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A decision support tool for the conservation of tropical forest and nearshore environments on Babeldaob Island, Palau

Authors :
Nicholas A. Povak
R. Brion Salter
Keith M. Reynolds
Ed Salminen
Chris Heider
Christian P. Giardina
Paul F. Hessburg
Richard A. MacKenzie
Source :
Forest Ecology and Management. 476:118480
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2020.

Abstract

Nearshore ecosystems (e.g., mangrove forests, sea grass beds, coral reefs) are some of the most biologically diverse and ecologically productive on Earth, while providing essential goods and services to human communities. Because these ecosystems are subject to threats from both land and sea, their conservation and management requires a ridge to reef approach. Here, we developed a watershed decision support tool (DST) for Babeldaob Island, Republic of Palau, aimed at prioritizing catchments for reforestation of fire degraded savanna or protection of native forest against conversion to savanna. We use a distributed hydrology model to estimate catchment-level sedimentation and water yield for three vegetation scenarios: (1) current vegetation; (2) a hypothetical fully-forested Babeldaob Island; and (3) a hypothetical Babeldaob Island that has been fully converted to savanna. Using the DST, we integrated model results with geospatial information on treatment cost, efficacy, and conservation value to identify where reforestation and forest protection investments would provide the greatest benefits to coral reef health. Modeled sediment yields were lowest for catchments with > 80% tropical forest cover and highest for those with

Details

ISSN :
03781127
Volume :
476
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Forest Ecology and Management
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........976ea011605c572e17e8abad4f1b145a
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118480