Assessing the role of megafauna in tropical forest ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - the potential of vegetation models

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

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Assessing the role of megafauna in tropical forest ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - the potential of vegetation models. / Berzaghi, Fabio; Verbeeck, Hans; Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt; Doughty, C.E.; Bretagnolle, François ; Marchetti, Marco; Scarascia‐Mugnozza, Giuseppe .

In: Ecography, Vol. 41, No. 12, 2018, p. 1934-1954.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Berzaghi, F, Verbeeck, H, Nielsen, MR, Doughty, CE, Bretagnolle, F, Marchetti, M & Scarascia‐Mugnozza, G 2018, 'Assessing the role of megafauna in tropical forest ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - the potential of vegetation models', Ecography, vol. 41, no. 12, pp. 1934-1954. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.03309

APA

Berzaghi, F., Verbeeck, H., Nielsen, M. R., Doughty, C. E., Bretagnolle, F., Marchetti, M., & Scarascia‐Mugnozza, G. (2018). Assessing the role of megafauna in tropical forest ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - the potential of vegetation models. Ecography, 41(12), 1934-1954. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.03309

Vancouver

Berzaghi F, Verbeeck H, Nielsen MR, Doughty CE, Bretagnolle F, Marchetti M et al. Assessing the role of megafauna in tropical forest ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - the potential of vegetation models. Ecography. 2018;41(12):1934-1954. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.03309

Author

Berzaghi, Fabio ; Verbeeck, Hans ; Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt ; Doughty, C.E. ; Bretagnolle, François ; Marchetti, Marco ; Scarascia‐Mugnozza, Giuseppe . / Assessing the role of megafauna in tropical forest ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - the potential of vegetation models. In: Ecography. 2018 ; Vol. 41, No. 12. pp. 1934-1954.

Bibtex

@article{ee3cfa1a29fe471ab013ab6938789a0c,
title = "Assessing the role of megafauna in tropical forest ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - the potential of vegetation models",
abstract = "Megafauna (terrestrial vertebrate herbivores > 5kg) can have disproportionate direct and indirect effects on forest structure, function, and biogeochemical cycles. We reviewed the literature investigating these effects on tropical forest dynamics and biogeochemical cycles in relation to ecology, paleoecology, and vegetation modelling. We highlight the limitations of field‐based studies in evaluating the long‐term consequences of loss of megafauna. These limitations are due to inherent space‐time restrictions of field‐studies and a research focus on seed dispersal services provided by large animals. We further present evidence of a research gap concerning the role of megafauna in carbon cycling in tropical ecosystems. Specifically, changes in aboveground biomass might not be noticeable in short‐term studies because of slow vegetation dynamics requiring decades to respond to disturbance (i.e., defaunation). Nutrient cycling has received even less attention in relation to the role of megafauna in tropical forests. We present an approach to investigate the effects of megafauna from new perspectives and with various tools (notably, vegetation models) which can simulate long‐term dynamics in different environmental and megafauna density scenarios. Vegetation models could facilitate interaction between plant‐animal ecology and biogeochemistry research. We present practical examples on how to integrate plant‐animal interactions in vegetation models to further our understanding of the role of large herbivores in tropical forests.",
keywords = "Carbon cycle, Ecosystem functioning, Plant-animal interactions",
author = "Fabio Berzaghi and Hans Verbeeck and Nielsen, {Martin Reinhardt} and C.E. Doughty and Fran{\c c}ois Bretagnolle and Marco Marchetti and Giuseppe Scarascia‐Mugnozza",
year = "2018",
doi = "10.1111/ecog.03309",
language = "English",
volume = "41",
pages = "1934--1954",
journal = "Ecography",
issn = "0906-7590",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "12",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessing the role of megafauna in tropical forest ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - the potential of vegetation models

AU - Berzaghi, Fabio

AU - Verbeeck, Hans

AU - Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt

AU - Doughty, C.E.

AU - Bretagnolle, François

AU - Marchetti, Marco

AU - Scarascia‐Mugnozza, Giuseppe

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Megafauna (terrestrial vertebrate herbivores > 5kg) can have disproportionate direct and indirect effects on forest structure, function, and biogeochemical cycles. We reviewed the literature investigating these effects on tropical forest dynamics and biogeochemical cycles in relation to ecology, paleoecology, and vegetation modelling. We highlight the limitations of field‐based studies in evaluating the long‐term consequences of loss of megafauna. These limitations are due to inherent space‐time restrictions of field‐studies and a research focus on seed dispersal services provided by large animals. We further present evidence of a research gap concerning the role of megafauna in carbon cycling in tropical ecosystems. Specifically, changes in aboveground biomass might not be noticeable in short‐term studies because of slow vegetation dynamics requiring decades to respond to disturbance (i.e., defaunation). Nutrient cycling has received even less attention in relation to the role of megafauna in tropical forests. We present an approach to investigate the effects of megafauna from new perspectives and with various tools (notably, vegetation models) which can simulate long‐term dynamics in different environmental and megafauna density scenarios. Vegetation models could facilitate interaction between plant‐animal ecology and biogeochemistry research. We present practical examples on how to integrate plant‐animal interactions in vegetation models to further our understanding of the role of large herbivores in tropical forests.

AB - Megafauna (terrestrial vertebrate herbivores > 5kg) can have disproportionate direct and indirect effects on forest structure, function, and biogeochemical cycles. We reviewed the literature investigating these effects on tropical forest dynamics and biogeochemical cycles in relation to ecology, paleoecology, and vegetation modelling. We highlight the limitations of field‐based studies in evaluating the long‐term consequences of loss of megafauna. These limitations are due to inherent space‐time restrictions of field‐studies and a research focus on seed dispersal services provided by large animals. We further present evidence of a research gap concerning the role of megafauna in carbon cycling in tropical ecosystems. Specifically, changes in aboveground biomass might not be noticeable in short‐term studies because of slow vegetation dynamics requiring decades to respond to disturbance (i.e., defaunation). Nutrient cycling has received even less attention in relation to the role of megafauna in tropical forests. We present an approach to investigate the effects of megafauna from new perspectives and with various tools (notably, vegetation models) which can simulate long‐term dynamics in different environmental and megafauna density scenarios. Vegetation models could facilitate interaction between plant‐animal ecology and biogeochemistry research. We present practical examples on how to integrate plant‐animal interactions in vegetation models to further our understanding of the role of large herbivores in tropical forests.

KW - Carbon cycle

KW - Ecosystem functioning

KW - Plant-animal interactions

U2 - 10.1111/ecog.03309

DO - 10.1111/ecog.03309

M3 - Journal article

VL - 41

SP - 1934

EP - 1954

JO - Ecography

JF - Ecography

SN - 0906-7590

IS - 12

ER -

ID: 196410325