Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1093/biosci/biv120
Title (Primary) Ecological simplification: human influences on riverscape complexity
Author Peipoch, M.; Brauns, M.; Hauer, F.R.; Weitere, M.; Valett, H.M.
Source Titel BioScience
Year 2015
Department FLOEK
Volume 96
Issue 11
Page From 1057
Page To 1065
Language englisch
Supplements https://oup.silverchair-cdn.com/oup/backfile/Content_public/Journal/bioscience/65/11/10.1093_biosci_biv120/1/biv120_Supplementary_Data.zip?Expires=1583768197&Signature=4FvqYIvHkZuenT6Hdc0ufHU6jKskcxsJrg9vGyFvhFIPZx2vNGVd1vH-av8Qygk~ACLJr2nqFQyEgqr6CFfchlp0FeRrQ60~-QApR3c1xbKICew4hj9MGdZIYYApfNVKCsakKDc~rWKmnXHg39bbWJvolaA58XpwSkYSB7vnHFVH~I-JZLW-acd6vgAz3RWNpD6b4WIAYAR5CY2Y~hfsF0nWY9cWYKbjOCaIMQtb8eMZp7VAjfIpXCYOsEML76sTFZ3ua~B91KI7WqLGLOC4yHproa19qfzcRUWvCiNwMZ7YbJNSRri9ybj5rcO6KS8SUsCUffgHJEqb812ImrT0eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA
Keywords ecological simplification; complexity; niche diversity; restoration; floodplains
UFZ wide themes RU2;
Abstract The rationale of most restoration strategies is that with reconstruction of natural habitats comes biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning and services will follow suit. Uncertainty and frequent failure in restoration outcomes, however, are recurrent and likely related to the complexity of ecosystem properties. Here, we propose ecological simplification as the general mechanism by which human impacts have modified cross-scale relationships among landscape complexity, integrity, and niche diversity in ecosystems. To manage and reverse the negative effects of ecological simplification, the interplay between research and management must quantify the large-scale complexity of reference to restore simplified systems and to link these measures to niche diversity quantified at finer scales. Because of their historical interaction with human societies, we use riverine floodplains as model ecosystems to review the causes and consequences of simplification and to discuss how contemporary restoration can minimize the effects of simplification on biodiversity, functioning, and services of riverine floodplains.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=16357
Peipoch, M., Brauns, M., Hauer, F.R., Weitere, M., Valett, H.M. (2015):
Ecological simplification: human influences on riverscape complexity
Bioscience 96 (11), 1057 - 1065 10.1093/biosci/biv120