Summary Acres of preservation of existing natural habitats and restoration of degraded habitats. Protection and restoration of natural habitats has the co-benefits of support of terrestrial habitat and aquatic ecosystem processes and condition. General Information What is it? Protection and restoration of natural habitats has the co-benefits of support of terrestrial habitat and aquatic ecosystem processes and condition. A highly-degraded landscape will not support healthy waterways due to close physical, chemical, and biological interactions between these two watershed environments.