The newest paper from the BIODESERT ERC project of Prof. Fernando Maestre has been published in Science. The paper gives an overview on the effects of grazing on the ecosystem service delivery in global drylands. The study is based on the implementation of a robust field protocol in dry rangelands of six continents and 26 countries. It was our great pleasure that we could take part in this survey and we could represent the Hungarian rangelands. Our dry grasslands were situated in the least arid end of the whole studied gradient. Our part in the survey took approximately two months of intensive field survey and laboratory analysis, for which the help of our colleagues Katalin Lukács, Réka Kiss, Szilvia Radócz, Laura Godó and Sándor Borza was essential, many thanks!
The citation and the abstract of the paper:
Maestre, F.T.M. et al. 2022. Grazing and ecosystem service delivery in global drylands. Science 378: 915-920.
Maestre, F.T.M. et al. 2022. Grazing and ecosystem service delivery in global drylands. Science 378: 915-920.
'Grazing
represents the most extensive use of land worldwide. Yet its impacts on
ecosystem services remain uncertain because pervasive interactions
between grazing pressure, climate, soil properties, and biodiversity may
occur but have never been addressed simultaneously. Using a
standardized survey at 98 sites across six continents, we show that
interactions between grazing pressure, climate, soil, and biodiversity
are critical to explain the delivery of fundamental ecosystem services
across drylands worldwide. Increasing grazing pressure reduced ecosystem
service delivery in warmer and speciespoor drylands, whereas positive
effects of grazing were observed in colder and species-rich areas.
Considering interactions between grazing and local abiotic and biotic
factors is key for understanding the fate of dryland ecosystems under
climate change and increasing human pressure.'
The lead authors of the paper prepared a nice and informative video summary, please click here to see it.
