The erosion of biodiversity and biomass in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 6347 - 16
• Main Authors: de Lima, Renato A. F., Oliveira, Alexandre A., Pitta, Gregory R., de Gasper, André L., Vibrans, Alexander C., Chave, Jérôme, ter Steege, Hans, Prado, Paulo I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 11.12.2020; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/158/2454; 631/158/670; 631/158/853; Argentina; Biodegradation; Biodiversity; Biodiversity hot spots; Biodiversity loss; Biomass; Brazil; Carbon Cycle; Climate Change; Climate change mitigation; Conservation; Conservation of Natural Resources; Datasets; Deforestation; Ecology; Ecosystem; Emissions control; Emissions trading; Endemic species; Environmental policy; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Forest biomass; Forest conservation; Forest degradation; Forest management; Forests; Fragments; Habitat fragmentation; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Paraguay; Polls & surveys; Rainforests; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Species richness; Species Specificity; Trees; Tropical Climate; Tropical forests; Wildlife conservation; Brazil; Paraguay; Argentina; Atlantic Forest
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20217-w

Tropical forests are being deforested worldwide, and the remaining fragments are suffering from biomass and biodiversity erosion. Quantifying this erosion is challenging because ground data on tropical biodiversity and biomass are often sparse. Here, we use an unprecedented dataset of 1819 field surveys covering the entire Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. We show that 83−85% of the surveys presented losses in forest biomass and tree species richness, functional traits, and conservation value. On average, forest fragments have 25−32% less biomass, 23−31% fewer species, and 33, 36, and 42% fewer individuals of late-successional, large-seeded, and endemic species, respectively. Biodiversity and biomass erosion are lower inside strictly protected conservation units, particularly in large ones. We estimate that biomass erosion across the Atlantic Forest remnants is equivalent to the loss of 55−70 thousand km 2 of forests or US$2.3−2.6 billion in carbon credits. These figures have direct implications on mechanisms of climate change mitigation. Quantifying forest degradation and biodiversity losses is necessary to inform conservation and restoration policies. Here the authors analyze a large dataset for the Atlantic Forest in South America to quantify losses in forest biomass and tree species richness, functional traits, and conservation value.