Beyond the forest edge: Ecology, diversity and conservation of the grassy biomes
Beyond the forest edge: Ecology, diversity and conservation of the grassy biomes
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DOI：
10.1016/j.biocon.2009.12.012
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发表时间：
2010-10-01
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
Parr, Catherine L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bond, William J.;Parr, Catherine L.
森林和草地植被（稀树草原和草地）是许多热带景观的替代生态系统状态。与森林相比，草地生态系统鲜为人知，保护不力，部分原因是它们被认为是森林砍伐的产物。然而，许多草原已被证明是古老的。与它们的古老性相一致，草地生物群落具有独特的植物和动物物种，这些物种贡献了森林-草地马赛克多样性的很大一部分。草原在生态和对未来威胁的性质上与森林有着显著的不同。在这里，我们强调了高生物多样性价值的草地生物群落，相比之下，热带森林，我们说明了火在维护这些系统的重要性。我们讨论了这些地区生物多样性的主要威胁和后果，包括土地清理和二氧化碳排放量增加导致的森林扩张。最后重点分析了草地恢复的难点。早就应该采取一种新的方法来理解和保护草地生态系统，摆脱过去的文化偏见。(C)2009爱思唯尔有限公司版权所有。
Forests and grassy vegetation (savannas and grasslands) are alternative ecosystem states in many tropical landscapes. Relative to forests the grassy ecosystems are poorly known and poorly conserved, partly because they were thought to be products of forest clearance. However many grasslands have proved to be ancient. Commensurate with their antiquity, grassy biomes have distinct suites of plant and animal species that contribute a large fraction of the diversity of forest-grassland mosaics. Grasslands differ strikingly from forests in their ecology and in the nature of threats to their future. Here we highlight the high biodiversity value of grassy biomes and, in contrast to tropical forests, we illustrate the importance of fire in maintaining these systems. We discuss the major threats to, and consequences for, biodiversity in these regions including land clearance and elevated CO2-driven forest expansion. Finally we focus on the difficulties of grassland restoration. A new approach to understanding and conserving grassy ecosystems, free from cultural prejudices of the past, is long overdue. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.