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Power laws and critical fragmentation in global forests
Leonardo A Saravia1, Santiago R Doyle2, Ben Bond-Lamberty3
1Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, J.M. Gutierrez 1159 (1613), Los Polvorines, Buenos Aires, Argentina. lsaravia@campus.ungs.edu.ar.
Scientific Reports
|December 12, 2018
Summary
Forest fragmentation is accelerating globally. Critical thresholds may be near in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa, risking widespread species loss and ecosystem service degradation if deforestation continues.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Remote Sensing
Background:
- Human-dominated landscapes replace forests, causing fragmentation.
- Forest fragmentation alters ecosystem structure and function.
- Understanding forest dynamics is crucial for conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To study global forest patch size dynamics.
- To identify critical transitions towards forest fragmentation.
- To assess regions nearing a fragmentation threshold.
Main Methods:
- Utilized MODIS vegetation continuous field data.
- Defined global regions of connected forest.
- Applied five criteria, including patch size distribution and largest patch fluctuations over 16 years.
Main Results:
- Identified regions approaching a critical fragmentation threshold.
- South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa show highest deforestation rates and meet criteria.
- These regions may be near a tipping point.
Conclusions:
- Continued deforestation may lead to sudden, widespread forest fragmentation.
- This fragmentation could trigger extensive species loss.
- Ecosystem services are at risk of degradation.
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