Results/Conclusions This quasi-historical approach may not be possible in areas where global climate change is generating punctuated changes in ecological systems. For example, ecosystems in the middle of Gulf coastal transition elevation gradients experiencing pronounced storm surges during Hurricane Katrina have undergone rapid disassembly without concomitant reassembly. Dominant graminoid and tree species in freshwater marshes, wet pine savannas, and hydric forests have been lost. These communities are not reassembling in situ, nor have they gained dominant graminoid species from downslope fresh, brackish and salt marshes. Nonetheless, some salt-tolerant species, both native and exotic shrubs and herbs have migrated along the elevation gradient, forming new communities with in situ species resistant or resilient to storm surge damage. Such resistance will depend on the ability to survive sudden changes, such as salinity pulses, and resilience will depend on the ability to respond quickly, such as inland migration by hydrochory during hurricanes and establishment in saline conditions. Concepts to guide restoration when running with the Red Queen are likely to be based on assembly of functional landscapes, irrespective of history, biodiversity, and species origin and to focus on assembly of ecosystems whose components are capable of resistance or resilience to sudden changes in environments.