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Ballarín J, García-Serrano A, Herrero J, Reiné R. Shepherds View of Large Carnivore Recovery in the Pyrenees, Spain. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2088. [PMID: 37443885 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The studied farms are small family businesses, and so, in more than half of the cases, their continuity is not guaranteed. Livestock management is typical of a mountain system, in which the animals graze throughout the year in cultivated fields, sown meadows, forests near the farms, and mountain pastures during the three summer months. The herds always have the constant surveillance of a shepherd. Farmers consider the current infrastructure present in mountain grasslands insufficient to facilitate the management and care of their herd. Their activity conflicts with various species of wildlife, such as the wild boar, Sus scrofa, roe deer, Capreolus capreolus, or griffon vulture, Gyps fulvus, and large carnivores such as the brown bear, Ursus arctos, or the grey wolf Canis lupus, despite all of them taking preventive measures to defend their herds from predators. The most widely used prevention measures are the presence of mastiff dogs, Canis lupus familiaris, next to the herds and the use of electric fencing to lock up livestock at night. Farmers reject the presence of bears and wolves in their area, considering it a real threat to the continuity of their economic activity, which presents a high degree of vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Ballarín
- Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Zaragoza, E-22071 Huesca, Spain
| | | | - Juan Herrero
- Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Zaragoza, E-22071 Huesca, Spain
| | - Ramón Reiné
- Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Zaragoza, E-22071 Huesca, Spain
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Xu D, Zhang J, Bao R, Liao Y, Han D, Liu Q, Cheng T. Temporal and Spatial Variation of Aboveground Biomass of Pinus densata and Its Drivers in Shangri-La, CHINA. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:400. [PMID: 35010660 PMCID: PMC8744714 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the drivers of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is essential to further understanding the forest carbon cycle. In the upper Yangtze River region, where ecosystems are incredibly fragile, the driving factors that make AGB changes differ from other regions. This study aims to investigate AGB's spatial and temporal variation of Pinus densata in Shangri-La and decompose the direct and indirect effects of spatial attribute, climate, stand structure, and agricultural activity on AGB in Shangri-La to evaluate the degree of influence of each factor on AGB change. The continuous sample plots from National Forest Inventory (NFI) and Landsat time series were used to estimate the AGB in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. The structural equation model (SEM) was used to analyze the different effects of the four factors on AGB based on five scales: entire, 1987-2002, 2007-2017, low population density, and high population density. The results are as follows: (1) The AGB of Pinus densata in Shangri-La decreased from 1987 to 2017, with the total amount falling from 9.52 million tons to 7.41 million tons, and the average AGB falling from 55.49 t/ha to 40.10 t/ha. (2) At different scales, stand structure and climate were the drivers that directly affect the AGB change. In contrast, the agricultural activity had a negative direct effect on the AGB change, and spatial attribute had a relatively small indirect effect on the AGB change. (3) Analyzing the SEM results at different scales, the change of the contribution of the agricultural activity indicates that human activity is the main negative driver of AGB change in Shangri-La, especially at the high population density region. In contrast, the change of the contribution of the stand structure and climate indicates that the loss of old trees has an important influence on the AGB change. Forest resources here and other ecologically fragile areas should be gradually restored by adhering to policies, such as strengthening forest protection, improving forest stand quality, and limiting agricultural production activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongfan Xu
- Faculty of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (D.X.); (R.B.); (Y.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Jialong Zhang
- Faculty of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (D.X.); (R.B.); (Y.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Rui Bao
- Faculty of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (D.X.); (R.B.); (Y.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Yi Liao
- Faculty of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (D.X.); (R.B.); (Y.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Dongyang Han
- Faculty of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (D.X.); (R.B.); (Y.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Qianwei Liu
- Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650092, China;
| | - Tao Cheng
- National Geomatics Center of China, Beijing 100089, China;
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Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019). REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13153019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Conservation and policy agendas, such as the European Biodiversity strategy, Aichi biodiversity (target 5) and Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), are overlooking the progress made in mountain grassland cover conservation by 2020, which has significant socio-ecological implications to Europe. However, because the existing data near 2020 is scarce, the shifting character of mountain grasslands remains poorly characterized, and even less is known about the conservation outcomes because of different governance regimes and map uncertainty. Our study used Landsat satellite imagery over a transboundary mountain region in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula (Peneda-Gerês) to shed light on these aspects. Supervised classifications with a multiple classifier ensemble approach (MCE) were performed, with post classification comparison of maps established and bias-corrected to identify the trajectory in grassland cover, including protected and unprotected governance regimes. By analysing class-allocation (Shannon entropy), creating 95% confidence intervals for the area estimates, and evaluating the class-allocation thematic accuracy relationship, we characterized uncertainty in the findings. The bias-corrected estimates suggest that the positive progress claimed internationally by 2020 was not achieved. Our null hypothesis to declare a positive progress (at least equality in the proportion of grassland cover of 2019 and 2002) was rejected (X2 = 1972.1, df = 1, p < 0.001). The majority of grassland cover remained stable (67.1 ± 10.1 relative to 2002), but loss (−32.8 ± 7.1% relative to 2002 grasslands cover) overcame gain areas (+11.4 ± 6.6%), indicating net loss as the prevailing pattern over the transboundary study area (−21.4%). This feature prevailed at all extents of analysis (lowlands, −22.9%; mountains, −17.9%; mountains protected, −14.4%; mountains unprotected, −19.7%). The results also evidenced that mountain protected governance regimes experienced a lower decline in grassland extent compared to unprotected. Shannon entropy values were also significantly lower in correctly classified validation sites (z = −5.69, p = 0.0001, n = 708) suggesting a relationship between the quality of pixel assignment and thematic accuracy. We therefore encourage a post-2020 conservation and policy action to safeguard mountain grasslands by enhancing the role of protected governance regimes. To reduce uncertainty, grassland gain mapping requires additional remote sensing research to find the most adequate spatial and temporal data resolution to retrieve this process.
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Espunyes J, Lurgi M, Büntgen U, Bartolomé J, Antonio Calleja J, Gálvez-Cerón A, Peñuelas J, Claramunt-López B, Serrano E. Different effects of alpine woody plant expansion on domestic and wild ungulates. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1808-1819. [PMID: 30737872 PMCID: PMC6522367 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Changes in land-use and climate affect the distribution and diversity of plant and animal species at different spatiotemporal scales. The extent to which species-specific phenotypic plasticity and biotic interactions mediate organismal adaptation to changing environments, however, remains poorly understood. Woody plant expansion is threatening the extent of alpine grasslands worldwide, and evaluating and predicting its effects on herbivores is of crucial importance. Here, we explore the impact of shrubification on the feeding efficiency of Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica), as well as on the three most abundant coexisting domestic ungulate species: cattle, sheep and horses. We use observational diet composition from May to October and model different scenarios of vegetation availability where shrubland and woodland proliferate at the expense of grassland. We then predicted if the four ungulate species could efficiently utilize their food landscapes with their current dietary specificities measuring their niche breath in each scenario. We observed that the wild counterpart, due to a higher trophic plasticity, is less disturbed by shrubification compared to livestock, which rely primarily on herbaceous plants and will be affected 3.6 times more. Our results suggest that mixed feeders, such as chamois, could benefit from fallow landscapes, and that mountain farmers are at a growing economic risk worldwide due to changing land-use practices and climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Espunyes
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Lurgi
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling. Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS-Paul Sabatier University, Moulis, France
| | - Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Global Change Research Centre (CzechGlobe), Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jordi Bartolomé
- Grup de Recerca en Remugants, Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelon, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Antonio Calleja
- Unitat de botánica, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Arturo Gálvez-Cerón
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Facultad de ciencias pecuarias, Universidad de Nariño, Pasto, Colombia
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Bernat Claramunt-López
- CREAF, Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals, Edifici Ciències, Bellaterra Catalunya, Spain
- Unitat d’Ecologia, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Ciències, Bellaterra Catalunya, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Nadal-Romero E, Otal-Laín I, Lasanta T, Sánchez-Navarrete P, Errea P, Cammeraat E. Woody encroachment and soil carbon stocks in subalpine areas in the Central Spanish Pyrenees. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 636:727-736. [PMID: 29727840 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Woody encroachment has been an ongoing process in the subalpine belt of Mediterranean mountains, after land abandonment, the disappearance of the transhumant system and the decrease of the livestock number. The main objectives of this study were: (i) to identify land use/land cover (LULC) changes from 1956 to 2015, and (ii) to investigate the effects of LULC changes in physical and chemical soil properties and soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) stocks. It is hypothesized that woody encroachment in the subalpine belt may lead to significant changes in soil properties, and will generate an increase in the SOC stocks. A land use gradient was identified in the subalpine belt of the Central Spanish Pyrenees: (i) subalpine grasslands, (ii) shrublands, (iii) young forests, and (iv) old forests. Mineral soil samples were collected every 10 cm, down to 40 cm, at three points per each LULC and a total of 48 samples were analyzed. The results showed that (i) woody encroachment has occurred from 1956 to 2015 due to the expansion of coniferous forests and shrublands (at the expense of grasslands), (ii) land cover and soil depth had significant effects on soil properties (except for pH), being larger in the uppermost 0-10 cm depth, (iii) SOC and N contents and stocks were higher in the grassland sites, and (iv) the woody encroachment process initially produced a decrease in the SOC stocks (shrublands), but no differences were observed considering the complete soil profile between grasslands and young and old forests. Further studies, describing SOC stabilization and quantifying above-ground carbon (shrub and tree biomass) are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Nadal-Romero
- Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Ambientales, Departamento de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Procesos Geoambientales y Cambio Global, IPE-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - I Otal-Laín
- Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Ambientales, Departamento de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - T Lasanta
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Procesos Geoambientales y Cambio Global, IPE-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - P Sánchez-Navarrete
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Procesos Geoambientales y Cambio Global, IPE-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - P Errea
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Procesos Geoambientales y Cambio Global, IPE-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - E Cammeraat
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics Department, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Assessing Land Use-Cover Changes and Modelling Change Scenarios in Two Mountain Spanish National Parks. ENVIRONMENTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/environments4040079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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