Ecological Restoration in Laurentian Great Lakes Wetlands: A Literature Review

The Laurentian Great Lakes basin, the largest surface freshwater ecosystem in the world, is heavily impacted by anthropogenic stressors including wetland degradation and loss. Ecological restoration has been identified as a tool to conserve and manage Great Lakes wetlands where studies undergo planning, action, and evaluation stages. A review of 57 studies (1967–2023) on Great Lakes coastal and inland wetlands was conducted to determine when and where ecological restoration is occurring, what approaches are being taken, and how effective they are. Restoration occurred most in coastal wetlands located in the United States of America and Lake Erie. The most implemented monitoring designs were control-impact and before-after-control-impact designs. A common ecological objective of restoration was altering species composition for invasive species management. Studies targeting changes in biological communities integrated ecological theory well within the three stages of restoration. Variable restoration effectiveness was detected, where a mix of ecological objectives were targeted and monitored through many study designs. Future restoration efforts would benefit from greater financial and monitoring investments (especially during the planning stage), continued integration of ecological theory, development of lake-specific benchmarks to assess restoration success, and a collaborative approach that includes practitioner knowledge and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.