Restoration ecology emerged as a separate field in
ecology in the 1980s. It is the scientific study supporting the practice of
ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring
degraded, damaged, or destroyed
ecosystems and
habitats in the
environment by active human intervention and action. The term "restoration ecology" is therefore commonly used for the academic study of the process, whereas the term "ecological restoration" is commonly used for the actual project or process by restoration practitioners.