Ecology and evolution of plant diversity in the endangered campo rupestre: a neglected conservation priority

Plant and Soil, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 403(1-2), P. 129 - 152

Published: Aug. 17, 2015

Language: Английский

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Where Tree Planting and Forest Expansion are Bad for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

BioScience, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 65(10), P. 1011 - 1018

Published: Sept. 9, 2015

Misperceptions about the world's grassy biomes contribute to their alarming rates of loss due conversion for agriculture and tree plantations, as well forest encroachment. To illustrate causes consequences these misperceptions, we show that World Resources Institute International Union Conservation Nature misidentified 9 million square kilometers ancient providing "opportunities" restoration. Establishment forests in grasslands, savannas, open-canopy woodlands would devastate biodiversity ecosystem services. Such undesired outcomes are avoidable if distinct ecologies conservation needs become better integrated into science policy. start with, scientists should create maps accurately depict at global landscape scales. It is also crucial international environmental agreements (e.g., United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) formally recognize values.

Language: Английский

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Comment on “The global tree restoration potential”

Science, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 366(6463)

Published: Oct. 17, 2019

Bastin et al's estimate (Reports, 5 July 2019, p. 76) that tree planting for climate change mitigation could sequester 205 gigatonnes of carbon is approximately five times too large. Their analysis inflated soil organic gains, failed to safeguard against warming from trees at high latitudes and elevations, considered afforestation savannas, grasslands, shrublands be restoration.

Language: Английский

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Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and grassy woodlands

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 94(2), P. 590 - 609

Published: Sept. 24, 2018

ABSTRACT Despite growing recognition of the conservation values grassy biomes, our understanding how to maintain and restore biodiverse tropical grasslands (including savannas open‐canopy woodlands) remains limited. To incorporate into large‐scale restoration efforts, we synthesised existing ecological knowledge grassland resilience approaches plant community restoration. Tropical communities are resilient to, often dependent on, endogenous disturbances with which they evolved – frequent fires native megafaunal herbivory. In stark contrast, extremely vulnerable human‐caused exogenous disturbances, particularly those that alter soils destroy belowground biomass (e.g. tillage agriculture, surface mining); after severe soil is expensive rarely achieves management targets. Where have been degraded by altered disturbance regimes fire exclusion), exotic invasions, or afforestation, efforts can recreate vegetation structure (i.e. historical tree density herbaceous ground cover), but species‐diverse communities, including endemic species, slow recover. Complicating plant‐community many invest in underground storage organs, difficult propagate re‐establish. guide decisions, draw on old‐growth concept, novel ecosystem theory regarding cover along resource gradients propose a conceptual framework classifies three broad states. These states are: (1) ancient, ecosystems), where should focus maintenance regimes; (2) hybrid grasslands, emphasise return towards state; (3) ecosystems, magnitude environmental change shift an alternative state) socioecological context preclude conditions.

Language: Английский

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Conservation in Brazil needs to include non‐forest ecosystems

Diversity and Distributions, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 21(12), P. 1455 - 1460

Published: Oct. 12, 2015

Abstract In the past decades, Brazil made important progress in conservation of forest ecosystems. Non‐forest ecosystems ( NFE ), contrast, have been neglected, even though they cover large parts country and biodiversity levels comparable to forests. To avoid losing much its ecosystem services, sustainable land use policies need be extended . A strategy for Brazil's should encompass following elements: (1) creation new protected areas ; (2) enforcement legal restrictions use; (3) extension subsidy programs governance commitments (4) improvement management (5) monitoring change If managed extend successes , it not only would contribute significantly biodiversity, but also could take lead world‐wide.

Language: Английский

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Ancient grasslands at risk

Science, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 351(6269), P. 120 - 122

Published: Jan. 7, 2016

Highly biodiverse tropical grasslands are at risk from forest-planting efforts

Language: Английский

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Global forest restoration and the importance of prioritizing local communities

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 4(11), P. 1472 - 1476

Published: Aug. 24, 2020

Language: Английский

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Responses of ant communities to disturbance: Five principles for understanding the disturbance dynamics of a globally dominant faunal group

Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 88(3), P. 350 - 362

Published: Oct. 3, 2018

Abstract Ecological disturbance is fundamental to the dynamics of biological communities, yet a conceptual framework for understanding responses faunal communities remains elusive. Here, I propose five principles ants—a globally dominant group that widely used as bioindicators in land management, which appear have wide applicability other taxa. These are follows: (1) The most important effects habitat on ants typically indirect, through its structure, microclimate, resource availability and competitive interactions; (2) openness key driver variation ant communities; (3) species large degree determined by their openness; (4) same will different habitats, because impacts (5) community vary according functional composition biogeographical history relation openness. illustrate these using results primarily from studies fire, agent globally, provide common currency comparative analysis. argue many also apply groups so can be considered general ecological “laws.” As case ants, fundamentally related openness, it it.

Language: Английский

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Grassland degradation and restoration: a conceptual framework of stages and thresholds illustrated by southern Brazilian grasslands

Natureza & Conservação, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 13(2), P. 95 - 104

Published: July 1, 2015

Land degradation is a complex concept that integrates different aspects, including changes in soil conditions, biodiversity, productivity and socio-economic implications, compared to reference state. We propose new conceptual framework analyze stages restoration thresholds species-rich natural grasslands. The with their respective describes key processes of land-use change lead certain thresholds. Specifically, we discuss two scenarios grassland degradation, i.e. unsuitable management complete land use, sometimes followed by spontaneous recovery. illustrate the case south Brazilian grasslands, which are rich but suffer from series poorly considered conservation perspective. can be applied studies on restorability tropical subtropical grasslands after or transition other use; it will facilitate decisions alternative conservation.

Language: Английский

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Savannahs of Asia: antiquity, biogeography, and an uncertain future

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 371(1703), P. 20150305 - 20150305

Published: Aug. 9, 2016

The savannahs of Asia remain locally unrecognized as distinctive ecosystems, and continue to be viewed degraded forests or seasonally dry tropical forests. These colonial-era legacies are problematic, because they fail recognize the unique diversity Asian critical roles fire herbivory in maintaining ecosystem health diversity. In this review, we show that: palaeo-historical evidence suggests that have existed for at least 1 million years, long before widespread landscape modification by humans; savannah regions across levels C 4 grass endemism consistent with area-based expectations non-Asian savannahs; there three distinct communities, namely deciduous broadleaf savannahs, fine-leafed spiny evergreen pine functional ecologies fire- herbivory-driven community assembly. Via an analysis climate domains on other continents, map potential extent Asia. We find climates African provide closest analogues those but occur different any southern continents. Finally, review major threats persistence Asia, including mismanagement herbivory, alien woody encroachment, afforestation policies future uncertainty associated changing monsoon. Research agendas target these issues urgently needed manage conserve ecosystems. This article is part themed issue ‘Tropical grassy biomes: linking ecology, human use conservation’.

Language: Английский

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