Passive Rewilding Versus Assisted Ecological Restoration: A Comparative Evaluation of Trophic Cascade Recovery, Soil Biota Reconstitution, and Carbon Sequestration Efficacy Across Temperate Degraded Landscapes

Abstract

Debates surrounding passive rewilding and assisted ecological restoration have intensified as land managers seek cost-effective, ecologically coherent strategies for reversing biodiversity loss and enhancing ecosystem service delivery in temperate degraded landscapes. This study presents a multi-site comparative assessment conducted across twelve degraded grassland and woodland sites in Western and Central Europe, evaluating trophic cascade reinstatement, soil macroinvertebrate and microbial community reconstitution, and net ecosystem carbon balance over a six-year monitoring period. Using structural equation modelling, diversity indices, and eddy covariance flux measurements, results indicate that assisted restoration yields significantly faster initial soil biota recovery, while passive rewilding demonstrates superior long-term aboveground structural complexity and trophic network redundancy. These findings offer nuanced, evidence-based guidance for policy frameworks targeting the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 restoration benchmarks.