Trait‐based approaches for guiding the restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes in East Africa

cg.contactL.A.WINOWIECKI@CGIAR.ORGen_US
cg.contributor.centerWorld Agroforestry Center - ICRAFen_US
cg.contributor.crpCGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems - DSen_US
cg.contributor.crpCGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry - FTAen_US
cg.contributor.funderInternational Fund for Agricultural Development - IFADen_US
cg.contributor.projectRestoration of degraded land for food security and poverty reduction in East Africa and the Sahel: taking successes in land restoration to scaleen_US
cg.contributor.project-lead-instituteWorld Agroforestry Center - ICRAFen_US
cg.coverage.countryETen_US
cg.coverage.countryKEen_US
cg.coverage.countryUGen_US
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africaen_US
cg.creator.idWinowiecki, Leigh: 0000-0001-5572-1284en_US
cg.identifier.doihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13017en_US
cg.isijournalISI Journalen_US
cg.issn1365-2664en_US
cg.journalJournal of Applied Ecologyen_US
cg.subject.agrovocagroforestryen_US
cg.subject.agrovocerosionen_US
cg.subject.agrovocland degradationen_US
cg.subject.agrovocvegetationen_US
cg.subject.agrovocsoil organic carbonen_US
cg.subject.agrovocagroecologyen_US
cg.subject.agrovocsoil healthen_US
cg.subject.agrovocagricultural landen_US
cg.subject.agrovocfunctional diversityen_US
cg.subject.agrovocfunctional traitsen_US
dc.contributorWinowiecki, Leighen_US
dc.contributorAynekulu, Ermiasen_US
dc.contributorOkia, Clementen_US
dc.contributorVagen, Tor-Gunnaren_US
dc.creatorLohbeck, Madelonen_US
dc.date.accessioned2020-06-29T17:24:55Z
dc.date.available2020-06-29T17:24:55Z
dc.description.abstract1. Functional ecology provides a framework that can link vegetation characteristics of various land uses with ecosystem function. However, this application has been mostly limited to [semi‐]natural systems and small spatial scales. Here, we apply functional ecology to five agricultural landscapes in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, and ask to what extent vegetation characteristics contribute to soil functions that are key to farmers’ livelihoods. 2. We used the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF ), a multi‐scale assessment of land health. Each LDSF site is a 10 × 10 km landscape in which vegetation cover and erosion prevalence were measured, a tree inventory was carried out, and topsoil (0–20 cm) samples were collected for organic carbon (SOC ) analysis in approximately 160 × 1,000 m2 plots. Land degradation is a recurring phenomenon across the five landscapes, indicated by high erosion prevalence (67%–99% of the plots were severely eroded). We used mixed models to assess if vegetation cover, above‐ground woody biomass and the functional properties of woody vegetation (weighted‐mean trait values, functional diversity [FD]) explain variation in SOC and erosion prevalence. 3. We found that the vegetation cover and above‐ground biomass had strong positive effects on soil health by increasing SOC and reducing soil erosion. After controlling for cover and biomass, we found additional marginal effects of functional properties where FD was positively associated with SOC and the abundance of invasive species was associated with higher soil erosion. 4. Synthesis and applications . This work illustrates how functional ecology can provide much‐needed evidence for designing strategies to restore degraded agricultural land and the ecosystem services on which farmers depend. We show that to ensure soil health, it is vital to avoid exposed soil, maintain or promote tree cover, while ensuring functional diversity of tree species, and to eradicate invasive species.en_US
dc.identifierhttps://mel.cgiar.org/reporting/downloadmelspace/hash/dc3591caedbf164825fe39f079063388/v/946dba4ea3ce95882ca103616787aec5en_US
dc.identifier.citationMadelon Lohbeck, Leigh Winowiecki, Ermias Aynekulu, Clement Okia, Tor-Gunnar Vagen. (9/11/2017). Trait‐based approaches for guiding the restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes in East Africa. Journal of Applied Ecology.en_US
dc.identifier.statusOpen accessen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/11229
dc.languageenen_US
dc.publisherMichigan State University (MSU)en_US
dc.rightsCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0en_US
dc.sourceJournal of Applied Ecology;en_US
dc.titleTrait‐based approaches for guiding the restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes in East Africaen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
dcterms.available2017-11-09en_US
mel.impact-factor5.78en_US
mel.project.openhttp://www.worldagroforestry.org/project/restoration-degraded-land-food-security-and-poverty-reduction-east-africa-and-sahel-takingen_US

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