A review of the combination among global change factors in forests, shrublands and pastures of the Mediterranean Region : beyond drought effects
Doblas Miranda, Enrique (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Alonso, Rocío (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (Espanya))
Arnan, Xavier (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Bermejo, Victoria (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (Espanya))
Brotons, Lluís (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Heras Ibáñez, Jorge de las (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Tecnología Agraria)
Estiarte, Marc (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Hódar, José Antonio (Universidad de Granada. Departamento de Biología Animal y Ecología)
Llorens García, Pilar (Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua)
Lloret Maya, Francisco (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
López Serrano, Francisco Ramón (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos y de Montes)
Martínez Vilalta, Jordi, 1975- (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Moya, Daniel (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos y de Montes)
Peñuelas, Josep (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Pino i Vilalta, Joan, dir. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Rodrigo Domínguez, Anselm (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Roura Pascual, Núria (Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya)
Valladares, F.. (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, Espanya))
Retana Alumbreros, Javier (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)

Date:	2017
Abstract:	Climate change, alteration of atmospheric composition, land abandonment in some areas and land use intensification in others, wildfires and biological invasions threaten forests, shrublands and pastures all over the world. However, the impacts of the combinations between global change factors are not well understood despite its pressing importance. Here we posit that reviewing global change factors combination in an exemplary region can highlight the necessary aspects in order to better understand the challenges we face, warning about the consequences, and showing the challenges ahead of us. The forests, shrublands and pastures of the Mediterranean Basin are an ideal scenario for the study of these combinations due to its spatial and temporal heterogeneity, increasing and diverse human population and the historical legacy of land use transformations. The combination of multiple global change factors in the Basin shows different ecological effects. Some interactions alter the effects of a single factor, as drought enhances or decreases the effects of atmospheric components on plant ecophysiology. Several interactions generate new impacts: drought and land use changes, among others, alter water resources and lead to land degradation, vegetation regeneration decline, and expansion of forest diseases. Finally, different factors can occur alone or simultaneously leading to further increases in the risk of fires and biological invasions. The transitional nature of the Basin between temperate and arid climates involves a risk of irreversible ecosystem change towards more arid states. However, combinations between factors lead to unpredictable ecosystem alteration that goes beyond the particular consequences of drought. Complex global change scenarios should be studied in the Mediterranean and other regions of the world, including interregional studies. Here we show the inherent uncertainty of this complexity, which should be included in any management strategy.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CSD2008-00040
Note:	Research in CRAG is also supported byCERCA institution (Generalitat de Catalunya).
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Atmospheric composition alteration ; Biological invasions ; Climate change ; Global change factors interaction ; Land use intensification ; Land abandonment ; Natural resilience ; Novel ecosystems ; Wildfires
Published in:	Global and planetary change, Vol. 148 (Jan. 2017) , p. 42-54, ISSN 0921-8181

DOI: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.11.012

Post-print 57 p, 1.3 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles