Abstract
Novel ecosystems occur when new combinations of species ap
pear 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 whichthey 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 previ
ously did not occur in the study area, nor in the region’s tall closed forest or
open-woodland biomes. Conclusion: Novel ecosystems will become increas
ingly commonduetoclimatechange,raising complexmanagementandethical
dilemmas for policy makers and resource managers
pear 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 whichthey 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 previ
ously did not occur in the study area, nor in the region’s tall closed forest or
open-woodland biomes. Conclusion: Novel ecosystems will become increas
ingly commonduetoclimatechange,raising complexmanagementandethical
dilemmas for policy makers and resource managers
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 129-135 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Conservation Letters |
| Volume | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |