What is involved in returning a habitat to a condition that is a little less than its prior state?

Habitat rehabilitation refers to the process of returning a degraded habitat to a condition that is somewhat less than its original state, often focusing on creating functional ecosystems that can support biodiversity and ecosystem services. This process may involve removing invasive species, reintroducing native species, and restoring natural processes within the ecosystem. Unlike restoration, which seeks to return an ecosystem to its original state, rehabilitation focuses on improving functionality and resilience, even if the complete return to the pre-disturbance condition is not feasible.

Ecosystem replacement and habitat restoration involve more extensive efforts to achieve either the complete reconstruction of an ecosystem or an attempt to revert a habitat to its prior ecological state fully. Conservation management typically focuses on the sustainable management and protection of ecosystems to maintain their biodiversity and health rather than directly intervening to alter or improve a specific degraded habitat.