Can large herbivores enhance ecosystem carbon persistence?Jeppe A.
Kristensen, Jens-Christian Svenning, Katerina Georgiou & Yadvinder
MalhiScience DirectNovember 17, 2021 Abstract
There is growing interest in aligning the wildlife conservation and
restoration agenda with climate change mitigation goals. However, the
presence of large herbivores tends to reduce aboveground biomass in some
open-canopy ecosystems, leading to the possibility that large herbivore
restoration may negatively influence ecosystem carbon storage. Belowground
carbon storage is often ignored in these systems, despite the wide
recognition of soils as the largest actively-cycling terrestrial carbon
pool. Here, we suggest a shift away from a main focus on vegetation carbon
stocks, towards inclusion of whole ecosystem carbon persistence, in future
assessments of large herbivore effects on long-term carbon storage. Failure
to do so may lead to counterproductive biodiversity and climate impacts of
land management actions.
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LINK:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534721002573?dgcid=author
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534721002573?dgcid=author
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