Which conservation approach involves reinstating natural processes and potential missing species within an ecosystem?

The chosen answer highlights rewilding as a conservation approach that focuses on restoring natural ecological processes and biodiversity in an ecosystem. Rewilding aims to reinstate species that may have been extinct or absent from an area, allowing for the natural dynamics of ecosystems to re-emerge. This approach often involves creating wildlife corridors, reducing human interference, and reintroducing keystone species that play significant roles in maintaining the ecological balance.

By reintroducing these species, rewilding encourages the recovery of habitats and fosters a self-sustaining environment. It emphasizes the importance of functioning ecosystems that are resilient to change. This method thus supports biodiversity and enhances ecosystem services, allowing natural processes such as predation and nutrient cycling to occur without human intervention, which can lead to healthier ecosystems overall.

Other conservation methods, such as reforestation, primarily focus on planting trees to restore forest habitats without necessarily addressing the broader ecological processes or the presence of missing species. Sustainable development seeks to balance environmental, social, and economic needs but does not specifically target ecosystem restoration. Habitat restoration is more general and may not involve the active reintroduction of species but rather aims to rehabilitate a specific area to a previous state.