Final discussion indicated that participants of the workshop feel that in further research and practical restoration activities special attention should be addressed to the following points:

Environmental characteristics of sites, such as the influence of soil type and hydrology, and how these may or may not influence succession, should be taken account of in any restoration scheme

Aims of restoration, including

• target communities of restoration
• functioning of restored ecosystem
• processes leading to restoration
• time frame in which the aim of restoration may be achieved

It was stressed that restoration is no substitute for site protection and effective ecological management, rather that it should be used to augment other conservation action.

Communication between researchers, restoration practitioners and authorities (including education and public awareness of the issues). It was emphasized that integration between and within disciplines, including scientists, engineers and policy-makers, should be developed.

An awareness of the role and efficiency of spontaneous succession for restoration should be encouraged, although the extent of possible generalization between sites and regions, and the level of predictability of successional patterns and processes need also to be considered.

Importance of monitoring and post-project evaluation was stressed, both in terms of feeding back to the same project and for the application of experience to other projects.

It was agreed that these issues were inter-linked. The following diagram summarizes key relationships.

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