Riding the ups and avoiding the downs: Ecological restoration in the face of extreme events

Successful restoration in drylands is notoriously difficult to accomplish and this challenge is commonly attributed to lack of available water. Drylands experience stronger water limitations than most other systems, yet are often subject to extremes in availability where biotic establishment can occur during relatively high water influxes and, potentially, survive the phases of low. Restoration actions should not ignore this dichotomy and instead direct efforts to capitalize on beneficial conditions and avoid costly actions during prolonged unfavorable conditions. Through creative thinking, restoration actions can use certain extreme events as an advantage rather than see them as something to withstand.