TY - JOUR

T1 - Tropical and subtropical Asia's valued tree species under threat

AU - Gaisberger, Hannes

AU - Fremout, Tobias

AU - Kettle, Chris J.

AU - Vinceti, Barbara

AU - Kemalasari, Della

AU - Kanchanarak, Tania

AU - Thomas, Evert

AU - Serra-Diaz, Josep M.

AU - Svenning, Jens-Christian

AU - Slik, Ferry

AU - Eiadthong, Wichan

AU - Palanisamy, Kandasamy

AU - Ravikanth, Gudasalamani

AU - Bodos, Vilma

AU - Sang, Julia

AU - Warrier, Rekha R.

AU - Wee, Alison K. S.

AU - Elloran, Christian

AU - Ramos, Lawrence Tolentino

AU - Henry, Matieu

AU - Hossain, Md. Akhter

AU - Theilade, Ida

AU - Lægaard, Simon B. L.

AU - Bandara, K. M. A.

AU - Weerasinghe, Dimantha Panduka

AU - Changtragoon, Suchitra

AU - Yuskianti, Vivi

AU - Wilkie, Peter

AU - Nghia, Nguyen Hoang

AU - Elliott, Stephen

AU - Pakkad, Greuk

AU - Tiansawat, Pimonrat

AU - Maycock, Colin

AU - Bounithiphonh, Chaloun

AU - Mohamed, Rozi

AU - Nazre, M.

AU - Siddiqui, Baktiar Nur

AU - Lee, Soon-Leong

AU - Lee, Chai-Ting

AU - Zakaria, Nurul Farhanah

AU - Hartvig, Ida

AU - Lehmann, Lutz

AU - David, Dzaeman B. Dzulkifli

AU - Lillesø, Jens-Peter Barnekow

AU - Phourin, Chhang

AU - Yongqi, Zheng

AU - Ping, Huang

AU - Volkaert, Hugo A.

AU - Graudal, Lars

AU - Hamidi, Arief

AU - Thea, So

AU - Sreng, Sineath

AU - Boshier, David

AU - Tolentino Jr., Enrique

AU - Ratnam, Wickneswari

AU - Aung, Mu Mu

AU - Galante, Michael

AU - Isa, Siti Fatimah Md

AU - Dung, Nguyen Quoc

AU - Hoa, Tran Thi

AU - Le, Tran Chan

AU - Miah, Md. Danesh

AU - Zuhry, Abdul Lateef Mohd

AU - Alawathugoda, Deepani

AU - Azman, Amelia

AU - Pushpakumara, Gamini

AU - Sumedi, Nur

AU - Siregar, Iskandar Z.

AU - Nak, Hong Kyung

AU - Linsky, Jean

AU - Barstow, Megan

AU - Koh, Lian Pin

AU - Jalonen, Riina

PY - 2022/6

Y1 - 2022/6

N2 - Tree diversity in Asia's tropical and subtropical forests is central to nature-based solutions. Species vulnerability to multiple threats, which affect provision of ecosystem services, is poorly understood. We conducted a region-wide, spatially explicit assessment of the vulnerability of 63 socioeconomically important tree species to overexploitation, fire, overgrazing, habitat conversion, and climate change. Trees were selected for assessment from national priority lists, and selections were validated by an expert network representing 20 countries. We used Maxent suitability modeling to predict species distribution ranges, freely accessible spatial data sets to map threat exposures, and functional traits to estimate threat sensitivities. Species-specific vulnerability maps were created as the product of exposure maps and sensitivity estimates. Based on vulnerability to current threats and climate change, we identified priority areas for conservation and restoration. Overall, 74% of the most important areas for conservation of these trees fell outside protected areas, and all species were severely threatened across an average of 47% of their native ranges. The most imminent threats were overexploitation and habitat conversion; populations were severely threatened by these factors in an average of 24% and 16% of their ranges, respectively. Our model predicted limited overall climate change impacts, although some study species were likely to lose over 15% of their habitat by 2050 due to climate change. We pinpointed specific natural areas in Borneo rain forests as hotspots for in situ conservation of forest genetic resources, more than 82% of which fell outside designated protected areas. We also identified degraded areas in Western Ghats, Indochina dry forests, and Sumatran rain forests as hotspots for restoration, where planting or assisted natural regeneration will help conserve these species, and croplands in southern India and Thailand as potentially important agroforestry options. Our results highlight the need for regionally coordinated action for effective conservation and restoration.

AB - Tree diversity in Asia's tropical and subtropical forests is central to nature-based solutions. Species vulnerability to multiple threats, which affect provision of ecosystem services, is poorly understood. We conducted a region-wide, spatially explicit assessment of the vulnerability of 63 socioeconomically important tree species to overexploitation, fire, overgrazing, habitat conversion, and climate change. Trees were selected for assessment from national priority lists, and selections were validated by an expert network representing 20 countries. We used Maxent suitability modeling to predict species distribution ranges, freely accessible spatial data sets to map threat exposures, and functional traits to estimate threat sensitivities. Species-specific vulnerability maps were created as the product of exposure maps and sensitivity estimates. Based on vulnerability to current threats and climate change, we identified priority areas for conservation and restoration. Overall, 74% of the most important areas for conservation of these trees fell outside protected areas, and all species were severely threatened across an average of 47% of their native ranges. The most imminent threats were overexploitation and habitat conversion; populations were severely threatened by these factors in an average of 24% and 16% of their ranges, respectively. Our model predicted limited overall climate change impacts, although some study species were likely to lose over 15% of their habitat by 2050 due to climate change. We pinpointed specific natural areas in Borneo rain forests as hotspots for in situ conservation of forest genetic resources, more than 82% of which fell outside designated protected areas. We also identified degraded areas in Western Ghats, Indochina dry forests, and Sumatran rain forests as hotspots for restoration, where planting or assisted natural regeneration will help conserve these species, and croplands in southern India and Thailand as potentially important agroforestry options. Our results highlight the need for regionally coordinated action for effective conservation and restoration.

U2 - 10.1111/cobi.13873

DO - 10.1111/cobi.13873

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34865262

VL - 36

JO - Conservation Biology

JF - Conservation Biology

SN - 0888-8892

IS - 3

M1 - e13873

ER -