---

Home definition functions History losses alterations Restoration Decisions: (and theory) design type site reference sites HGM vs. IBI Case Studies hydrology vegetation soil landscape State of the Science success criteria floristic quality References Created by: Abby Rokosch Jessen Book Siobhan Fennessy

Typical limitations of reference information from reference sites (Reprinted from White and Walker, 1997). Small size, unknown scale dependence, partial sample of spatial and temporal variation Changed spatial context Spatial distance from the site to be restored Bias of remnant natural areas to less productive or accessible sites Environmental distance from the site to be restored Ecosystem inertia: lack of correspondence of composition and structure with current environmental conditions Undocumented environmental factors Undocumented rare events The aysmmetry of information: Presences tell us that a species can tolerate the conditions but no how well it is doing; Absences don't distinguish between a failure to disperse to the site and an inability to tolerate the site

---