Advances in Ecosystem Restoration: Insights and Emerging Frontiers (2026)

Ecosystem restoration science seeks to understand the patterns, trajectories, and drivers of ecological degradation and recovery, while evaluating the ecological, social, and economic outcomes of restoration interventions. As biodiversity loss, land and water degradation, and climate change continue to intensify, the need for effective restoration has become increasingly urgent. Addressing these challenges requires an integrated understanding of the biophysical, social, economic, and governance processes that shape ecosystem degradation and recovery across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine environments.This article collection, Advances in Ecosystem Restoration: Insights and Emerging Frontiers (2026), aims to showcase cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of how and why ecosystems degrade, recover, and transform over time. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary studies that link restoration actions and recovery trajectories to underlying ecological, climatic, socioeconomic, and policy drivers, and that evaluate their implications for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services, climate mitigation and adaptation, water security, soil health, and human well-being.The collection seeks contributions that advance theory, methods, and evidence-based practice for the planning, implementation, monitoring, and scaling of ecosystem restoration. We encourage submissions that integrate diverse approaches, including field experimentation, long-term monitoring, remote sensing, spatial analysis, ecological and socioecological modelling, participatory research, and mixed-methods approaches that illuminate feedbacks, resilience, and equitable pathways toward sustainable restoration outcomes.As a Specialty Chief Editor–curated collection, this collection will feature high-quality, forward-looking contributions that help define future research directions and inform restoration policy and practice worldwide.We invite submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Historical and contemporary trajectories of ecosystem degradation and recovery, including analyses of restoration pathways and future scenarios;• Ecological processes, succession, and recovery mechanisms that influence biodiversity, ecosystem structure, and ecosystem functioning;• Restoration impacts on carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas dynamics, climate mitigation, and climate adaptation;• Effects of restoration on ecosystem services, water security, soil health, and coupled human–natural systems;• Restoration in agricultural landscapes, agroecosystems, and working lands, including implications for food security and rural livelihoods;• Comparative analyses across forests, drylands, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, coastal ecosystems, and marine environments to identify context-specific and transferable restoration lessons;• Nature-based solutions and the interactions between restoration, conservation, sustainable land management, and sustainable development goals;• Governance, finance, policy, community engagement, Indigenous and local knowledge, and social equity considerations influencing restoration success and longevity;• Drivers of success and failure in restoration initiatives and their implications for socioecological resilience;• Advances in Monitoring, evaluation, verification, and adaptive management approaches that support restoration effectiveness and long-term sustainability;• Innovations in restoration science, including advances in remote sensing, artificial intelligence, ecological modelling, and decision-support systems.We particularly encourage authors to identify emerging challenges, knowledge gaps, and opportunities for transformative restoration. By bringing together diverse perspectives and innovative research, this collection aims to foster scientific advancement, inform policy and practice, and contribute to global efforts to restore ecosystems and enhance their resilience in a rapidly changing world.We welcome Original Research, Review Articles, Case Studies, Methods, Policy Perspectives, and Opinion Pieces. Topic editors: Lalisa A Duguma Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84247/advances-in-ecosystem-restoration-insights-and-emerging-frontiers-2026