Beyond Species Recovery: Restoring Ecological Interactions, Functional Diversity, and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in a Changing World

In the context of accelerating global environmental change and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, ecosystem restoration has become a central challenge in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology. Restored ecosystems are increasingly expected to recover not only biodiversity, but also ecological integrity, multifunctionality, resilience, and the capacity to sustain ecosystem services under future environmental conditions. Traditionally, restoration outcomes have been evaluated using metrics such as species richness or vegetation cover, which provide only limited insight into the recovery of ecological processes and long-term ecosystem functioning. Current research increasingly recognizes that ecological interactions, functional diversity, and ecosystem services represent more robust indicators of restoration success and adaptive capacity. However, despite growing empirical evidence, our understanding of how these components interact, how trade-offs emerge among restoration objectives, and the extent to which restored ecosystems regain multifunctionality remains fragmented across ecosystems and spatial scales.Recent studies have highlighted the importance of ecological networks, trophic relationships, and mutualistic interactions in determining ecosystem stability and resilience. At the same time, trait-based approaches have improved our understanding of the links between biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and environmental change across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems. Rapid methodological advances, including environmental DNA (eDNA), remote sensing, ecological network analysis, and predictive modeling, are also transforming the way restoration trajectories are monitored and evaluated. Nevertheless, major challenges persist in scaling ecological outcomes across habitats, climatic gradients, and restoration strategies, as well as in translating ecological knowledge into adaptive management and evidence-based policy frameworks. A more integrative and interdisciplinary perspective is therefore needed to understand how restored ecosystems can recover not only species composition, but also the ecological interactions and functions that underpin resilience and ecosystem service delivery.This Research Topic aims to advance a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of ecosystem restoration by integrating ecological interactions, functional diversity, ecosystem multifunctionality, and ecosystem service outcomes. It seeks to identify indicators and mechanisms of ecological recovery, investigate the trade-offs and synergies that shape restoration trajectories, and explore conceptual and methodological innovations for assessing resilience and long-term sustainability. By combining empirical studies, experimental approaches, ecological modeling, and synthesis contributions, this Topic will help refine restoration goals and support adaptive management strategies that balance biodiversity conservation, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being in a rapidly changing world.To gather further insights into restoration processes and ecosystem multifunctionality across scales and environmental contexts, we welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:-Recovery of ecological interactions, including trophic networks and mutualisms, as indicators of ecosystem integrity-Functional trait diversity and its relationship with ecosystem stability, resilience, and adaptive capacity-Assessment of ecosystem services and multifunctionality in restored ecosystems-Trade-offs and synergies among restoration targets (e.g., carbon storage versus biodiversity outcomes)-Cross-scale dynamics and context dependency in restoration outcomes across ecosystem types and climatic gradients-Methodological developments using eDNA, remote sensing, ecological network analysis, and predictive modeling for restoration monitoring-Translating ecological knowledge into restoration practice, governance, and policy frameworks-Interdisciplinary approaches linking ecology, conservation, environmental management, and social sciences in restoration planning and evaluationBy fostering integrative and cross-disciplinary perspectives, this Research Topic aims to contribute to the development of more resilient, functional, and sustainable ecosystems under ongoing global change. Topic editors: Arnaldo Marín, Lionel Leston Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82166/beyond-species-recovery-restoring-ecological-interactions-functional-diversity-and-ecosystem-multifunctionality-in-a-changing-world