Ecological restoration is critical for climate and biodiversity resilience over the coming century. Today, there is strong evidence that wildlife can significantly influence the distribution and stoichiometry of elements across landscapes, with subsequent impacts on the composition and functioning of ecosystems. Consequently, any anthropogenic activity that modifies this important aspect of zoogeochemistry, such as changes to animal community composition, diet, or movement patterns, may support or hinder restoration goals. It is therefore imperative that the zoogeochemical effects of such anthropogenic modifications are quantified and mapped at high spatiotemporal resolutions to help inform restoration strategies. Here, we first discuss pathways through which human activities shape wildlife-mediated elemental landscapes and outline why current frameworks are inadequate to characterize these processes. We then suggest improvements required to comprehensively model, validate, and monitor element recycling and redistribution by wildlife under differing wildlife management scenarios and discuss how this might be implemented in practice through a specific example in the southern Kalahari Desert. With robust ecological forecasting, zoogeochemical impacts of wildlife can thus be used to support ecological restoration and nature-based solutions to climate change. If ignored in the restoration process, the effects of wildlife on elemental landscapes may delay, or even prevent, restoration success.
- ecosystem restoration
- ecosystem services
- nature-based solutions
- wildlife management
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
Kurudishwa kwa ikolojia ni muhimu kwa hali ya hewa na uthabiti wa viumbe hai katika karne ijayo. Leo, kuna ushahidi mkubwa kwamba wanyama wa porini wanaweza kuathiri sana usambazaji na stoichiometry ya vitu katika mazingira, na athari za baadaye juu ya muundo na utendaji wa mazingira. Kwa hiyo, shughuli yoyote ya binadamu ambayo hubadilisha kipengele hiki muhimu cha zoogeochemistry, kama vile mabadiliko katika muundo wa jamii ya wanyama, chakula, au mifumo ya harakati, inaweza kusaidia au kuzuia malengo ya kurejesha. Kwa hiyo ni muhimu kwamba athari zoogeochemical ya mabadiliko hayo anthropogenic ni quantified na mapped katika high spatiotemporal resolutions kusaidia taarifa mikakati ya kurejesha. Hapa, kwanza tunazungumzia njia ambazo shughuli za binadamu huunda mandhari ya msingi ya wanyama wa porini na kuelezea kwa nini mifumo ya sasa haitoshi kuelezea michakato hii. "Kisha tunapendekeza maboresho yanayohitajika kwa mfano wa kina, kuthibitisha, na kufuatilia ""kurudishwa kwa vitu"" na usambazaji na wanyama wa porini chini ya hali tofauti za usimamizi wa wanyama wa porini na kujadili jinsi hii inaweza kutekelezwa katika mazoezi kupitia mfano maalum katika Jangwa la Kalahari la Kusini." Kwa hivyo, kwa utabiri thabiti wa ikolojia, athari za zoogeochemical za wanyama wa porini zinaweza kutumiwa kusaidia ukarabati wa ikolojia na suluhisho za asili kwa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Ikiwa itapuuzwa katika mchakato wa kurejesha, athari za wanyama wa porini kwenye mandhari ya msingi zinaweza kuchelewesha, au hata kuzuia, mafanikio ya kurejesha. Maendeleo ya mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira - Uhifadhi wa mazingira