, their 67,000-acre reserve is home to more than 60 mammal speciesA South African couple’s nearly three-decade conservation effort has transformed 11 former livestock farms into a 67,000-acre wildlife rese...
In the 1990s, China began regreening one of Earth's most eroded landscapes; more than 100 million tons of soil stopped entering the Yellow River each yearChina's Loess Plateau has seen a revolutionary ecological overhaul, where farmers took the initiative to plant trees and construct terraces...