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Recovering Salt Marsh Ecosystem Services through Tidal Restoration

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Book cover Tidal Marsh Restoration

Part of the book series: The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration ((SPER))

Abstract

Some would maintain that conservation and restoration activities are justified on ethical grounds alone (see review by Brennan and Lo 2008). However, demonstration of the economic benefit of ecosystems can help drive social and governmental support for conservation; and restoration and economic limitations could force choices among restoration activities. To aid decision making we need to estimate the values that restored ecosystems will provide for society. But defining these values remains a significant challenge, particularly within the context of restoration in which functions have been impaired and may contribute only incremental services over the varying course of the restoration process. Nonetheless, wetlands have direct and indirect economic value to local communities, and they provide services that benefit society as a whole. The term “ecosystem services” encompasses benefits that have direct economic value and those that have indirect public benefits. Evaluating and quantifying ecosystem services is a challenge regardless of the system status: natural, disturbed, or in various stages of restoration.

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Acknowledgments

Funding was provided by the Natural Resources and Engineering Research Council of Canada (GC) and the NOAA Restoration Center (DB and GM; grant no. NA05OAR4171149). The authors thank P. Gayaldo and NOAA Restoration Center staff as well as local partners: T. Diers and staff of the New Hampshire Coastal Program and M. Dionne and staff of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. We are indebted to students from McGill University: S. Byers, D. Charbonneau, G. Hung, G. MacDonald, P. Noel, and A. Sabourin, and from University of New Hampshire: C. Peter, A. Eberhardt, K. Nelson, and R. Vincent. Jackson Estuarine Laboratory Contribution #506.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Centre for Climate and Global Change Research, McGill University, Canada

    Gail L. Chmura (associate professor)

  2. Department of Natural Resources and the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, USA

    David M. Burdick (associate professor)

  3. Department of Biological Sciences and Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, USA

    Gregg E. Moore (assistant professor)

Authors
  1. Gail L. Chmura
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  2. David M. Burdick
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  3. Gregg E. Moore
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, USA

    Charles T. Roman (professor-in-residence) (professor-in-residence)

  2. Department of Natural Resources and the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, USA

    David M. Burdick (associate professor) (associate professor)

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© 2012 Island Press

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Chmura, G.L., Burdick, D.M., Moore, G.E. (2012). Recovering Salt Marsh Ecosystem Services through Tidal Restoration. In: Roman, C.T., Burdick, D.M. (eds) Tidal Marsh Restoration. The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration. Island Press, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-229-7_15

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