DYVERSE

Vegetation dynamics and ecosystem services provision in a fragmented landscape in response to global change

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Anthropogenic land use change, caused by increasing needs for energy and resources, is driving dramatic changes in biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and consequently ecosystem services, such as water quality or crop pollination. New quantitative tools are needed to refine our understanding and projections of these processes into the coming century. Such tools are needed to develop policies and management strategies (e.g. ecological networks) required to mitigate the effects of climate change and land-use change. We will develop such a tool by adapting and coupling BIOMOVE, an existing landscape modelling shell, to existing ecosystem services models, in order to simulate vegetation dynamics in the Monteregie (a case study region in south west Quebec), a biodiversity-rich area with a highly fragmented landscape. The model will be combined with projections from regional climate models and planned land use changes in the Monteregie to simulate future changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and services. We will then analyse the effects of changing landscape connectivity by establishing ecological networks linking forest fragments with corridors within the region. The model will help search for synergies and trade-offs between biodiversity and ecosystem services. The model will also uncover potential critical connectivity thresholds for key elements of regional biodiversity and associated services (e.g. plant-pollinator interactions). Finally, we will test the robustness of various ecological network designs to projected natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and in so doing rank the importance of the different habitat nodes and corridors to connectivity and landscape resilience.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Human beings are reliant on the biodiversity and services provided by ecosystems, a good example being the pollination of crops by bees and other insects. However, human activities, impacting climate change, habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, threaten biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Habitat fragmentation alone poses a serious threat to biodiversity and ecosystems by restricting plant and animal populations. This affects their ability to migrate and reduces the flow of genes between populations. This problem can be addressed, however, through environmental policies that develop land corridors between scattered habitats, thereby conserving biodiversity and its supporting ecosystems.

The DYVERSE initiative developed new quantitative tools for improving understanding and projections of global change in the coming century. These tools are needed for testing future scenarios of change. They will also be used to develop the policies and land-management strategies required to enable society to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Project partners used the Monteregie region of Quebec in Canada as a case study. It is both rich in biodiversity and a highly fragmented landscape, which is undergoing climate change, while feeding and being inhabited by nearly four million people.

Researchers developed a multi-species and multi-environmental change conceptual framework for demonstrating the different scales involved (local to regional). Around this framework the consortium developed modelling tools capable of simulating potential future land-use scenarios. This made it possible to test separately the changes in landscape configuration and composition.

Researchers used graph theory as a basis for landscape connectivity analyses and for defining climate-proof habitat networks. The consortium also combined complementary modelling tools such as niche-based models to assess climate impacts and a vegetation modelling tool to simulate vegetation dynamics. Other models simulated ecosystem services and habitat quality.

A set of 14 vertebrate species were selected for their diversity of habitat requirements, life history traits and dispersal abilities. They were then used to test the impact of small-scale land-use changes on overall habitat structure. Researchers also studied the joint effect of climate and land-use change and the use of habitat connecting corridors as a conservation strategy.

DYVERSE provided a new set of modelling tools and valuable insights into the use of connecting habitats to resolve multi-scale land-use planning challenges. The project also highlighted the need for biodiversity and ecosystem services to be conserved and habitat loss reduced through the creation of wildlife corridors.