Nature Uncut: The Basics of Rewilding

Photo by Zoe Gayah Jonker on Unsplash

#NoMowMay is a fast-growing campaign across the country. As the effects of climate change become more apparent in various areas of the world - and indeed the UK - people are acknowledging more and more that many human practices, such as deforestation and urbanisation, decrease biodiversity and significantly affect nature. We all know that the connection between humans and nature is crucial: we rely on it for pretty much everything, from food to climate regulation and air quality. It's clear that it's vital we protect the environment and make sure it doesn't degrade more and more. Rewilding is one such approach! But what is it and how does it work? This blog will give you a rundown of rewilding and its origins, to equip you in your eco-projects and education!

Why rewilding?

As the human population keeps growing, the land occupied by people increases as well. The constructions of roads and buildings and the requirements for agricultural areas cause issues for many other species that previously occupied these spaces. These species face more difficulties when it comes to finding resources, occupying their natural habitats and moving around between spaces. This is called fragmentation. This lack of space and connectivity prevents nature from thriving and increases losses in general biodiversity. A growing awareness of this issue led to the idea of rewilding, which aims to restore wild areas and the natural processes within them. Furthermore, the goal of rewilding is also to limit human control over the environment, working towards creating a self-maintaining system.

Where was it first introduced?

Rewilding was first introduced in North America during the 1980s. The approach was launched in order to restore the original biodiversity of an area by introducing top predators, such as wolves, into the region. It also aimed to reconnect natural reserves and bring back some natural environmental processes to mitigate human degradation of the area.

In Yellowstone National Park, the reintroduction of wolves was a success. The presence of wolves stabilised and controlled the deer population, which had grown too high for the local ecosystem to support. Moreover, this predator presence made the deer change their behaviour and avoid certain areas, something which in turn created more opportunities for plants and vegetation to regenerate as the deer were no longer heavily grazing in these concentrated areas. This regeneration of plants and vegetation then led to the return of bears to the region, as it meant more berries were available. The introduction of wolves also increased the number of other species in the area, including rabbits, foxes and beavers as these populations had previously been driven down by coyotes in the area, a species which was now being hunted and chased out by wolves. Finally, the reinstatement of wolves in the National Park even increased the structural stability of its river: the flourishing of the plants along the river's edge thanks to the decline of the deer population allowed the river to better retain the water. 

This example shows how just one species can alter the whole ecosystem and successfully restore and rebalance it. It also demonstrates the power of rewilding!

What are the problems with rewilding?

Even though the reintroduction of wolves turned out great, this project was made on a very large scale, in an entire national park (6 times bigger than the Peak District!) This is why species rewilding is not that easy on a smaller scale and why it has frequently come under scrutiny. It's difficult to apply many of these rewilding practices in smaller areas since less space is available for the predator to hunt and it might therefore struggle to find resources. The reintroduction of some species can also be harmful to farmers and other species. For instance, top predators can attack farmer’s sheep and disturb agricultural production. People can also fear a predator attack, which makes them feel unsafe to visit a park with such creatures. 

What other types of rewilding are there?

There are multiple types of rewilding: the focus on species reintroduction I discussed above is called trophic rewilding but there is also passive rewilding. This type of rewilding usually occurs in abandoned land and doesn’t require human intervention. The purpose of this method is to let nature follow its own path at its own pace. Forests might appear as a result of this and the abandoned land can be great for birds to settle and live in. This forest growth can also be useful to fight climate change over a long period of time as the growth of trees acts as a carbon capture. Additionally, it is a good method to improve water quality and regulate water flows - by essentially leaving it alone and letting nature take its course (and all this with no cost!) 

Nevertheless, this process can be quite long and as there is no human management involved, several obstacles can appear that may be difficult to manage. For example, invasive species can thrive uncontrolled in the areas, and natural hazards such as fires can slow down or inhibit the process. There may also be a need to reappropriate the abandoned land for more urgent human population matters such as housing, undoing any positive rewilding progress. Furthermore, even though this passive rewilding gives a range of benefits, it is not a reliable method in terms of biodiversity recovery as we cannot exactly predict how much vegetation will appear and when.

What is the most common kind of rewilding?

The final type of rewilding approach I will cover today is active rewilding which is the most traditional method of conservation. This type of rewilding consists of restoring and improving biodiversity in specific locations with human intervention and maintenance. This allows us to really speed up the process of rewilding: an example of this would be planting trees suited to a specific area and making sure they grow well instead of waiting for a forest to grow on abandoned land. This method can provide a rich and suitable habitat for a significant number of species. Active rewilding is quite costly, since many people are required to help maintain those areas. However, this means it can also provide jobs and later on attract tourists. It is why this approach is generally most commonly accepted by people as the change is less drastic (and the adaptation methods are easier) than with species reintroduction.

What can I do to help?

Ultimately, the purpose of rewilding is to really decrease human impacts on nature by bringing back natural processes, restoring connections between habitats and most of all preventing biodiversity loss. And whether you're luck enough to have your own garden, own land, or you want to join an existing project to help out with rewilding in the UK, there is plenty to dive into to help out!

To conclude, in order to keep the precious link between humans and the environment we have to put more effort into protecting the landscape and restoring our environment. It can provide us with a safer and healthier future. Let’s not forget that nature's health is our health! So... are you taking part in #NoMowMay this year? Let us know in the comments or on our social media!

 

Author: Mélanie

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