Ancient grasslands guide ambitious goals in grassland restoration

Science, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(6606), P. 594 - 598

Published: Aug. 4, 2022

Grasslands, which constitute almost 40% of the terrestrial biosphere, provide habitat for a great diversity animals and plants contribute to livelihoods more than 1 billion people worldwide. Whereas destruction degradation grasslands can occur rapidly, recent work indicates that complete recovery biodiversity essential functions occurs slowly or not at all. Grassland restoration-interventions speed guide this recovery-has received less attention restoration forested ecosystems, often due prevailing assumption are recently formed habitats reassemble quickly. Viewing grassland as long-term assembly toward old-growth endpoints, with appreciation feedbacks threshold shifts, will be crucial recognizing when how globally important ecosystem.

Language: Английский

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The present and future of grassland restoration

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 29(S1)

Published: March 16, 2021

Grasslands contribute greatly to biodiversity and human livelihoods; they support 70% of the world's agricultural area, but are heavily degraded by land use. Grassland restoration research management receives less attention than forests or freshwater habitats, although grasslands critical for sustaining ecosystems multifunctionality capacity biodiversity. In this article, we introduce a Special Issue which considers major trends prospects in grassland restoration. We identified three key topics: First, must confront widespread seed site limitations, new monitoring methods, including remote sensing techniques, projects. Second, highlight that restored typically require ongoing disturbance is required determine optimal approaches implementing during Third, global regional agendas should be harmonized with site‐level goals, syntheses current knowledge needs guide across scales. also identify gaps filled, challenges face future: (1) need careful target vegetation selection climate‐adaptive restoration; (2) lack dynamics several regions types, drylands (sub)tropical regions; (3) increased importance species arrival sequence, high stochasticity establishment; finally (4) issues post‐restoration guarantee long‐term sustainability sites. A generation projects bridge these necessary mitigate environmental spanning localities globe as commence UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Language: Английский

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Biome Awareness Disparity is BAD for tropical ecosystem conservation and restoration

Journal of Applied Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 59(8), P. 1967 - 1975

Published: Oct. 18, 2021

Abstract We introduce the concept of Biome Awareness Disparity (BAD)—defined as a failure to appreciate significance all biomes in conservation and restoration policy—and quantify disparities (a) attention interest, (b) action (c) knowledge among tropical science, practice policy. By analysing 50,000 tweets from Partner Institutions UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration, 45,000 main science environmental news media world‐wide, we found strong interest relative biome extent diversity. Tweets largely focused on forests, whereas open (such grasslands, savannas shrublands) received less relation their area. In contrast these differences attention, there were equivalent likes retweets between forest versus biomes, suggesting may not reflect views general public. Through literature review, that experiments are disproportionately concentrated rainforests, dry forests mangroves. More than half studies conducted reported tree planting action, inappropriate application forest‐oriented techniques. Policy implications . urge scientists, policymakers land managers recognise value for protecting biodiversity, securing ecosystem services, mitigating climate change enhancing human livelihoods. Fixing will increase likelihood United Nations Restoration successfully delivering its promises.

Language: Английский

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Tropical Forest Landscape Restoration in Indonesia: A Review

Land, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 11(3), P. 328 - 328

Published: Feb. 23, 2022

Indonesia has the second-largest biodiversity of any country in world. Deforestation and forest degradation have caused a range environmental issues, including habitat loss biodiversity, deterioration water quality quantity, air pollution, increased greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Forest restoration at landscape level been conducted balance ecological integrity human well-being. efforts are also aimed reducing CO2 closely related Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) from forestry sector. The purpose this paper is examine regulatory, institutional, policy aspects Indonesia, as well implementation activities country. article was written using synoptic review approach Landscape Restoration (FLR)-related articles national experiences. Failures, success stories, criteria indicators for all discussed. We discuss latest silvicultural techniques program. governance focused on wetland ecosystem such peatlands mangroves, but due severely degraded condition many forests, government by necessity opted active involving planting establishment livelihood options. adapted its early focus more restoration, which recognizes local community critical restoration.

Language: Английский

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Grassy Ecosystems in the Anthropocene

Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 47(1), P. 261 - 289

Published: Aug. 1, 2022

As the Anthropocene advances, there are few parts of Earth that have not been impacted by human influence. Humans had a long-sustained interaction with grassy ecosystems, but they becoming severely direct and indirect impacts as advances. Grassy ecosystems easy to clear cultivate, poorly protected, defined due legacies colonial narratives can describe them deforested, wastelands, or derived. Climate change, land conversion, erosion processes shaped for millennia cascading cumulative on ecosystem extent integrity. We examine how these changes impacting more specifically, those fall into uncertain space—a climate envelope where vegetation is at equilibrium either forest occur. It within this space climate, CO2, disturbances (fire, herbivores) interact determine presence ecosystems. Changes any components reduce integrity grassyecosystems. The loss ancient biodiverse means an array services fundamental lives than 1 billion people alongside Earth-system altered albedo, carbon, hydrological cycles.

Language: Английский

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Two decades of land cover mapping in the Río de la Plata grassland region: The MapBiomas Pampa initiative

Remote Sensing Applications Society and Environment, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 28, P. 100834 - 100834

Published: Sept. 8, 2022

Language: Английский

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Urgent need for updating the slogan of global climate actions from “tree planting” to “restore native vegetation”

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 30(3)

Published: Oct. 28, 2021

The prevailing nature‐based solution to tackle climate change is tree planting. However, there growing evidence that it has serious contraindications in many regions. main shortcoming of global planting its awareness disparity alternative ecosystem types, mainly grasslands. Grasslands, where they constitute the natural vegetation, may support higher biodiversity and a safer, soil‐locked carbon stock than plantations other forests. We suggest replacing “tree planting” by “restore native vegetation.” This improved action terminology reduces risks inappropriate afforestation and, diversifying target does not reduce but increases potential land area for mitigation.

Language: Английский

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Ecological Grassland Restoration—A South African Perspective

Land, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 11(4), P. 575 - 575

Published: April 14, 2022

The principal drivers of Grassland Biome conversion and degradation in South Africa include agricultural intensification, plantation forestry, urban expansion mining, together with invasive non-native plants insidious rural sprawl. This biome is poorly conserved dire need restoration, an ecologically centred practice gaining increasing traction given its wide application to people biodiversity this emerging culture renewal. pioneering proponent restoration the mining industry, primarily restore surface stability using vegetation cover. We noticed a historical progression from production-focussed pastures more diverse suites native species habitats landscape. paradigm shift towards proactive “biodiversity approach” necessitates assisted natural regeneration, mainly through revegetation grasses, plugs, sods and/or seeds, long-lived perennial forbs. discuss key management interventions such as ongoing control plants, merits fire grazing, deleterious impacts fertilisers. also highlight areas research requiring further investigation. has limitations best suited restoring ecological processes rather than attempting match original pristine state. advocate conserving intact grassland ecosystems strategy for protecting biodiversity, including small patches disproportionately high conservation value.

Language: Английский

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The inverted forest: Aboveground and notably large belowground carbon stocks and their drivers in Brazilian savannas

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 867, P. 161320 - 161320

Published: Jan. 2, 2023

Language: Английский

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Systematic review of field research reveals critical shortfalls for restoration of tropical grassy biomes

Journal of Applied Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 61(6), P. 1174 - 1186

Published: March 30, 2024

Abstract Scientists and policymakers are becoming aware of the pressing need to restore tropical grassy biomes (TGB), which home unique biodiversity provide essential ecosystem services hundreds millions people. TGB face increasing threats, including forest‐ tree‐centric restoration approaches that promote their degradation we still lack a systematic assessment where how research has been done guide policy practice. We synthesized knowledge on field experiments by conducting literature review map studies, examine association techniques sources investigate diversity indicators used monitor outcomes. was concentrated at Brazilian Australian savannas, with large blindspots in Asia, Africa northern western South America. Studies were largely context‐dependent, an inconsistent usage different degradation. Less than half evaluated monitored consistently through time, often using low‐dimensional approach related functioning. Few studies manipulated fire, herbivores soils, key drivers for re‐establishment dynamics. Unfortunately, many lacked negative (degraded ecosystems), positive (reference ecosystems) controls, or both, impairing attempts robustly determine Our overview highlights needs improvement refine our ability assess, plan, implement restoration. Severe issues experimental designs data reporting identified as barriers find generality upscale meet goals UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration. Synthesis applications . synthesis calls enhanced experiments, transparent quantitative syntheses large‐scale The overall improving resilience measuring outcomes hampers meaningful comparisons between hinders synthetic views determining appropriate suitable monitoring indicators. To overcome scarcity reliable supporting restoration, propose simple checklist minimum information more complete multilingual standardized guidelines.

Language: Английский

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