Global and Regional Trends and Drivers of Fire Under Climate Change

Reviews of Geophysics, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 60(3)

Published: April 11, 2022

Abstract Recent wildfire outbreaks around the world have prompted concern that climate change is increasing fire incidence, threatening human livelihood and biodiversity, perpetuating change. Here, we review current understanding of impacts on weather (weather conditions conducive to ignition spread wildfires) consequences for regional activity as mediated by a range other bioclimatic factors (including vegetation biogeography, productivity lightning) ignition, suppression, land use). Through supplemental analyses, present stocktake trends in burned area (BA) during recent decades, examine how relates its drivers. Fire controls annual timing fires most regions also drives inter‐annual variability BA Mediterranean, Pacific US high latitude forests. Increases frequency extremity been globally pervasive due 1979–2019, meaning landscapes are primed burn more frequently. Correspondingly, increases ∼50% or higher seen some extratropical forest ecoregions including high‐latitude forests 2001–2019, though interannual remains large these regions. Nonetheless, can override relationship between weather. For example, savannahs strongly patterns fuel production fragmentation naturally fire‐prone agriculture. Similarly, tropical relate deforestation rates degradation than changing Overall, has reduced 27% past two part decline African savannahs. According models, prevalence already emerged beyond pre‐industrial Mediterranean change, emergence will become increasingly widespread at additional levels warming. Moreover, several major wildfires experienced years, Australian bushfires 2019/2020, occurred amidst were considerably likely Current models incompletely reproduce observed spatial based their existing representations relationships controls, historical vary across models. Advances observation controlling supporting addition optimization processes exerting upwards pressure intensity weather, this escalate with each increment global Improvements better interactions climate, extremes, humans required predict future mitigate against consequences.

Language: Английский

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The future of hyperdiverse tropical ecosystems

Nature, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 559(7715), P. 517 - 526

Published: July 1, 2018

Language: Английский

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Woody Plant Encroachment: Causes and Consequences

Springer series on environmental management, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 25 - 84

Published: Jan. 1, 2017

Language: Английский

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The biodiversity cost of carbon sequestration in tropical savanna

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 3(8)

Published: Aug. 4, 2017

Tropical savannas have been increasingly viewed as an opportunity for carbon sequestration through fire suppression and afforestation, but insufficient attention has given to the consequences biodiversity. To evaluate biodiversity costs of increasing sequestration, we quantified changes in ecosystem stocks associated communities plants ants resulting from Brazilian Cerrado, a global hotspot. Fire resulted increased 1.2 Mg ha

Language: Английский

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Drivers of woody plant encroachment over Africa

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 9(1)

Published: June 5, 2018

While global deforestation induced by human land use has been quantified, the drivers and extent of simultaneous woody plant encroachment (WPE) into open areas are only regionally known. WPE important consequences for ecosystem functioning, carbon balances economies. Here we report, using high-resolution satellite imagery, that vegetation cover over sub-Saharan Africa increased 8% past three decades a diversity drivers, other than CO2, were able to explain 78% spatial variation in this trend. A decline burned area along with warmer, wetter climates drove WPE, although mitigated high population growth rates, low extremes herbivory, specifically browsers. These results confirm greening trends, thereby bringing question widely held theories about declining terrestrial desert expansion. Importantly, while such as climate CO2 may enhance risk managing fire herbivory at local scale provides tools mitigate continental WPE.

Language: Английский

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Global change biology: A primer

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 26(1), P. 3 - 30

Published: Oct. 30, 2019

Abstract Because of human action, the Earth has entered an era where profound changes in global environment are creating novel conditions that will be discernable far into future. One consequence may a large reduction Earth's biodiversity, potentially representing sixth mass extinction. With effective stewardship, change drivers threaten biota could alleviated, but this requires clear understanding drivers, their interactions, and how they impact ecological communities. This review identifies 10 anthropogenic discusses six (atmospheric CO 2 enrichment, climate change, land transformation, species exploitation, exotic invasions, eutrophication) biodiversity. Driver impacts on particular positive or negative. In either case, initiate secondary responses cascade along lines connection doing so magnify initial impact. The unique nature threat to biodiversity is not simply due magnitude each driver, speed novelty interactions. Emphasizing one notably problematic because other also degrade together stability biosphere. As main academic journal addressing effects living systems, GCB well positioned provide leadership solving challenge. If humanity cannot meet challenge, then serve as leading chronicle extinction occur planet Earth.

Language: Английский

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Biome: evolution of a crucial ecological and biogeographical concept

New Phytologist, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 222(1), P. 97 - 114

Published: Nov. 27, 2018

Summary A biome is a key community ecological and biogeographical concept and, as such, has profited from the overall progress of ecology, punctuated by two major innovations: shifting focus pure pattern description to understanding functionality, changing approach observational explanatory most importantly, descriptive predictive. The functional enabled development mechanistic function‐focused predictive retrodictive modelling; it also shaped current dynamic biological entity having many aspects, with deep roots in evolutionary past, which undergoing change. evolution was three synthetic steps: first synthesis formulated solid body theory explaining meaning zonality collated our knowledge on drivers vegetation patterns at large spatial scales; second translated this into effective modelling tools, developing further link between ecosystem functionality biogeography; third (still progress) seeking common ground large‐scale biogeographic phenomena, using macroecology macroevolutionary research tools.

Language: Английский

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Ecosystem services from southern African woodlands and their future under global change

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 371(1703), P. 20150312 - 20150312

Published: Aug. 9, 2016

Miombo and mopane woodlands are the dominant land cover in southern Africa. Ecosystem services from these support livelihoods of 100 M rural people 50 urban dwellers, others beyond region. Provisioning contribute $9 ± 2 billion yr −1 to livelihoods; 76% energy used region is derived woodlands; traded woodfuels have an annual value $780 M. Woodlands much region's agriculture through transfers nutrients fields shifting cultivation. store 18–24 PgC carbon, harbour a unique diverse flora fauna that provides spiritual succour attracts tourists. Longstanding processes will impact service provision expansion croplands (0.1 km ; 2000–2014), harvesting (93 tonnes ) changing access arrangements. Novel, exogenous changes include large-scale acquisitions (0.07 2000–2015), climate change rising CO . The net ecological response poorly constrained, as they act different directions, differentially on trees grasses, leading uncertainty future provision. Land-use socio-political dynamics likely be forces short term, but important land-use remain unquantified. This article part themed issue ‘Tropical grassy biomes: linking ecology, human use conservation’.

Language: Английский

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Alternative Biome States in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Trends in Plant Science, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 25(3), P. 250 - 263

Published: Jan. 6, 2020

Language: Английский

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Woody plant encroachment intensifies under climate change across tundra and savanna biomes

Global Ecology and Biogeography, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 29(5), P. 925 - 943

Published: Feb. 19, 2020

Abstract Aim Biomes worldwide are shifting with global change. whose extents limited by temperature or precipitation, such as the tundra and savanna, may be particularly strongly affected climate While woody plant encroachment is prevalent across both biomes, its relationship to precipitation change remains unknown. Here, we quantify degree which related identify main associated drivers. Location Tundra savanna biomes. Time period 1992 ± 20.27–2010 5.62 (mean SD ). 1876–2016 (range). Major taxa studied Woody plants (shrubs trees). Methods We compiled a dataset comprising 1,089 records from 899 sites of cover over time attributed drivers these two calculated in each biome assessed corresponds concurrent changes using multiple metrics. Finally, conducted quantitative literature review relative importance Results was widespread geographically gradients. Rates (positive negative) were 1.8 times lower than (1.8 vs. 3.2%), while rates increase (i.e., encroachment) c. 1.7 compared (3.7 6.3% per decade). In tundra, magnitudes did not correspond climate, greater corresponded increases precipitation. found higher wetter versus drier warming biome, increasing savanna. However, faster more rapid sites, except for maximum Main conclusions positively increased rainfall predicted change, can partially explained interactions Additional likely influences include site‐level factors, time‐lags, plant‐specific responses, land use other non‐climate Our findings highlight complex nature impacts biomes seasonality, should accounted realistically estimate future responses open under scenarios.

Language: Английский

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