BNPP/ASB Functional Value of Biodiversity Project – Phase II 

i Assemble more detailed information on biodiversity-rich tropical habitats (IFPRI lead initiative)

         Task 1 Determine the extent of the pantropics based on ecosystem/biome boundaries   

iv Undertake synoptic modeling of hydrological impacts of land use change

1Ai. Task 1 Determine the extent of the pantropics based on ecosystem/biome boundaries   

An ecosystem is a spatial unit made up of complex plant, animal, and microorganism communities and the nonliving environment within which these communities function.  Ecosystems thus provide units of analysis based on natural characteristics and not politically defined boundaries.  Most ecosystem variables are geographically continuous so distinct boundaries are hard to define but there are patterns that arise in biological communities that do allow for delineation and often relate to patterns in underlying abiotic conditions. 

An initial review of globally consistent sources of ecosystem and biodiversity information revealed the approach and databases developed by the WWF were most consistent with the needs of the FVOB project. WWF defines ecoregions as ‘relatively large units of land containing a distinct assemblage of natural communities and species, with boundaries that approximate the original extent of natural communities prior to major land-use change (Olson et al. 2001 p933).’  WWF have created a global map of ecoregions containing more that 800 ecosystems which are classified into biogeographical realms and biomes.  The extent of the pantropic study area is thus based on the boundaries of WWF’s tropical forest biomes. The initial review of biodiversity and ecosystem data sources is being extended and documented as a separate task (see Task 2)

An extensive period of review (via emails, meetings and conference calls) lead to decisions about how broadly we should define the extent of the  area within which we would examine biodiversity richness and watershed (forest cover) conservation.[1] It was decided that we would include all of the forest biome  areas that drain into or out of the pantropics.  This has implications for both the scope of the hydrological modeling (UNH’s Water Balance Model (WBM)) and the land use scenario development (see Activity 1.A.iii).  The extent of the study area is thus defined by the following WWF tropical forest biomes:   

Biome 1: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

Biome 2: Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests

Biome 3: Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests

Discussion of implications of extending the area beyond the tropics (e.g. including dry and moist broadleaf forests versus just including moist)

Visual interpretation of mapped area and extent within biomes 1-3

General notes, 

Comments 

Design and update: Sandra Velarde

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Last updated: 28 November, 2003     ©2003 ASB. All rights reserved.