The latest understanding of Ecological Restoration, as defined by the Society for Ecological Restoration in 2004, involves the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.

Ecological restoration is an intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem with respect to its health, integrity and sustainability. Frequently, the ecosystem that requires restoration has been degraded, damaged, transformed or entirely destroyed as the direct or indirect result of human activities. In some cases, these impacts to ecosystems have been caused or aggravated by natural agencies such as wildfire, floods, storms, or volcanic eruption, to the point at which the ecosystem cannot recover its predisturbance state or its historic developmental trajectory. Restoration attempts to return an ecosystem to its historic trajectory.
-The SER International Primer on Ecological Restoration, 2004

Ecological Restoration of forests involve many factors, and treatment practices can vary from site to site. Decisions about how to conduct restoration must be based both on a scientific understanding of local site characteristics and on consideration of other factors, including social, economic, and political goals.