Many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems worldwide have been disturbed by local and global environmental changes. Attempts to restore former ecosystems after disturbances are often expensive, and many attempts fail because the original situation cannot be restored, or because the restored state cannot be maintained. A key challenge is to employ basic insights emerging from studies on interactions of species with their (a)biotic environments in order to restore ecosystems to the desired target states. This involves learning from nature in both aquatic and terrestrial systems, which provides important spin-offs in improving the sustainable management of ecosystems used for agri-, horti-, and aquaculture.
