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Human impacts drive a global topographic signature in tree cover

Author

Listed:
  • Brody Sandel

    (Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Group, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Building 1540, Aarhus 8000 C, Denmark)

  • Jens-Christian Svenning

    (Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Group, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Building 1540, Aarhus 8000 C, Denmark)

Abstract

The Anthropocene is a geological epoch marked by major human influences on processes in the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. One of the most dramatic features of the Anthropocene is the massive alteration of the Earth’s vegetation, including forests. Here we investigate the role of topography in shaping human impacts on tree cover from local to global scales. We show that human impacts have resulted in a global tendency for tree cover to be constrained to sloped terrain and losses to be concentrated on flat terrain. This effect increases in strength with increasing human pressure and is most pronounced in countries with rapidly growing economies, limited human population stress and highly effective governments. These patterns likely reflect the relative inaccessibility of sloped topography and have important implications for conservation and modelling of future tree cover.

Suggested Citation

  • Brody Sandel & Jens-Christian Svenning, 2013. "Human impacts drive a global topographic signature in tree cover," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms3474
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3474
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    Cited by:

    1. Changjun Gu & Pei Zhao & Qiong Chen & Shicheng Li & Lanhui Li & Linshan Liu & Yili Zhang, 2020. "Forest Cover Change and the Effectiveness of Protected Areas in the Himalaya since 1998," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-24, July.
    2. Gregory Duveiller & Federico Filipponi & Andrej Ceglar & Jędrzej Bojanowski & Ramdane Alkama & Alessandro Cescatti, 2021. "Revealing the widespread potential of forests to increase low level cloud cover," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Jonas Nüchel & Jens-Christian Svenning, 2017. "Recent tree cover increases in eastern China linked to low, declining human pressure, steep topography, and climatic conditions favoring tree growth," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(6), pages 1-19, June.
    4. Nobuo Imai & Takuya Furukawa & Riyou Tsujino & Shumpei Kitamura & Takakazu Yumoto, 2018. "Factors affecting forest area change in Southeast Asia during 1980-2010," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, May.
    5. Jennifer Hewson & Stefano C. Crema & Mariano González-Roglich & Karyn Tabor & Celia A. Harvey, 2019. "New 1 km Resolution Datasets of Global and Regional Risks of Tree Cover Loss," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, January.
    6. Kun Li & Mengyuan Zhang & Yilun Li & Xiaoyi Xing & Shuxin Fan & Yu Cao & Li Dong & Desheng Chen, 2020. "Karren Habitat as the Key in Influencing Plant Distribution and Species Diversity in Shilin Geopark, Southwest China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-16, July.

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