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Bourgoin C, Ceccherini G, Girardello M, Vancutsem C, Avitabile V, Beck PSA, Beuchle R, Blanc L, Duveiller G, Migliavacca M, Vieilledent G, Cescatti A, Achard F. Human degradation of tropical moist forests is greater than previously estimated. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07629-0. [PMID: 38961293 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07629-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Tropical forest degradation from selective logging, fire and edge effects is a major driver of carbon and biodiversity loss1-3, with annual rates comparable to those of deforestation4. However, its actual extent and long-term impacts remain uncertain at global tropical scale5. Here we quantify the magnitude and persistence of multiple types of degradation on forest structure by combining satellite remote sensing data on pantropical moist forest cover changes4 with estimates of canopy height and biomass from spaceborne6 light detection and ranging (LiDAR). We estimate that forest height decreases owing to selective logging and fire by 15% and 50%, respectively, with low rates of recovery even after 20 years. Agriculture and road expansion trigger a 20% to 30% reduction in canopy height and biomass at the forest edge, with persistent effects being measurable up to 1.5 km inside the forest. Edge effects encroach on 18% (approximately 206 Mha) of the remaining tropical moist forests, an area more than 200% larger than previously estimated7. Finally, degraded forests with more than 50% canopy loss are significantly more vulnerable to subsequent deforestation. Collectively, our findings call for greater efforts to prevent degradation and protect already degraded forests to meet the conservation pledges made at recent United Nations Climate Change and Biodiversity conferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bourgoin
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy.
| | - G Ceccherini
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - M Girardello
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - C Vancutsem
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - V Avitabile
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - P S A Beck
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - R Beuchle
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - L Blanc
- CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France
- Forêts et Sociétés, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - G Duveiller
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - M Migliavacca
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - G Vieilledent
- CIRAD, UMR AMAP, Montpellier, France
- AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - A Cescatti
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - F Achard
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
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2
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Han Q, Li M, Keeffe G. Can large-scale tree planting in China compensate for the loss of climate connectivity due to deforestation? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172350. [PMID: 38608907 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172350] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Extensive deforestation has been a major reason for the loss of forest connectivity, impeding species range shifts under current climate change. Over the past decades, the Chinese government launched a series of afforestation and reforestation projects to increase forest cover, yet whether the new forests can compensate for the loss of connectivity due to deforestation-and where future tree planting would be most effective-remains largely unknown. Here, we evaluate changes in climate connectivity across China's forests between 2015 and 2019. We find that China's large-scale tree planting alleviated the negative impacts of forest loss on climate connectivity, improving the extent and probability of climate connectivity by 0-0.2 °C and 0-0.03, respectively. The improvements were particularly obvious for species with short dispersal distances (i.e., 3 km and 10 km). Nevertheless, only ~55 % of the trees planted in this period could serve as stepping stones for species movement. This indicates that focusing solely on the quantitative target of forest coverage without considering the connectivity of forests may miss opportunities in tree planting to facilitate climate-induced range shifts. More attention should be paid to the spatial arrangement of tree plantations and their potential as stepping stones. We then identify priority areas for future tree planting to create effective stepping stones. Our study highlights the potential of large-scale tree planting to facilitate range shifts. Future tree-planting efforts should incorporate the need for species range shifts to achieve more biodiversity conservation benefits under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyao Han
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Agricultural University, China.
| | - Ming Li
- Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Greg Keeffe
- School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast, UK
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3
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Siegel T, Magrach A, Laurance WF, Luther D. A global meta-analysis of the impacts of forest fragmentation on biotic mutualisms and antagonisms. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14206. [PMID: 37855172 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14206] [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: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Forest fragmentation is a grave threat to biodiversity. Forests are becoming increasingly fragmented with more than 70% now < 1 km from forest edge. Although much is known about the effects of forest fragmentation on individual species, much less is understood about its effects on species interactions (i.e., mutualisms, antagonisms, etc.). In 2014, a previous meta-analysis assessed the impacts of forest fragmentation on different species interactions, across 82 studies. We pooled the previous data with data published in the last 10 years (combined total 104 studies and 168 effect sizes). We compared the new set of publications (22 studies and 32 effect sizes) with the old set to evaluate potential changes in species interactions over time given the global increase in fragmentation rates. Mutualisms were more negatively affected by forest fragmentation than antagonisms (p < 0.0001). Edge effects, fragment size, and degradation negatively affected mutualisms, but not antagonisms, a different finding from the original meta-analysis. Parasitic interactions increased as fragment size decreased (p < 0.0001)-an intriguing result at variance with earlier studies. New publications showed a more negative mean effect size of forest fragmentation on mutualisms than old publications. Although research is still limited for some interactions, we identified an important scientific trend: current research tends to focus on antagonisms. We concluded that forest fragmentation disrupts important species interactions and that this disruption has increased over time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - William F Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
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4
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Miranda J, Britz W, Börner J. Impacts of commodity prices and governance on the expansion of tropical agricultural frontiers. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9209. [PMID: 38649723 PMCID: PMC11035705 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59446-0] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Deforestation in the tropics remains a significant global challenge linked to carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. Agriculture, forestry, wildfires, and urbanization have been repeatedly identified as main drivers of tropical deforestation. Understanding the underlying mechanisms behind these direct causes is crucial to navigate the multiple tradeoffs between competing forest uses, such as food and biomass production (SDG 2), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15). This paper develops and implements a global-scale empirical approach to quantify two key factors affecting land use decisions at tropical forest frontiers: agricultural commodity prices and national governance. It relies on data covering the period 2004-2015 from multiple public sources, aggregated to countries and agro-ecological zones. Our analysis confirms the persistent influence of commodity prices on agricultural land expansion, especially in forest-abundant regions. Economic and environmental governance quality co-determines processes of expansion and contraction of agricultural land in the tropics, yet at much smaller magnitudes than other drivers. We derive land supply elasticities for direct use in standard economic impact assessment models and demonstrate that our results make a difference in a Computable General Equilibrium framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Miranda
- Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Nussallee 21, 53115, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang Britz
- Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Nussallee 21, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan Börner
- Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Nussallee 21, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Genscherallee 3, 53113, Bonn, Germany
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5
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Murunga KW, Nyadawa M, Sang J, Cheruiyot C. Characterizing landscape fragmentation of Koitobos river sub-basin, Trans-Nzoia, Kenya. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29237. [PMID: 38623238 PMCID: PMC11016710 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The changes in landscape structure and functioning due to unprecedented human interference are hastening across the globe and it is thus a compelling necessity to preserve and restore our ecosystems. This study aimed to characterize levels of landscape fragmentation, habitat structure, driving forces, and perceptions of the residents on the most preferred reconfiguration approaches. The land use/land cover [LULC] change was first determined by interpreting the 1973, 1986, 1995, 2002, 2014, and 2022 Landsat images using the QGIS 3.26 while the selected landscape fragmentation metrics were analyzed using FRAGSTATS 4.2. Forests, shrubs, and grasslands showed a declining trend, except for agriculture, water, and built-up areas, which depicted high increases for the study periods [1973 to 2022]. The landscape of the study area is characterized as progressively fragmenting as signified by high escalated values of patch number [374 %], edge density [7828 %] between 1986 and 2002, contagion [10.3%], and a declined value of Shannon Diversity Index [SHDI] [-17.42%], Shannon evenness index [SHEI] [-25.8 %] and connectedness [-43.3%]. Considering these results, high losses of forests and grasslands coupled with expansive farmlands and built-up areas have led to unprecedented landscape fragmentation From field surveys and oral interviews, this has not only left streams vulnerable to massive sediment loads but has also triggered annual floods which occur during wet months even though change in onset of rainfall seasons was also reported. The findings call for restoration and integrated and sustainable restoration efforts, especially for the forests, grasslands, and riparian corridors along with sustainable urban planning and community-based sensitization on watershed management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennedy Wekesa Murunga
- Pan African University, Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation [PAUISTI], P.O BOX 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Maurice Nyadawa
- Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology [JOOUST], P. O. Box: 210-40601, Bondo, Kenya
| | - Joseph Sang
- Soil, Water and Environmental Engineering Department, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology [JKUAT], P.O. Box: 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Charles Cheruiyot
- Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology [JKUAT], P.O. Box: 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
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6
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Wu T, Liu Y, Qi X, Zhang Q, Yao Y, Wu J. The environmental impact assessment of China's ecological migration from a social-ecological perspective. AMBIO 2024:10.1007/s13280-024-02011-w. [PMID: 38564103 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02011-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
When accounting for the social-ecological impact of an ecological restoration program, both objective environmental contexts and people's subjective perceptions are required. While this kind of environmental impact assessment lacks a comprehensive perspective. We use the difference-in-differences model to evaluate the effect of the greenness of the landscape after ecological migration in the Qilian Mountains in China; and analysis of variance and fixed effects models are used to evaluate the effects of such ecological restoration programs on local people's perceptions. The results show that the ecological migration program in the Qilian Mountains has been successful at not only significantly improving remotely sensed greenness at the landscape scale, but also at enhancing immigrants' environmental perceptions. These findings demonstrate the environmental impacts of ecological migration from a social-ecological perspective, and can provide methodological implications for landscape planning to support a better understanding of ecological restoration programs in the drylands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianjing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yanxu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Xinhua Qi
- School of Geographical Sciences School of Neutrality Future Technology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Yulin Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Yulin, 719000, China
| | - Ying Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jincheng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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7
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Lausch A, Selsam P, Pause M, Bumberger J. Monitoring vegetation- and geodiversity with remote sensing and traits. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2024; 382:20230058. [PMID: 38342219 PMCID: PMC10859235 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2023.0058] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Geodiversity has shaped and structured the Earth's surface at all spatio-temporal scales, not only through long-term processes but also through medium- and short-term processes. Geodiversity is, therefore, a key control and regulating variable in the overall development of landscapes and biodiversity. However, climate change and land use intensity are leading to major changes and disturbances in bio- and geodiversity. For sustainable ecosystem management, temporal, economically viable and standardized monitoring is needed to monitor and model the effects and changes in vegetation- and geodiversity. RS approaches have been used for this purpose for decades. However, to understand in detail how RS approaches capture vegetation- and geodiversity, the aim of this paper is to describe how five features of vegetation- and geodiversity are captured using RS technologies, namely: (i) trait diversity, (ii) phylogenetic/genese diversity, (iii) structural diversity, (iv) taxonomic diversity and (v) functional diversity. Trait diversity is essential for establishing the other four. Traits provide a crucial interface between in situ, close-range, aerial and space-based RS monitoring approaches. The trait approach allows complex data of different types and formats to be linked using the latest semantic data integration techniques, which will enable ecosystem integrity monitoring and modelling in the future. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Lausch
- Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
- Department of Architecture, Facility Management and Geoinformation, Institute for Geoinformation and Surveying, Bauhausstraße 8, 06846 Dessau, Germany
| | - Peter Selsam
- Department of Monitoring and Exploration Technologies, and
| | - Marion Pause
- Department of Architecture, Facility Management and Geoinformation, Institute for Geoinformation and Surveying, Bauhausstraße 8, 06846 Dessau, Germany
| | - Jan Bumberger
- Department of Monitoring and Exploration Technologies, and
- Research Data Management-RDM, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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8
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Malabet FM, Ramsay M, Chell C, Andriatsitohaina B, Radespiel U, Lehman S. Where the small things are: Modelling edge effects on mouse lemur population density and distribution in northwestern Madagascar. Am J Primatol 2024:e23621. [PMID: 38528343 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Edge effects result from the penetration to varying depths and intensities, of abiotic and biotic conditions from the surrounding non-forest matrix into the forest interior. Although 70% of the world's forests are within 1 km of a forest edge, making edge effects a dominant feature of most forest habitats, there are few empirical data on inter-site differences in edge responses in primates. We used spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) models to determine spatial patterns of density for two species of mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus and Microcebus ravelobensis) in two forest landscapes in northwestern Madagascar. The goal of our study was to determine if mouse lemurs displayed spatially variable responses to edge effects. We trapped animals using Sherman live traps in the Mariarano Classified Forest (MCF) and in the Ambanjabe Forest Fragment Site (AFFS) site within Ankarafantsika National Park. We trapped 126 M. murinus and 79 M. ravelobensis at MCF and 78 M. murinus and 308 M. ravelobensis at AFFS. For M. murinus, our top model predicted a positive edge response, where density increased towards edge habitats. In M. ravelobensis, our top model predicted a negative edge response, where density was lower near the forest edges and increased towards the forest interior. At regional and landscape-specific scales, SECR models estimated different density patterns between M. murinus and M. ravelobensis as a result of variation in edge distance. The spatial variability of our results using SECR models indicate the importance of studying the population ecology of primates at varying scales that are appropriate to the processes of interest. Our results lend further support to the theory that some lemurs exhibit a form of ecological flexibility in their responses to forest loss, forest fragmentation, and associated edge effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Malcolm Ramsay
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Coral Chell
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bertrand Andriatsitohaina
- Planet Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Faculté des Sciences, de Technologies et de l'Environnement, Université de Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar
| | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Shawn Lehman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Le Tallec T, Hozer C, Perret M, Théry M. Light pollution and habitat fragmentation in the grey mouse lemur. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1662. [PMID: 38238414 PMCID: PMC10796386 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51853-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Light pollution, by changing organisms' behavior, affects locomotion, migration and can ultimately fragment the habitat. To investigate the effects of light pollution on habitat fragmentation, we conducted an experimental study on a nocturnal and photosensitive primate, the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). Twelve males were housed individually in an apparatus with two cages connected by two corridors, opaque and transparent. During 4 nights, the transparent corridor was illuminated by specific light intensities: 0 lx, 0.3 lx, 20 lx and 51.5 lx corresponding respectively to total darkness, full moon, minimal intensity recommended by the European standard EN-13201 on public lighting, and to light pollution recorded in an urban area. Each night, general activity, use of corridors and cage occupancy were recorded using an infrared camera. For the first time in a nocturnal primate, results demonstrate that light pollution changes the preference of use of corridors, modifies the locomotor pattern and limits the ability of animals to efficiently exploit their environment according to a light intensity-dependent relationship. However, results indicate that a dark corridor allows partial compensation partly preserving general activities. This study highlights the necessity to consider light pollution during the implementation of conservation plans and the relevance of nocturnal frames.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Le Tallec
- UMR 7179 MECADEV, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1 avenue du petit Château, 91800, Brunoy, France.
| | - Clara Hozer
- UMR 7179 MECADEV, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1 avenue du petit Château, 91800, Brunoy, France
| | - Martine Perret
- UMR 7179 MECADEV, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1 avenue du petit Château, 91800, Brunoy, France
| | - Marc Théry
- UMR 7179 MECADEV, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 1 avenue du petit Château, 91800, Brunoy, France
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10
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Fang M, Lu G, Zhang S, Liang W. Overgrazing on unmanaged grassland interfered with the restoration of adjacent grazing-banned grassland by affecting soil properties and microbial community. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1327056. [PMID: 38239733 PMCID: PMC10794652 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1327056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
A "grazing ban" policy has been implemented in some pastoral areas in China to fence degraded grasslands for restoration. However, fencing increased grazing pressures in unmanaged grasslands. Based on the mechanism of negative edge effect, we investigated whether overgrazing on unmanaged grassland interfered with the restoration of adjacent grazing-banned grassland by affecting soil properties and microbial community using a sample in Hulun Buir of Inner Mongolia, in order to optimize the "grazing ban" policy. Plant and soil were sampled in areas 30 m away from the fence in unmanaged grassland (UM) and in areas 30 m (adjacent to UM) and 30-60 m (not adjacent to UM) away from the fence in the grazing-banned grassland (F-30 m and F-60 m). The species richness and diversity of plant communities and the ASV number of fungal communities significantly decreased in F-30 m and UM, and the Simpson index of the bacterial community significantly decreased in F-30 m compared with F-60 m. The abundance of fungi involved in soil organic matter decomposition significantly decreased and the abundance of stress-resistant bacteria significantly increased, while the abundance of bacteria involved in litter decomposition significantly decreased in UM and F-30 m compared with F-60 m. The simplification of plant communities decreased in soil water and total organic carbon contents can explain the variations of soil microbial communities in both UM and F-30 m compared with F-60 m. The results of PLS-PM show that changes in plant community and soil microbial function guilds in UM may affect those in F-30 m by changing soil water and total organic carbon contents. These results indicate that overgrazing on unmanaged grassland interfered with the restoration of adjacent grazing-banned grassland by affecting soil properties and microbial community. The grazing-banned grasslands should be adjusted periodically in order to avoid negative edge effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengchao Fang
- College of Life and Environment Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Guang Lu
- College of Life and Environment Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Shuping Zhang
- College of Life and Environment Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
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11
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Ayejoto DA, Agbasi JC, Nwazelibe VE, Egbueri JC, Alao JO. Understanding the connections between climate change, air pollution, and human health in Africa: Insights from a literature review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART C, TOXICOLOGY AND CARCINOGENESIS 2023; 41:77-120. [PMID: 37880976 DOI: 10.1080/26896583.2023.2267332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and air pollution are two interconnected global challenges that have profound impacts on human health. In Africa, a continent known for its rich biodiversity and diverse ecosystems, the adverse effects of climate change and air pollution are particularly concerning. This review study examines the implications of air pollution and climate change for human health and well-being in Africa. It explores the intersection of these two factors and their impact on various health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disorders, mental health, and vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. The study highlights the disproportionate effects of air pollution on vulnerable groups and emphasizes the need for targeted interventions and policies to protect their health. Furthermore, it discusses the role of climate change in exacerbating air pollution and the potential long-term consequences for public health in Africa. The review also addresses the importance of considering temperature and precipitation changes as modifiers of the health effects of air pollution. By synthesizing existing research, this study aims to shed light on complex relationships and highlight the key findings, knowledge gaps, and potential solutions for mitigating the impacts of climate change and air pollution on human health in the region. The insights gained from this review can inform evidence-based policies and interventions to mitigate the adverse effects on human health and promote sustainable development in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Ayejoto
- Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Johnson C Agbasi
- Department of Geology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria
| | - Vincent E Nwazelibe
- Department of Earth Sciences, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Johnbosco C Egbueri
- Department of Geology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria
| | - Joseph O Alao
- Department of Physics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Nigeria
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12
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Kaasik A, Kont R, Lõhmus A. Modeling forest landscape futures: Full scale simulation of realistic socioeconomic scenarios in Estonia. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294650. [PMID: 37976263 PMCID: PMC10655990 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
For political and administrative governance of land-use decisions, high-resolution and reliable spatial models are required over large areas and for various time horizons. We present a process-centered simulation model 'NextStand' (a forest landscape model, FLM) and its R-script, which predicts regional forest characteristics at a forest stand resolution. The model uses whole area stand data and is optimized for realistic iterative timber harvesting decisions, based on stand compositions (developing over time) and locations. We used the model for simulating spatial predictions of the Estonian forests in North Europe (2.3 Mha, about 2 M stands); the decisions were parameterized by land ownership, protection regimes, and rules of clear-cut harvesting. We illustrate the model application as a potential broad-scale Decision Support Tool by predicting how the forest age composition, placement of clear-cut areas, and connectivity of old stands will develop until the year 2050 under future scenarios. The country-scale outputs had a generally low within-scenario variance, which enabled to estimate some main land-use effects and uncertainties at small computing efforts. In forestry terms, we show that a continuation of recent intensive forest management trends will produce a decline of the national timber supplies in Estonia, which greatly varies among ownership types. In a conservation perspective, the current level of 13% forest area strictly protected can maintain an overall area of old forests by 2050, but their isolation is a problem for biodiversity conservation. The behavior of low-intensity forest management units (owners) and strict governance of clear-cut harvesting rules emerged as key questions for regional forest sustainability. Our study confirms that high-resolution modeling of future spatial composition of forest land is feasible when one can (i) delineate predictable spatial units of transformation (including management) and (ii) capture their variability of temporal change with simple ecological and socioeconomic (including human decision-making) variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ants Kaasik
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Raido Kont
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Asko Lõhmus
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi, Tartu, Estonia
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13
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Yang C, Li Q, Wang X, Cui A, Chen J, Liu H, Ma W, Dong X, Shi T, Meng F, Yan X, Ding K, Wu G. Human Expansion-Induced Biodiversity Crisis over Asia from 2000 to 2020. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 6:0226. [PMID: 37746659 PMCID: PMC10513745 DOI: 10.34133/research.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Asia stands out as a priority for urgent biodiversity conservation due to its large protected areas (PAs) and threatened species. Since the 21st century, both the highlands and lowlands of Asia have been experiencing the dramatic human expansion. However, the threat degree of human expansion to biodiversity is poorly understood. Here, the threat degree of human expansion to biodiversity over 2000 to 2020 in Asia at the continental (Asia), national (48 Asian countries), and hotspot (6,502 Asian terrestrial PAs established before 2000) scales is investigated by integrating multiple large-scale data. The results show that human expansion poses widespread threat to biodiversity in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia, Cambodia, and Vietnam having the largest threat degrees (∼1.5 to 1.7 times of the Asian average level). Human expansion in highlands induces higher threats to biodiversity than that in lowlands in one-third Asian countries (most Southeast Asian countries). The regions with threats to biodiversity are present in ∼75% terrestrial PAs (including 4,866 PAs in 26 countries), and human expansion in PAs triggers higher threat degrees to biodiversity than that in non-PAs. Our findings provide novel insight for the Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG-15 Life on Land) and suggest that human expansion in Southeast Asian countries and PAs might hinder the realization of SDG-15. To reduce the threat degree, Asian developing countries should accelerate economic transformation, and the developed countries in the world should reduce the demands for commodity trade in Southeast Asian countries (i.e., trade leading to the loss of wildlife habitats) to alleviate human expansion, especially in PAs and highlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Yang
- MNR Key Laboratory for Geo-Environmental Monitoring of Great Bay Area & Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urban Informatics & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Spatial Smart Sensing and Services, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- School of Architecture and Urban Planning,
Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Qingquan Li
- MNR Key Laboratory for Geo-Environmental Monitoring of Great Bay Area & Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urban Informatics & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Spatial Smart Sensing and Services, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- College of Civil and Transportation Engineering,
Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Guangdong Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy (SZ), Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Xuqing Wang
- Center for Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, China Geological Survey, Baoding 071051, China
| | - Aihong Cui
- Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 999077, China
| | - Junyi Chen
- Faculty of Land Resource Engineering,
Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
| | - Huizeng Liu
- MNR Key Laboratory for Geo-Environmental Monitoring of Great Bay Area & Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urban Informatics & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Spatial Smart Sensing and Services, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Institute for Advanced Study and Tiandu-Shenzhen University Deep Space Joint Laboratory, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Wei Ma
- School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China
| | - Xuanyan Dong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Tiezhu Shi
- MNR Key Laboratory for Geo-Environmental Monitoring of Great Bay Area & Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urban Informatics & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Spatial Smart Sensing and Services, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- School of Architecture and Urban Planning,
Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Fanyi Meng
- MNR Key Laboratory for Geo-Environmental Monitoring of Great Bay Area & Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urban Informatics & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Spatial Smart Sensing and Services, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- College of Civil and Transportation Engineering,
Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiaohu Yan
- School of Artificial Intelligence,
Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Kai Ding
- School of Computer Science and Technology,
Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523419, China
| | - Guofeng Wu
- MNR Key Laboratory for Geo-Environmental Monitoring of Great Bay Area & Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urban Informatics & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Spatial Smart Sensing and Services, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- School of Architecture and Urban Planning,
Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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14
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Ulyshen M, Urban-Mead KR, Dorey JB, Rivers JW. Forests are critically important to global pollinator diversity and enhance pollination in adjacent crops. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1118-1141. [PMID: 36879466 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12947] [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: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Although the importance of natural habitats to pollinator diversity is widely recognized, the value of forests to pollinating insects has been largely overlooked in many parts of the world. In this review, we (i) establish the importance of forests to global pollinator diversity, (ii) explore the relationship between forest cover and pollinator diversity in mixed-use landscapes, and (iii) highlight the contributions of forest-associated pollinators to pollination in adjacent crops. The literature shows unambiguously that native forests support a large number of forest-dependent species and are thus critically important to global pollinator diversity. Many pollinator taxa require or benefit greatly from resources that are restricted to forests, such as floral resources provided by forest plants (including wind-pollinated trees), dead wood for nesting, tree resins, and various non-floral sugar sources (e.g. honeydew). Although landscape-scale studies generally support the conclusion that forests enhance pollinator diversity, findings are often complicated by spatial scale, focal taxa, landscape context, temporal context, forest type, disturbance history, and external stressors. While some forest loss can be beneficial to pollinators by enhancing habitat complementarity, too much can result in the near-elimination of forest-associated species. There is strong evidence from studies of multiple crop types that forest cover can substantially increase yields in adjacent habitats, at least within the foraging ranges of the pollinators involved. The literature also suggests that forests may have enhanced importance to pollinators in the future given their role in mitigating the negative effects of pesticides and climate change. Many questions remain about the amount and configuration of forest cover required to promote the diversity of forest-associated pollinators and their services within forests and in neighbouring habitats. However, it is clear from the current body of knowledge that any effort to preserve native woody habitats, including the protection of individual trees, will benefit pollinating insects and help maintain the critical services they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ulyshen
- USDA Forest Service, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Katherine R Urban-Mead
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Avenue, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Columbus, NJ, 08022, USA
| | - James B Dorey
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - James W Rivers
- Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management, Oregon State University, 3100 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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15
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Ma J, Li J, Wu W, Liu J. Global forest fragmentation change from 2000 to 2020. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3752. [PMID: 37433782 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39221-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive quantification of global forest fragmentation is urgently required to guide forest protection, restoration and reforestation policies. Previous efforts focused on the static distribution patterns of forest remnants, potentially neglecting dynamic changes in forest landscapes. Here, we map global distribution of forest fragments and their temporal changes between 2000 and 2020. We find that forest landscapes in the tropics were relatively intact, yet these areas experienced the most severe fragmentation over the past two decades. In contrast, 75.1% of the world's forests experienced a decrease in fragmentation, and forest fragmentation in most fragmented temperate and subtropical regions, mainly in northern Eurasia and South China, declined between 2000 and 2020. We also identify eight modes of fragmentation that indicate different recovery or degradation states. Our findings underscore the need to curb deforestation and increase connectivity among forest fragments, especially in tropical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversty Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, #2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Jiawei Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversty Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, #2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Wanben Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversty Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, #2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jiajia Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversty Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, #2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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16
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Peptenatu D, Andronache I, Ahammer H, Radulovic M, Costanza JK, Jelinek HF, Di Ieva A, Koyama K, Grecu A, Gruia AK, Simion AG, Nedelcu ID, Olteanu C, Drăghici CC, Marin M, Diaconu DC, Fensholt R, Newman EA. A new fractal index to classify forest fragmentation and disorder. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2023; 38:1373-1393. [DOI: 10.1007/s10980-023-01640-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Context
Forest loss and fragmentation pose extreme threats to biodiversity. Their efficient characterization from remotely sensed data therefore has strong practical implications. Data are often separately analyzed for spatial fragmentation and disorder, but no existing metric simultaneously quantifies both the shape and arrangement of fragments.
Objectives
We present a fractal fragmentation and disorder index (FFDI), which advances a previously developed fractal index by merging it with the Rényi information dimension. The FFDI is designed to work across spatial scales, and to efficiently report both the fragmentation of images and their spatial disorder.
Methods
We validate the FFDI with 12,600 synthetic hierarchically structured random map (HRM) multiscale images, as well as several other categories of fractal and non-fractal test images (4880 images). We then apply the FFDI to satellite imagery of forest cover for 10 distinct regions of the Romanian Carpathian Mountains from 2000–2021.
Results
The FFDI outperformed its two individual components (fractal fragmentation index and Rényi information dimension) in resolving spatial patterns of disorder and fragmentation when tested on HRM classes and other image types. The FFDI thus offers a clear advantage when compared to the individual use of fractal fragmentation index and the Information Dimension, and provided good classification performance in an application to real data.
Conclusions
This work improves on previous characterizations of landscape patterns. With the FFDI, scientists will be able to better monitor and understand forest fragmentation from satellite imagery. The FFDI may also find wider applicability in biology wherever image analysis is used.
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17
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Coddington CPJ, Cooper WJ, Mokross K, Luther DA. Forest structure predicts species richness and functional diversity in Amazonian mixed‐species bird flocks. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles P. J. Coddington
- Biology Department George Mason University Fairfax Virginia USA
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - W. Justin Cooper
- Biology Department George Mason University Fairfax Virginia USA
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Karl Mokross
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
- Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Paulista ‘Júlio de Mesquita Filho’ Rio Claro Brazil
- School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
| | - David A. Luther
- Biology Department George Mason University Fairfax Virginia USA
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
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18
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Pourtois JD, Tallam K, Jones I, Hyde E, Chamberlin AJ, Evans MV, Ihantamalala FA, Cordier LF, Razafinjato BR, Rakotonanahary RJL, Tsirinomen'ny Aina A, Soloniaina P, Raholiarimanana SH, Razafinjato C, Bonds MH, De Leo GA, Sokolow SH, Garchitorena A. Climatic, land-use and socio-economic factors can predict malaria dynamics at fine spatial scales relevant to local health actors: Evidence from rural Madagascar. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001607. [PMID: 36963091 PMCID: PMC10021226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
While much progress has been achieved over the last decades, malaria surveillance and control remain a challenge in countries with limited health care access and resources. High-resolution predictions of malaria incidence using routine surveillance data could represent a powerful tool to health practitioners by targeting malaria control activities where and when they are most needed. Here, we investigate the predictors of spatio-temporal malaria dynamics in rural Madagascar, estimated from facility-based passive surveillance data. Specifically, this study integrates climate, land-use, and representative household survey data to explain and predict malaria dynamics at a high spatial resolution (i.e., by Fokontany, a cluster of villages) relevant to health care practitioners. Combining generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) and path analyses, we found that socio-economic, land use and climatic variables are all important predictors of monthly malaria incidence at fine spatial scales, via both direct and indirect effects. In addition, out-of-sample predictions from our model were able to identify 58% of the Fokontany in the top quintile for malaria incidence and account for 77% of the variation in the Fokontany incidence rank. These results suggest that it is possible to build a predictive framework using environmental and social predictors that can be complementary to standard surveillance systems and help inform control strategies by field actors at local scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie D Pourtois
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States of America
| | - Krti Tallam
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Isabel Jones
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Hyde
- School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Andrew J Chamberlin
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States of America
| | - Michelle V Evans
- MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Felana A Ihantamalala
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- NGO Pivot, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
| | | | | | - Rado J L Rakotonanahary
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- NGO Pivot, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
| | | | | | | | - Celestin Razafinjato
- Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme, Ministère de la Santé Publique, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Matthew H Bonds
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- NGO Pivot, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
| | - Giulio A De Leo
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States of America
| | - Susanne H Sokolow
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Marine Science Institute and Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - Andres Garchitorena
- MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- NGO Pivot, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
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19
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Ibanez T, Platt WJ, Bellingham PJ, Vieilledent G, Franklin J, Martin PH, Menkes C, Pérez-Salicrup DR, Russell-Smith J, Keppel G. Altered cyclone-fire interactions are changing ecosystems. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:1218-1230. [PMID: 36244895 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Global change is altering interactions between ecological disturbances. We review interactions between tropical cyclones and fires that affect woody biomes in many islands and coastal areas. Cyclone-induced damage to trees can increase fuel loads on the ground and dryness in the understory, which increases the likelihood, intensity, and area of subsequent fires. In forest biomes, cyclone-fire interactions may initiate a grass-fire cycle and establish stable open-canopy biomes. In cyclone-prone regions, frequent cyclone-enhanced fires may generate and maintain stable open-canopy biomes (e.g., savannas and woodlands). We discuss how global change is transforming fire and cyclone regimes, extensively altering cyclone-fire interactions. These altered cyclone-fire interactions are shifting biomes away from historical states and causing loss of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ibanez
- AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - William J Platt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Peter J Bellingham
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Janet Franklin
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Department of Geography, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Patrick H Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Christophe Menkes
- ENTROPIE, UMR 9220, IRD, Univ. de la Réunion, CNRS, 101 Promenade Roger Laroque, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Diego R Pérez-Salicrup
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Jeremy Russell-Smith
- Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, 0909, Northern Territory, Australia; International Savanna Fire Management Initiative (ISFMI), Level 4, 346 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Gunnar Keppel
- UniSA STEM and Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
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20
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Edge effects and vertical stratification of aerial insectivorous bats across the interface of primary-secondary Amazonian rainforest. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274637. [PMID: 36149843 PMCID: PMC9506665 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Edge effects, abiotic and biotic changes associated with habitat boundaries, are key drivers of community change in fragmented landscapes. Their influence is heavily modulated by matrix composition. With over half of the world’s tropical forests predicted to become forest edge by the end of the century, it is paramount that conservationists gain a better understanding of how tropical biota is impacted by edge gradients. Bats comprise a large fraction of tropical mammalian fauna and are demonstrably sensitive to habitat modification. Yet, knowledge about how bat assemblages are affected by edge effects remains scarce. Capitalizing on a whole-ecosystem manipulation in the Central Amazon, the aims of this study were to i) assess the consequences of edge effects for twelve aerial insectivorous bat species across the interface of primary and secondary forest, and ii) investigate if the activity levels of these species differed between the understory and canopy and if they were modulated by distance from the edge. Acoustic surveys were conducted along four 2-km transects, each traversing equal parts of primary and ca. 30-year-old secondary forest. Five models were used to assess the changes in the relative activity of forest specialists (three species), flexible forest foragers (three species), and edge foragers (six species). Modelling results revealed limited evidence of edge effects, except for forest specialists in the understory. No significant differences in activity were found between the secondary or primary forest but almost all species exhibited pronounced vertical stratification. Previously defined bat guilds appear to hold here as our study highlights that forest bats are more edge-sensitive than edge foraging bats. The absence of pronounced edge effects and the comparable activity levels between primary and old secondary forests indicates that old secondary forest can help ameliorate the consequences of fragmentation on tropical aerial insectivorous bats.
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Estrada A, Garber PA, Gouveia S, Fernández-Llamazares Á, Ascensão F, Fuentes A, Garnett ST, Shaffer C, Bicca-Marques J, Fa JE, Hockings K, Shanee S, Johnson S, Shepard GH, Shanee N, Golden CD, Cárdenas-Navarrete A, Levey DR, Boonratana R, Dobrovolski R, Chaudhary A, Ratsimbazafy J, Supriatna J, Kone I, Volampeno S. Global importance of Indigenous Peoples, their lands, and knowledge systems for saving the world's primates from extinction. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn2927. [PMID: 35947670 PMCID: PMC9365284 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn2927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Primates, represented by 521 species, are distributed across 91 countries primarily in the Neotropic, Afrotropic, and Indo-Malayan realms. Primates inhabit a wide range of habitats and play critical roles in sustaining healthy ecosystems that benefit human and nonhuman communities. Approximately 68% of primate species are threatened with extinction because of global pressures to convert their habitats for agricultural production and the extraction of natural resources. Here, we review the scientific literature and conduct a spatial analysis to assess the significance of Indigenous Peoples' lands in safeguarding primate biodiversity. We found that Indigenous Peoples' lands account for 30% of the primate range, and 71% of primate species inhabit these lands. As their range on these lands increases, primate species are less likely to be classified as threatened or have declining populations. Safeguarding Indigenous Peoples' lands, languages, and cultures represents our greatest chance to prevent the extinction of the world's primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Estrada
- Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Paul A. Garber
- Department of Anthropology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sidney Gouveia
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão - SE, Brazil
| | | | - Fernando Ascensão
- cE3c—Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C2, 5° Piso, Sala 2.5.46, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Agustin Fuentes
- Department of Anthropology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Stephen T. Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, College of Engineering, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
| | - Christopher Shaffer
- Department of Anthropology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
| | | | - Julia E. Fa
- School of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), CIFOR Headquarters, Bogor 16115, Indonesia
| | | | - Sam Shanee
- Neotropical Primate Conservation, London, UK
| | - Steig Johnson
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Glenn H. Shepard
- Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Belém do Para, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Antropologia Social, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
- Department of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5102, USA
| | | | - Christopher D. Golden
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Dallas R. Levey
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- National Autonomous University of Mexico, Institute of Biology, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Ramesh Boonratana
- Mahidol University International College, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | | | - Abhishek Chaudhary
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
| | - Jonah Ratsimbazafy
- Groupe d’étude et de recherche sur les primates (Gerp), Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Jatna Supriatna
- Graduate Program in Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, University of Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
| | - Inza Kone
- Centre Suisse des Recherches Scientifiques, Université de Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
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Anderson JA, McClean CJ, Sim S, Pettorelli N, Jelling A, Tangah J, Hill JK. Weak edge effects on trees in Bornean rainforest remnants bordering oil palm. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jake A. Anderson
- Department of Biology, Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity University of York York UK
| | - Colin J. McClean
- Department of Environment and Geography University of York York UK
| | - Sarah Sim
- Unilever Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre Unilever R&D Sharnbrook UK
| | | | - Ahmad Jelling
- South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership Danum Valley Field Centre Sabah Malaysia
| | - Joseph Tangah
- Sabah Forestry Department Forest Research Centre Sabah Malaysia
| | - Jane K. Hill
- Department of Biology, Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity University of York York UK
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23
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Forest Habitat Fragmentation in Mountain Protected Areas Using Historical Corona KH-9 and Sentinel-2 Satellite Imagery. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14112593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Forest habitat fragmentation is one of the global environmental issues of concern as a result of forest management practices and socioeconomic drivers. In this context, a constant evaluation of natural habitat conditions still remains a challenge in order to achieve a general image of the environmental state of a protected area for proper sustainable management. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the evolution of forest habitat in the last 40 years, focusing on Bucegi Natural Park, one of the most frequented protected areas in Romania, as relevant for highly human-impacted areas. Our approach integrates a historical panchromatic Corona KH-9 image from 1977 and present-day Sentinel-2 multispectral data from 2020 in order to calculate a series of spatial metrics that reveal changes in the pattern of the forest habitat and illustrate forest habitat fragmentation density. Object-based oriented analysis with supervised maximum likelihood classification was employed for the production of forest cover fragmentation maps. Ten landscape metrics were adapted to the analysis context, from patch statistics to proximity index. The results show a general growth of the forest surface but also an increase in habitat fragmentation in areas where tourism was developed. Fragmentation indices explain that larger and compact patches feature natural park protected forests after the spruce–fir secondary canopies were grown during the last 4–5 decades. The number of patches decreased to half, and their average size is double that of before. The method can be of extensive use for environmental monitoring in protected areas management and for understanding the environmental history connected to present-day problems that are to be fixed under rising human pressure.
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24
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Zhu S, Liu J, Xu H, Li L, Yang W. Has China's New Round of Collective Forest Reforms Reduced Forest Fragmentation? A Case Study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19106183. [PMID: 35627718 PMCID: PMC9140760 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The new wave of reform of collective forestland tenure (NRCFT) in China is considered an important policy for achieving sustainable management of forest resources. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of NRCFT on forest fragmentation in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China based on a fixed-effects model. The forest fragmentation was analyzed based on the remote sensing images of Landsat and landscape pattern indices in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2000 to 2018. The results showed that (1) The NRCFT has significantly contributed to reducing forest fragmentation. (2) The effect of economic growth on forest fragmentation showed an inverted U-shape. (3) The implementation of the Grain for Green Program (GGP) and the transformation of rural energy consumption significantly reduce the degree of forest fragmentation. This study has crucial implications for formulating policies, achieving good forest governance, and reducing forest fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuning Zhu
- School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (S.Z.); (J.L.); (H.X.)
| | - Jinlong Liu
- School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (S.Z.); (J.L.); (H.X.)
| | - Hao Xu
- School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (S.Z.); (J.L.); (H.X.)
| | - Lingchao Li
- School of Economics & Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (W.Y.)
| | - Wentao Yang
- School of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (W.Y.)
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25
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Herbivory Rather than Root Competition and Environmental Factors Determines Plant Establishment in Fragmented Forests. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13050767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In fragmented forests, many factors can affect plant community establishment, including abiotic factors, below-ground root competition, aboveground seed predation, and seedling herbivory. Little is known about the relative effects of biotic and abiotic factors affecting the initial stage of seedling establishment: seed gemmation and early seedling survival. Here, we carried out a root competition exclusion experiment and a herbivory (including seed predation) exclusion experiment on 11 islands in Thousand Island Lake, China, using four native woody plant species that differed in functional traits (e.g., seed mass and dominance). The dominant species on islands showed the highest seedling survival, and there was no significant linear relationship between the proportion of surviving seedlings and island area under either treatment for any species. Compared to the control and excluding root competition treatments, excluding seed predation and herbivory significantly increased seedling survival after controlling for the environmental factors. However, abiotic factors had no effect on early seedling establishment. Our results suggest that seedling regeneration of rare species in fragmented ecosystems may be limited and that seedlings may be more susceptible to predators and herbivores in fragmented ecosystems. These results have significant implications for the conservation of plant diversity in fragmented forests.
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26
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Habitat preferences, estimated abundance and behavior of tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax sp.) in fragmented montane forests of Taita Hills, Kenya. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6331. [PMID: 35428748 PMCID: PMC9012809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10235-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied a previously almost unknown nocturnal mammal, an apparently undescribed species of tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax sp.) in the moist montane forests of Taita Hills, Kenya. We used thermal imaging to locate tree hyraxes, observe their behavior, and to identify woody plants most frequently visited by the selective browsers. We also documented acoustic behavior in forest fragments of different sizes. Data on calling type and frequency were analyzed together with lidar data to estimate population densities and to identify forest stand characteristics associated with large populations. Viable populations were found only in the largest forest fragments (> 90 ha), where tree hyraxes preferred most pristine forest stands with high, multilayered canopies. The estimated population sizes in smaller forest fragments were very limited, and hyraxes were heard to call only during late night and early morning hours, presumably in order to avoid detection. While we frequently recorded tree hyrax songs in the largest forest fragments, we almost never heard songs in the small ones. All remaining subpopulations of the Taita tree hyrax are under threat of human disturbance and further habitat deterioration. Conservation efforts should include protection of all remaining habitat patches, but also reforestation of former habitat is urgently needed.
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27
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Li Y, Brando PM, Morton DC, Lawrence DM, Yang H, Randerson JT. Deforestation-induced climate change reduces carbon storage in remaining tropical forests. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1964. [PMID: 35413947 PMCID: PMC9005651 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29601-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Biophysical effects from deforestation have the potential to amplify carbon losses but are often neglected in carbon accounting systems. Here we use both Earth system model simulations and satellite-derived estimates of aboveground biomass to assess losses of vegetation carbon caused by the influence of tropical deforestation on regional climate across different continents. In the Amazon, warming and drying arising from deforestation result in an additional 5.1 ± 3.7% loss of aboveground biomass. Biophysical effects also amplify carbon losses in the Congo (3.8 ± 2.5%) but do not lead to significant additional carbon losses in tropical Asia due to its high levels of annual mean precipitation. These findings indicate that tropical forests may be undervalued in carbon accounting systems that neglect climate feedbacks from surface biophysical changes and that the positive carbon-climate feedback from deforestation-driven climate change is higher than the feedback originating from fossil fuel emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Li
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Paulo M Brando
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Douglas C Morton
- Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | | | - Hui Yang
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - James T Randerson
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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28
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Forest Ecosystem Fragmentation in Ecuador: Challenges for Sustainable Land Use in the Tropical Andean. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11020287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Natural ecosystems are declining and fragmenting globally at unprecedented rates. Fragmentation of natural ecosystems leads to decline in functions and services with severe impact on people. In Ecuador, despite establishment of the nationwide ecosystem classification, this baseline information has not been fully exploited to generate a monitoring system for ecosystem changes. Forest ecosystems are altered daily in Ecuador by human impact, but the relationship between forest fragmentation and human land use has not been adequately explored. To provide an overview of how recent forest fragmentation at the national and ecosystem level was affected by practices in human land use, we quantified the degree of forest fragmentation using the forest fragmentation index (FFI). The relationship between the degree of forest ecosystem fragmentation and human land use of 64 natural forest ecosystems was analyzed during the time period 1990 to 2014. At the national level, the expansion of pasture and inhabited area significantly increased forest fragmentation. The regression models based on the FFI value indicated that the forest fragmentation was highly correlated to pastures in forest ecosystems with low, moderate, and high fragmentation in 2014 due to a progressive increase in pastures. This study showed the critical gaps between forest conservation strategies and actual practices in human land use.
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29
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The Contribution of Trees Outside of Forests to Landscape Carbon and Climate Change Mitigation in West Africa. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12121652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While closed canopy forests have been an important focal point for land cover change monitoring and climate change mitigation, less consideration has been given to methods for large scale measurements of trees outside of forests. Trees outside of forests are an important but often overlooked natural resource throughout sub-Saharan Africa, providing benefits for livelihoods as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation. In this study, the development of an individual tree cover map using very high-resolution remote sensing and a comparison with a new automated machine learning mapping product revealed an important contribution of trees outside of forests to landscape tree cover and carbon stocks in a region where trees outside of forests are important components of livelihood systems. Here, we test and demonstrate the use of allometric scaling from remote sensing crown area to provide estimates of landscape-scale carbon stocks. Prominent biomass and carbon maps from global-scale remote sensing greatly underestimate the “invisible” carbon in these sparse tree-based systems. The measurement of tree cover and carbon in these landscapes has important application in climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.
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30
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A Novel Approach for Forest Fragmentation Susceptibility Mapping and Assessment: A Case Study from the Indian Himalayan Region. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13204090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An estimation of where forest fragmentation is likely to occur is critically important for improving the integrity of the forest landscape. We prepare a forest fragmentation susceptibility map for the first time by developing an integrated model and identify its causative factors in the forest landscape. Our proposed model is based upon the synergistic use of the earth observation data, forest fragmentation approach, patch forests, causative factors, and the weight-of-evidence (WOE) method in a Geographical Information System (GIS) platform. We evaluate the applicability of the proposed model in the Indian Himalayan region, a region of rich biodiversity and environmental significance in the Indian subcontinent. To obtain a forest fragmentation susceptibility map, we used patch forests as past evidence of completely degraded forests. Subsequently, we used these patch forests in the WOE method to assign the standardized weight value to each class of causative factors tested by the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) method. Finally, we prepare a forest fragmentation susceptibility map and classify it into five levels: very low, low, medium, high, and very high and test its validity using 30% randomly selected patch forests. Our study reveals that around 40% of the study area is highly susceptible to forest fragmentation. This study identifies that forest fragmentation is more likely to occur if proximity to built-up areas, roads, agricultural lands, and streams is low, whereas it is less likely to occur in higher altitude zones (more than 2000 m a.s.l.). Additionally, forest fragmentation will likely occur in areas mainly facing south, east, southwest, and southeast directions and on very gentle and gentle slopes (less than 25 degrees). This study identifies Himalayan moist temperate and pine forests as being likely to be most affected by forest fragmentation in the future. The results suggest that the study area would experience more forest fragmentation in the future, meaning loss of forest landscape integrity and rich biodiversity in the Indian Himalayan region. Our integrated model achieved a prediction accuracy of 88.7%, indicating good accuracy of the model. This study will be helpful to minimize forest fragmentation and improve the integrity of the forest landscape by implementing forest restoration and reforestation schemes.
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