Tropical grassy biomes: misunderstood, neglected, and under threat

被引:426
作者
Parr, Catherine L. [1 ]
Lehmann, Caroline E. R. [2 ,3 ]
Bond, William J. [4 ]
Hoffmann, William A. [5 ]
Andersen, Alan N. [6 ]
机构
[1] Univ Liverpool, Dept Earth Ocean & Ecol Sci, Liverpool L69 3GP, Merseyside, England
[2] Macquarie Univ, Dept Biol Sci, N Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
[3] Univ Edinburgh, Sch Geosci, Edinburgh EH9 3JN, Midlothian, Scotland
[4] Univ Cape Town, Dept Bot, ZA-7701 Rondebosch, South Africa
[5] N Carolina State Univ, Dept Plant Biol, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
[6] CSIRO Ecosyst Sci, Trop Ecosyst Res Ctr, Winnellie, NT 0822, Australia
关键词
savanna; grassland; forest; REDD; CDM; atmospheric CO2; biome shift; GREENHOUSE-GAS EMISSIONS; FOREST DEGRADATION; ATMOSPHERIC CO2; CARBON-DIOXIDE; GROWTH-RESPONSES; AFRICAN SAVANNA; GLOBAL CLIMATE; C-4; GRASSLANDS; REDD PLUS; FIRE;
D O I
10.1016/j.tree.2014.02.004
中图分类号
Q14 [生态学(生物生态学)];
学科分类号
071012 ; 0713 ;
摘要
Tropical grassy biomes (TGBs) are globally extensive, provide critical ecosystem services, and influence the earth atmosphere system. Yet, globally applied biome definitions ignore vegetation characteristics that are critical to their functioning and evolutionary history. Hence, TGB identification is inconsistent and misinterprets the ecological processes governing vegetation structure, with cascading negative consequences for biodiversity. Here, we discuss threats linked to the definition of TGB, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation schemes (REDD+), and enhanced atmospheric CO2, which may facilitate future state shifts. TGB degradation is insidious and less visible than in forested biomes. With human reliance on TGBs and their propensity for woody change, ecology and evolutionary history are fundamental to not only the identification of TGBs, but also their management for future persistence.
引用
收藏
页码:205 / 213
页数:9
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