Improving ecosystem services in drylands:

Microclimate matters for the natural regeneration of forests after agriculture abandonment

Cristina BRANQUINHO1, Adriana SILVA1, Pedro PINHO1,2, Alice NUNES1,3, Giulia GAIOLA1, Lúcio ROSARIO4, Otília CORREIA1

1Universidade de Lisboa;2Universidade Técnica de Lisboa; 3Universidade de Aveiro; 4Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e Florestas;

Ciência 2007LTER/BIA-BEC/0048/2009

PTDC/AAC-CLI/104913/2008

Climatogram for Monte da Caparica, average values from 1985 to 2007

Climatogram 85-07Mediterranean

The Question

The Drylands in Portugal

Aridity IndexICNF

Portugal: from climate to vegetationClimate Vegetation

Mediterranean

Ceratonia siliqua

The Question

Montado

Quercus ilex

Tree Key Species

In drylands ecosystemfunctionality is restrictedto few species

Why this area?- It is a dryland.- It has Quercus ilex woodlands > 50 years with natural regeneration--It is a LTER Site (Long Term Ecological Research >30 years)- There are historical information about the management

Moura, Beja5,270 ha

Intensive wheat CampaignsCut of the tree stratumDuring 1929-1949

Study Area

Reforestation

Reforestation efforts since agriculture abandonment in the 50`s-60´s

1965

2009 2010

1995

1. We need to understand better what are the variables that limit the survival of this species under Mediterranean climate.

2. For that we need to understand the mechanisms of natural regeneration of Holm Oak.

Natural Regeneration – Local ScaleThe rate of regeneration both in space and time depend on

changes on:

1) Macroclimate (temperature, precipitation, aridity).

2) Disturbance (past land-uses; crops, grazing, fire).

3) Seed Dispersion.

4) Microclimate (topography).

.

Microclimate Integrates changes in:

1) PAR2) Temperature3) Soil water4) Wind5) precipitation

The effect of microclimate is expected to be more important in DryLands

Microclimate driven by

topography

South+Dry Environment

North+Humid

Environment

What´s New? – The Use of PSR

LowPSR

HighPSR

Potential Solar Radiation PSR average of 2011

Our sampling design had 4 different sites. At each one we covered as much as possible the 6 classes of PSR resulting in a total of 48 polygons. Which were observed over time.

1943

1947

19581958

1943

1947

1958

1969

1984

1995

2005

2010

… throughphotointerpretation …

…we estimated the percentageof Holm oak cover along themicroclimatic gradient afteragricultural abandonment.

We have a time series of 67 years

What´s New? – The long-term monitoring

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

10 20 30 40 50 60

40 to 60 years of natural regeneration

January PSR (kWh/m2)

Ho

lmo

akco

ver

(%)

These results could be explained:1) by facilitation processes along the natural regeneration;2) By the negative effect of microclimate on the natural regeneration of holm oak trees

Natural regeneration along the microclimate gradient

Rate of Natural Regeneration of Quercus Ilex at Herdade da Contenda, limited by microclimate

NorthSouth

Variables that might be important in the natural regeneration of the Holm Oak trees

Variables

Altitude (m)

Slope (º)

PSR 12 months (Wh/m2)

Amplitude of PSR (Wh/m2)

PSR of January (Wh/m2)

Tree cover before agriculture abandonment (%)

Tree cover before agriculture abandonment in a 30

m buffer (%)

Standard deviation of the precipitation since the

abandonment (mm)

Years of Abandonment

Modelling through GLMs Applying this model to a new area to test it

Building a model

ModA ModB ModC

Intercept -4.800 ± 3.042 6.238 ± 1.156*** 1.681 ± 0.288***

PA 0.471 ± 0.100*** 0.081 ± 0.006*** 0.072 ± 0.006***

PSR1 -8x10-5 ± 0.6x10-5*** -8x10-5 ± 0.6x10-5*** -8x10-5 ± 0.6x10-5***

RSD 0.036 ± 0.018+ -0.030 ± 0.007***

PA x RSD -0.002 ± 0.001***

R2 0.72 0.69 0.66

AIC 421.5 433.9 447.5

Ten-fold Cross validation give an error of less than 10%

2010

1995

Holm oak natural regeneration is much more slower in the SE

Holm oak natural regeneration is faster in the NW

Validating the Model

+ PSR

25 years 40 years 50 years 60 years

Holm oak natural regeneration is much more slower in the SE

Holm oak natural regeneration is faster in the NW

- PSR

Holm oak cover (%)

0,4 - 5

5 - 10

10 - 20

20 - 40

40 - 83

Holm oakcover(%)

The cost of this mistake was28000€x2

Final Remarks

• This model have a high potential to enhance the reforestation

planning;

• It is a easy model to predict the potential of natural regeneration,

with advantage to be continuum in the space and at local scale;

• Potential to be applied in a climate change scenario.

WG3 - Plants, Ecology and Microclimate Manipulation for Enhanced Vegetation Establishment

ESSEM COST Action ES1104Earth System Science and Environmental Management (ESSEM)

Arid Lands Restoration and Combat of Desertification: Setting Up a Drylands and Desert Restoration Hub

The ecosystem and plants point of view

The main objective of the cost

To assemble a multidisciplinary network of European and world experts concentrating on arid lands restoration and combat of desertification through the establishment and management of vegetation.

Restoration in Drylands

Common in dryland environments:• High spatial heterogeneity

• High temporal variability

Common Results• Not every plant grows

• High mortality

• It is slow

• Unpredictability trajectory

Enhance vegetation cover, establishment and optimize management

Increase Ecosystem Goods and Services

Level:•Ecosystem•Habitat•Plant

Objectives

Objectives

• Review the state of the art in Europe and compare it with the one in other continents;

• Interdisciplinary exchange between theoretical knowledge, technical know-how and traditional knowledge.

• Como se fez

Thank You