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Achieng AO, Arhonditsis GB, Mandrak N, Febria C, Opaa B, Coffey TJ, Masese FO, Irvine K, Ajode ZM, Obiero K, Barasa JE, Kaunda-Arara B. Monitoring biodiversity loss in rapidly changing Afrotropical ecosystems: an emerging imperative for governance and research. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220271. [PMID: 37246384 PMCID: PMC10225856 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Africa is experiencing extensive biodiversity loss due to rapid changes in the environment, where natural resources constitute the main instrument for socioeconomic development and a mainstay source of livelihoods for an increasing population. Lack of data and information deficiency on biodiversity, but also budget constraints and insufficient financial and technical capacity, impede sound policy design and effective implementation of conservation and management measures. The problem is further exacerbated by the lack of harmonized indicators and databases to assess conservation needs and monitor biodiversity losses. We review challenges with biodiversity data (availability, quality, usability and database access) as a key limiting factor that impacts funding and governance. We also evaluate the drivers of both ecosystems change and biodiversity loss as a central piece of knowledge to develop and implement effective policies. While the continent focuses more on the latter, we argue that the two are complementary in shaping restoration and management solutions. We thus underscore the importance of establishing monitoring programmes focusing on biodiversity-ecosystem linkages in order to inform evidence-based decisions in ecosystem conservation and restoration in Africa. This article is part of the theme issue 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change: needs, gaps and solutions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. O. Achieng
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - G. B. Arhonditsis
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M1C 1A4
| | - N. Mandrak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, ON, Canada M1C 1A4
| | - C. Febria
- Department of Integrative Biology, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada N9B 3P4
| | - B. Opaa
- Department of Natural Resources Management, National Land Commission, P.O. Box 44417-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - T. J. Coffey
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
| | - F. O. Masese
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - K. Irvine
- IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Department of Water Resource and Ecosystems, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, The Netherlands
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Z. M. Ajode
- African Center for Aquatic Research and Education (ACARE), 2200 Commonwealth Blvd, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - K. Obiero
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Directorate of Freshwater Aquaculture, P.O. Box 136-40111 Pap Onditi, Kenya
| | - J. E. Barasa
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - B. Kaunda-Arara
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
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Heger T, Jeschke JM, Febria C, Kollmann J, Murphy S, Rochefort L, Shackelford N, Temperton VM, Higgs E. Mapping and assessing the knowledge base of ecological restoration. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tina Heger
- University of Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Botany, Maulbeerallee 2a 14469 Potsdam Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Königin‐Luise‐Str. 2–4 14195 Berlin Germany
- Technical University of Munich Restoration Ecology, Emil‐Ramann‐Str. 6 85350 Freising Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Müggelseedamm 310 12587 Berlin Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Institute of Biology Königin‐Luise‐Str. 1–3 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Jonathan M. Jeschke
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Königin‐Luise‐Str. 2–4 14195 Berlin Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Müggelseedamm 310 12587 Berlin Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Institute of Biology Königin‐Luise‐Str. 1–3 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Catherine Febria
- University of Windsor Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research and Department of Integrative Biology Windsor Ontario Canada N9B 3P4
| | - Johannes Kollmann
- Technical University of Munich Restoration Ecology, Emil‐Ramann‐Str. 6 85350 Freising Germany
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) P.O. Box 115 1431 Ås Norway
| | - Stephen Murphy
- School of Environment, Resources & Sustainability University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada N2L3G1
| | - Line Rochefort
- Peatland Ecology Research Group, Centre for Northern Studies Université Laval Quebec City Québec Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Nancy Shackelford
- School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada V8W 2Y2
| | - Vicky M. Temperton
- Institute of Ecology, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1 21335 Lüneburg Germany
| | - Eric Higgs
- School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada V8W 2Y2
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Shumilova O, Zak D, Datry T, von Schiller D, Corti R, Foulquier A, Obrador B, Tockner K, Allan DC, Altermatt F, Arce MI, Arnon S, Banas D, Banegas‐Medina A, Beller E, Blanchette ML, Blanco‐Libreros JF, Blessing J, Boëchat IG, Boersma K, Bogan MT, Bonada N, Bond NR, Brintrup K, Bruder A, Burrows R, Cancellario T, Carlson SM, Cauvy‐Fraunié S, Cid N, Danger M, de Freitas Terra B, Girolamo AMD, del Campo R, Dyer F, Elosegi A, Faye E, Febria C, Figueroa R, Four B, Gessner MO, Gnohossou P, Cerezo RG, Gomez‐Gener L, Graça MA, Guareschi S, Gücker B, Hwan JL, Kubheka S, Langhans SD, Leigh C, Little CJ, Lorenz S, Marshall J, McIntosh A, Mendoza‐Lera C, Meyer EI, Miliša M, Mlambo MC, Moleón M, Negus P, Niyogi D, Papatheodoulou A, Pardo I, Paril P, Pešić V, Rodriguez‐Lozano P, Rolls RJ, Sanchez‐Montoya MM, Savić A, Steward A, Stubbington R, Taleb A, Vorste RV, Waltham N, Zoppini A, Zarfl C. Simulating rewetting events in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams: A global analysis of leached nutrients and organic matter. Glob Chang Biol 2019; 25:1591-1611. [PMID: 30628191 PMCID: PMC6850495 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and human pressures are changing the global distribution and the extent of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), which comprise half of the global river network area. IRES are characterized by periods of flow cessation, during which channel substrates accumulate and undergo physico-chemical changes (preconditioning), and periods of flow resumption, when these substrates are rewetted and release pulses of dissolved nutrients and organic matter (OM). However, there are no estimates of the amounts and quality of leached substances, nor is there information on the underlying environmental constraints operating at the global scale. We experimentally simulated, under standard laboratory conditions, rewetting of leaves, riverbed sediments, and epilithic biofilms collected during the dry phase across 205 IRES from five major climate zones. We determined the amounts and qualitative characteristics of the leached nutrients and OM, and estimated their areal fluxes from riverbeds. In addition, we evaluated the variance in leachate characteristics in relation to selected environmental variables and substrate characteristics. We found that sediments, due to their large quantities within riverbeds, contribute most to the overall flux of dissolved substances during rewetting events (56%-98%), and that flux rates distinctly differ among climate zones. Dissolved organic carbon, phenolics, and nitrate contributed most to the areal fluxes. The largest amounts of leached substances were found in the continental climate zone, coinciding with the lowest potential bioavailability of the leached OM. The opposite pattern was found in the arid zone. Environmental variables expected to be modified under climate change (i.e. potential evapotranspiration, aridity, dry period duration, land use) were correlated with the amount of leached substances, with the strongest relationship found for sediments. These results show that the role of IRES should be accounted for in global biogeochemical cycles, especially because prevalence of IRES will increase due to increasing severity of drying events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandra Shumilova
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Institute of BiologyFreie Universität Berlin (FU)BerlinGermany
- Department of CivilEnvironmental and Mechanical EngineeringTrento UniversityTrentoItaly
| | - Dominik Zak
- Institute of BiologyFreie Universität Berlin (FU)BerlinGermany
- Institute of Landscape Ecology and Site EvaluationUniversity of RostockRostockGermany
- Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversitySilkeborgDenmark
| | - Thibault Datry
- IRSTEAUR RIVERLYCentre de Lyon‐VilleurbanneVilleurbanne CedexFrance
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Department of Plant Biology and EcologyFaculty of Science and TechnologyUniversity of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)BilbaoSpain
| | - Roland Corti
- IRSTEAUR RIVERLYCentre de Lyon‐VilleurbanneVilleurbanne CedexFrance
| | - Arnaud Foulquier
- Laboratoire d’Écologie Alpine (LECA)UMR CNRS‐UGA‐USMB 5553Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Biel Obrador
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental SciencesFaculty of BiologyBiodiversity Research Institute (IRBIO)University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Klement Tockner
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Institute of BiologyFreie Universität Berlin (FU)BerlinGermany
- Austrian Science Fund (FWF)ViennaAustria
| | | | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - María Isabel Arce
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Centre of Edaphology and Applied Biology of Segura (CEBAS‐CSIC)MurciaSpain
| | - Shai Arnon
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water ResearchThe Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert ResearchBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeershebaIsrael
| | - Damien Banas
- Université de Lorraine ‐ UR AFPAVandoeuvre‐Les‐NancyFrance
| | - Andy Banegas‐Medina
- Faculty of Environmental Science and EULA‐Chile CenterUniversidad de ConcepciónConcepciónChile
| | - Erin Beller
- Department of GeographyUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCalifornia
| | - Melanie L. Blanchette
- Mine Water and Environment Research Centre (MiWER)School of ScienceEdith Cowan UniversityPerthAustralia
| | | | - Joanna Blessing
- Department of Environment and ScienceQueensland GovernmentBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | | | - Kate Boersma
- Department of BiologyUniversity of San DiegoSan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Michael T. Bogan
- School of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizona
| | - Núria Bonada
- Grup de Recerca Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM)Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsInstitut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio)Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Nick R. Bond
- Centre for Freshwater EcosystemsLa Trobe UniversityWodongaVic.Australia
| | - Kate Brintrup
- Faculty of Environmental Science and EULA‐Chile CenterUniversidad de ConcepciónConcepciónChile
| | - Andreas Bruder
- Laboratory of Applied MicrobiologyUniversity of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern SwitzerlandBellinzonaSwitzerland
| | - Ryan Burrows
- Australian Rivers InstituteGriffith UniversityNathanQldAustralia
| | - Tommaso Cancellario
- Department of Environmental BiologyBiodiversity Data Analytics and Environmental Quality GroupUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain
| | - Stephanie M. Carlson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCalifornia
| | | | - Núria Cid
- Grup de Recerca Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM)Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsInstitut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio)Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | | | | | - Anna Maria De Girolamo
- Water Research Institute – National Research Council (IRSA‐CNR)Montelibretti (Rome)Italy
| | - Ruben del Campo
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Department of Ecology and HydrologyRegional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’ – University of MurciaMurciaSpain
| | - Fiona Dyer
- Institute for Applied EcologyUniversity of CanberraBruceCanberra ACTAustralia
| | - Arturo Elosegi
- Department of Plant Biology and EcologyFaculty of Science and TechnologyUniversity of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)BilbaoSpain
| | - Emile Faye
- Centre International de Recherche en Agronomie pour le DéveloppementCIRADUPR HortSysMontpellierFrance
| | - Catherine Febria
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental ResearchUniversity of WindsorWindsorCanada
| | - Ricardo Figueroa
- Faculty of Environmental Science and EULA‐Chile CenterUniversidad de ConcepciónConcepciónChile
| | - Brian Four
- INRAUAR 1275 DEPT EFPACentre de recherche de NancyChampenouxFrance
| | - Mark O. Gessner
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)BerlinGermany
- Department of EcologyBerlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin)BerlinGermany
| | - Pierre Gnohossou
- Faculté d'AgronomieDépartement d'Aménagement et de Gestion des Ressources NaturellesUniversité de ParakouParakouBenin
| | - Rosa Gómez Cerezo
- Department of Ecology and HydrologyRegional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’ – University of MurciaMurciaSpain
| | - Lluís Gomez‐Gener
- Department of Ecology and Environmental ScienceUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - Manuel A.S. Graça
- MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences CentreDepartment of Life SciencesUniversity of CoimbraCoimbraPortugal
| | - Simone Guareschi
- Department of Ecology and HydrologyRegional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’ – University of MurciaMurciaSpain
| | - Björn Gücker
- Department of GeosciencesFederal University of São João del‐ReiSão João del‐ReiBrazil
| | - Jason L. Hwan
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCalifornia
| | | | - Simone Daniela Langhans
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
- BC3‐Basque Centre for Climate ChangeLeioaSpain
| | - Catherine Leigh
- Australian Rivers InstituteGriffith UniversityNathanQldAustralia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical & Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS) and Institute for Future EnvironmentsSchool of Mathematical SciencesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Chelsea J. Little
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EawagThe Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDübendorfSwitzerland
| | - Stefan Lorenz
- Institute for Ecological ChemistryPlant Analysis and Stored Product ProtectionJulius‐Kuehn‐InstituteBerlinGermany
| | - Jonathan Marshall
- Department of Environment and ScienceQueensland GovernmentBrisbaneQldAustralia
- Australian Rivers InstituteGriffith UniversityNathanQldAustralia
| | - Angus McIntosh
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Clara Mendoza‐Lera
- IRSTEAUR RIVERLYCentre de Lyon‐VilleurbanneVilleurbanne CedexFrance
- Department of Freshwater ConservationBTU Cottbus‐SenftenbergBad SaarowGermany
| | | | - Marko Miliša
- Department of BiologyFaculty of ScienceUniversity of ZagrebZagrebCroatia
| | - Musa C. Mlambo
- Department of Freshwater InvertebratesAlbany MuseumAffiliated Research Institute of Rhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
| | - Marcos Moleón
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of GranadaGranadaSpain
| | - Peter Negus
- Department of Environment and ScienceQueensland GovernmentBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Dev Niyogi
- Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRollaMissouri
| | | | - Isabel Pardo
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología AnimalUniversidad de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Petr Paril
- Department of Botany and ZoologyFaculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Vladimir Pešić
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MontenegroPodgoricaMontenegro
| | - Pablo Rodriguez‐Lozano
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCalifornia
| | - Robert J. Rolls
- School of Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNSWAustralia
| | - Maria Mar Sanchez‐Montoya
- Department of Ecology and HydrologyRegional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’ – University of MurciaMurciaSpain
| | - Ana Savić
- Department of Biology and EcologyFaculty of Sciences and MathematicsUniversity of NišNišSerbia
| | - Alisha Steward
- Department of Environment and ScienceQueensland GovernmentBrisbaneQldAustralia
- Australian Rivers InstituteGriffith UniversityNathanQldAustralia
| | | | - Amina Taleb
- Laboratoire d’Écologie et Gestion des Ecosystèmes Naturels (LECGEN)University of TlemcenTlemcenAlgeria
| | - Ross Vander Vorste
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCalifornia
| | - Nathan Waltham
- TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research)College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQldAustralia
| | - Annamaria Zoppini
- Water Research Institute – National Research Council (IRSA‐CNR)Montelibretti (Rome)Italy
| | - Christiane Zarfl
- Center for Applied GeosciencesEberhard Karls Universität TübingenTübingenGermany
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