The Dilemma of Scale: competing imperatives for global restoration

Social–ecological restoration (SoER) embraces the nested interdependence of societies and ecosystems. An outpouring SoER research has substantively shaped global agenda will continue to play a critical role as UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration unfolds. In this article, I argue that ambitions are limited by two competing imperatives in literature. The first imperative seeks generalize standards metrics through rapid coordination scaling. second upend problematic power dynamics, demanding social inclusivity site specificity at levels tend resist Although these do not necessarily compete theory, they often practice. Relying synthesis key articles expanding concept “social-ecological mismatches” (Cumming et al. 2006), examine how prevailing discourse creates confounding landscape for practitioners, who face what term “Dilemma Scale.” explore dilemma perpetuates systems inequality inhibits efforts effectively animate initiatives like Restoration. suggest Dilemma Scale can be mitigated (1) identifying values span both work decouple projects from exploitation oppression (2) expressly incorporating historical methods into projects.