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Understanding Land Degradation Processes in a Nutshell (Posted 26 June 2017) TAGS: Land Degradation Processes; Acute Disturbance; Pulse Disturbance; Pastoral Land Condition; Biodiversity; Habitat Loss; Resilience; Case Study - Mulga Lands Bioregion, Australia; Biosequestration
1.0 Science has long been aware that the primary cause for the loss of biodiversity is habitat fragmentation and land degradation. 2.0 Disturbance to natural ecosystems that lead to land degradation can arise from human use activities e.g. agriculture, forestry, grazing and mining or natural causes, e.g. drought, fire, floods, insects and pathogens – as well as the interaction between human use activities and natural causes. 3.0 The early warning signs of land degradation in natural ecosystems are primarily changes in species diversity of the plant community. It is at this stage that plant species most sensitive to disturbance, or “indicator species”, are affected. 4.0 As the disturbance continues, other plant species are lost, so that the impacts result in a loss in both plant species diversity and ground cover… |
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