Diversity of system components

• Refers to the variety of elements in a system such as species and landscape patches, as well as the balance, or the proportion of each element, and how different those elements are from one another.

Functional redundancy

• Property of a system describing the presence of multiple components capable of contributing in equivalent ways to a particular function.

Response diversity

• The range of reactions or responses that components contributing to the same function have to change and disturbance.

• A variety of native species that complement the surrounding landscape are included in riparian planting plans.

• Live stakes, live fascines, and seeding are all used for the purpose of bank stabilization and erosion control.

• Project funding is reliant on more than one source.

Appropriate structure of interactions between system components

• Pertains to links between system components both in terms of presence or absence of links as well as the distribution of links within a system.

Appropriate strength of interactions between system components

• Refers to the intensity of the connections between system components.

• Landowners are educated about the importance of maintaining a riparian buffer to reduce fragmentation of the riparian corridor.

• Regular contact with relevant stakeholders is maintained throughout the duration of the restoration project to provide updates and receive feedback.

Feedbacks are managed appropriately

• Feedbacks that maintain desirable system configurations are strengthened and those that perpetuate undesirable configurations are disrupted.

Key slow variables are monitored

• Slow variables such as soil composition, legal systems, and values that determine the underlying structure of SES are monitored in terms of their proximity to thresholds.

• Bioengineering is used over hard-engineering and where possible, hard-engineered structures are replaced with more natural solutions.

• Changing attitudes are capitalized on by working with landowners to fence cattle out of creeks and/or restore a natural buffer.

Holistic approaches are emphasized

• Refers to approaches that look at the system as a whole including interactions with scales above and below the focal scale.

Unpredictability, uncertainty, and variability are accepted

• Plans and decisions are made with the acknowledgement that change and surprise are inevitable and that solutions are context dependent. Restoration is adaptive to changing conditions.

• Problem identification involves looking beyond the reach scale to address causes, rather than symptoms, of problems.

• Goals and objectives focus on restoring ecosystem processes and functions rather than a specific historic or static state.

Willingness to experiment

• Openness to actively manipulating certain SES processes and structures in novel ways to observe and evaluate outcomes.

Knowledge sharing among actors and across scales

• Knowledge shared at and beyond the focal scale.

Collaborative and long-term monitoring

• Long-term collection of information about changes in SES carried out by several parties, not just specialist agencies.

• Different species are experimented with for stabilizing banks to see what is most effective in a particular situation.

• Restoration outcomes are shared through social media and traditional mediums to reach a wide audience across scales.

• As part of a monitoring effort, anglers are encouraged to record and share information about fish species caught, as well as, any notable changes in the condition of the aquatic ecosystem.

Relevant stakeholders are actively engaged

• Engagement of those who are actively interested in, directly impacted by, or are able to provide applicable local or scientific knowledge to a restoration initiative. Depending on the context, engagement can vary greatly from informing stakeholders of plans and activities to inclusion in all stages of the restoration process.

Diverse types and sources of knowledge are brought together

• Different types and sources of knowledge are welcomed and considered including local or experiential knowledge.

• Community members are invited to attend public meetings or open houses and are encouraged to ask questions about, and provide comment on, restoration plans and alternatives.

• Partnerships are formed between research institutions, conservation organizations, industry, and others to explore potential solutions to identified problems.

Multiple governing authorities at different scales

• Deliberation and decision-making among multiple groups at different scales with various sources of authority, thereby allowing decision making to match the scale of the problem.

Governance units have horizontal linkages

• Refers to governance units' links with others at the same scale on common issues.

Governance units have vertical linkages

• Refers to governance units' nesting within, and linkages with, scales above and below the focal scale.

• A non-governmental organization, a Conservation Authority representative, and a landowner discuss and make decisions on the details of a small-scale restoration project on private property.

• Information and experiences are shared with community organizations in neighbouring watersheds.

• The organization leading a restoration initiative seeks advice from provincial and/or federal agencies as required.