我国西南岩溶石山地区的贫困－环境退化问题非常突出，这里的生态重建研究，对当地的消除贫困和持续发展至关重要，也是我国扶贫攻坚的重点和难点。只有深入认识导致岩溶石山地区环境退化的自然因素和人为因素，准确模拟环境退化过程，找出打破恶性循环的关键环节，才能搞好生态重建，增强当地人民的自我发展能力，实现生态－经济良性循环，根本消除贫困。生态重建研究还有助于促进岩溶学的综合化、人文化、模型化和实用化。

Poverty areas are usually caught in the impoverishment-degradation spiral. To escape the trap, ecological reconstruction is needed. The karst mountain areas in Southwest China are outstanding in poverty and environmental degradation. Ecological reconstruction in the karst areas is important for poverty elimination and sustainable development in China. Only if the natural and artificial factors leading to environmental degradation are deeply recognized and the deterioration processes are precisely simulated, the key approaches to escape the vicious circle can be found and then the ecological reconstruction can be accomplished. Thus the self-development capacity of the local people can be strengthened and the good circles between ecology and economy may be realized. This is the most essential way of poverty elimination. Study on ecological reconstruction in karst areas is also helpful for promoting karst research and its application in practice.