Facilitating Large-Scale Restoration of Brazilian Savannas
Silva, M
Date: 28 May 2024
Thesis or dissertation
Publisher
University of Exeter
Degree Title
Doctor in Philosophy in Physical Geography
Abstract
Restoring degraded ecosystems has emerged as a solution to tackling global biodiversity loss and climate change. However, scaling ecosystem restoration depends on matching species to site conditions today and in the future. I aimed to fill this knowledge gap for the Brazilian Cerrado, a global biodiversity hotspot characterized by a ...
Restoring degraded ecosystems has emerged as a solution to tackling global biodiversity loss and climate change. However, scaling ecosystem restoration depends on matching species to site conditions today and in the future. I aimed to fill this knowledge gap for the Brazilian Cerrado, a global biodiversity hotspot characterized by a mosaic of tropical savannas and forests. I assessed the diversity of plant species available for seed-based restoration by compiling species lists of four major seed suppliers to evaluate how well they cover the Cerrado flora. I found that each supplier trades a unique set of species, but herbaceous species are underrepresented relative to trees, and that ruderal species dominate seed sales rather than species typical of old-growth vegetation. I also assessed the future distribution of the Cerrado flora under climate change by fitting Species Distribution Models (SDMs) for up to 7,400 Cerrado angiosperm species. I found that montane species will lose range while lowland species will expand their range towards high-elevation sites, resulting in net species loss in the lowlands and species turnover in the mountains. Finally, I combined the two previous studies to develop a tool for designing climate-smart seed mixes for restoration. The user sets the focal species, restoration site, and level of climate optimisation, then the tool takes advantage of SDMs to make species-specific suggestions for the best areas to collect seeds from natural populations and the proportion of seeds to be obtained from different active seed vendors. I conclude that diversifying seed supply, aligned with climate-informed species and seed origin selection, will be critical to scaling up restoration in the Cerrado.
Doctoral Theses
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