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Identifying hotspots for ecosystem restoration across heterogeneous tropical savannah-dominated regions

Authors :
Kennedy Lewis
Fernanda de V. Barros
Peter W. Moonlight
Timothy C. Hill
Rafael S. Oliveira
Isabel B. Schmidt
Alexandre B. Sampaio
R. Toby Pennington
Lucy Rowland
Source :
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 378
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
The Royal Society, 2022.

Abstract

There is high potential for ecosystem restoration across tropical savannah-dominated regions, but the benefits that could be gained from this restoration are rarely assessed. This study focuses on the Brazilian Cerrado, a highly species-rich savannah-dominated region, as an exemplar to review potential restoration benefits using three metrics: net biomass gains, plant species richness and ability to connect restored and native vegetation. Localized estimates of the most appropriate restoration vegetation type (grassland, savannah, woodland/forest) for pasturelands are produced. Carbon sequestration potential is significant for savannah and woodland/forest restoration in the seasonally dry tropics (net biomass gains of 58.2 ± 37.7 and 130.0 ± 69.4 Mg ha −1 ). Modelled restoration species richness gains were highest in the central and south-east of the Cerrado for savannahs and grasslands, and in the west and north-west for woodlands/forests. The potential to initiate restoration projects across the whole of the Cerrado is high and four hotspot areas are identified. We demonstrate that landscape restoration across all vegetation types within heterogeneous tropical savannah-dominated regions can maximize biodiversity and carbon gains. However, conservation of existing vegetation is essential to minimizing the cost and improving the chances of restoration success. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’.

Details

ISSN :
14712970 and 09628436
Volume :
378
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....06adf521f12bdc8e445837768227973f
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0075