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Dobor L, Baldo M, Bílek L, Barka I, Máliš F, Štěpánek P, Hlásny T. The interacting effect of climate change and herbivory can trigger large-scale transformations of European temperate forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17194. [PMID: 38385958 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
In many regions of Europe, large wild herbivores alter forest community composition through their foraging preferences, hinder the forest's natural adaptive responses to climate change, and reduce ecosystem resilience. We investigated a widespread European forest type, a mixed forest dominated by Picea abies, which has recently experienced an unprecedented level of disturbance across the continent. Using the forest landscape model iLand, we investigated the combined effect of climate change and herbivory on forest structure, composition, and carbon and identified conditions leading to ecosystem transitions on a 300-year timescale. Eight climate change scenarios, driven by Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5, combined with three levels of regeneration browsing, were tested. We found that the persistence of the current level of browsing pressure impedes adaptive changes in community composition and sustains the presence of the vulnerable yet less palatable P. abies. These development trajectories were tortuous, characterized by a high disturbance intensity. On the contrary, reduced herbivory initiated a transformation towards the naturally dominant broadleaved species that was associated with an increased forest carbon and a considerably reduced disturbance. The conditions of RCP4.5 combined with high and moderate browsing levels preserved the forest within its reference range of variability, defining the actual boundaries of resilience. The remaining combinations of browsing and climate change led to ecosystem transitions. Under RCP4.5 with browsing effects excluded, the new equilibrium conditions were achieved within 120 years, whereas the stabilization was delayed by 50-100 years under RCP8.5 with higher browsing intensities. We conclude that forests dominated by P. abies are prone to transitions driven by climate change. However, reducing herbivory can set the forest on a stable and predictable trajectory, whereas sustaining the current browsing levels can lead to heightened disturbance activity, extended transition times, and high variability in the target conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Dobor
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Marco Baldo
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Bílek
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Barka
- National Forest Centre - Forest Research Institute Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - František Máliš
- National Forest Centre - Forest Research Institute Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
- Faculty of Forestry, Technical University Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Petr Štěpánek
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Hlásny
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
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2
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Milles A, Banitz T, Bielcik M, Frank K, Gallagher CA, Jeltsch F, Jepsen JU, Oro D, Radchuk V, Grimm V. Local buffer mechanisms for population persistence. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1051-1059. [PMID: 37558537 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Assessing and predicting the persistence of populations is essential for the conservation and control of species. Here, we argue that local mechanisms require a better conceptual synthesis to facilitate a more holistic consideration along with regional mechanisms known from metapopulation theory. We summarise the evidence for local buffer mechanisms along with their capacities and emphasise the need to include multiple buffer mechanisms in studies of population persistence. We propose an accessible framework for local buffer mechanisms that distinguishes between damping (reducing fluctuations in population size) and repelling (reducing population declines) mechanisms. We highlight opportunities for empirical and modelling studies to investigate the interactions and capacities of buffer mechanisms to facilitate better ecological understanding in times of ecological upheaval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Milles
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Am Muhlenberg 3, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Nationalparkamt Hunsrück-Hochwald, Research, Biotope- and Wildlife Management, Brückener Straße 24, 55765 Birkenfeld, Germany.
| | - Thomas Banitz
- Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Milos Bielcik
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Karin Frank
- Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; University of Osnabrück, Institute for Environmental Systems Research, Barbarastr. 12, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cara A Gallagher
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Am Muhlenberg 3, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Am Muhlenberg 3, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jane Uhd Jepsen
- Department of Arctic Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, Hjalmar Johansens gt.14, 9007 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Daniel Oro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB - CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain.
| | - Viktoriia Radchuk
- Ecological Dynamics Department, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Volker Grimm
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Am Muhlenberg 3, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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3
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Pechanec V, Prokopová M, Salvati L, Cudlín O, Včeláková R, Pohanková T, Štěrbová L, Purkyt J, Plch R, Jačková K, Cudlín P. Toward spatially polarized human pressure? A dynamic factor analysis of ecological stability and the role of territorial gradients in Czech Republic. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:819. [PMID: 37286820 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11391-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In light of global change, research on ecosystem dynamics and the related environmental policies are increasingly required to face with the inherent polarization in areas with low and high human pressure. Differential levels of human pressure are hypothesized to reflect development paths toward ecological stability of local systems vis à vis socioeconomic resilience. To delineate the latent nexus between socioeconomic development paths and ecological stability of local systems, we proposed a multidimensional, diachronic analysis of 28 indicators of territorial disparities, and ecological stability in 206 homogeneous administrative units of Czech Republic over almost 30 years (1990-2018). Mixing time-invariant factors with time-varying socio-environmental attributes, a dynamic factor analysis investigated the latent relationship between ecosystem functions, environmental pressures, and the background socioeconomic characteristics of the selected spatial units. We identified four geographical gradients in Czech Republic (namely elevation, economic agglomeration, demographic structure, and soil imperviousness) at the base of territorial divides associated with the increased polarization in areas with low and high human pressure. The role of urbanization, agriculture, and loss of natural habitats reflective of rising human pressure was illustrated along the selected gradients. Finally, policy implications of the (changing) geography of ecological disturbances and local development paths in Czech Republic were briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilém Pechanec
- Department of Geoinformatics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. Listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marcela Prokopová
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Lipová 9, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Luca Salvati
- Department of Methods and Models for Economics, Territory and Finance, Sapienza University of Rome, Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, I-00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ondřej Cudlín
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Lipová 9, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Renata Včeláková
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Lipová 9, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Pohanková
- Department of Geoinformatics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. Listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Štěrbová
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Lipová 9, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Purkyt
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Lipová 9, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Plch
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Lipová 9, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Jačková
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Lipová 9, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Cudlín
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Lipová 9, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Bhavnani R, Schlager N, Donnay K, Reul M, Schenker L, Stauffer M, Patel T. Household behavior and vulnerability to acute malnutrition in Kenya. HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 10:63. [PMID: 36811115 PMCID: PMC9936478 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01547-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Anticipating those most at-risk of being acutely malnourished significantly shapes decisions that pertain to resource allocation and intervention in times of food crises. Yet, the assumption that household behavior in times of crisis is homogeneous-that households share the same capacity to adapt to external shocks-ostensibly prevails. This assumption fails to explain why, in a given geographical context, some households remain more vulnerable to acute malnutrition relative to others, and why a given risk factor may have a differential effect across households? In an effort to explore how variation in household behavior influences vulnerability to malnutrition, we use a unique household dataset that spans 23 Kenyan counties from 2016 to 2020 to seed, calibrate, and validate an evidence-driven computational model. We use the model to conduct a series of counterfactual experiments on the relationship between household adaptive capacity and vulnerability to acute malnutrition. Our findings suggest that households are differently impacted by given risk factors, with the most vulnerable households typically being the least adaptive. These findings further underscore the salience of household adaptive capacity, in particular, that adaption is less effective for economic vis-à-vis climate shocks. By making explicit the link between patterns of household behavior and vulnerability in the short- to medium-term, we underscore the need for famine early warning to better account for variation in household-level behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mirko Reul
- University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Maxime Stauffer
- Simon Institute for Longterm Governance, Geneva, Switzerland
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5
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Shi C, Zhu X, Wu H, Li Z. Urbanization Impact on Regional Sustainable Development: Through the Lens of Urban-Rural Resilience. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15407. [PMID: 36430124 PMCID: PMC9691024 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The urban-rural system is an economically, socially, and environmentally interlinked space, which requires the integration of industry, space, and population. To achieve sustainable and coordinated development between urban and rural systems, dynamic land use change within the urban-rural system and the ecological and social consequences need to be clarified. This study uses system resilience to evaluate such an impact and explores the impact of land use change, especially land conversion induced by urbanization on regional development through the lens of urban-rural resilience. The empirical case is based on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration (BTHUA) in China from 2000 to 2020 when there was rapid urbanization in this region. The results show that along with urbanization in the BTHUA, urban-rural resilience is high in urban core areas and low in peripheral areas. From the urban core to the rural outskirts, there is a general trend that comprehensive resilience decreases with decreased social resilience and increased ecological resilience in this region. Specifically, at the city level, comprehensive resilience decreases sharply from the urban center to its 3-5 km buffer zone and then remains relatively stable in the rural regions. A similar trend goes for social resilience at the city level, while ecological resilience increases sharply from the urban center to its 1-3 km buffer zone, and then remains relatively stable in the rural regions in this region, except for cities in the west and south of Hebei. This study contributes to the conceptualization and measurement of urban-rural resilience in the urban-rural system with empirical findings revealing the impact of rapid urbanization on urban-rural resilience over the last twenty years in the BTHUA in China. In addition, the spatial heterogeneity results could be used for policy reference to make targeted resilience strategies in the study region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Shi
- School of Urban Economics and Public Administration, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Megaregions Sustainable Development Modeling, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Xiaoping Zhu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, Qinhuangdao 066104, China
| | - Haowei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zhihui Li
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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6
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Ismail SA, Bell S, Chalabi Z, Fouad FM, Mechler R, Tomoaia-Cotisel A, Blanchet K, Borghi J. Conceptualising and assessing health system resilience to shocks: a cross-disciplinary view. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 7:151. [PMID: 38826487 PMCID: PMC11140310 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17834.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Health systems worldwide face major challenges in anticipating, planning for and responding to shocks from infectious disease epidemics, armed conflict, climatic and other crises. Although the literature on health system resilience has grown substantially in recent years, major uncertainties remain concerning approaches to resilience conceptualisation and measurement. This narrative review revisits literatures from a range of fields outside health to identify lessons relevant to health systems. Four key insights emerge. Firstly, shocks can only be understood by clarifying how, where and over what timescale they interact with a system of interest, and the dynamic effects they produce within it. Shock effects are contingent on historical path-dependencies, and on the presence of factors or system pathways (e.g. financing models, health workforce capabilities or supply chain designs) that may amplify or dampen impact in unexpected ways. Secondly, shocks often produce cascading effects across multiple scales, whereas the focus of much of the health resilience literature has been on macro-level, national systems. In reality, health systems bring together interconnected sub-systems across sectors and geographies, with different components, behaviours and sometimes even objectives - all influencing how a system responds to a shock. Thirdly, transformability is an integral feature of resilient social systems: cross-scale interactions help explain how systems can show both resilience and transformational capability at the same time. We illustrate these first three findings by extending the socioecological concept of adaptive cycles in social systems to health, using the example of maternal and child health service delivery. Finally, we argue that dynamic modelling approaches, under-utilised in research on health system resilience to date, have significant promise for identification of shock-moderating or shock-amplifying pathways, for understanding effects at multiple levels and ultimately for building resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharif A. Ismail
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Sadie Bell
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Zaid Chalabi
- Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Fouad M. Fouad
- Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Reinhard Mechler
- Advanced Systems Analysis Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, A-2361, Austria
| | - Andrada Tomoaia-Cotisel
- RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, 90401-3208, USA
- Department of Public Health, Environments & Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Karl Blanchet
- Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland
| | - Josephine Borghi
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
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7
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Burruss ND, Peters DPC, Huang H, Yao J. Simulated distribution of
Eragrostis lehmanniana
(Lehmann lovegrass): Soil–climate interactions complicate predictions. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- N. Dylan Burruss
- Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico USA
| | - Debra P. C. Peters
- Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico USA
- Jornada Experimental Range Unit US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Las Cruces New Mexico USA
- SCINet/Big Data Program US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Beltsville Maryland USA
| | - Haitao Huang
- Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico USA
- SCINet/Big Data Program US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Beltsville Maryland USA
| | - Jin Yao
- Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico USA
- Jornada Experimental Range Unit US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Las Cruces New Mexico USA
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8
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Drechsler M, Wätzold F, Grimm V. The hitchhiker's guide to generic ecological-economic modelling of land-use-based biodiversity conservation policies. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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9
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Dorheim K, Gough CM, Haber LT, Mathes KC, Shiklomanov AN, Bond‐Lamberty B. Climate Drives Modeled Forest Carbon Cycling Resistance and Resilience in the Upper Great Lakes Region, USA. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. BIOGEOSCIENCES 2022; 127:e2021JG006587. [PMID: 35865142 PMCID: PMC9287023 DOI: 10.1029/2021jg006587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Forests dominate the global terrestrial carbon budget, but their ability to continue doing so in the face of a changing climate is uncertain. A key uncertainty is how forests will respond to (resistance) and recover from (resilience) rising levels of disturbance of varying intensities. This knowledge gap can optimally be addressed by integrating manipulative field experiments with ecophysiological modeling. We used the Ecosystem Demography-2.2 (ED-2.2) model to project carbon fluxes for a northern temperate deciduous forest subjected to a real-world disturbance severity manipulation experiment. ED-2.2 was run for 150 years, starting from near bare ground in 1900 (approximating the clear-cut conditions at the time), and subjected to three disturbance treatments under an ensemble of climate conditions. Both disturbance severity and climate strongly affected carbon fluxes such as gross primary production (GPP), and interacted with one another. We then calculated resistance and resilience, two dimensions of ecosystem stability. Modeled GPP exhibited a two-fold decrease in mean resistance across disturbance severities of 45%, 65%, and 85% mortality; conversely, resilience increased by a factor of two with increasing disturbance severity. This pattern held for net primary production and net ecosystem production, indicating a trade-off in which greater initial declines were followed by faster recovery. Notably, however, heterotrophic respiration responded more slowly to disturbance, and it's highly variable response was affected by different drivers. This work provides insight into how future conditions might affect the functional stability of mature forests in this region under ongoing climate change and changing disturbance regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalyn Dorheim
- Joint Global Change Research InstitutePacific Northwest National LaboratoryCollege ParkMDUSA
| | | | - Lisa T. Haber
- Department of BiologyVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVAUSA
| | - Kayla C. Mathes
- Department of BiologyVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVAUSA
| | | | - Ben Bond‐Lamberty
- Joint Global Change Research InstitutePacific Northwest National LaboratoryCollege ParkMDUSA
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10
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A multidimensional stability framework enhances interpretation and comparison of carbon cycling response to disturbance. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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11
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Sturtevant BR, Fortin MJ. Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.653647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Disturbances, both natural and anthropogenic, affect the configuration, composition, and function of forested ecosystems. Complex system behaviors emerge from the interactions between disturbance regimes, the vegetation response to those disturbances, and their interplay with multiple drivers (climate, topography, land use, etc.) across spatial and temporal scales. Here, we summarize conceptual advances and empirical approaches to disturbance interaction investigation, and used those insights to evaluate and categorize 146 landscape modeling studies emerging from a systematic review of the literature published since 2010. Recent conceptual advances include formal disaggregation of disturbances into their constituent components, embedding disturbance processes into system dynamics, and clarifying terminology for interaction factors, types, and ecosystem responses. Empirical studies investigating disturbance interactions now span a wide range of approaches, including (most recently) advanced statistical methods applied to an expanding set of spatial and temporal datasets. Concurrent development in spatially-explicit landscape models, informed by these empirical insights, integrate the interactions among natural and anthropogenic disturbances by coupling these processes to account for disturbance stochasticity, disturbance within and across scales, and non-linear landscape responses to climate change. Still, trade-offs between model elegance and complexity remain. We developed an index for the degree of process integration (i.e., balance of static vs. dynamic components) within a given disturbance agent and applied it to the studies from our systematic review. Contemporary model applications in this line of research have applied a wide range process integration, depending on the specific question, but also limited in part by data and knowledge. Non-linear “threshold” behavior and cross-scaled interactions remain a frontier in temperate, boreal, and alpine regions of North America and Europe, while even simplistic studies are lacking from other regions of the globe (e.g., subtropical and tropical biomes). Understanding and planning for uncertainty in system behavior—including disturbance interactions—is paramount at a time of accelerated anthropogenic change. While progress in landscape modeling studies in this area is evident, work remains to increase model transparency and confidence, especially for understudied regions and processes. Moving forward, a multi-dimensional approach is recommended to address the uncertainties of complex human-ecological dynamics.
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12
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Application of the Socio-Ecological System Framework to Forest Fire Risk Management: A Systematic Literature Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13042121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although increasing concern about climate change has raised awareness of the fundamental role of forest ecosystems, forests are threatened by human-induced impacts worldwide. Among them, wildfire risk is clearly the result of the interaction between human activities, ecological domains, and climate. However, a clear understanding of these interactions is still needed both at the global and local levels. Numerous studies have proven the validity of the socioecological system (SES) approach in addressing this kind of interdisciplinary issue. Therefore, a systematic review of the existing literature on the application of SES frameworks to forest ecosystems is carried out, with a specific focus on wildfire risk management. The results demonstrate the existence of different methodological approaches that can be grouped into seven main categories, which range from qualitative analysis to quantitative spatially explicit investigations. The strengths and limitations of the approaches are discussed, with a specific reference to the geographical setting of the works. The research suggests the importance of local community involvement and local knowledge consideration in wildfire risk management. This review provides a starting point for future research on forest SES and a supporting tool for the development of a sustainable wildfire risk adaptation and mitigation strategy.
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13
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Dur G, Won EJ, Han J, Lee JS, Souissi S. An individual-based model for evaluating post-exposure effects of UV-B radiation on zooplankton reproduction. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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14
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Brown C, Rounsevell M. How can social–ecological system models simulate the emergence of social–ecological crises? PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Calum Brown
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK‐IFU) Department of Geo‐Ecology (IFGG) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Garmisch‐Partenkirchen Germany
| | - Mark Rounsevell
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK‐IFU) Department of Geo‐Ecology (IFGG) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Garmisch‐Partenkirchen Germany
- School of Geosciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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15
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García-Jácome LG, García-Frapolli E, Bonilla-Moheno M, Rangel-Rivera CE, Benítez M, Ramos-Fernández G. Multiple Resource Use Strategies and Resilience of a Socio-Ecosystem in a Natural Protected Area in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.522657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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16
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Albrich K, Rammer W, Seidl R. Climate change causes critical transitions and irreversible alterations of mountain forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:4013-4027. [PMID: 32301569 PMCID: PMC7317840 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Mountain forests are at particular risk of climate change impacts due to their temperature limitation and high exposure to warming. At the same time, their complex topography may help to buffer the effects of climate change and create climate refugia. Whether climate change can lead to critical transitions of mountain forest ecosystems and whether such transitions are reversible remain incompletely understood. We investigated the resilience of forest composition and size structure to climate change, focusing on a mountain forest landscape in the Eastern Alps. Using the individual-based forest landscape model iLand, we simulated ecosystem responses to a wide range of climatic changes (up to a 6°C increase in mean annual temperature and a 30% reduction in mean annual precipitation), testing for tipping points in vegetation size structure and composition under different topography scenarios. We found that at warming levels above +2°C a threshold was crossed, with the system tipping into an alternative state. The system shifted from a conifer-dominated landscape characterized by large trees to a landscape dominated by smaller, predominantly broadleaved trees. Topographic complexity moderated climate change impacts, smoothing and delaying the transitions between alternative vegetation states. We subsequently reversed the simulated climate forcing to assess the ability of the landscape to recover from climate change impacts. The forest landscape showed hysteresis, particularly in scenarios with lower precipitation. At the same mean annual temperature, equilibrium vegetation size structure and species composition differed between warming and cooling trajectories. Here we show that even moderate warming corresponding to current policy targets could result in critical transitions of forest ecosystems and highlight the importance of topographic complexity as a buffering agent. Furthermore, our results show that overshooting ambitious climate mitigation targets could be dangerous, as ecological impacts can be irreversible at millennial time scales once a tipping point has been crossed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Albrich
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) ViennaViennaAustria
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management GroupTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
| | - Werner Rammer
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) ViennaViennaAustria
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management GroupTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) ViennaViennaAustria
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management GroupTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
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Lorscheid I, Berger U, Grimm V, Meyer M. From cases to general principles: A call for theory development through agent-based modeling. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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