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Xu J, Wang X, Liu C, Yang X, Zhang J, Han X, Wang T. Widespread homogenization in vegetation activities along the elevational gradients across the Himalaya over the past 40 years. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 953:176179. [PMID: 39260491 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Mountainous regions are vital biodiversity hotspots with high heterogeneity, providing essential refugia for vegetation. However, climate change threatens this diversity with the potential homogenization of the distinct environmental conditions at different elevations. Here, we used a time-series (1985-2023) of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Landsat archives (30 m) to quantify vegetation changes across an elevation gradient on Himalaya Mountain. Our analysis revealed that over the past 40 years, the Himalayas have experienced widespread greening, accompanied by homogenization of vegetation across elevations. This homogenization, characterized by a reduction in the differences between high and low elevations, can be attributed to two main factors: (1) increased warming and a higher snowmelt rate at high elevations, facilitating rapid changes in high-elevation vegetation activities; and (2) higher anthropogenic disturbance at low and mid elevations, thus inhibiting low-elevation vegetation. These factors have resulted in a reduction of habitat differentiation along the mountain slopes, homogenizing vegetation and potentially threatening the unique biodiversity adapted to specific elevational zones. Our findings emphasize the urgent need for conservation strategies that prioritize the protection of heterogeneous mountain habitats to preserve their rich biodiversity in the face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfeng Xu
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Caixia Liu
- International Research Centre of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoyan Yang
- Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jialing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Earth and Environment Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xulong Han
- Pixel Information Expert Corporation (PIESAT), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Jin H, Xu J, Peng Y, Xin J, Peng N, Li Y, Huang J, Zhang R, Li C, Wu Y, Gong B, Wang R. Impacts of landscape patterns on plant species diversity at a global scale. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165193. [PMID: 37406683 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Landscape patterns are important drivers of biodiversity. Owing to differences in vegetation types, sampling methods, diversity measures, spatial scales, and landscape levels, the impact of landscape patterns on biodiversity remains widely debated. Using a global standardized plant community database and land use and land cover maps at 30-m resolution, for the period 1990-2017, we calculated plant species α- and β-diversity, and landscape metrics at patch- and landscape-levels, and discerned the direct and indirect impacts of landscape patterns on plant species diversity based on environmental factors, namely climate, spatial features, and human disturbance. We found that landscape patterns exhibited the main indirect effects, whereas climate factors exhibited dominant direct effects on plant α-diversity via the direct effects of patch patterns and functional traits. With respect to β-diversity, landscape-level patterns exerted more direct than indirect effects. These effects are strongly dependent on scale. Landscape- and patch-level patterns had opposite effects on plant diversity, depending on their composition and spatial structure, demonstrating that their effects could be mediated by one another. The adaptation of plants to landscape patterns is mainly through variations in leaf area, plant height, specific leaf area, stem density, seed biomass, and other seed-dispersal traits, which vary across vegetation types. Our findings highlight the importance of functional traits and diversity in understanding the mechanism by which landscape patterns influence plant species diversity; accordingly, we recommend balancing the spatial structure of patch- and landscape-level patterns to enhance variation in functional traits, and, ultimately, to maintain global plant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanni Jin
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jing Xu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yu Peng
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Jiaxun Xin
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Nanyi Peng
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yanyi Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jijiao Huang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ruiqiang Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Chen Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yimeng Wu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Bingzhang Gong
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ronghui Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
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Meier ES, Lüscher G, Knop E. Disentangling direct and indirect drivers of farmland biodiversity at landscape scale. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2422-2434. [PMID: 36134709 PMCID: PMC9826358 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
To stop the ongoing decline of farmland biodiversity there are increasing claims for a paradigm shift in agriculture, namely from conserving and restoring farmland biodiversity at field scale (α-diversity) to doing it at landscape scale (γ-diversity). However, knowledge on factors driving farmland γ-diversity is currently limited. Here, we quantified farmland γ-diversity in 123 landscapes and analysed direct and indirect effects of abiotic and land-use factors shaping it using structural equation models. The direction and strength of effects of factors shaping γ-diversity were only partially consistent with what is known about factors shaping α-diversity, and indirect effects were often stronger than direct effects or even opposite. Thus, relationships between factors shaping α-diversity cannot simply be up-scaled to γ-diversity, and also indirect effects should no longer be neglected. Finally, we show that local mitigation measures benefit farmland γ-diversity at landscape scale and are therefore a useful tool for designing biodiversity-friendly landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gisela Lüscher
- Research Division Agroecology and EnvironmentAgroscopeZürichSwitzerland
| | - Eva Knop
- Research Division Agroecology and EnvironmentAgroscopeZürichSwitzerland,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
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Wu R, Tang H, Lu Y. Exploring subjective well-being and ecosystem services perception in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 318:115591. [PMID: 35949097 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding stakeholders' perceptions about human well-being and ecosystem services is essential for designing efficient public policies and sustainable environmental management that help to improve people's quality of life. Despite the fragile ecosystem and poverty concentration in the agro-pastoral ecotone, research in this field remains scarce. We selected a typical agro-pastoral ecotone, Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, China, to explore how socioeconomic and demographic factors affect subjective well-being and perceptions of ecosystem services through structural equation modelling (SEM) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Our results showed that health had the highest correlation with subjective well-being among the five dimensions, but respondents were least satisfied with it. Formal education had the greatest effect on subjective well-being, followed by age, income, and livelihood. Gender had no effect on subjective well-being. Older respondents with lower formal education who had a lower level of subjective well-being considered supporting and provisioning services more important for well-being. In contrast, younger respondents with higher education levels (mostly jobs not associated with working the land) mainly valued cultural services. Finally, we discussed the factors that influence subjective well-being and perceptions of ecosystem services and their implications for local management decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renji Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Haiping Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Yunjing Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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Ke H, Yang B, Dai S. Does Intensive Land Use Contribute to Energy Efficiency?-Evidence Based on a Spatial Durbin Model. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:5130. [PMID: 35564524 PMCID: PMC9102805 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In order to ensure the safety of cultivated land and promote urban productivity, the Chinese government began to promote intensive land use at the legislative level from 2014. At the same time, China faces problems of carbon emissions and energy, so we need to improve energy efficiency. Therefore, this paper aims to verify the spatial effects of intensive land use on energy efficiency of China from 2009 to 2018. We further use an index system to quantify intensive land use and use chain DEA (data envelope analysis) to quantify energy efficiency. This paper finds that: (1) intensive land use can significantly improve energy efficiency. A 1% increase in the level of intensive land use will increase energy efficiency by 1.3%. (2) The intensive use of land in one city will have a negative impact on the energy efficiency of surrounding cities. The reason is that the intensive use of land in a single city may lead to the transfer of energy-consuming industries to surrounding cities. (3) The impact of intensive land use on the energy efficiency of surrounding cities has negative threshold characteristics, and the negative impact will be weakened as the level of integration of the city increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqian Ke
- Fanli Business School, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang 473000, China;
| | - Bo Yang
- Institute of Central China Development, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Shangze Dai
- Institute of Central China Development, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
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Cervellini M, Di Musciano M, Zannini P, Fattorini S, Jiménez‐Alfaro B, Agrillo E, Attorre F, Angelini P, Beierkuhnlein C, Casella L, Field R, Fischer J, Genovesi P, Hoffmann S, Irl SDH, Nascimbene J, Rocchini D, Steinbauer M, Vetaas OR, Chiarucci A. Diversity of European habitat types is correlated with geography more than climate and human pressure. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18111-18124. [PMID: 35003661 PMCID: PMC8717275 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat richness, that is, the diversity of ecosystem types, is a complex, spatially explicit aspect of biodiversity, which is affected by bioclimatic, geographic, and anthropogenic variables. The distribution of habitat types is a key component for understanding broad-scale biodiversity and for developing conservation strategies. We used data on the distribution of European Union (EU) habitats to answer the following questions: (i) how do bioclimatic, geographic, and anthropogenic variables affect habitat richness? (ii) Which of those factors is the most important? (iii) How do interactions among these variables influence habitat richness and which combinations produce the strongest interactions? The distribution maps of 222 terrestrial habitat types as defined by the Natura 2000 network were used to calculate habitat richness for the 10 km × 10 km EU grid map. We then investigated how environmental variables affect habitat richness, using generalized linear models, generalized additive models, and boosted regression trees. The main factors associated with habitat richness were geographic variables, with negative relationships observed for both latitude and longitude, and a positive relationship for terrain ruggedness. Bioclimatic variables played a secondary role, with habitat richness increasing slightly with annual mean temperature and overall annual precipitation. We also found an interaction between anthropogenic variables, with the combination of increased landscape fragmentation and increased population density strongly decreasing habitat richness. This is the first attempt to disentangle spatial patterns of habitat richness at the continental scale, as a key tool for protecting biodiversity. The number of European habitats is related to geography more than climate and human pressure, reflecting a major component of biogeographical patterns similar to the drivers observed at the species level. The interaction between anthropogenic variables highlights the need for coordinated, continental-scale management plans for biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Cervellini
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater StudiorumUniversity of BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - Michele Di Musciano
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater StudiorumUniversity of BolognaBolognaItaly
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L’AquilaL’AquilaItaly
| | - Piero Zannini
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater StudiorumUniversity of BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - Simone Fattorini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L’AquilaL’AquilaItaly
| | | | - Emiliano Agrillo
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)RomeItaly
| | - Fabio Attorre
- Department of Environmental BiologySapienza University of RomeRomaItaly
| | | | - Carl Beierkuhnlein
- Biogeography, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), Geographical Institute Bayreuth (GIB)University of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Laura Casella
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)RomeItaly
| | - Richard Field
- School of GeographyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Jan‐Christopher Fischer
- Biogeography, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), Geographical Institute Bayreuth (GIB)University of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
- School of Earth SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Piero Genovesi
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)RomeItaly
| | - Samuel Hoffmann
- Biogeography, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), Geographical Institute Bayreuth (GIB)University of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Severin D. H. Irl
- Biogeography and Biodiversity Lab, Institute of Physical GeographyGoethe‐UniversityFrankfurtGermany
| | - Juri Nascimbene
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater StudiorumUniversity of BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - Duccio Rocchini
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater StudiorumUniversity of BolognaBolognaItaly
- Department of Spatial Sciences, Faculty of Environmental SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePrahaCzech Republic
| | - Manuel Steinbauer
- Sport Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER) & Department of Sport ScienceUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Ole R. Vetaas
- Department of GeographyUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Alessandro Chiarucci
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater StudiorumUniversity of BolognaBolognaItaly
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Island biogeography theory predicts plant species richness of remnant grassland patches in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Li F, Yan Y, Zhang J, Zhang Q, Niu J. Taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversity in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
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Šibíková M, Jarolímek I, Hegedüšová K, Májeková J, Mikulová K, Slabejová D, Škodová I, Zaliberová M, Medvecká J. Effect of planting alien Robinia pseudoacacia trees on homogenization of Central European forest vegetation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 687:1164-1175. [PMID: 31412452 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Biological homogenization is a process of biodiversity loss driven by the introduction and invasion of widespread species and the extinction of specialized, endemic species. This process has accelerated in recent years due to intensive human activities. We focused our study on large areas of forest vegetation that have not yet been intensively studied. Forest management, especially the planting of alien trees, could play a key role in the homogenization process because alien trees can act as habitat 'transformers' influencing vegetation through creating different environmental conditions. Several types of native forests (hardwood floodplain forests, oak forests, and oak-hornbeam forests) have in many regions been replaced by Robinia pseudoacacia plantations. The huge diversity of native broadleaved deciduous forests in the Pannonian and Carpathian regions, with many local differences and considerable geographical variability, could be exposed to the homogenization process due to the planting of Robinia pseudoacacia. We used 282 paired plots of Robinia pseudoacacia-dominated forests and native forests with a distance of 50-250 m among them under the same environmental conditions to avoid the influence of the variability of local environmental conditions on the forest undergrowth. We found out that the replacement of native forests by plantations of Robinia pseudoacacia plays a crucial role in the homogenization process in forest vegetation by unifying microenvironmental conditions of stands and removing the geographically specified variability of plant communities from previous four classes to single one. The replacement reduced total species pool from 422 to 372 species and supported the occurrence of widespread, generalist plant species in the undergrowth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mária Šibíková
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia.
| | - Ivan Jarolímek
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Hegedüšová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | - Jana Májeková
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Mikulová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | - Denisa Slabejová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | - Iveta Škodová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | - Mária Zaliberová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | - Jana Medvecká
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
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