Focus on: Research and training on land systems and related discipline (Climate Change, Biodiversity, and landscape ecology) at the national and regional levels, on behalf of the GLP and Future Earth.
A new paper from the SEOSAW project, a GLP Contributing Project, provides large-scale evidence that there are alternative states in tree species composition of tropical vegetation in Africa. This result is not only important for understanding the biogeography of the continent but also, to guide large-scaled tree planting and restoration efforts planned for the region. An article in ScienceDaily provides links back from the research to debates in the GLP community.
Laura Vang Rasmussen, Ole Mertz and colleagues have published an article in Nature showing a relatively high density of isolated trees in the region, which challenges prevailing narratives about dryland desertification. Even the desert shows a surprisingly high tree density. Their assessment suggests a way to monitor trees outside of forests globally, and to explore their role in mitigating degradation, climate change and poverty.
SSC Member Gete Zeleke was featured recently in an EcoAgricultural Partners blog post. The piece covers his background, current work with 'landscape learning' at a pilot site, and motivations for his work.