Large ecosystem-scale effects of restoration fail to mitigate impacts of land-use legacies in longleaf pine savannas
Abstract
The restoration of degraded ecosystems is a global priority, yet successful restoration is challenged by the lingering degrading impacts of human land-use activities, like agriculture. Using a large-scale experiment within the longleaf pine ecosystem, we evaluate how 45 abiotic and biotic ecological properties are affected by legacies of past farming and conversion to pine plantations, as well as contemporary restoration activities to reinstate savanna conditions. Restoration had large and beneficial effects on this ecosystem regardless of land-use history, but a suite of conditions remained persistently altered by land-use legacies even after restoration. Ongoing advances to ecosystem restoration should target persistent legacy effects, to maximize the conservation potential of ecosystems recovering from intensive human use.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 19, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.2020935118
Entities
People
- Ellen I. Damschen
- Jason Gibbs
- John D. Stuhler
- John L. Orrock
- Joseph A. Ledvina
- Lars A. Brudvig
- Lukas Bell-Dereske
- Nash E. Turley
- Philip G. Hahn
- Quinn M. Sorenson
- Rufus Isaacs
- Sabrie Breland
- Sarah E. Evans
- Savannah L. Bartel
Organizations
- Michigan State University
- Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program
- Texas Tech University
- United States Department of Agriculture
- University of California
- University of Florida
- University of Manitoba
- University of Wisconsin–Madison