AbstractUsing a Return on Investment Approach to Prioritize Habitat RestorationTrack: Ecology and Conservation Author Ecological restoration is an expensive, time-intensive process that requires complex decision-making and involves multiple variables, such as when and where to restore, which methodologies to apply, and how much money to invest. Using a decision-theoretic framework, we develop a spatially and temporally explicit prioritization model that accounts for: 1) cost of restoration, 2) likelihood of success, 3) probability of a catastrophic fire, and 4) benefit in terms of area restored, spatial connectivity, and relative contribution of a site toward landscape-scale ecological resilience. We explore the sensitivity of our results to uncertainties in key parameters and compare restoration schedules under alternative benefit functions to demonstrate trade-offs associated with different objectives and assumptions. Our prioritization model demonstrates time and resource efficiency to managers and provides a transparent and adaptable decision-making process. The resulting Return on Investment framework can be adapted temporally to changing conditions and be applied to any protected landscape. Jutta Burger Irvine Ranch Conservancy 4727 Portola Parkway Irvine, California 92620 United States Phone: 714-508-4765 E-mail: jburger@irconservancy.org Yi-Chin Fang Irvine Ranch Conservancy 4727 Portola Parkway Irvine, California 92620 United States Phone: 714-508-4719 E-mail: ycfang@irconservancy.org |