Many examples of native plants and animals taking advantage of human dominated landscapes have been unintentional, but may be enhanced as part of reconciliation ecology. Others are intentional redesigns of human landscapes to better accommodate native biodiversity. These have been going on for many hundreds of years including examples within agricultural systems, urban and suburban systems, marine systems, and even industrial areas.
Historical examples While Rosenzweig formalized the concept, humans have been encouraging biodiversity within human landscapes for millennia. In the Trebon Biosphere Reserve of the
Czech Republic, a system of human-engineered
aquaculture ponds built in the 1500s not only provides a profitable harvest of fish, but also provides habitat for a hugely diverse wetland ecosystem. Many cities in Europe take pride in their local population of
storks, which nest on roofs or in church towers that replace the trees they would naturally nest in.
Agricultural systems in
Burkina Faso allows
sorghum crop to be grown under native tree species, preserving biodiversity.
Agroforestry provides many examples of reconciliation ecology at work. In tropical agroforestry systems, crops such as
coffee or fruit trees are cultivated under a canopy of shade trees, providing habitat for tropical forest species outside of protected areas. For example,
shade-grown coffee plantations typically have lower tree diversity than unmanaged forests, however they have much higher tree species diversity and richness than other agricultural methods. Agriculture that mimics nature, encourages natural forest species along with the crops, and also takes pressure off nearby uncultivated forest areas where people are allowed to collect forest products. The
oil palm (
Elaeis guineensis) provides another example of the potential of reconciliation ecology. It is one of the most important and rapidly expanding tropical crops, However, attempts are being made to foster the sustainability of this industry. As a
monoculture, oil palm is subject to potentially devastating attacks from insect pests. Many companies are attempting an
integrated pest management approach which encourages the planting of species that support
predators and
parasitoids of these insect pests, as well as an active native bird community. In Central America, a large percentage of pastureland is fenced using live trees which are not only low maintenance for the farmer, but also provide habitat for birds, bats, and invertebrates which cannot persist in open pastureland. Another example from Rosenzweig involves encouraging
loggerhead shrikes (
Lanius ludovicianus) to populate pastureland by placing perches around the pasture. Cities also have unique climatic conditions such as the
urban heat island effect, which can greatly affect biodiversity. There is a growing trend among city managers to take biodiversity into account when planning city development, especially in rapidly growing cities. Cities often have surprisingly high plant biodiversity due to their normally high degree of habitat heterogeneity and high numbers of gardens and green spaces cultivated to include a large variety of species. Because cities are so highly impacted by human activities, restoration to the pristine state is not possible, however there are modifications that can be made to increase habitat without negatively impacting human needs. In urban rivers, addition of large woods and floating islands to provide habitat, modifications to walls and other structures to mimic natural banks, and buffer areas to reduce pollutants can all increase biodiversity without reducing the
flood control and water supply services.
Urban green spaces can be re-designed to encourage natural ecosystems rather than manicured
lawns, as is seen in the
National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat program.
Peregrine falcons (
Falco peregrinus), which were once endangered by
pesticide use, are frequently seen nesting in tall urban buildings throughout North America, feeding chiefly on the introduced
rock dove. The steep walls of buildings mimic the cliffs peregrines naturally nest in and the rock doves replace the native prey species that were driven out of urban areas.
Industrial systems In Florida, the
Florida manatee (
Trichechus manatus latirostris) uses warm water discharged from power plants as a refuge when the temperature of the
Gulf of Mexico drops. These warm areas replace the warm springs that manatees once naturally used in the winter. These springs have been drained or cut off from open water by human uses.
American crocodiles (
Crocodylus acutus) have a similar habitat in the cooling canals of the
Turkey Point power plant, where an estimated 10% of the total North American population of the species lives. Stormwater treatment ponds can provide important breeding habitat for amphibians, especially where natural wetlands have been drained by human development.
Ocean systems Coral reefs have been intensively impacted by human use, including
overfishing and mining of the reef itself. One reconciliation approach to this problem is building
artificial reefs that not only provide valuable habitat for aquatic species, but also protect nearby islands from storms when the natural structure has been mined away. Even structures as simple as scrap metal and automobiles can be used as habitat, providing added benefits of freeing space in landfills. ==Legislation==