Evaluating Mitigation Performance: Functional and Condition-Based Assessment Methods

Noted ecologist A.D. Bradshaw described restoration ecology as the “acid test” of our understanding of how ecosystems work. If the goal of mitigation is to recreate a more natural, self-regulating, and self-sustaining ecosystem, research has shown that wetland mitigation projects often do not meet this goal. In fact, mitigation wetlands are often found to be distinct from natural sites in terms of their structure and function.