Do subtropical grasslands recover spontaneously after afforestation?

Torchelsen, Fábio Piccin; Cadenazzi, Mónica; Overbeck, Gerhard Ernst

doi:10.1093/jpe/rty011

Cited by 13 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…When tree density is high and fires are excluded for long periods of time, herbaceous plant communities decline substantially in diversity and cover (Brudvig et al ., ). Herbaceous plants can recolonise following tree removal (Harrington, ; Torchelsen, Cadenazzi & Overbeck, ), but post‐afforestation grasslands remain compositionally different from old‐growth grasslands (Koch et al ., ; Zaloumis & Bond, ). These secondary grasslands, like those that form after agricultural abandonment, tend to be dominated by ruderal species that are either good dispersers or that emerge from persistent seed banks.…”

Section: Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and grassy woodlands

et al. 2018

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Despite growing recognition of the conservation values of grassy biomes, our understanding of how to maintain and restore biodiverse tropical grasslands (including savannas and open‐canopy grassy woodlands) remains limited. To incorporate grasslands into large‐scale restoration efforts, we synthesised existing ecological knowledge of tropical grassland resilience and approaches to plant community restoration. Tropical grassland plant communities are resilient to, and often dependent on, the endogenous disturbances with which they evolved – frequent fires and native megafaunal herbivory. In stark contrast, tropical grasslands are extremely vulnerable to human‐caused exogenous disturbances, particularly those that alter soils and destroy belowground biomass (e.g. tillage agriculture, surface mining); tropical grassland restoration after severe soil disturbances is expensive and rarely achieves management targets. Where grasslands have been degraded by altered disturbance regimes (e.g. fire exclusion), exotic plant invasions, or afforestation, restoration efforts can recreate vegetation structure (i.e. historical tree density and herbaceous ground cover), but species‐diverse plant communities, including endemic species, are slow to recover. Complicating plant‐community restoration efforts, many tropical grassland species, particularly those that invest in underground storage organs, are difficult to propagate and re‐establish. To guide restoration decisions, we draw on the old‐growth grassland concept, the novel ecosystem concept, and theory regarding tree cover along resource gradients in savannas to propose a conceptual framework that classifies tropical grasslands into three broad ecosystem states. These states are: (1) old‐growth grasslands (i.e. ancient, biodiverse grassy ecosystems), where management should focus on the maintenance of disturbance regimes; (2) hybrid grasslands, where restoration should emphasise a return towards the old‐growth state; and (3) novel ecosystems, where the magnitude of environmental change (i.e. a shift to an alternative ecosystem state) or the socioecological context preclude a return to historical conditions.

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Section: Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and grassy woodlands

et al. 2018

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“…In southern Brazil, Eucalypt plantations have expanded greatly in the past ten years (Torchelsen et al 2018). In some regions of the country, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of species-rich subtropical grasslands: traditional management vs. legal conservation requirements in primary and secondary grasslands

2020

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Land-use change is the main cause of biodiversity losses, and for grasslands includes changes in management. The last 10 years has seen afforestation of traditionally grazed grasslands increase considerably in the understudied Serra do Sudeste region of the Brazilian Pampa, turning the region into a mosaic of tree plantations, natural ecosystems (partly in conservation areas without grazing management) and other land uses. We evaluated grassland plant community structure and composition in conservation areas considering two distinct types of land-use history and compared them to grasslands under traditional management. The study was carried out at 58 sites. Per site, three plots were established to sample the plant composition of the herbaceous and shrub layers. We used ordination techniques and indicator species analysis to describe patterns of community composition. We recorded a total of 516 species, thus confirming the high biodiversity of the region. We detected differences in vegetation structure and composition between primary and secondary grasslands. Our study emphasizes the need to increase conservation efforts in the region and points out that current conservation approaches should be evaluated critically regarding their effects for biodiversity conservation and that adequate grazing management is key for grassland biodiversity conservation.

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“…Thus, each case should be analyzed individually and depends on the eventual goal, since studies evaluating passive restoration in grassland habitats have demonstrated positive results for recovery of the flora and fauna (e.g. Torchelsen et al ; Reiley et al ; Silva et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Success of active restoration in grasslands: a case study of birds in southern Brazil

Silva

Fontana

2020

Restoration Ecology

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Grasslands in southeastern South America have been extensively converted to various land uses such as agriculture, threatening regional biodiversity. Active restoration has been viewed as a management alternative for recovery of degraded areas worldwide, although most studies are conducted in forests and none has evaluated the effect of active restoration of grasslands in southeastern South America. From 2015 through 2017 we monitored a federally owned tract of grassland from the beginning of the active-restoration process. We compared the bird community in this active-restoration area (AR) with a reference area (NG) in Pampa grasslands in southern Brazil. We sampled birds by point counts and surveyed vegetation structure in plots. Over the 3 years of active restoration, bird species richness and abundance were higher in AR (30 species, 171 individuals) than NG (22 species, 154 individuals). The species composition also differed between the two habitats. Grassland bird species were present in both AR and NG. The vegetation structure differed between AR and NG in five attributes: height, short and tall grasses, herbs, and shrubs. Since it has been found that active restoration is useful in promoting species diversity, we encourage studies of the use of long-term restoration efforts. Our study, even on a local scale, showed a rapid recovery of the bird community in the active-restoration compared to native grassland, and suggests the potential for recovery of the degraded grasslands of the Brazilian Pampa biome.

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Do subtropical grasslands recover spontaneously after afforestation?

Cited by 13 publications

References 35 publications

Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and grassy woodlands

Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and grassy woodlands

Conservation of species-rich subtropical grasslands: traditional management vs. legal conservation requirements in primary and secondary grasslands

Success of active restoration in grasslands: a case study of birds in southern Brazil

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