THE SCALE OF SUCCESSIONAL MODELS AND RESTORATION OBJECTIVES

Successional models are used to predict how restoration projects will achieve their goals. These models have been developed on different spa tial and temporal scales and consequently emphasize different types of dynamics. This paper focuses on the restoration goal of self-sustaina bility, but only in the context of a long-term goal. Because of the te mporal scale of this goal, we must consider the impact of processes ar ising outside of the restoration site as of greater importance than re storation itself. Because ecological systems are open, restoration sit es will be subjected to many external influential processes. Depending on the landscape context, the impact of these processes may not be no ticeable, or, at the other extreme, they may prevent the achievement o f restoration objectives. A second issue is to emphasize the nature of processes in the long term, that they are a complex of characteristic s such as magnitude, frequency, and extent. Ecological systems are onl y adapted to a range of values in each of these characteristics. Resto ration often combines goals that are of different scales. Models appro priate to these goals need consideration.