Effectiveness of the world network of biosphere reserves in maintaining forest ecosystem functions
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
Standard
in: Communications Earth & Environment, Jahrgang 6, Nr. 1, 83, 12.2025.
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effectiveness of the world network of biosphere reserves in maintaining forest ecosystem functions
AU - Gohr, Charlotte
AU - von Wehrden, Henrik
AU - Saatchi, Sassan
AU - Pettorelli, Nathalie
AU - Ibisch, Pierre L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - UNESCO biosphere reserves serve as learning areas for sustainable development, where preserving ecosystem functionality is an imperative. However, this critical assumption has yet to be thoroughly examined. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated differences in satellite-derived proxies of ecosystem functions in forests between inside and surrounding areas of biosphere reserves, globally. Our findings based on linear mixed effect models show that (i) only 18 of 119 biosphere reserves exhibited higher values for all forest ecosystem function proxies inside the reserves compared to outside, (ii) smaller reserves in fragmented forestscapes were more affected by hot day temperatures, and (iii) greater forest cover correlated with increased ecosystem functioning across all biomes. This study underscores the potential significance of biosphere reserves to biodiversity conservation efforts and the need for the integration of satellite-based, outcome-oriented proxies of ecosystem functions in assessments of protected area effectiveness.
AB - UNESCO biosphere reserves serve as learning areas for sustainable development, where preserving ecosystem functionality is an imperative. However, this critical assumption has yet to be thoroughly examined. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated differences in satellite-derived proxies of ecosystem functions in forests between inside and surrounding areas of biosphere reserves, globally. Our findings based on linear mixed effect models show that (i) only 18 of 119 biosphere reserves exhibited higher values for all forest ecosystem function proxies inside the reserves compared to outside, (ii) smaller reserves in fragmented forestscapes were more affected by hot day temperatures, and (iii) greater forest cover correlated with increased ecosystem functioning across all biomes. This study underscores the potential significance of biosphere reserves to biodiversity conservation efforts and the need for the integration of satellite-based, outcome-oriented proxies of ecosystem functions in assessments of protected area effectiveness.
KW - Sustainability sciences, Communication
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85218121791&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s43247-025-02081-y
DO - 10.1038/s43247-025-02081-y
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 6
JO - Communications Earth & Environment
JF - Communications Earth & Environment
SN - 2662-4435
SN - 2662-4435
IS - 1
M1 - 83
ER -