516
follow-up and assessment of the restoration project (White and Walker 1997; Egan
and Howell 2001). Restoration project guidelines (Clewell and Aronson 2013) and
practical guidelines (Perrow and Davy 2002, have recently been developed, and
more fundamental works have been published (Walker and del Moral 2003;
Temperton et al. 2013; Suding and Hobbs 2009).
Ecological restoration should become a priority so as to limit the process of degradation of the environment, to contribute to the preservation of fragile habitats and
of critically endangered species and to ensure the valorization of natural resources.
When the economic, social and cultural dimensions are taken into account, ecosystem restoration becomes a strong area of intervention for development actors. Thus,
the major restoration and rehabilitation objectives are, as concerns ecosystems, the
preservation or increase of their primary or secondary productivity and the improvement of their biological diversity and stability, and, as concerns landscapes, the
support of their reintegration when they are severely fragmented. With a view to
sustainable development and, in particular, to building a sustainable environment,
the natural environment sciences have recently begun to develop approaches that
combine the restoration or preservation of ecological processes and functions and
the biodiversity and productivity of ecosystems with economic and social uses.
These restorations are currently the object of numerous projects that are more or
less ambitious and more or less expensive. As a result, in addition to the willingness
to maintain and preserve ecosystems, there is a certain pressure from society concerning the assessment of the success of ecological restorations. Many of these
projects concern wetlands worldwide. The wetlands of the world provide more ecosystem services per area than any other habitat type (Costantza et al. 1997; Dodds
et al. 2008). Wetlands are important and valuable ecosystems, yet, since 1900, more
than 50% of wetlands have been lost worldwide. The loss of ecosystem services
when wetlands are degraded or converted to other land use types is well documented, as are global rates of wetland loss that range from 30% to 90% by region
(Dahl et al. 1990; Junk et al. 2012; Zedler and Kercher 2005). Coastal wetland
regions are under serious threat and have been suffering from severe degradation.
17.3 Restoration of Coastal Wetlands and the Danube Delta
The projects in wetlands are costly and achieve variable success. Although many
coastal wetland restoration projects are conducted every year, wetland degradation
has not been retarded worldwide because of the limited success in wetland restoration (Zedler 2000). Wetland restoration refers to the return of wetland from a disturbed or altered status caused by anthropogenic activities to a pristine status
(Mitsch and Gosselink 2007; Jarzemsky et al. 2013). The degradation of coastal
wetlands is often accompanied by direct or indirect changes in hydrology. Hydrology
modification is more widely adopted as the appropriate hydro period, a key factor
determining success in wetland restoration (Turner and Lewis 1996; Wortley et al.
2013; Jarzemsky et al. 2013). Chemical restoration refers to the removal of
S. Niculescu et al.
follow-up and assessment of the restoration project (White and Walker 1997; Egan
and Howell 2001). Restoration project guidelines (Clewell and Aronson 2013) and
practical guidelines (Perrow and Davy 2002, have recently been developed, and
more fundamental works have been published (Walker and del Moral 2003;
Temperton et al. 2013; Suding and Hobbs 2009).
Ecological restoration should become a priority so as to limit the process of degradation of the environment, to contribute to the preservation of fragile habitats and
of critically endangered species and to ensure the valorization of natural resources.
When the economic, social and cultural dimensions are taken into account, ecosystem restoration becomes a strong area of intervention for development actors. Thus,
the major restoration and rehabilitation objectives are, as concerns ecosystems, the
preservation or increase of their primary or secondary productivity and the improvement of their biological diversity and stability, and, as concerns landscapes, the
support of their reintegration when they are severely fragmented. With a view to
sustainable development and, in particular, to building a sustainable environment,
the natural environment sciences have recently begun to develop approaches that
combine the restoration or preservation of ecological processes and functions and
the biodiversity and productivity of ecosystems with economic and social uses.
These restorations are currently the object of numerous projects that are more or
less ambitious and more or less expensive. As a result, in addition to the willingness
to maintain and preserve ecosystems, there is a certain pressure from society concerning the assessment of the success of ecological restorations. Many of these
projects concern wetlands worldwide. The wetlands of the world provide more ecosystem services per area than any other habitat type (Costantza et al. 1997; Dodds
et al. 2008). Wetlands are important and valuable ecosystems, yet, since 1900, more
than 50% of wetlands have been lost worldwide. The loss of ecosystem services
when wetlands are degraded or converted to other land use types is well documented, as are global rates of wetland loss that range from 30% to 90% by region
(Dahl et al. 1990; Junk et al. 2012; Zedler and Kercher 2005). Coastal wetland
regions are under serious threat and have been suffering from severe degradation.
17.3 Restoration of Coastal Wetlands and the Danube Delta
The projects in wetlands are costly and achieve variable success. Although many
coastal wetland restoration projects are conducted every year, wetland degradation
has not been retarded worldwide because of the limited success in wetland restoration (Zedler 2000). Wetland restoration refers to the return of wetland from a disturbed or altered status caused by anthropogenic activities to a pristine status
(Mitsch and Gosselink 2007; Jarzemsky et al. 2013). The degradation of coastal
wetlands is often accompanied by direct or indirect changes in hydrology. Hydrology
modification is more widely adopted as the appropriate hydro period, a key factor
determining success in wetland restoration (Turner and Lewis 1996; Wortley et al.
2013; Jarzemsky et al. 2013). Chemical restoration refers to the removal of
S. Niculescu et al.