Understanding ecological and social aspects of restoration actions in tropical regions through systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Abstract

Literature syntheses, which include systematic reviews and meta-analyses, have become increasingly popular among researchers, mainly due the fact they boost the effective power of the analyses in relation to the individual studies and allow the investigation of the effect modifiers and the sources of heterogeneity in environmental research. These study approaches have been used in cases where there are multiple publications on a given scientific topic. The domain of "restoration ecology" OR "ecological restoration" has developed a broad and diversified body of literature, which represents a total of 4,680 publications in the Web of Science (1988-2018). Even though several advances have already been achieved, significant improvements are still needed to scientifically sustain large-scale restoration actions. For instance, studies on biodiversity, soils and social issues of ecological restoration in tropical regions still have several knowledge gaps. In this sense, research syntheses can substantially improve the understanding of the social and ecological phenomena of restoration, in a cost-effective way and considering the analysis of large spatial scales. Thus, we propose in this study: (1) a bibliometric analysis of the meta-analytical studies developed in the field of restoration ecology; (2) a meta-analysis on biodiversity changing in response to ecological restoration in tropical regions; (3) a meta-analysis on soil functional responses to ecological restoration; and (4) a systematic review on the social engagement in the context of ecological restoration. These contributions are essential to the progress of scientific knowledge on restoration ecology and to achieve the national and international aims of the restoration commitments.