Megagrazer loss drives complex landscape-scale biophysical cascades
Wild animals can modulate ecosystem-climate feedbacks, e.g. through impacts on vegetation and associated carbon dynamics. However, vegetation cover and composition also affect land surface albedo, which is an important component of the global energy budget. We currently know very little about the in...
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| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ada16e |
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| author | Olli Hyvarinen Mariska te Beest Elizabeth le Roux Graham I H Kerley Robert Buitenwerf Dave J Druce Jiquan Chen Linda Rapp Joana Fernandes Joris P G M Cromsigt |
| author_facet | Olli Hyvarinen Mariska te Beest Elizabeth le Roux Graham I H Kerley Robert Buitenwerf Dave J Druce Jiquan Chen Linda Rapp Joana Fernandes Joris P G M Cromsigt |
| author_sort | Olli Hyvarinen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wild animals can modulate ecosystem-climate feedbacks, e.g. through impacts on vegetation and associated carbon dynamics. However, vegetation cover and composition also affect land surface albedo, which is an important component of the global energy budget. We currently know very little about the influence of wild animals on land surface albedo and the resulting climate forcing of these albedo changes. Leveraging a unique, ecosystem-scale, semi-experimental approach, we study how the local removals of the world’s largest, terrestrial grazer, white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum ), affected the coupling between fire dynamics, woody encroachment and surface albedo in Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park (HiP), South Africa. Our path analysis revealed that areas in the park where more rhinos had been removed showed a stronger increase in burnt area and woody encroachment compared to areas with fewer rhinos removed, which were both related to a decrease in surface albedo. Increasing burnt area was further associated with higher rates of woody encroachment, indirectly reinforcing the negative effect of rhino loss on albedo. Our study demonstrates that removals of megagrazers in HiP were related to complex ecosystem-wide cascades with measurable impacts on land cover and surface albedo and consequences on climate forcing. This highlights the importance of restoring functional ecosystems by reinstating trophic processes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ee7e86f11f2f4858a8bd6cad4efc29d1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-ee7e86f11f2f4858a8bd6cad4efc29d12025-01-21T17:39:34ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262025-01-0120202402810.1088/1748-9326/ada16eMegagrazer loss drives complex landscape-scale biophysical cascadesOlli Hyvarinen0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8988-1662Mariska te Beest1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3673-4105Elizabeth le Roux2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8468-8284Graham I H Kerley3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2702-5200Robert Buitenwerf4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3356-2301Dave J Druce5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2976-6029Jiquan Chen6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0761-9458Linda Rapp7Joana Fernandes8Joris P G M Cromsigt9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8632-9469Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , 90183 Umeå, Sweden; Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo , Blindernveien 31, Oslo 0371, NorwayCopernicus Institute for Sustainable Development, Utrecht University , 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands; Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University , Gqeberha 6031, South AfricaCentre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University , Gqeberha 6031, South Africa; Centre for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University , Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria , Pretoria, South AfricaCentre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University , Gqeberha 6031, South AfricaCentre for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University , Aarhus C DK-8000, DenmarkResearch Department, Welgevonden Game Reserve , Vaalwater, South Africa; Ecological Advice, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife , Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa; School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaDepartment of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences and Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI 48824, United States of AmericaDepartment of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , 90183 Umeå, SwedenDepartment of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , 90183 Umeå, SwedenDepartment of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , 90183 Umeå, Sweden; Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development, Utrecht University , 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands; Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University , Gqeberha 6031, South AfricaWild animals can modulate ecosystem-climate feedbacks, e.g. through impacts on vegetation and associated carbon dynamics. However, vegetation cover and composition also affect land surface albedo, which is an important component of the global energy budget. We currently know very little about the influence of wild animals on land surface albedo and the resulting climate forcing of these albedo changes. Leveraging a unique, ecosystem-scale, semi-experimental approach, we study how the local removals of the world’s largest, terrestrial grazer, white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum ), affected the coupling between fire dynamics, woody encroachment and surface albedo in Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park (HiP), South Africa. Our path analysis revealed that areas in the park where more rhinos had been removed showed a stronger increase in burnt area and woody encroachment compared to areas with fewer rhinos removed, which were both related to a decrease in surface albedo. Increasing burnt area was further associated with higher rates of woody encroachment, indirectly reinforcing the negative effect of rhino loss on albedo. Our study demonstrates that removals of megagrazers in HiP were related to complex ecosystem-wide cascades with measurable impacts on land cover and surface albedo and consequences on climate forcing. This highlights the importance of restoring functional ecosystems by reinstating trophic processes.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ada16emegafaunaalbedofirewoody encroachmentecological cascadesglobal warming potential |
| spellingShingle | Olli Hyvarinen Mariska te Beest Elizabeth le Roux Graham I H Kerley Robert Buitenwerf Dave J Druce Jiquan Chen Linda Rapp Joana Fernandes Joris P G M Cromsigt Megagrazer loss drives complex landscape-scale biophysical cascades Environmental Research Letters megafauna albedo fire woody encroachment ecological cascades global warming potential |
| title | Megagrazer loss drives complex landscape-scale biophysical cascades |
| title_full | Megagrazer loss drives complex landscape-scale biophysical cascades |
| title_fullStr | Megagrazer loss drives complex landscape-scale biophysical cascades |
| title_full_unstemmed | Megagrazer loss drives complex landscape-scale biophysical cascades |
| title_short | Megagrazer loss drives complex landscape-scale biophysical cascades |
| title_sort | megagrazer loss drives complex landscape scale biophysical cascades |
| topic | megafauna albedo fire woody encroachment ecological cascades global warming potential |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ada16e |
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