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Biodiversity and carbon sequestration potential in two types of tropical rainforest, Cameroon. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Soto-Navarro C, Ravilious C, Arnell A, de Lamo X, Harfoot M, Hill SLL, Wearn OR, Santoro M, Bouvet A, Mermoz S, Le Toan T, Xia J, Liu S, Yuan W, Spawn SA, Gibbs HK, Ferrier S, Harwood T, Alkemade R, Schipper AM, Schmidt-Traub G, Strassburg B, Miles L, Burgess ND, Kapos V. Mapping co-benefits for carbon storage and biodiversity to inform conservation policy and action. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190128. [PMID: 31983334 PMCID: PMC7017768 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrated high-resolution maps of carbon stocks and biodiversity that identify areas of potential co-benefits for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation can help facilitate the implementation of global climate and biodiversity commitments at local levels. However, the multi-dimensional nature of biodiversity presents a major challenge for understanding, mapping and communicating where and how biodiversity benefits coincide with climate benefits. A new integrated approach to biodiversity is therefore needed. Here, we (a) present a new high-resolution map of global above- and below-ground carbon stored in biomass and soil, (b) quantify biodiversity values using two complementary indices (BIp and BIr) representing proactive and reactive approaches to conservation, and (c) examine patterns of carbon-biodiversity overlap by identifying 'hotspots' (20% highest values for both aspects). Our indices integrate local diversity and ecosystem intactness, as well as regional ecosystem intactness across the broader area supporting a similar natural assemblage of species to the location of interest. The western Amazon Basin, Central Africa and Southeast Asia capture the last strongholds of highest local biodiversity and ecosystem intactness worldwide, while the last refuges for unique biological communities whose habitats have been greatly reduced are mostly found in the tropical Andes and central Sundaland. There is 38 and 5% overlap in carbon and biodiversity hotspots, for proactive and reactive conservation, respectively. Alarmingly, only around 12 and 21% of these proactive and reactive hotspot areas, respectively, are formally protected. This highlights that a coupled approach is urgently needed to help achieve both climate and biodiversity global targets. This would involve (1) restoring and conserving unprotected, degraded ecosystems, particularly in the Neotropics and Indomalaya, and (2) retaining the remaining strongholds of intactness. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Soto-Navarro
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
- Luc Hoffmann Institute, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
| | - C. Ravilious
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
| | - A. Arnell
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
| | - X. de Lamo
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
| | - M. Harfoot
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
| | - S. L. L. Hill
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - O. R. Wearn
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - M. Santoro
- Gamma Remote Sensing, Worbstrasse 225, 3073 Gümligen, Switzerland
| | - A. Bouvet
- CESBIO, Edouard Belin, 31401 Toulouse, France
| | - S. Mermoz
- GlobEO, Avenue Saint-Exupery, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - T. Le Toan
- CESBIO, Edouard Belin, 31401 Toulouse, France
| | - J. Xia
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, People's Republic of China
| | - S. Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry and Ecology in Southern China, College of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University of Forest and Technology, Changsha 410004, People's Republic of China
| | - W. Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - S. A. Spawn
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Centre for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - H. K. Gibbs
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Centre for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - S. Ferrier
- CSIRO, GPO BOX 1700, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - T. Harwood
- CSIRO, GPO BOX 1700, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - R. Alkemade
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, PO Box 30314, 2500 GH The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - A. M. Schipper
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, PO Box 30314, 2500 GH The Hague, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - G. Schmidt-Traub
- UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, 75009 Paris, France
| | - B. Strassburg
- International Institute for Sustainability (IIS), CEP: 22460-320, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - L. Miles
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
| | - N. D. Burgess
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
- Centre for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, The Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - V. Kapos
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK
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Rosenfield MF, Müller SC. Plant Traits Rather than Species Richness Explain Ecological Processes in Subtropical Forests. Ecosystems 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-019-00386-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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4
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Deere NJ, Guillera‐Arroita G, Baking EL, Bernard H, Pfeifer M, Reynolds G, Wearn OR, Davies ZG, Struebig MJ. High Carbon Stock forests provide co‐benefits for tropical biodiversity. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas J. Deere
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
| | | | - Esther L. Baking
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia
| | - Henry Bernard
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia
| | - Marion Pfeifer
- School of Biology Newcastle University Newcastle Upon Tyne UK
| | - Glen Reynolds
- South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) Danum Valley Field Centre Lahad Datu Sabah Malaysia
| | | | - Zoe G. Davies
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
| | - Matthew J. Struebig
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
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5
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McNicol IM, Ryan CM, Dexter KG, Ball SMJ, Williams M. Aboveground Carbon Storage and Its Links to Stand Structure, Tree Diversity and Floristic Composition in South-Eastern Tanzania. Ecosystems 2017; 21:740-754. [PMID: 30996655 PMCID: PMC6438643 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-017-0180-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
African savannas and dry forests represent a large, but poorly quantified store of biomass carbon and biodiversity. Improving this information is hindered by a lack of recent forest inventories, which are necessary for calibrating earth observation data and for evaluating the relationship between carbon stocks and tree diversity in the context of forest conservation (for example, REDD+). Here, we present new inventory data from south-eastern Tanzania, comprising more than 15,000 trees at 25 locations located across a gradient of aboveground woody carbon (AGC) stocks. We find that larger trees disproportionately contribute to AGC, with the largest 3.7% of individuals containing half the carbon. Tree species diversity and carbon stocks were positively related, implying a potential functional relationship between the two, and a ‘win–win’ scenario for conservation; however, lower biomass areas also contain diverse species assemblages meaning that carbon-oriented conservation may miss important areas of biodiversity. Despite these variations, we find that total tree abundance and biomass is skewed towards a few locally dominant species, with eight and nine species (5.7% of the total) accounting for over half the total measured trees and carbon, respectively. This finding implies that carbon production in these areas is channelled through a small number of relatively abundant species. Our results provide key insights into the structure and functioning of these heterogeneous ecosystems and indicate the need for novel strategies for future measurement and monitoring of carbon stocks and biodiversity, including the use for larger plots to capture spatial variations in large tree density and AGC stocks, and to allow the calibration of earth observation data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain M McNicol
- 1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF Scotland, UK
| | - Casey M Ryan
- 1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF Scotland, UK
| | - Kyle G Dexter
- 1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF Scotland, UK
| | - Stephen M J Ball
- Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative, Kilwa Masoko, United Republic of Tanzania.,Present Address: Farm Africa, Dar Es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Mathew Williams
- 1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF Scotland, UK.,4The National Centre for Earth Observation, Natural Environment Research Council, Swindon, UK
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Pelletier J, Siampale A, Legendre P, Jantz P, Laporte NT, Goetz SJ. Human and natural controls of the variation in aboveground tree biomass in African dry tropical forests. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:1578-1593. [PMID: 28374945 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the anthropogenic and natural controls that affect the patterns, distribution, and dynamics of terrestrial carbon is crucial to meeting climate change mitigation objectives. We assessed the human and natural controls over aboveground tree biomass density in African dry tropical forests, using Zambia's first nationwide forest inventory. We identified predictors that best explain the variation in biomass density, contrasted anthropogenic and natural sites at different spatial scales, and compared sites with different stand structure characteristics and species composition. In addition, we evaluated the effects of different management and conservation practices on biomass density. Variation in biomass density was mostly determined by biotic processes, linked with both species richness and dominance (evenness), and to a lesser extent, by land use, environmental controls, and spatial structure. Biomass density was negatively associated with tree species evenness and positively associated with species richness for both natural and human-modified sites. Human influence variables (including distance to roads, distance to town, fire occurrence, and the population on site) did not explain substantial variation in biomass density in comparison to biodiversity variables. The relationship of human activities to biomass density in managed sites appears to be mediated by effects on species diversity and stand structure characteristics, with lower values in human-modified sites for all metrics tested. Small contrasts in carbon density between human-modified and natural forest sites signal the potential to maintain carbon in the landscape inside but also outside forestlands in this region. Biodiversity is positively related to biomass density in both human and natural sites, demonstrating potential synergies between biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. This is the first evidence of positive outcomes of protected areas and participatory forest management on carbon storage at national scale in Zambia. This research shows that understanding controls over biomass density can provide policy relevant inputs for carbon management and on ecological processes affecting carbon storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Pelletier
- Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, Massachusetts, 02540-1644, USA
| | - Abel Siampale
- Zambia Forestry Department, Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, P.O. Box 50042, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Pierre Legendre
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Patrick Jantz
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Nadine T Laporte
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Scott J Goetz
- Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, Massachusetts, 02540-1644, USA
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
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7
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Häger A, Avalos G. Do functional diversity and trait dominance determine carbon storage in an altered tropical landscape? Oecologia 2017; 184:569-581. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3880-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Madrigal-González J, Ruiz-Benito P, Ratcliffe S, Calatayud J, Kändler G, Lehtonen A, Dahlgren J, Wirth C, Zavala MA. Complementarity effects on tree growth are contingent on tree size and climatic conditions across Europe. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32233. [PMID: 27571971 PMCID: PMC5004187 DOI: 10.1038/srep32233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Neglecting tree size and stand structure dynamics might bias the interpretation of the diversity-productivity relationship in forests. Here we show evidence that complementarity is contingent on tree size across large-scale climatic gradients in Europe. We compiled growth data of the 14 most dominant tree species in 32,628 permanent plots covering boreal, temperate and Mediterranean forest biomes. Niche complementarity is expected to result in significant growth increments of trees surrounded by a larger proportion of functionally dissimilar neighbours. Functional dissimilarity at the tree level was assessed using four functional types: i.e. broad-leaved deciduous, broad-leaved evergreen, needle-leaved deciduous and needle-leaved evergreen. Using Linear Mixed Models we show that, complementarity effects depend on tree size along an energy availability gradient across Europe. Specifically: (i) complementarity effects at low and intermediate positions of the gradient (coldest-temperate areas) were stronger for small than for large trees; (ii) in contrast, at the upper end of the gradient (warmer regions), complementarity is more widespread in larger than smaller trees, which in turn showed negative growth responses to increased functional dissimilarity. Our findings suggest that the outcome of species mixing on stand productivity might critically depend on individual size distribution structure along gradients of environmental variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Madrigal-González
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, Campus Universitario, 28871, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
| | - Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, Campus Universitario, 28871, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain.,Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences.University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Sophia Ratcliffe
- Department of Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, University Leipzig (ULE, Germany)
| | - Joaquín Calatayud
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, Campus Universitario, 28871, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain.,Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Gerald Kändler
- Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg (FVA, Germany)
| | | | - Jonas Dahlgren
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU, Sweden)
| | - Christian Wirth
- Department of Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, University Leipzig (ULE, Germany).,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv, Germany)
| | - Miguel A Zavala
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, Campus Universitario, 28871, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
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9
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Aboveground Biomass and Carbon in a South African Mistbelt Forest and the Relationships with Tree Species Diversity and Forest Structures. FORESTS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/f7040079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Labrière N, Locatelli B, Vieilledent G, Kharisma S, Basuki I, Gond V, Laumonier Y. Spatial congruence between carbon and biodiversity across forest landscapes of northern Borneo. Glob Ecol Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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11
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Chheng K, Sasaki N, Mizoue N, Khorn S, Kao D, Lowe A. Assessment of carbon stocks of semi-evergreen forests in Cambodia. Glob Ecol Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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12
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Duncan C, Thompson JR, Pettorelli N. The quest for a mechanistic understanding of biodiversity-ecosystem services relationships. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20151348. [PMID: 26468240 PMCID: PMC4633867 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem services (ES) approaches to biodiversity conservation are currently high on the ecological research and policy agendas. However, despite a wealth of studies into biodiversity's role in maintaining ES (B-ES relationships) across landscapes, we still lack generalities in the nature and strengths of these linkages. Reasons for this are manifold, but can largely be attributed to (i) a lack of adherence to definitions and thus a confusion between final ES and the ecosystem functions (EFs) underpinning them, (ii) a focus on uninformative biodiversity indices and singular hypotheses and (iii) top-down analyses across large spatial scales and overlooking of context-dependency. The biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (B-EF) field provides an alternate context for examining biodiversity's mechanistic role in shaping ES, focusing on species' characteristics that may drive EFs via multiple mechanisms across contexts. Despite acknowledgements of a need for B-ES research to look towards underlying B-EF linkages, the connections between these areas of research remains weak. With this review, we pull together recent B-EF findings to identify key areas for future developments in B-ES research. We highlight a means by which B-ES research may begin to identify how and when multiple underlying B-EF relationships may scale to final ES delivery and trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Duncan
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Julian R Thompson
- Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nathalie Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
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Species Diversity of Canopy Versus Understory Trees in a Neotropical Forest: Implications for Forest Structure, Function and Monitoring. Ecosystems 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-015-9854-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Timilsina N, Escobedo FJ, Staudhammer CL, Brandeis T. Analyzing the causal factors of carbon stores in a subtropical urban forest. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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15
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Pichancourt JB, Firn J, Chadès I, Martin TG. Growing biodiverse carbon-rich forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:382-93. [PMID: 23913584 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Regrowing forests on cleared land is a key strategy to achieve both biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation globally. Maximizing these co-benefits, however, remains theoretically and technically challenging because of the complex relationship between carbon sequestration and biodiversity in forests, the strong influence of climate variability and landscape position on forest development, the large number of restoration strategies possible, and long time-frames needed to declare success. Through the synthesis of three decades of knowledge on forest dynamics and plant functional traits combined with decision science, we demonstrate that we cannot always maximize carbon sequestration by simply increasing the functional trait diversity of trees planted. The relationships between plant functional diversity, carbon sequestration rates above ground and in the soil are dependent on climate and landscape positions. We show how to manage 'identities' and 'complementarities' between plant functional traits to achieve systematically maximal cobenefits in various climate and landscape contexts. We provide examples of optimal planting and thinning rules that satisfy this ecological strategy and guide the restoration of forests that are rich in both carbon and plant functional diversity. Our framework provides the first mechanistic approach for generating decision-makingrules that can be used to manage forests for multiple objectives, and supports joined carbon credit and biodiversity conservation initiatives, such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation REDD+. The decision framework can also be linked to species distribution models and socio-economic models to find restoration solutions that maximize simultaneously biodiversity, carbon stocks, and other ecosystem services across landscapes. Our study provides the foundation for developing and testing cost-effective and adaptable forest management rules to achieve biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and other socio-economic co-benefits under global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt
- CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Conservation Decision Team, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
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Lin D, Lai J, Muller-Landau HC, Mi X, Ma K. Topographic variation in aboveground biomass in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48244. [PMID: 23118961 PMCID: PMC3484055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2012] [Accepted: 09/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The subtropical forest biome occupies about 25% of China, with species diversity only next to tropical forests. Despite the recognized importance of subtropical forest in regional carbon storage and cycling, uncertainties remain regarding the carbon storage of subtropical forests, and few studies have quantified within-site variation of biomass, making it difficult to evaluate the role of these forests in the global and regional carbon cycles. Using data for a 24-ha census plot in east China, we quantify aboveground biomass, characterize its spatial variation among different habitats, and analyse species relative contribution to the total aboveground biomass of different habitats. The average aboveground biomass was 223.0 Mg ha−1 (bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals [217.6, 228.5]) and varied substantially among four topographically defined habitats, from 180.6 Mg ha−1 (bootstrapped 95% CI [167.1, 195.0]) in the upper ridge to 245.9 Mg ha−1 (bootstrapped 95% CI [238.3, 253.8]) in the lower ridge, with upper and lower valley intermediate. In consistent with our expectation, individual species contributed differently to the total aboveground biomass of different habitats, reflecting significant species habitat associations. Different species show differently in habitat preference in terms of biomass contribution. These patterns may be the consequences of ecological strategies difference among different species. Results from this study enhance our ability to evaluate the role of subtropical forests in the regional carbon cycle and provide valuable information to guide the protection and management of subtropical broad-leaved forest for carbon sequestration and carbon storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dunmei Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangshan Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Xiangcheng Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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17
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Lang’at JKS, Kirui BKY, Skov MW, Kairo JG, Mencuccini M, Huxham M. Species mixing boosts root yield in mangrove trees. Oecologia 2012; 172:271-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2490-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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18
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Asase A, Asitoakor BK, Ekpe PK. Linkages between tree diversity and carbon stocks in unlogged and logged West African tropical forests. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES & MANAGEMENT 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/21513732.2012.707152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Asase
- a Department of Botany , University of Ghana , PO Box LG 55, Legon , Ghana
| | - Bismark K. Asitoakor
- b Environmental Science Programme , University of Ghana , PO Box LG 71, Legon , Ghana
| | - Patrick K. Ekpe
- a Department of Botany , University of Ghana , PO Box LG 55, Legon , Ghana
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Hector A, Philipson C, Saner P, Chamagne J, Dzulkifli D, O'Brien M, Snaddon JL, Ulok P, Weilenmann M, Reynolds G, Godfray HCJ. The Sabah Biodiversity Experiment: a long-term test of the role of tree diversity in restoring tropical forest structure and functioning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 366:3303-15. [PMID: 22006970 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Relatively, little is known about the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in forests, especially in the tropics. We describe the Sabah Biodiversity Experiment: a large-scale, long-term field study on the island of Borneo. The project aims at understanding the relationship between tree species diversity and the functioning of lowland dipterocarp rainforest during restoration following selective logging. The experiment is planned to run for several decades (from seed to adult tree), so here we focus on introducing the project and its experimental design and on assessing initial conditions and the potential for restoration of the structure and functioning of the study system, the Malua Forest Reserve. We estimate residual impacts 22 years after selective logging by comparison with an appropriate neighbouring area of primary forest in Danum Valley of similar conditions. There was no difference in the alpha or beta species diversity of transect plots in the two forest types, probably owing to the selective nature of the logging and potential effects of competitive release. However, despite equal total stem density, forest structure differed as expected with a deficit of large trees and a surfeit of saplings in selectively logged areas. These impacts on structure have the potential to influence ecosystem functioning. In particular, above-ground biomass and carbon pools in selectively logged areas were only 60 per cent of those in the primary forest even after 22 years of recovery. Our results establish the initial conditions for the Sabah Biodiversity Experiment and confirm the potential to accelerate restoration by using enrichment planting of dipterocarps to overcome recruitment limitation. What role dipterocarp diversity plays in restoration only will become clear with long-term results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Hector
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Ruiz-Jaen MC, Potvin C. Can we predict carbon stocks in tropical ecosystems from tree diversity? Comparing species and functional diversity in a plantation and a natural forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2011; 189:978-987. [PMID: 20958305 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03501.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
• Linking tree diversity to carbon storage can provide further motivation to conserve tropical forests and to design carbon-enriched plantations. Here, we examine the role of tree diversity and functional traits in determining carbon storage in a mixed-species plantation and in a natural tropical forest in Panama. • We used species richness, functional trait diversity, species dominance and functional trait dominance to predict tree carbon storage across these two forests. Then we compared the species ranking based on wood density, maximum diameter, maximum height, and leaf mass per area (LMA) between sites to reveal how these values changed between different forests. • Increased species richness, a higher proportion of nitrogen fixers and species with low LMA increased carbon storage in the mixed-species plantation, while a higher proportion of large trees and species with high LMA increased tree carbon storage in the natural forest. Furthermore, we found that tree species varied greatly in their absolute and relative values between study sites. • Different results in different forests mean that we cannot easily predict carbon storage capacity in natural forests using data from experimental plantations. Managers should be cautious when applying functional traits measured in natural populations in the design of carbon-enriched plantations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Ruiz-Jaen
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Dr Penfield, Montréal H3A-1B1, QC, Canada
| | - Catherine Potvin
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Dr Penfield, Montréal H3A-1B1, QC, Canada
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama
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