Abstract
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1472-1480 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Biological Conservation |
Volume | 144 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
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The 10 Australian ecosystems most vulnerable to tipping points. / Laurance, William; Dell, Bernard; Turton, Stephen; Lawes, Michael; Hutley, Lindsay; McCallum, Hamish; Dale, Patricia; Bird, Michael; Hardy, Giles; Prideaux, Gavin; Gawne, Ben; McMahon, Clive; Yu, Richard; Hero, Jean-Marc; Schwarzkopf, Lin; Krockenberger, Andrew; Setterfield, Samantha; Douglas, Michael; Silvester, Ewen; Mahony, Mark; Vella, Karen; Saikia, Udoy; Wahren, Carl-Henrik; Xu, Zhihong; Smith, Bradley; Cocklin, Chris.
In: Biological Conservation, Vol. 144, No. 5, 2011, p. 1472-1480.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - The 10 Australian ecosystems most vulnerable to tipping points
AU - Laurance, William
AU - Dell, Bernard
AU - Turton, Stephen
AU - Lawes, Michael
AU - Hutley, Lindsay
AU - McCallum, Hamish
AU - Dale, Patricia
AU - Bird, Michael
AU - Hardy, Giles
AU - Prideaux, Gavin
AU - Gawne, Ben
AU - McMahon, Clive
AU - Yu, Richard
AU - Hero, Jean-Marc
AU - Schwarzkopf, Lin
AU - Krockenberger, Andrew
AU - Setterfield, Samantha
AU - Douglas, Michael
AU - Silvester, Ewen
AU - Mahony, Mark
AU - Vella, Karen
AU - Saikia, Udoy
AU - Wahren, Carl-Henrik
AU - Xu, Zhihong
AU - Smith, Bradley
AU - Cocklin, Chris
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - We identify the 10 major terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Australia most vulnerable to tipping points, in which modest environmental changes can cause disproportionately large changes in ecosystem properties. To accomplish this we independently surveyed the coauthors of this paper to produce a list of candidate ecosystems, and then refined this list during a 2-day workshop. The list includes (1) elevationally restricted mountain ecosystems, (2) tropical savannas, (3) coastal floodplains and wetlands, (4) coral reefs, (5) drier rainforests, (6) wetlands and floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin, (7) the Mediterranean ecosystems of southwestern Australia, (8) offshore islands, (9) temperate eucalypt forests, and (10) salt marshes and mangroves. Some of these ecosystems are vulnerable to widespread phase-changes that could fundamentally alter ecosystem properties such as habitat structure, species composition, fire regimes, or carbon storage. Others appear susceptible to major changes across only part of their geographic range, whereas yet others are susceptible to a large-scale decline of key biotic components, such as small mammals or stream-dwelling amphibians. For each ecosystem we consider the intrinsic features and external drivers that render it susceptible to tipping points, and identify subtypes of the ecosystem that we deem to be especially vulnerable. � 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
AB - We identify the 10 major terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Australia most vulnerable to tipping points, in which modest environmental changes can cause disproportionately large changes in ecosystem properties. To accomplish this we independently surveyed the coauthors of this paper to produce a list of candidate ecosystems, and then refined this list during a 2-day workshop. The list includes (1) elevationally restricted mountain ecosystems, (2) tropical savannas, (3) coastal floodplains and wetlands, (4) coral reefs, (5) drier rainforests, (6) wetlands and floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin, (7) the Mediterranean ecosystems of southwestern Australia, (8) offshore islands, (9) temperate eucalypt forests, and (10) salt marshes and mangroves. Some of these ecosystems are vulnerable to widespread phase-changes that could fundamentally alter ecosystem properties such as habitat structure, species composition, fire regimes, or carbon storage. Others appear susceptible to major changes across only part of their geographic range, whereas yet others are susceptible to a large-scale decline of key biotic components, such as small mammals or stream-dwelling amphibians. For each ecosystem we consider the intrinsic features and external drivers that render it susceptible to tipping points, and identify subtypes of the ecosystem that we deem to be especially vulnerable. � 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
KW - catastrophic event
KW - climate change
KW - community composition
KW - coral reef
KW - ecosystem health
KW - ecosystem resilience
KW - environmental degradation
KW - environmental disturbance
KW - extinction risk
KW - feral organism
KW - floodplain
KW - habitat conservation
KW - habitat fragmentation
KW - habitat structure
KW - invasive species
KW - mangrove
KW - Mediterranean environment
KW - mountain environment
KW - pathogen
KW - pest species
KW - population decline
KW - rainforest
KW - salinization
KW - saltmarsh
KW - savanna
KW - sea level change
KW - threshold
KW - vulnerability
KW - wetland
KW - wildfire
KW - Australia
KW - Amphibia
KW - Animalia
KW - Anthozoa
KW - Mammalia
KW - Rhizophoraceae
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2011.01.016
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2011.01.016
M3 - Article
VL - 144
SP - 1472
EP - 1480
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
SN - 0006-3207
IS - 5
ER -