Open AccessNovel ecosystems resulting from landscape transformation create dilemmas for modern conservation practice
Author(s) -
Lindenmayer David B.,
Fischer Joern,
Felton Adam,
Crane Mason,
Michael Damian,
Macgregor Christopher,
MontagueDrake Rebecca,
Manning Adrian,
Hobbs Richard J.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
conservation letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.153
H-Index - 79
ISSN - 1755-263X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-263x.2008.00021.x
Subject(s) - woodland , biome , ecosystem , novel ecosystem , ecosystem management , environmental resource management , forest ecology , ecology , resource (disambiguation) , geography , natural (archaeology) , agroforestry , environmental science , biology , computer network , archaeology , computer science
Novel ecosystems occur when new combinations of species appear within a particular biome due to human activity, environmental change, or impacts of introduced species. Background: Managing the trajectory of ecosystems toward desired outcomes requires an understanding of the means by which they developed. To facilitate this understanding, we present evidence for the development of a novel ecosystem from a natural experiment focusing on 52 woodland remnants surrounded by maturing stands of exotic radiata pine. Results: Bird community composition changed through time resulting in a unique blend of tall closed forest and open‐woodland birds that previously did not occur in the study area, nor in the region's tall closed forest or open‐woodland biomes. Conclusion: Novel ecosystems will become increasingly common due to climate change, raising complex management and ethical dilemmas for policy makers and resource managers.