Ecological Restoration

Forest harvesting reduces the inputs of dead wood into stream systems which in turn can result in aquatic habitat simplification, reduced biodiversity, altered nutrient cycling, and reduced nutrient retention. Through cost-benefit analyses, Acuña and colleagues found that ecosystem service benefits derived from active restoration of dead wood loading in streams exceed monetary costs of such restoration, with the time required to realize the investment of restoration ranging from 15 to 20 years in lowto middle-order streams. Ecosystem services considered in the analyses included fish provisioning, opportunities for recreation and tourism, water purification, and erosion control. If biodiversity conservation is included as an additional ecosystem value, the authors predict that stream restoration would be even more economically profitable. Book Review