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Thresholds for adding degraded tropical forest to the conservation estate
Robert M Ewers1, C David L Orme2, William D Pearse2
1Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK. r.ewers@imperial.ac.uk.
Nature
|July 17, 2024
Summary
Logged forests, even those with significant biomass removal, retain substantial biodiversity value. Lightly logged forests (<29% biomass removal) are particularly important for conservation and can recover naturally.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Forestry
Background:
- Logged forests are often perceived as degraded ecosystems.
- However, these dynamic environments can harbor significant biodiversity and possess conservation value.
- Primary forests are irreplaceable, but the value of logged forests is often underestimated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define empirical thresholds for assessing the conservation value of logged forests.
- To analyze the impact of logging intensity on species occurrence and functional composition.
- To provide data-driven insights for tropical forest conservation strategies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1,681 taxa across 86 orders and 126 functional groups in Sabah, Malaysia.
- Assessment of individual occurrence patterns in relation to logging intensity and biomass removal.
- Identification of conservation-relevant thresholds for forest degradation.
Main Results:
- Lightly logged forests (<29% biomass removal) maintain high conservation value and largely intact functional composition.
- Heavily degraded forests (>68% biomass removal) show the most extreme impacts on biodiversity.
- Two distinct conservation thresholds were identified based on biomass removal.
Conclusions:
- Logged forests retain considerable conservation value and should not be overlooked in conservation efforts.
- Lightly logged forests possess high potential for natural regeneration and recovery of pre-logging biodiversity.
- Severely degraded forests may require intensive and costly interventions to restore biodiversity value.
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