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  • The 10 Australian ecosystems most vulnerable to tipping points

    Author(s)
    Laurance, William F
    Dell, Bernard
    Turton, Stephen M
    Lawes, Michael J
    Hutley, Lindsay B
    McCallum, Hamish
    Dale, Patricia
    Bird, Michael
    Hardy, Giles
    Prideaux, Gavin
    Gawne, Ben
    McMahon, Clive R
    Yu, Richard
    Hero, Jean-Marc
    Schwarzkop, Lin
    Krockenberger, Andrew
    Douglas, Michael
    Silvester, Ewen
    Mahony, Michael
    Vella, Karen
    Saikia, Udoy
    Wahren, Carl-Henrik
    Xu, Zhihong
    Smith, Bradley
    Cocklin, Chris
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Dale, Patricia E.
    Xu, Zhihong
    McCallum, Hamish
    Year published
    2011
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    We identify the 10 major terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Australia most vulnerable to tipping points, in which modest environmental changes can cause disproportionately large changes in ecosystem properties. To accomplish this we independently surveyed the coauthors of this paper to produce a list of candidate ecosystems, and then refined this list during a 2-day workshop. The list includes (1) elevationally restricted mountain ecosystems, (2) tropical savannas, (3) coastal floodplains and wetlands, (4) coral reefs, (5) drier rainforests, (6) wetlands and floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin, (7) the Mediterranean ...
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    We identify the 10 major terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Australia most vulnerable to tipping points, in which modest environmental changes can cause disproportionately large changes in ecosystem properties. To accomplish this we independently surveyed the coauthors of this paper to produce a list of candidate ecosystems, and then refined this list during a 2-day workshop. The list includes (1) elevationally restricted mountain ecosystems, (2) tropical savannas, (3) coastal floodplains and wetlands, (4) coral reefs, (5) drier rainforests, (6) wetlands and floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin, (7) the Mediterranean ecosystems of southwestern Australia, (8) offshore islands, (9) temperate eucalypt forests, and (10) salt marshes and mangroves. Some of these ecosystems are vulnerable to widespread phase-changes that could fundamentally alter ecosystem properties such as habitat structure, species composition, fire regimes, or carbon storage. Others appear susceptible to major changes across only part of their geographic range, whereas yet others are susceptible to a large-scale decline of key biotic components, such as small mammals or stream-dwelling amphibians. For each ecosystem we consider the intrinsic features and external drivers that render it susceptible to tipping points, and identify subtypes of the ecosystem that we deem to be especially vulnerable.
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    Journal Title
    Biological Conservation
    Volume
    144
    Issue
    5
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.01.016
    Subject
    Environmental sciences
    Biological sciences
    Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
    Urban and regional planning not elsewhere classified
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/41886
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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