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Mata-Guel EO, Soh MCK, Butler CW, Morris RJ, Razgour O, Peh KSH. Impacts of anthropogenic climate change on tropical montane forests: an appraisal of the evidence. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1200-1224. [PMID: 36990691 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
In spite of their small global area and restricted distributions, tropical montane forests (TMFs) are biodiversity hotspots and important ecosystem services providers, but are also highly vulnerable to climate change. To protect and preserve these ecosystems better, it is crucial to inform the design and implementation of conservation policies with the best available scientific evidence, and to identify knowledge gaps and future research needs. We conducted a systematic review and an appraisal of evidence quality to assess the impacts of climate change on TMFs. We identified several skews and shortcomings. Experimental study designs with controls and long-term (≥10 years) data sets provide the most reliable evidence, but were rare and gave an incomplete understanding of climate change impacts on TMFs. Most studies were based on predictive modelling approaches, short-term (<10 years) and cross-sectional study designs. Although these methods provide moderate to circumstantial evidence, they can advance our understanding on climate change effects. Current evidence suggests that increasing temperatures and rising cloud levels have caused distributional shifts (mainly upslope) of montane biota, leading to alterations in biodiversity and ecological functions. Neotropical TMFs were the best studied, thus the knowledge derived there can serve as a proxy for climate change responses in under-studied regions elsewhere. Most studies focused on vascular plants, birds, amphibians and insects, with other taxonomic groups poorly represented. Most ecological studies were conducted at species or community levels, with a marked paucity of genetic studies, limiting understanding of the adaptive capacity of TMF biota. We thus highlight the long-term need to widen the methodological, thematic and geographical scope of studies on TMFs under climate change to address these uncertainties. In the short term, however, in-depth research in well-studied regions and advances in computer modelling approaches offer the most reliable sources of information for expeditious conservation action for these threatened forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik O Mata-Guel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Malcolm C K Soh
- National Park Boards, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Connor W Butler
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Rebecca J Morris
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Orly Razgour
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK
| | - Kelvin S-H Peh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
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Xiao C, Feng Z, Li P. Active fires show an increasing elevation trend in the tropical highlands. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2790-2803. [PMID: 35076960 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16097] [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: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As an inherent element of the Earth's ecosystem, forest, and vegetation fires are one of the key contributors to and direct consequences of climate change. Given that topography is one of the key drivers of forest landscapes and fire behavior, it is important to clarify what the topographical characteristics and trends of global fire events are, particularly in the tropics. Here, we have investigated the variations in elevation of active fires at the continental to a global scale, including the tropics, the extra-tropics, the lowlands, and the highlands (greater than 200 m above sea level [asl]), using the available MODIS Collection 6 active fire products (2001-2019). The main conclusions are: (1) the annual totality (average of 4.5 million) of global active fire events decreased and over 97% of them occurred frequently below 1500 m asl. (2) The tropics and the highlands accounted for ~74% (±3%) and 71% (±2%) of global active fires, respectively, and 77% (±2%) were observed in the tropical highlands. (3) From the beginning of the 21st century, active fires in the highlands displayed an upward elevational trend, particularly in the tropics, while the opposite trend was observed for the lowlands. More importantly, the rate of the increasing elevation in the highlands had a greater magnitude than that of decreasing elevation in the lowlands. (4) Finally, the United Nations collaborative program on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) in Developing Countries seemed to slow down or even result in a reversal of the upward elevational trend of fire occurrences in the tropics for the partner countries, especially in the lowlands. In the context of global climate change and rampant fires, the trend of rising elevation for active fire occurrences, particularly in the tropical highlands, indicates that more vegetation burning events occur or will occur in hilly to mountainous areas, thus posing further threats to tropical forests and some important biodiversity refuges. More sustained efforts should be made by governments and the scientific community to instigate enhanced fire management practices and to conduct in-depth research programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiwei Xiao
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiming Feng
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Li
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Fire History (1896–2013) in an Abies religiosa Forest in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12060700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The oyamel forests, as Abies dominated forests are commonly known as, register their largest distribution (95% of their population) along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). Although efforts have been made to study these forests with various approaches, dendrochronology-based studies have been limited, particularly in pure Abies forests in this region. The objective of this study was to reconstruct fire regimes in an Abies religiosa forest in the Sierra Norte in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Within an area of 50-ha, we collected 40 fire-scar samples, which were processed and analyzed using dendrochronological techniques to identify 153 fire scars. The fire history was reconstructed for a period of 118 years (1896–2013), with low severity surface fires occurring mainly during in the spring (92.8%) and summer (7.2%). Over the past century, fires were frequent, with an mean fire interval (MFI) and Weibull median probability of (WMPI) of five years when considering all fire scars and less than 10 years for fires covering larger areas (fires recorded by ≥25% of samples). Extensive fires were synchronized with drought conditions based on Ring Width Indexes, Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). After 1983, we observed a change in fire frequencies attributed to regulated management. Longer fire intervals within the last several decades are likely leading to increased fuel accumulations and could potentially result in more severe fires in the future, threatening the sustainability of these forests. Based on our finding, we recommend management actions (silvicultural or prescribed fire) to reduce fuels and the risk of severe fires, particularly in the face of climatic changes.
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González Tagle MA, Avila Flores DY, Himmelsbach W, Paredes JC. FIRE HISTORY OF CONIFER FORESTS OF CERRO EL POTOSÍ, NUEVO LEÓN, MEXICO. SOUTHWEST NAT 2020. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-64.3-4.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. González Tagle
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Carretara Nacional, km 145, 67700, Linares, Nuevo León, México (MAGT, WH)
| | - Diana Y. Avila Flores
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícola y pecuarias, Campo Experimental Saltillo, Carretera Saltillo-Zacatecas km 342+19 No. 9515 (DYAF)
| | - Wibke Himmelsbach
- Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Carretara Nacional, km 145, 67700, Linares, Nuevo León, México (MAGT, WH)
| | - Julián Cerano Paredes
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias, Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Relación Agua, Suelo, Planta, C.P. 35140, Gómez Palacio, Durango, México (JCP)
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Modification of Fire Regimes Inferred from the Age Structure of Two Conifer Species in a Tropical Montane Forest, Mexico. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11111193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Research Highlights: Age structure was used to infer fire regimes in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Uneven-aged structures in stands dominated and co-dominated by pine and fir species, which are distributed according to an altitudinal gradient, indicated a regime of frequent, low-severity, and low-intensity fires. Background and Objectives: Age structure analyses have been used to infer natural and disrupted fire regimes when field-based descriptions of fires are scarce or unavailable. In montane conifer forests, fire regimes typically vary according to an altitudinal gradient, shaping contrasting tree establishment patterns. In the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, the altitudinal distribution and fire regimes of sacred fir forests (Abies religiosa), smooth-bark Mexican pine forests (Pinus pseudostrobus), and mixed-conifer forests are poorly documented. The objectives of this study were to determine the altitudinal ranges occupied by mono-dominant and co-dominant stands and to reconstruct tree establishment history to infer historical fire regimes. Materials and Methods: Six altitudinal transects were established along the reserve, each one at elevations from 2400 to 3300 m, with sampling sites at every 150 m of elevation. In each site, increment cores were collected from the base of 25 mature trees. A total of 800 increment cores were collected and cross-dated. Results: P. pseudostrobus is dominant in stands between 2400 and 2850 m, A. religiosa between 3150 and 3300 m, and both species co-dominate between 2850 and 3150 m. The establishment pattern for both species has been continuous, represented by uneven-aged structures, suggesting that tree establishment in smooth-bark Mexican pine forests, mixed-conifer forests, and sacred fir forests, is likely to be associated with frequent, low-severity, and low-intensity fires. Conclusions: These fire regimes suggest, by the one hand, the disruption of natural fire regimes by human activities, limiting the occurrence of high-severity fires; on the other hand, a distinctive feature of these tropical montane forests.
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Monjarás-Vega NA, Briones-Herrera CI, Vega-Nieva DJ, Calleros-Flores E, Corral-Rivas JJ, López-Serrano PM, Pompa-García M, Rodríguez-Trejo DA, Carrillo-Parra A, González-Cabán A, Alvarado-Celestino E, Jolly WM. Predicting forest fire kernel density at multiple scales with geographically weighted regression in Mexico. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 718:137313. [PMID: 32088482 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the relative importance of human and environmental drivers on fire occurrence in different regions and scales is critical for a sound fire management. Nevertheless, studies analyzing fire occurrence spatial patterns at multiple scales, covering the regional to national levels at multiple spatial resolutions, both in the fire occurrence drivers and in fire density, are very scarce. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of studies that analyze the spatial stationarity in the relationships of fire occurrence and its drivers at multiple scales. The current study aimed at predicting the spatial patterns of fire occurrence at regional and national levels in Mexico, utilizing geographically weighted regression (GWR) to predict fire density, calculated with two different approaches -regular grid density and kernel density - at spatial resolutions from 5 to 50 km, both in the dependent and in the independent human and environmental candidate variables. A better performance of GWR, both in goodness of fit and residual correlation reduction, was observed for prediction of kernel density as opposed to regular grid density. Our study is, to our best knowledge, the first study utilizing GWR to predict fire kernel density, and the first study to utilize GWR considering multiple scales, both in the dependent and independent variables. GWR models goodness of fit increased with fire kernel density search radius (bandwidths), but saturation in predictive capacity was apparent at 15-20 km for most regions. This suggests that this scale has a good potential for operational use in fire prevention and suppression decision-making as a compromise between predictive capability and spatial detail in fire occurrence predictions. This result might be a consequence of the specific spatial patterns of fire occurrence in Mexico and should be analyzed in future studies replicating this methodology elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma Angélica Monjarás-Vega
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Río Papaloapan y Blvd, Durango S/N Col. Valle del Sur, 34120 Durango, Mexico
| | - Carlos Ivan Briones-Herrera
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Río Papaloapan y Blvd, Durango S/N Col. Valle del Sur, 34120 Durango, Mexico
| | - Daniel José Vega-Nieva
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Río Papaloapan y Blvd, Durango S/N Col. Valle del Sur, 34120 Durango, Mexico.
| | - Eric Calleros-Flores
- Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Boulevard del Guadiana 501, Ciudad Universitaria, Torre de Investigación, 34120 Durango, Mexico
| | - José Javier Corral-Rivas
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Río Papaloapan y Blvd, Durango S/N Col. Valle del Sur, 34120 Durango, Mexico.
| | - Pablito Marcelo López-Serrano
- Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Boulevard del Guadiana 501, Ciudad Universitaria, Torre de Investigación, 34120 Durango, Mexico.
| | - Marín Pompa-García
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Río Papaloapan y Blvd, Durango S/N Col. Valle del Sur, 34120 Durango, Mexico.
| | - Dante Arturo Rodríguez-Trejo
- División de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km 38.5 carretera México - Texcoco, 56230 Chapingo, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Artemio Carrillo-Parra
- Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Boulevard del Guadiana 501, Ciudad Universitaria, Torre de Investigación, 34120 Durango, Mexico
| | - Armando González-Cabán
- Pacific Southwest Research Station, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, (retired), 4955 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
| | - Ernesto Alvarado-Celestino
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Mailbox 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Long-Term Wood Micro-Density Variation in Alpine Forests at Central México and Their Spatial Links with Remotely Sensed Information. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11040452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ongoing climate variability strongly affects high-elevation forests, influencing the wood formation process (e.g., xylogenesis). Furthermore, spatio-temporal studies to establish links of wood properties and tree performance are needed. Using linear mixed-effects models, empirical cumulative distribution functions, and spatial analysis, we explore time trends and space connections of wood density of Pinus hartwegii Lindl. to remotely sensed variables (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer MODIS-derived) in two high-elevation forests in México, Tláloc (TLA) and Jocotitlán (JOC) Mountains. Results indicated that elevation and cambial age effects are important factors explaining wood density variation. Minimum earlywood—MID, average—AVE, and maximum latewood density—MXD were statistically similar between mountains (p > 0.05), but TLA showed a significant increase in MID over time with higher values after 1950. Wood density values and spatial correlations were site-dependent with TLA exhibiting the highest correlations between MXD and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of the spring season (r = 0.59, p < 0.05). Overall, correlations to remotely sensed information were positive with MXD, negative for MID and divergent for AVE. Historical temperature defines MID along the elevation gradient, while MXD was related to soil moisture only at low-elevation sites where soils are deeper. We found that two high-elevation forests, 115 km away from each other, with similar climate, soil, and vegetation, behaved differently regarding their xylogenesis, indicating the potential of using the link between wood micro-density and remotely sensed information to understand forest response to climate change effects.
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Developing Models to Predict the Number of Fire Hotspots from an Accumulated Fuel Dryness Index by Vegetation Type and Region in Mexico. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9040190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Yocom Kent LL, Fulé PZ, Brown PM, Cerano‐Paredes J, Cornejo‐Oviedo E, Cortés Montaño C, Drury SA, Falk DA, Meunier J, Poulos HM, Skinner CN, Stephens SL, Villanueva‐Díaz J. Climate drives fire synchrony but local factors control fire regime change in northern Mexico. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Larissa L. Yocom Kent
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University P.O. Box 15018 Flagstaff Arizona 86011 USA
| | - Peter Z. Fulé
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University P.O. Box 15018 Flagstaff Arizona 86011 USA
| | - Peter M. Brown
- Rocky Mountain Tree‐Ring Research 2901 Moore Lane Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - Julián Cerano‐Paredes
- National Institute of Forest, Agriculture, and Livestock Research National Center of Disciplinary Research on Water, Soil, Plants, and Atmosphere Km. 6.5 Margen Derecha del Canal Sacramento C.P. 35140 Gómez Palacio Durango México
| | - Eladio Cornejo‐Oviedo
- Departamento Forestal Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Calzada Antonio Narro #1923 Buenavista C.P. 25315 Saltillo Coahuila México
| | - Citlali Cortés Montaño
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University P.O. Box 15018 Flagstaff Arizona 86011 USA
- Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la Madera Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango Boulevard del Guadiana #501, Ciudad Universitaria, Torre de Investigación C. P. 34120 Durango México
| | - Stacy A. Drury
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station 1731 Research Park Drive Davis California 95618 USA
| | - Donald A. Falk
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona 1064 Lowell Street Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
- Laboratory of Tree‐Ring Research University of Arizona 1215 E. Lowell Street Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
| | - Jed Meunier
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Science Operations Center 2801 Progress Road Madison Wisconsin 53716 USA
| | - Helen M. Poulos
- College of the Environment Wesleyan University 284 High Street Middletown Connecticut 06459 USA
| | - Carl N. Skinner
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station 3644 Avtech Parkway Redding California 96002 USA
| | - Scott L. Stephens
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - José Villanueva‐Díaz
- National Institute of Forest, Agriculture, and Livestock Research National Center of Disciplinary Research on Water, Soil, Plants, and Atmosphere Km. 6.5 Margen Derecha del Canal Sacramento C.P. 35140 Gómez Palacio Durango México
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Berenguer E, Ferreira J, Gardner TA, Aragão LEOC, De Camargo PB, Cerri CE, Durigan M, Cosme De Oliveira Junior R, Vieira ICG, Barlow J. A large-scale field assessment of carbon stocks in human-modified tropical forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:3713-26. [PMID: 24865818 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Tropical rainforests store enormous amounts of carbon, the protection of which represents a vital component of efforts to mitigate global climate change. Currently, tropical forest conservation, science, policies, and climate mitigation actions focus predominantly on reducing carbon emissions from deforestation alone. However, every year vast areas of the humid tropics are disturbed by selective logging, understory fires, and habitat fragmentation. There is an urgent need to understand the effect of such disturbances on carbon stocks, and how stocks in disturbed forests compare to those found in undisturbed primary forests as well as in regenerating secondary forests. Here, we present the results of the largest field study to date on the impacts of human disturbances on above and belowground carbon stocks in tropical forests. Live vegetation, the largest carbon pool, was extremely sensitive to disturbance: forests that experienced both selective logging and understory fires stored, on average, 40% less aboveground carbon than undisturbed forests and were structurally similar to secondary forests. Edge effects also played an important role in explaining variability in aboveground carbon stocks of disturbed forests. Results indicate a potential rapid recovery of the dead wood and litter carbon pools, while soil stocks (0-30 cm) appeared to be resistant to the effects of logging and fire. Carbon loss and subsequent emissions due to human disturbances remain largely unaccounted for in greenhouse gas inventories, but by comparing our estimates of depleted carbon stocks in disturbed forests with Brazilian government assessments of the total forest area annually disturbed in the Amazon, we show that these emissions could represent up to 40% of the carbon loss from deforestation in the region. We conclude that conservation programs aiming to ensure the long-term permanence of forest carbon stocks, such as REDD+, will remain limited in their success unless they effectively avoid degradation as well as deforestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Berenguer
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
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