Les articles d'Ilse Geijzendorffer

Future impact of climate extremes in the Mediterranean: Soil erosion projections when fire and extreme rainfall meet

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:24:49

de Alejandra Morán‐Ordóñez, Andrea Duane, Assu Gil‐Tena, Miquel De Cáceres, Núria Aquilué, Carlos A. Guerra, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Marie-Josee Fortin, Lluis Brotons
In Land Degradation & Development, Online (September, 2020), 1-15
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Climate change projections over the Mediterranean basin point toward an increase in frequency and intensity of extreme events that will directly impact ecosystems resilience. In this study, we evaluated future trends of soil loss in forestland in Catalonia (NE Spain) due to fires and vegetation dynamics, considering the potential future impacts of co-occurring extreme fire and rainfall events, and assessing how fire suppression can contribute to soil erosion mitigation. The process-based MEDFIRE model was used to simulate changes in forestland due to climate and fires between 2011 and 2050 under six different future scenarios that resulted from the combination of two climatic scenarios and three fire management policies. Annual projections on landscape changes were used to estimate soil loss using the Universal Soil Loss Equation. Projected annual soil losses for forested land in Catalonia ranged between 15 and 16 tons/ha, with scenarios simulating current levels of fire suppression projecting around −5% soil loss than those assuming more relaxed suppression strategies. On average, fires explained 12–16% of annual soil loss in the region, but in fire-severe years, they explained up to 90% of the total annual soil loss. Projected mean total soil loss in years where extreme rainfall and fire meet was 150% higher than in years where both events were not contemporary. The estimated annual probability that the two extreme impacts will co-occur in the future ranged between 0.09 and 0.11 between scenarios. Our results highlight the importance of landscape and fire management in minimizing soil loss and its potential impacts for ecosystems.

Mediterranean wetland conservation in the context of climate and land cover change

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 11:35:18

de Roxanne Leberger, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Elie Gaget, Anis Guelmami, Thomas Galewski, Henrique M. Pereira, Carlos A. Guerra
In Regional Environmental Change, 20(2) (6/2020), 67
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

Wetlands are known to support diverse and unique species assemblages. Globally, but particularly in the Mediterranean basin, they are threatened by climate change and natural habitat loss. Despite an alarming decline of wetlands over the last century, standardised and systematic site assessments at large scale do not exist. Here, we perform an integrated assessment of Mediterranean wetlands by evaluating the combination of wetland protection and anthropogenic pressures, namely climate and land cover change, and the subsequent impact on wintering waterbirds. We used a multivariate partial triadic analysis to quantify climate and land cover change for each site between 1990 and 2005. We found that wetland sites in the southeast of the Mediterranean basin combined low or no protection cover with the highest increases in temperature and losses in natural habitats. Despite these findings, these sites also lack observation data on biodiversity, which may underestimate the resulting impacts. However, there are examples where active conservation measurements contributed positively to slow down wetlands’ reduction. Biodiversity data coverage needs to be ensured, regularly updated, and extended across sites regardless of their protection level, to allow for the assessment of biodiversity trends. This should be further extended to include current investments in remote sensing approaches.

Estimating biodiversity changes in the Camargue wetlands: An expert knowledge approach

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 11:50:23

de Sara Fraixedas, Thomas Galewski, Sofia Ribeiro-Lopes, Jonathan Loh, Jacques Blondel, Hugo Fontes, Patrick Grillas, Philippe Lambret, Delphine Nicolas, Anthony Olivier, et al.
In PLOS ONE, 14(10) (24 oct. 2019), e0224235
En ligne : journals.plos.org[...]

Mediterranean wetlands are critical strongholds for biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem functions and services; yet, they are being severely degraded by a number of socio-economic drivers and pressures, including climate change. Moreover, we still lack comprehensive understanding of the extent to which biodiversity loss in Mediterranean wetlands will accelerate change in ecosystem processes. Here, we evaluate how changes in biodiversity can alter the ecosystem of the Camargue (southern France). We collected data on species presence/absence, trends and abundance over a 40-year period by combining observations from the scholarly literature with insights derived from expert knowledge. In total, we gathered more than 1500 estimates of presence/absence, over 1400 estimates of species abundance, and about 1400 estimates of species trends for eight taxonomic groups, i.e. amphibians, reptiles, breeding birds, fish, mammals, dragonflies (odonates), orthopterans and vascular plants. Furthermore, we used information on recently arrived species and invasive species to identify compositional changes across multiple taxa. Complementing targeted literature searches with expert knowledge allowed filling important gaps regarding the status and trends of biodiversity in the Camargue. Species trend data revealed sharp population declines in amphibians, odonates and orthopterans, while birds and plants experienced an average increase in abundance between the 1970s and the 2010s. The general increasing trends of novel and invasive species is suggested as an explanation for the changing abundance of birds and plants. While the observed declines in certain taxa reflect the relative failure of the protection measures established in the Camargue, the increasing exposure to novel and invasive species reveal major changes in the community structure of the different taxonomic groups. This study is the first attempt to assess changes in biodiversity in the Camargue using an expert knowledge approach, and can help manage the uncertainties and complexities associated with rapid social-ecological change in other Mediterranean wetlands.

Using social media, machine learning and natural language processing to map multiple recreational beneficiaries

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 10:22:28

de Arjan S. Gosal, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Tomáš Václavík, Brigitte Poulin, Guy Ziv
In Ecosystem Services, 38 (August, 2019), 100958
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

Information and numbers on the use and appreciation of nature are valuable information for protected area (PA) managers. A promising direction is the utilisation of social media, such as the photo-sharing website Flickr. Here we demonstrate a novel approach, borrowing techniques from machine learning (image analysis), natural language processing (Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA)) and self-organising maps (SOM), to collect and interpret > 20,000 photos from the Camargue region in Southern France. From the perspective of Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES), we assessed the relationship between the use of the Camargue delta and the presence of natural elements by consulting local managers. Clustering algorithms applied to results of the LSA data revealed six distinct user groups, which included those interested in nature, ornithology, religious pilgrimage, general tourists and aviation enthusiasts. For each group, we produced high-resolution spatial and seasonal maps, which matched known recreational attractions and annual festivals in the Camargue. The accuracy of the group identification, and the spatial and temporal patterns of photo activity, in the Camargue delta were evaluated by local managers of the Camargue regional park. This study demonstrates how PA managers can harness socialmedia to monitor recreation and improve their management decision making.

Improving ecosystem assessments in Mediterranean social-ecological systems

Thu, 2 May 2019 16:37:14

de Mario V. Balzan, Ana Martins Pinheiro, André Mascarenhas, Alejandra Morán-Ordóñez, Ana Ruiz-Frau, Claudia Carvalho-Santos, Ioannis N. Vogiatzakis, Jeroen Arends, Julia Santana-Garcon, José V. Roces-Díaz, et al.
In Ecosystems and People, 15(1) (May, 2019), 136-155
En ligne : www.tandfonline.com[...]

Social-ecological systems in the Mediterranean Basin are characterised by high biodiversity and a prolonged cultural influence, leading to the co-evolution of these systems. The unique characteristics of Mediterranean social-ecological systems, current pressures leading to a decline in ecosystem services, and the need for coordinated action are recognised by policies promoting the protection and sustainable use of the region’s heritage. Ecosystem assessments provide valuable information on the capacity of the Mediterranean Basin to ensure the well-being of its population. However, most assessments simplify the complexity of these systems, which may lead to inaccurate ecosystem services supply and flow estimations. This paper uses the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model to guide an expert consultation that identifies the key characteristics of the Mediterranean social-ecological systems and analyses how these should be included in ecosystem assessments. Data collection was carried out through expert consultation with ecosystem services researchers. Multiple sources of complexity were identified, including the relationship between historical human activities, biodiversity spatio-temporal patterns, as well as the seasonal and long-term variability in ecosystem services. The importance of incorporating this complexity in ecosystem assessments for evidence-based decision-making is identified, suggesting that there is a need to adapt assessment approaches for the Mediterranean Basin social-ecological systems.

A More Effective Ramsar Convention for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 10:48:59

de Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Coralie Beltrame, Laurent Chazee, Elie Gaget, Thomas Galewski, Anis Guelmami, Christian Perennou, Nadège Popoff, Carlos A. Guerra, Roxanne Leberger, et al.
In Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 7 (February, 2019)
En ligne : www.frontiersin.org[...]

The Ramsar Convention is the multilateral agreement aimed at protecting wetlands globally. Wetlands are particularly recognized for their role in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot by providing key habitats for endemic and migratory species, directly contributing benefits to the lives of people and being an integral part of their culture. In response to this importance, the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory publishes Mediterranean Wetland Outlooks on the state and trends of Mediterranean wetlands; the first edition in 2012 (MWO1) and the second edition in 2018 (MWO2). In this paper, we used the results of the two Mediterranean Wetland Outlooks to highlight ways to increase the impact of the Ramsar Convention by identifying the spatial dimensions of detected biodiversity trends as well as the societal developments and estimated impacts of global change and protection status.

Impact of land cover change on ecosystem service supply in mountain systems: a case study in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW of Spain)

Tue, 9 Oct 2018 10:16:52

de Paula García-Llamas, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Ana P. García-Nieto, Leonor Calvo, Susana Suarez-Seoane, Wolfgang Cramer
In Regional Environmental Change, 19(2) (February, 2019), 13
En ligne : hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr[...]

Land abandonment and the loss of traditional farming practices are thought to control land cover dynamics, and hence the ecosystem service supply in traditionally managed mountain landscapes. We evaluate the impact of land cover changes in Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain), over 1990–2012, on the potential supply capacity of ecosystem services (regulating, provisioning, and cultural) at both regional and local scales. We also analyze trends in the use of ecosystem services at the local scale. Land cover changes were estimated from CORINE Land Cover database. Patterns of potential ecosystem service supply were assessed by applying an ecosystem service supply capacity matrix and trends in their actual use by using field data. Main trajectories of land cover change encompassed woody vegetation spread in semi-natural open systems and agricultural expansion in the most suitable areas. The capacity of landscape to provide ecosystem services improved during 1990–2012 at both scales. We detected trade-offs between the potential supply of ecosystem services associated to natural systems and those linked to traditional land uses, at both regional and local scales. Changes in the potential supply of ecosystem services matched trends in ecosystem service use. This study could help develop future scenarios to address upcoming challenges in ecosystem service supply.

The impact of conservation farming practices on Mediterranean agro-ecosystem services provisioning—a meta-analysis

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 16:30:27

de Heera Lee, Sven Lautenbach, Ana Paula García Nieto, Alberte Bondeau, Wolfgang Cramer, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer
In Regional Environmental Change, 19(97) (January, 2019), 1-16
En ligne : doi.org[...]

In the Mediterranean region, the long-term provision of agro-ecosystem services is threatened by accelerating climate change, unsustainable farming practices, and other pressures. Alternative management practices such as conservation agriculture could be expected to ensure sustainability of ecosystem services from Mediterranean agro-ecosystems. Conservation agriculture is characterized by minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and diversification of crop species. We analyzed the impacts of several forms of alternative agricultural management practices (conservation tillage, cover cropping, mulching, manual weed management, organic fertilizer use, no-irrigation system) on multiple ecosystem services based on 155 published case studies (1994–2015). The effect size of various management options on four provisioning and four regulating ecosystem services were quantified. Impacts of conservation management options are not uniform. All regulating services were positively affected by the conservation management options except for the system without irrigation. In contrast, the provisioning services were inconsistently influenced by the conservation management options. For crop yield, environmentally sustainable soil management was beneficial, but organic fertilization (effect size = − 0.17), manual weed management (effect size = − 0.35), and no-irrigation system (effect size = − 0.5) led to lower crop yields. The impact on crop biomass was mainly negative but not significant. Water availability was especially important to enhance both provisioning and regulating services. Overall, alternative agriculture management practices led to more positive than negative effects on ecosystem services in the study region. Stimulating the application of conservation management practices is therefore an important policy option for decision-makers given the vulnerability of ecosystem services in the Mediterranean basin.

Key criteria for developing ecosystem service indicators to inform decision making

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:25:10

de Alexander P. E. van Oudenhoven, Matthias Schröter, Evangelia G. Drakou, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Sander Jacobs, Peter M. van Bodegom, Laurent Chazee, Bálint Czúcz, Karsten Grunewald, Ana I. Lillebø, et al.
In Ecological Indicators, 95 (December, 2018), 417-426
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Decision makers are increasingly interested in information from ecosystem services (ES) assessments. Scientists have for long recognised the importance of selecting appropriate indicators. Yet, while the amount and variety of indicators developed by scientists seems to increase continuously, the extent to which the indicators truly inform decision makers is often unknown and questioned. In this viewpoint paper, we reflect and provide guidance on how to develop appropriate ES indicators for informing decision making, building on scientific literature and practical experience collected from researchers involved in seven case studies. We synthesized 16 criteria for ES indicator selection and organized them according to the widely used categories of credibility, salience, legitimacy (CSL). We propose to consider additional criteria related to feasibility (F), as CSL criteria alone often seem to produce indicators which are unachievable in practice. Considering CSLF together requires a combination of scientific knowledge, communication skills, policy and governance insights and on-field experience. In conclusion, we present a checklist to evaluate CSLF of your ES indicators. This checklist helps to detect and mitigate critical shortcomings in an early phase of the development process, and aids the development of effective indicators to inform actual policy decisions.

Impacts of urbanization around Mediterranean cities: changes in ecosystem service supply

Wed, 4 Apr 2018 16:03:14

de Ana Paula Garcia-Nieto, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Francesc Baro, Philip Roche, Alberte Bondeau, Wolfgang Cramer
In Ecological Indicators, 91 (2018)
En ligne : hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr[...]

Urbanization is an important driver of changes in land cover in the Mediterranean Basin and it is likely to impact the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ES). The most significant land cover changes occur in the peri-urban zone, but little is known about how these changes affect the ES supply. For eight European and four North African cities, we have quantified changes in peri-urban land cover, for periods of sixteen years (1990-2006) in the Northern African, and twenty-two years (1990-2012) in the European cities, respectively. Using an expert-based method, we derived quantitative estimates of the dynamics in the supply of twenty-seven ES. The nature of land cover changes slightly differed between European and North African Mediterranean cities, but overall it increased in urban areas and decreased in agricultural land. The capacity of the peri-urban areas of Mediterranean cities to supply ES generally reduced over the last 20-30 years. For nine ES the potential supply actually increased for all four North African cities and three out of the eight European cities. Across all cities, the ES timber, wood fuel and religious and spiritual experience increased. Given the expected increase of urban population in the Mediterranean Basin and the current knowledge of ES deficits in urban areas, the overall decrease in ES supply capacity of peri-urban areas is a risk for human well-being in the Mediterranean and poses a serious challenge for the Sustainable Development Goals in the Mediterranean basin.

Global change effects on land management in the Mediterranean region

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 13:49:00

de Žiga Malek, Peter H Verburg, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Alberte Bondeau, Wolfgang Cramer
In Global Environmental Change, 50 (05/2018), 238-254
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

The Mediterranean region faces signiﬁcant challenges to supply its growing population with food and living space. The region’s potential to do so in the future is even more uncertain in the light of global change eﬀects. Climate change will impact water availability in the region, which is already limited and often used at unsustainable rates. To investigate the eﬀects of global change and explore alternative development pathways of Mediterranean land use, we simulated two future scenarios with diﬀerent land, water and biodiversity management transitions. We adopted a land systems approach, where land use and land cover are combined with data on land management, irrigation and livestock density, taking into account the characteristics of Mediterranean multifunctional landscapes, speciﬁc agricultural products, such as permanent crops, and irrigation water demands. Future land system changes were explored using the CLUMondo model for diﬀerent development pathways of the region. We constrained the withdrawal of irrigation water based on existing freshwater resources. In a ‘growth’ scenario, we simulated a hypothetical future without consideration of environmental constraints and where food production and urban expansion are main priorities. The ‘sustainability’ scenario represents a future where limited water resources are extracted in a sustainable way and where areas of high biodiversity value are protected. The growth scenario projected signiﬁcant intensiﬁcation of land management, and loss of agro-silvo-pastoral mosaic systems. To achieve this, we calculate that the region would need to increase water withdrawal for irrigation signiﬁcantly, resulting in increased pressure on freshwater resources. The sustainability scenario presents a way of increasing food production and at the same time improving the state of water resources, wetlands and traditional landscapes. Achieving this future would require improvements of yields of rain-fed systems and eﬃciencies of irrigated systems. The results indicate that coordinated environmental policy together with appropriate market access are needed to steer the regions land management towards a more sustainable future while ensuring food production.

Mapping Mediterranean Wetlands With Remote Sensing: A Good-Looking Map Is Not Always a Good Map

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 15:53:47

de Christian Perennou, Anis Guelmami, Marc Paganini, Petra Philipson, Brigitte Poulin, Adrian Strauch, Christian Tottrup, John Truckenbrodt, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, David A. Bohan, et al.
In Advances in Ecological Research, 58(1) (2018), 243-277
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Wetlands are a key habitat within the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot and provide important ecosystem services for human well-being. Remote sensing (RS) has significantly boosted our ability to monitor changes in Mediterranean wetlands, especially in areas where little information is being collected. However, its application to wetlands has sometimes been flawed with uncertainties and unrecognized errors, to a large extent due to the inherent and specific ecological characteristics of Mediterranean wetlands. We present here an overview of the state of the art on RS techniques for mapping and monitoring Mediterranean wetlands, and the remaining challenges: delineating and separating wetland habitat types; mapping water dynamics inside wetlands; and detecting actual wetland trends over time in a context of high, natural variability. The most important lessons learned are that ecologists’ knowledge need to be integrated with RS expertise to achieve a valuable monitoring approach of these ecosystems.

The next generation of site-based long-term ecological monitoring: Linking essential biodiversity variables and ecosystem integrity

Fri, 6 Oct 2017 10:57:40

de P. Haase, J. D. Tonkin, S. Stoll, B. Burkharde, M. Frenzelg, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, C. Häuser, S. Klotzg, I. Kühng, W. H. McDowell, et al.
In Science of The Total Environment, 613 - 614 (2018), 1376 - 1384
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Global change effects on biodiversity and human wellbeing call for improved long-term environmental data as a basis for science, policy and decision making, including increased interoperability, multifunctionality, and harmonization. Based on the example of two global initiatives, the International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network and the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), we propose merging the frameworks behind these initiatives, namely ecosystem integrity and essential biodiversity variables, to serve as an improved guideline for future site-based long-term research and monitoring in terrestrial, freshwater and coastal ecosystems. We derive a list of specific recommendations of what and how to measure at a monitoring site and call for an integration of sites into co-located site networks across individual monitoring initiatives, and centered on ecosystems. This facilitates the generation of linked comprehensive ecosystem monitoring data, supports synergies in the use of costly infrastructures, fosters cross-initiative research and provides a template for collaboration beyond the ILTER and GEO BON communities

Land and farming system dynamics and their drivers in the Mediterranean Basin

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 16:40:03

de Marta Debolini, Elisa Maraccini, Jean Paul Dubeuf, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Carlos Guerra, Marian Simon, Stefano Targetti, Claude Napoléone
In Land Use Policy, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.07.010 (2017)
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Given the heterogeneity and richness of Mediterranean farming systems, it is difficult to assess the nature and causes of observed dynamics based on single case studies. This research identifies case studies conducted on the north and south of the Mediterranean basin to provide a comprehensive overview of the current land and farming system dynamics and their main drivers. We analyze 80 papers published in international journals from 1985 to 2015. The studies vary in spatial scale, from 4 km2 in the case of peri-urban regions and small agricultural areas to more than 500,000 km2 in the case of national-based analyses. Most of the papers focus on mountainous rural areas, whereas only a few case studies are located in mixed regions or peri-urban inland regions. We analyze the farm trajectories behind the general dynamics to understand the ongoing processes at the agricultural level and their related drivers. Social and demographic drivers are indicated as particularly relevant for abandonment, which is frequently associated with intensification processes. Intensification dynamics are driven mainly by economic factors, which particularly affect annual crop production. Few papers analyze the dynamics of extensification and more research in this field is needed to understand this process and its eventual transition to the abandonment of agricultural areas. This analysis provides an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and information from a diverse range of disciplines and interest groups, which should be combined to formulate effective land use policies.

Monitoring biodiversity change through effective global coordination

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:23:49

de Laetitia M Navarro, Nestor Fernandez, Carlos Guerra, Rob Guralnick, W Daniel Kissling, Maria Cecilia Londoño, Frank Muller-Karger, Eren Turak, Patricia Balvanera, Mark J Costello, et al.
In Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 29 (December 2017), 158-169
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The ability to monitor changes in biodiversity, and their societal impact, is critical to conserving species and managing ecosystems. While emerging technologies increase the breadth and reach of data acquisition, monitoring efforts are still spatially and temporally fragmented, and taxonomically biased. Appropriate long-term information remains therefore limited. The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) aims to provide a general framework for biodiversity monitoring to support decision-makers. Here, we discuss the coordinated observing system adopted by GEO BON, and review challenges and advances in its implementation, focusing on two interconnected core components — the Essential Biodiversity Variables as a standard framework for biodiversity monitoring, and the Biodiversity Observation Networks that support harmonized observation systems — while highlighting their societal relevance.

How can global conventions for biodiversity and ecosystem services guide local conservation actions?

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:39:58

de Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Astrid JA van Teeffelen, Hilary Allison, Daniela Braun, Katherine Horgan, Maitane Iturrate-Garcia, Maria João Santos, Loïc Pellissier, Anne-Hélène Prieur-Richard, Simone Quatrini, et al.
In Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 29 (December 2017), 145-150
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

With global science-policy conventions for biodiversity and ecosystem services in place, much effort goes into monitoring and reporting on the progress toward policy targets. As conservation actions happen locally, can such global monitoring and reporting efforts effectively guide conservation actions at subnational level? In this paper we explore three different perspectives: policy reporting for policy implementation; scientific knowledge for empowerment and actions; and from past trends to influencing the future. Using these three perspectives, we identify ways forward for both decision makers and scientists on how to engage, inform and empower a larger diversity of actors who make decisions on the future of biodiversity and ecosystem services at multiple scales.

Interconnected place-based social–ecological research can inform global sustainability

Thu, 7 Dec 2017 11:20:34

de Patricia Balvanera, Rafael Calderón-Contreras, Antonio J Castro, María R Felipe-Lucia, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Sander Jacobs, Berta Martin-Lopez, Ugo Arbieu, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Bruno Locatelli, et al.
In Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 29 (December 2017), 1-7
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Global sustainability initiatives are gaining momentum and impact, and place-based research can provide complementary insights to strengthen them. Here, we explore the current and potential role of place-based research into informing global sustainability initiatives by assessing the strengths, challenges, and opportunities. We show that place-based research allows for a better understanding of global social–ecological dynamics, and that transformations towards sustainability are often triggered at the local scale through the co-construction of local solutions. We discuss that the very nature of place-based research can hinder its transferability because its global integration faces temporal, spatial and governance scale mismatches, and we identify some of the key challenges of scaling-up its findings. We highlight new opportunities to mainstream place-based research that are emerging from first, long-term networks of place-based research, second, new institutional research settings that contribute with conceptual comprehensive frameworks and capacity building tools, third, a global community of practice, and fourth, the concept of region as a bridge between local and global sustainability initiatives. We believe that the time is ripe to promote the role of place-based social–ecological research as a key contributor to achieve global sustainability goals.

Satellite remote sensing of ecosystem functions: opportunities, challenges and way forward

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 10:27:23

de Nathalie Pettorelli, Henrike Schulte to Bühne, Ayesha Tulloch, Grégoire Dubois, Cate Macinnis-Ng, Ana M. Queirós, David A. Keith, Martin Wegmann, Franziska Schrodt, Marion Stellmes, et al.
In Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 10.1002/rse2.59 (2017-08-10)
En ligne : doi.wiley.com[...]

Societal, economic and scientific interests in knowing where biodiversity is, how it is faring and what can be done to efficiently mitigate further biodiversity loss and the associated loss of ecosystem services are at an all-time high. So far, however, biodiversity monitoring has primarily focused on structural and compositional features of ecosystems despite growing evidence that ecosystem functions are key to elucidating the mechanisms through which biological diversity generates services to humanity. This monitoring gap can be traced to the current lack of consensus on what exactly ecosystem functions are and how to track them at scales beyond the site level. This contribution aims to advance the development of a global biodiversity monitoring strategy by proposing the adoption of a set of definitions and a typology for ecosystem functions, and reviewing current opportunities and potential limitations for satellite remote sensing technology to support the monitoring of ecosystem functions worldwide. By clearly defining ecosystem processes, functions and services and their interrelationships, we provide a framework to improve communication between ecologists, land and marine managers, remote sensing specialists and policy makers, thereby addressing a major barrier in the field.

Ecosystem services in global sustainability policies

Thu, 5 Oct 2017 16:11:58

de Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Emmanuelle Cohen-shacham, Anna F. Cord, Wolfgang Cramer, Carlos Guerra, Berta Martin-Lopez
In Environmental Science & Policy, 74 (08/2017), 40-48
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

The Biodiversity Informatics Landscape: Elements, Connections and Opportunities

Thu, 5 Oct 2017 16:12:03

de Heather Bingham, Michel Doudin, Lauren Weatherdon, Katherine Despot-Belmonte, Florian Wetzel, Quentin Groom, Edward Lewis, Eugenie Regan, Ward Appeltans, Anton Güntsch, et al.
In Research Ideas and Outcomes, 3 (2017-06-09), e14059
En ligne : riojournal.com[...]

There are a multitude of biodiversity informatics projects, datasets, databases and initiatives at the global level, and many more at regional, national, and sometimes local levels. In such a complex landscape, it can be unclear how different elements relate to each other. Based on a high-level review of global and European-level elements, we present a map of the biodiversity informatics landscape. This is a first attempt at identifying key datasets/databases and data services, and mapping them in a way that can be used to identify the links, gaps and redundancies in the landscape. While the map is predominantly focused on elements with a global scope, the sub-global focus at the European-level was incorporated in the map in order to demonstrate how a regional network such as the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON) can usefully contribute to connecting some of the nodes within the landscape. We identify 74 elements, and find that the informatics landscape is complex in terms of the characteristics and diversity of these elements, and that there is high variability in their level of connectedness. Overall, the landscape is highly connected, with one element boasting 28 connections. The average "degrees of separation" between elements is low, and the landscape is deemed relatively robust to failures since there is no single point that information flows through. Examples of possible effort duplication are presented, and the inclusion of five policy-level elements in the map helps illustrate how informatics products can contribute to global processes that define and direct political targets. Beyond simply describing the existing landscape, this map will support a better understanding of the landscape’s current structure and functioning, enabling responsible institutions to establish or strengthen collaborations, work towards avoiding effort duplication, and facilitate access to the biodiversity data, information and knowledge required to support effective decision-making, in the context of comparatively limited funding for biodiversity knowledge and conservation. To support this, we provide the input matrix and code that created this map as supplementary materials, so that readers can more closely examine the links in the landscape, and edit the map to suit their own purposes.
Keywords

Biodiversity informatics; network; data; indicators

European farm scale habitat descriptors for the evaluation of biodiversity

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 09:57:05

de F. Herzog, G. Lüscher, M. Arndorfer, M. Bogers, K. Balázs, R.G.H. Bunce, P. Dennis, E. Falusi, J.K. Friedel, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, et al.
In Ecological Indicators, 77 (06/2017), 205-217
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

Habitat descriptors are cost effective biodiversity indicators demanded by stakeholders and required for regional and global biodiversity monitoring. We mapped 195 farms of different types in twelve case study regions across Europe and tested 18 habitat descriptors for scientific validity, information content and ease of interpretation. We propose a core set consisting of (i) four descriptors to measure structural composition and configuration of farms (Habitat Richness, Habitat Diversity, Patch Size, and Linear Habitats), (ii) three descriptors addressing specific habitat types (Crop Richness, Shrub Habitats, and Tree Habitats) and (iii) one interpreted descriptor (Semi-Natural Habitats). As a set, the descriptors make it possible to evaluate the habitat status of a farm and to track changes occurring due to modified land use and/or management, including agri-environmental measures. The farm habitat maps can provide ground truth information for regional and global biodiversity monitoring.

A suite of essential biodiversity variables for detecting critical biodiversity change

Thu, 5 Oct 2017 14:46:44

de Dirk S. Schmeller, Lauren V. Weatherdon, Adeline Loyau, Alberte Bondeau, Lluis Brotons, Neil Brummitt, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Peter Haase, Mathias Kuemmerlen, Corinne S. Martin, et al.
In Biological Reviews, 10.1111/brv.12332 (04/2017)
En ligne : doi.wiley.com[...]

Key global indicators of biodiversity decline, such as the IUCN Red List Index and the Living Planet Index, have relatively long assessment intervals. This means they, due to their inherent structure, function as late-warning indicators that are retrospective, rather than prospective. These indicators are unquestionably important in providing information for biodiversity conservation, but the detection of early-warning signs of critical biodiversity change is also needed so that proactive management responses can be enacted promptly where required. Generally, biodiversity conservation has dealt poorly with the scattered distribution of necessary detailed information, and needs to find a solution to assemble, harmonize and standardize the data. The prospect of monitoring essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) has been suggested in response to this challenge. The concept has generated much attention, but the EBVs themselves are still in development due to the complexity of the task, the limited resources available, and a lack of long-term commitment to maintain EBV data sets. As a first step, the scientific community and the policy sphere should agree on a set of priority candidate EBVs to be developed within the coming years to advance both large-scale ecological research as well as global and regional biodiversity conservation. Critical ecological transitions are of high importance from both a scientific as well as from a conservation policy point of view, as they can lead to long-lasting biodiversity change with a high potential for deleterious effects on whole ecosystems and therefore also on human well-being. We evaluated candidate EBVs using six criteria: relevance, sensitivity to change, generalizability, scalability, feasibility, and data availability and provide a literature-based review for eight EBVs with high sensitivity to change. The proposed suite of EBVs comprises abundance, allelic diversity, body mass index, ecosystem heterogeneity, phenology, range dynamics, size at first reproduction, and survival rates. The eight candidate EBVs provide for the early detection of critical and potentially long-lasting biodiversity change and should be operationalized as a priority. Only with such an approach can science predict the future status of global biodiversity with high certainty and set up the appropriate conservation measures early and efficiently. Importantly, the selected EBVs would address a large range of conservation issues and contribute to a total of 15 of the 20 Aichi targets and are, hence, of high biological relevance.

Why do forest products become less available?: A pan-tropical comparison of drivers of forest-resource degradation

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 17:25:38

de K. Hermans-Neumann, K. Gerstner, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, M. Herold, R. Seppelt, S. Wunder
In Environmental Research Letters, 11 (2016)
En ligne : www.cifor.org[...]

Forest products provide an important source of income and wellbeing for rural smallholder communities across the tropics. Although tropical forest products frequently become over-exploited, only few studies explicitly address the dynamics of degradation in response to socio-economic drivers. Our study addresses this gap by analyzing the factors driving changes in tropical forest products in the perception of rural smallholder communities. Using the poverty and environment network global dataset, we studied recently perceived trends of forest product availability considering firewood, charcoal, timber, food, medicine, forage and other forest products. We looked at a pan-tropical sample of 233 villages with forest access. Our results show that 90% of the villages experienced declining availability of forest resources over the last five years according to the informants. Timber and fuelwood together with forest foods were featured as the most strongly affected, though with marked differences across continents. In contrast, availability of at least one main forest product was perceived to increase in only 39% of the villages. Furthermore, the growing local use of forest resources is seen as the main culprit for the decline. In villages with both growing forest resource use and immigration–vividly illustrating demographic pressures–the strongest forest resources degradation was observed. Conversely, villages with little or no population growth and a decreased use of forest resources were most likely to see significant forest-resource increases. Further, villages are less likely to perceive resource declines when local communities own a significant share of forest area. Our results thus suggest that perceived resource declines have only exceptionally triggered adaptations in local resource-use and management patterns that would effectively deal with scarcity. Hence, at the margin this supports neo-Malthusian over neo-Boserupian explanations of local resource-use dynamics.

Taking stock of nature: Essential biodiversity variables explained

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 09:48:43

de Neil Brummitt, Eugenie C. Regan, Lauren V. Weatherdon, Corinne S. Martin, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Duccio Rocchini, Yoni Gavish, Peter Haase, Charles J. Marsh, Dirk S. Schmeller
In Biological Conservation, Online (2016)
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

In 2013, the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) developed the framework of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), inspired by the Essential Climate Variables (ECVs). The EBV framework was developed to distill the complexity of biodiversity into a manageable list of priorities and to bring a more coordinated approach to observing biodiversity on a global scale. However, efforts to address the scientific challenges associated with this task have been hindered by diverse interpretations of the definition of an EBV. Here, the authors define an EBV as a critical biological variable that characterizes an aspect of biodiversity, functioning as the interface between raw data and indicators. This relationship is clarified through a multi-faceted stock market analogy, drawing from relevant examples of biodiversity indicators that use EBVs, such as the Living Planet Index and the UK Spring Index. Through this analogy, the authors seek to make the EBV concept accessible to a wider audience, especially to non-specialists and those in the policy sector, and to more clearly define the roles of EBVs and their relationship with biodiversity indicators. From this we expect to support advancement towards globally coordinated measurements of biodiversity.

Biodiversity knowledge synthesis at the European scale: actors and steps

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 14:44:31

de Barbara Livoreil, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Andrew S. Pullin, Stefan Schindler, Marie Vandewalle, Carsten Nesshoever
In Biodiversity and conservation, 25(7) (June 2016), 1269-1284
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

To respond to the need for a strengthened biodiversity science-policy-society interface at the European level, this paper presents the relevant actors and steps of a knowledge synthesis process relying on a Network of Knowledge. This process aims to maximize active involvement and contribution (including holders of traditional and local knowledge), transparency, credibility, relevance and legitimacy (among other values defined during several workshops held). The presented process allows for the implementation of several synthesis methodologies, depending on the availability of resources, quantity and quality of knowledge and decided according to the expectations of the requesters and users. We put this approach in parallel with other knowledge-based recommendations and negotiation processes such as CBD and IPBES and highlight the need to encompass the diversity of approaches, values, and challenges at the European scale, while the process simultaneously has to be highly flexible, yet simple and robust. Although the presented process still holds several challenges, it offers a step forward in the development and reflections on science-policy–society interfaces, based on consultations with a significant number of the actors from the European policy–science community.

Global scenarios for biodiversity need to better integrate climate and land use change

Fri, 1 Dec 2017 17:25:18

de Nicolas Titeux, Klaus Henle, Jean-Baptiste Mihoub, Adrian Regos, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Wolfgang Cramer, Peter H. Verburg, Lluis Brotons
In Diversity and Distributions, 23(11) (2017), 1231–1234
En ligne : dx.doi.org[...]

From the 1990s to the early 2000s, biodiversity models and scenarios based on climate change simulations accumulated in the scientific literature at a rate similar to that of scenarios assessing the future impacts of land use change on biodiversity. Since the early 2000s, the number of scenarios based on climate change simulations has shot up while those addressing the effects of land use change have increased only slightly (Titeux et al., 2016). The research focus on the future impacts of climate change on biodiversity is now stronger than ever before