“Restoration ecology often grapples with the precise meaning of the terms restoration and
rehabilitation of a degraded ecosystem. A degraded stream is defined as any stream that
is not functioning at its hydrologic or biologic potential. Restoration of such a stream
involves returning it to its previously undisturbed condition by reconstructing the structure
and function of the pre-disturbance ecosystem. Reclamation is another approach that aims to
achieve a similar, but not identical, end point by re-establishing an ecosystem that develops
along the original successional pathway so that it assumes a similar function and composition
of the original ecosystem. Rehabilitation of the stream on the other hand, involves the
enhancement of ecological functioning of the system on a recovery pathway toward an improved
target condition. The recovery pathway in rehabilitation will be on a similar trend to that
of restoration but with a different end point that is likely to feature an altered species
composition. Stabilisation, on the other hand, which is a type of remediation, aims to
establish a stream condition that maintains its dimension, pattern and profile, such that
over time it neither aggrades nor degrades (Jennings and Harman 1999 - Figure 2.3)”
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Reference(s):
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Stockwell,B.R. 2000. The Mary River and tributaries rehabilitation plan: a review of river processes, fluvial geomorphology and ecological concepts and their application to a river rehabilitation plan for a major South-East Queensland catchment. Masters dissertation, University of New England, NSW, Australia.
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Breen, P. Lake,S. and Rutherfurd, I. 1999. Stream Rehabilitation: Priorities and Possibilities – Presentation Notes. Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology, Victoria.
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Jennings, G.D. and Harman, W.A. 1999. Stream restoration lessons learned in North Carolina , USA. In Rutherfurd, I. and Bartley R. (Eds) Proceedings, Second Australian Stream Management Conference, Vol 1, Adelaide pp. 359 – 364.
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