Placing Brazil's grasslands and savannas on the map of science and conservation
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Übersichtsarbeiten › Forschung
Authors
In Brazil, the country with the highest plant species richness in the world, biodiverse savannas and grasslands – i.e., grassy ecosystems, which occupy 27% of the country – have historically been neglected in conservation and scientific treatments. Reasons for this neglect include misconceptions about the characteristics and dynamics of these ecosystems, as well as inconsistent or regionally restricted terminology that impeded a more adequate communication about Brazil's savannas and grasslands, both within the country and internationally. Toward improved communication and recognition of Brazil's diversity of ecosystems, we present the key drivers that control the main types of grassy ecosystems across Brazil (including in regions of the country where forests dominate). In doing so, we synthesize the main features of each grassy ecosystem in terms of physiognomy and ecological dynamics (e.g., relationships with herbivores and fire). We propose a terminology both for major grassland regions and for regionally relevant vegetation physiognomies. We also discuss terms associated with human land management and restoration of grassy ecosystems. Finally, we suggest key research needs to advance our understanding of the ecology and conservation values of Brazil's grassy ecosystems. We expect that a common and shared terminology and understanding, as proposed here, will stimulate more integrative research that will be fundamental to developing improved conservation and restoration strategies.
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Aufsatznummer | 125687 |
| Zeitschrift | Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics |
| Jahrgang | 56 |
| ISSN | 1433-8319 |
| DOIs | |
| Publikationsstatus | Erschienen - 01.09.2022 |
Bibliographische Notiz
Funding Information:
This paper is an outcome of the project ‘GrassSyn - Biodiversity of Brazilian grasslands and savannas: patterns and drivers, ecosystem services, and strategies for conservation and restoration’' conducted within the Brazilian Synthesis Center of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (SinBiose - Centro de Síntese em Biodiversidade e Serviços Ecossistêmicos, Brazil; grant 442348/2019-3 to GEO), funded by MCTI/CNPq. Funding from the CIEE (Canadian Institute for Ecology and Evolution, Canada) is also acknowledged. GD (309709/2020-2), AF (grant 303 988/2018–5), DCZ (grant 305301/2018-7), LSM (grant 150510/2021-7), SCM (grant 309659/2019-1), GEO (grant 310345/2018-9), FAOS (grant 303569/2017-8), PLV (grant 312486/2020-0) are supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico; CNPq), Brazil. MA is supported by CIEE. JWV is supported by USDA-NIFA Sustainable Agricultural Systems Grant 2019-68012-29 819, USDA-NIFA McIntire-Stennis Project 1016880, and the National Science Foundation under award DEB-1931232 (United States). FAOS is supported by Minas Gerais State Agency for Research and Development (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais; FAPEMIG), Brazil. AF, EES, GEO and SCM are members of the Instituto Nacional de Ciência & Tecnologia (INCT) em Ecologia, Evolução e Conservação da Biodiversidade (EECBio). We thank the editor and two reviewers for helpful comments on a previous version of the manuscript.
Funding Information:
This paper is an outcome of the project ‘GrassSyn - Biodiversity of Brazilian grasslands and savannas: patterns and drivers, ecosystem services, and strategies for conservation and restoration’' conducted within the Brazilian Synthesis Center of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (SinBiose - Centro de Síntese em Biodiversidade e Serviços Ecossistêmicos, Brazil; grant 442348/2019-3 to GEO), funded by MCTI/CNPq. Funding from the CIEE (Canadian Institute for Ecology and Evolution, Canada) is also acknowledged. GD ( 309709/2020-2 ), AF (grant 303 988/2018–5 ), DCZ (grant 305301/2018-7 ), LSM (grant 150510/2021-7 ), SCM (grant 309659/2019-1 ), GEO (grant 310345/2018-9 ), FAOS (grant 303569/2017-8 ), PLV (grant 312486/2020-0 ) are supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico; CNPq), Brazil. MA is supported by CIEE. JWV is supported by USDA-NIFA Sustainable Agricultural Systems Grant 2019-68012-29 819 , USDA-NIFA McIntire-Stennis Project 1016880 , and the National Science Foundation under award DEB-1931232 (United States). FAOS is supported by Minas Gerais State Agency for Research and Development (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais; FAPEMIG), Brazil. AF, EES, GEO and SCM are members of the Instituto Nacional de Ciência & Tecnologia (INCT) em Ecologia, Evolução e Conservação da Biodiversidade (EECBio). We thank the editor and two reviewers for helpful comments on a previous version of the manuscript.
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