Ecosystem Function

Co-Leads

Ghada El Serafy DELTARES

Pedro J. Leitão Technische Universität Braunschweig

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Key objectives

1. Identify research opportunities supporting the identification/implementation of essential
   biodiversity variables relevant to the monitoring of ecosystem functions
2. Derive/identify potential datasets supporting the implementation of essential biodiversity
   variables relevant to the monitoring of ecosystem functions
3. Articulate and strengthen the links existing between essential biodiversity variables relevant
   to the monitoring of ecosystem functions and global indicators
4. Provide guidance to national biodiversity networks in terms of in situ monitoring of essential
   biodiversity variables relevant to the monitoring of ecosystem functions

1. Define ecosystem function and review monitoring options for each known function

Lead	Nathalie Pettorelli
Development approach	Monitoring
EBVs	Net Primary Productivity, Secondary Productivity, Nutrient Retention, Disturbance Regime
Description	If we want to identify EBVs that can be relevant to ecosystem function monitoring, we need a clear definition of what ecosystem functions are, and how these are currently being monitored. This first activity will result in a scientific publication and the lead to the proposal of a revised set of candidate EBVs for the Ecosystem Function class.
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	Review of available information Article submission EF EBVs monitoring guidelines published
Resources
Link with other WG, BONs, TF	The outcome of this activity will be relevant to all activities of the Ecosystem Function WG. Collaboration with and/or support from EBV Framework Task Force

2. Identifying Ecosystem Function Essential Biodiversity Variables

Leads	Ilse geijzendorffer, Néstor Fernández, Nathalie Pettorelli
Development approach	Monitoring
EBVs	Net Primary Productivity, Secondary Productivity, Nutrient Retention, Disturbance Regime
Description	Revising the list of EBVs and identifying possible new EBVs for the Ecosystem Function class, based on recent progress in defining ecosystem functions and agreeing on a typology.
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	Members of the working group agree on a revised list of EV EBVs	Article submission
Resources
Link with other activities	Activities EF1 and EF3 Collaboration with and/or support from EBV Framework Task Force

3. Improve our understanding of the links between biodiversity, functional traits, and ecosystem functioning

Leads	Simon Brandl, Jon Lefcheck
Development Approach	Monitoring
EBVs	Net Primary Productivity, Secondary Productivity, Nutrient Retention, Disturbance Regime
Description	Species-based information could be highly relevant to ecosystem function monitoring, but for now little is being understood as to how species richness functional traits and ecosystem functions correlate. To that extent, a literature review and data re-analysis on the link between species information and functions will be conducted, with a focus in animal communities. A parallel analysis will investigate the sensitivity of inferences based on methodological and trait choices.
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	Identification of potential project partners Literature review Paper submitted
Resources
Link with other activities	This activity (and/or its outcome) will be linked with the work of the Species Traits WG

4. Operationalizing Ecosystem Function EBV production: Disturbance Regime

Leads	Pedro Leitao, Néstor Fernández
Team	Patrick Hostert, Domingo Alcaraz-Segura, Jean-Baptiste Feret, Maria João Santos, Jaime Garcia Márquez, Kate He, João Honrado, PD Dr. Angela Lausch, Miguel Mahecha, Catalina Munteanu, Markus Reichstein, Duccio Rocchini, Michael E. Schaepman, Andrew Skidmore
Development Approach	Monitoring, Modelling
EBVs	Disturbance Regime
Description	Disturbances are a major driver of ecosystem dynamics influencing many structural and functional ecosystem properties such as vegetation and soil structure, species composition, water and CO2 fluxes, etc. Disturbance regimes are being widely modified by anthropogenic activities, affecting the exposure of ecosystems to fires, floods, extreme weather events, etc., as well as their capacity to buffer these events. The operationalization of the Disturbance Regime EBV needs to resolve many different conceptual and methodological challenges, involving, for example, contrasting views on whether disturbances should be monitored focusing on the external drivers (fire, floods, etc) or on ecosystem responses. In addition, several remote sensing products can be used for monitoring both drivers and responses, but the transition from these readily available datasets to a derived EBV needs to be operationalized. This activity aims to explore opportunities for current and future satellite remote sensing data to inform on disturbances and on their effects of ecosystems. It includes a systematic review of the concepts; examination of the availability of data for monitoring disturbances; testing and applying EBV production workflows; and finally, the production of a review paper on the opportunities and challenges for the global monitoring of disturbance regimes.
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	KOSMOS Workshop (30-31.03) Design of the EBV production workflow	Design and testing of the EBV production workflow First draft of publication
Resources	Funding through the KOSMOS Programme (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin).
Link with other activities	Activity EF2 and EF5. Collaboration with and/or support from EBV Data Task Force

5. Characterize ecosystem Function response to extreme climatic events

Leads	Franziska Schrodt and Shovonlal Roy
Development Approach	Application
EBVs	Net Primary Productivity, Secondary Productivity, Nutrient Retention, Disturbance Regime
Description	Higher frequency and length of extreme events expected in the near future can severely alter ecosystem structure and function, but so far, we lack suitable approached to quantify likely changes in a comprehensive manner. Multiple ecological factors and environmental stressors influence ecosystem function across the land and oceanic ecosystems. While the individual effects of these factors are often studied, little is known about their combined effects on ecosystem function. Identifying and understanding the controlling factors and stressors for ecosystem function would be a precursor to understanding and predicting how the interlinks would respond in a gradually changing environment and extreme events. Moreover, understanding these across the land and aquatic ecosystems would be very useful, and one can think of investigating a common framework to study these changes
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	identification of potential project partners Data acquisition Organisation of a special session at the BES general meeting (Dec). Preparation of a perspective paper	Submission of the perspective paper
Resources
Link with other activities

6. Complementary metrics for tracking change in regional ecosystem function related to fire

Lead	Ayesha Tulloch
Development Approach	Monitoring, Data mobilization
EBVs	Disturbance Regime
Description	Fire is a major driver of ecosystem disturbance and can both improve and reduce function depending on how far the current regime diverges from historical conditions. Different components related to fire history include area burnt, fire patchiness, intensity and frequency. Variation in these components lead to different outcomes for ecosystem function. We need a set of multiple complementary ecosystem condition metrics to effectively monitor change over time. This project will test existing and new metrics across a range of ecosystems with different levels of disturbance. Note that while the activity will first consider the fire disturbance, it will then be expanded to other types of disturbances.
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	Identification of potential project partners and case study systems	analysis of datasets and metrics Preparation of a scientific publication
Resources
Link with other activities	Activity 4

7. Identification and reduction of uncertainties in the estimation of future ecosystem functions

Leads	Ghada El Serafy, Antonello Provenzale
Development Approach	Modelling, Application
EBVs	Net Primary Productivity, Secondary Productivity, Nutrient Retention, Disturbance Regime
Description	Identifying, quantifying and reducing uncertainty is a crucial issue in any prediction system or modelling application. The ramifications of uncertainty yield significant impacts on meteorological forecast ensembles, ecosystem response estimates, and reach as far as future social-economic scenarios. Uncertainty is relevant to the concept of environmental status reporting; it is an inherent property of system observation and furthermore, has far reaching implications when considering a system’s future status. Along these lines, acknowledgement and the subsequent management of uncertainty can significantly influence the optimal decision pathway of managerial officials.
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	identification of potential project partner Workshop
Resources	ECOPOTENTIAL
Link with other activities	ECOPOTENTIAL

8. The impacts of phenological shifts on ecosystem functioning

Leads	Kate S. He, Jeffery Masek
Team	Ben Somers
Development Approach	Modelling
Description	Climate–induced phenological shifts have been observed in multiple ecosystems over the past decades. However, the impacts of phenological shifts on ecosystem structure and function have not been well studied. The aim of this project is to using long-term satellite time series (reflectance and temperature) which record inter- and intra-annual changes indicative of such shifts in habitats to determine consequential changes in ecosystem functioning.
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	identification of potential project partner Workshop Preparation of a manuscript
Resources
Link with other activities	Link with the Ecosystem Structure Working Group and Remote Sensing Task Force.

9. Conceptual models to link ecosystem function and remotely sensed data

Lead	Emily Nicholson
Development Approach	Modelling, Application
Description	Conceptual models of ecosystem dynamics support ecosystem risk assessment (including the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems), the identification of key variables and indicators for measuring change, and diagnosing threats to ecosystem persistence and management strategies for ecosystem functioning. A range of conceptual models have been proposed for different ecosystem types around the world, but tend to be inconsistent in their purpose and formulation. In this project, we seek to develop a library of conceptual models for broad ecosystem types, which can be adapted for specific ecosystems or situations, to support risk assessment and threat diagnosis. In particular, we seek to link key ecological processes with indicators for measuring change in these processes, with a focus on identifying remotely sensed data that can contribute to measuring change in ecosystem function. The results will facilitate the use of remotely sensed data in ecosystem risk assessment and management around the world, at global, national and local scales.
Timeline	2017	2018	2019	2020
Milestones and/or Deliverables	Workshop for grantwriting and conceptual framing
Resources
Link with other activities	Link with the Ecosystem Structure Working Group and Remote Sensing Task Force.