Aldo Leopold, father of the "land ethic," once said, "The time has come for science to busy itself with the earth itself. The first step is to reconstruct a sample of what we had to begin with." The concept he expressed?restoration?is defined in this comprehensive new volume that examines the prospects for repairing the damage society has done to the nation's aquatic resources: lakes, rivers and streams, and wetlands.

Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems outlines a national strategy for aquatic restoration, with practical recommendations, and features case studies of aquatic restoration activities around the country.

The committee examines:

• Key concepts and ... Read moretechniques used in restoration.
• Common factors in successful restoration efforts.
• Threats to the health of the nation's aquatic ecosystems.
• Approaches to evaluation before, during, and after a restoration project.
• The emerging specialties of restoration and landscape ecology.

• Front Matter
• Summary
• 1 Overview
• 2 A Selective History of Changing Goals and Authority for Aquatic Ecosystem Management
• 3 Planning and Evaluating Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration
• 4 Lakes
• 5 Rivers and Streams
• 6 Wetlands
• 7 Integrated Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration
• 8 A National Restoration Strategy: Basic Elements and Related Recommendations
• Appendixes
• Appendix A: Restoration Case Studies
• Appendix B: Glossary
• Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Professional Staff
• Index