A recent international study conducted by the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC) has shed light on the effects of global change factors on terrestrial ecosystems. The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, revealed that as the number of environmental stressors increases, the resilience of ecosystems to these changes decreases significantly. The research, carried out in collaboration with 10 international institutions, including the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), analyzed 1,023 global change experiments from around the world.
Lead by Manuel Delgado Baquerizo, the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Laboratory (BioFunLab) at IRNAS-CSIC found that terrestrial ecosystems are facing a multitude of challenges, such as global warming, drought, pollution, fires, and overgrazing. These factors impact the ecosystems’ ability to provide essential services like carbon sequestration and soil fertility, crucial for climate change mitigation and food production. What surprised the researchers was how an increase in the number of global change factors affects the ecosystems’ resistance to these changes.
The study revealed that as the number of global change factors imposed on ecosystems rises, their natural ability to resist environmental perturbations diminishes. This decrease in resilience becomes more apparent with sustained exposure to multiple stressors over time. The research showed that prolonged exposure to factors like increased CO2 levels and warming can gradually reduce ecosystems’ capacity to maintain essential services like primary productivity, impacting vital resources such as water and nitrogen.
Emilio Guirado, a co-author of the paper from the University of Alicante, emphasized the importance of understanding the limitations ecosystems will face due to continued global change effects. The findings suggest that increasing global drivers of change will significantly impact ecosystems’ ability to provide essential services. However, the study also noted that the impact on biodiversity within ecosystems was less pronounced compared to their ability to provide services.
Lead author Guiyao Zhou highlighted that the sustainability of ecosystems is contingent on reducing the number of global change drivers associated with human activity. The study underlines the importance of mitigating environmental stressors and reducing the impact of human activities on ecosystems to maintain their functionality and resilience. As global change continues to accelerate, understanding the complex interactions between different stressors will be crucial in developing effective strategies for ecosystem conservation and management.
The study underscores the urgent need to address the growing threats posed by global change factors to terrestrial ecosystems. By identifying the impact of multiple stressors on ecosystem resilience and services, researchers can provide valuable insights for policymakers and conservationists to develop sustainable solutions to mitigate the effects of global change on the environment. The findings emphasize the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the need for collaborative efforts to protect and preserve these vital natural resources for future generations.
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