Catastrophic shifts in drylands: how can we prevent ecosystem degradation?
Summary:
The aims and objectives of CASCADE are to obtain a better understanding of sudden shifts in drylands that may lead to major losses in biodiversity and concomitant ecosystem services. By focusing on vulnerable drylands as our target ecosystems, we build further on existing knowledge regarding shifts in these ecosystems. CASCADE will improve our understanding of the biogeochemical mechanisms underlying sudden and catastrophic shifts, and of the key biotic and abiotic factors influencing these processes. Based on these analyses, CASCADE will develop ways to predict the proximity of the CASCADE‘s dryland ecosystems to thresholds in such a way that these predictions can be used by policymakers and land users for more sustainable management of drylands worldwide.
Consortium:
- STICHTING DIENST LANDBOUWKUNDIG ONDERZOEK
- TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CRETE
- UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA BASILICATA
- CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
- UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE
- UNIVERSITY OF AVEIRO
- FONDAZIONE PER LO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBLE DEL MEDITERRANEO
- UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
- UNIVERSITÄT BERN
- UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT
- JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE
- CYPRUS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (Partner, PI: D.G.Hadjimitsis)
- WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
- FUNDACION CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS AMBIENTALES DEL MEDITERRANEO