While most restoration projects to date have focused on a specific system in a specific location and are rarely greater than 5,000 hectares in extent, calls for restoration at broader scales with a focus on restoring complexity, and in diverse ecosystems are growing. However, ecological restoration at broader scales, encompassing multiple habitat types, management goals, and complex cross-scale interactions presents its own suite of challenges. To address these challenges I first developed a long-term adaptive ecological monitoring framework for landscape restoration projects. Then I assessed changing fire regimes in California woodlands at regional scales and how this may influence current vegetation structure. I also evaluated the current conditions and restoration needs of California’s iconic and extensive Blue oak woodlands and savannas.