What is the primary goal of ecological restoration?

The primary goal of ecological restoration is to assist the recovery of damaged ecosystems. This process involves the active management and rehabilitation of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed due to human activities or natural events. The aim is to return these ecosystems to a stable state where they can sustain their ecological functions and support biodiversity.

Ecological restoration encompasses various activities, such as reforestation, removal of invasive species, and rehabilitation of soil and water quality, which are all focused on enabling the natural processes of recovery to take place. It seeks to restore ecosystem services, enhance biodiversity, and re-establish the interactions between organisms and their environment that are vital for ecosystem health.

Creating new ecosystems entirely does not align with the principle of restoration, which is centered on returning ecosystems to their native conditions rather than creating completely new systems. Maintaining existing biodiversity, while important, is a broader objective that can be supported by many conservation efforts, but is not the defining goal of restoration itself. Destroying invasive species is often a tactical part of the restoration process, but it is not the primary aim; rather, it's a means to achieve the end goal of recovering ecological integrity in a damaged ecosystem.