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Heathland, Scrub and Savanna: Overview, Recent Trends and Outlook

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Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Environmental Challenges and Solutions ((ECAS))

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Abstract

This contribution provides an overview of the ecology and distribution of the various habitat types which are dominated by small and intermediate-sized woody plants.

Compared to other ecosystem types such as forest or freshwater ecosystems, heaths and scrub have only fairly recently become a central theme of ecological and biogeographical research, and have only been the subject of comparatively few studies to date. Furthermore, these habitats cover only a small proportion of land compared, for example, with forest and grassland. In contrast to the amount of research, and despite the small area of land they cover, these habitats are rich in species and endemics.

Heathland, scrub and savanna comprise a variety of different habitat types and are found from polar regions to the tropics, and from oceanic to continental zones. In general, they occur as transition zones between open landscapes and forest or form a late succession stage in regions with environmental conditions that are unfavourable for tree growth.

Heathlands, especially in Europe, are often the result of long-term anthropogenic influence. Savannas can be found in subtropical and tropical regions and are characterised by a combination of tree and herbaceous species. Both heathlands and savanna provide habitat for many rare, threatened and endemic animals.

The degree of degradation and fragmentation of these habitats varies considerably. Urbanisation, the intensification of agriculture and exploitation for natural resources are the main threats to heath, scrub and savanna worldwide. As the usage of European heathlands for anthropogenic purposes decreases, succession results, thus leading to a reduction in the total area covered by this habitat type.

It is difficult to predict what these very dynamic ecosystems will look like in the future. However, the relatively high number of different habitat types, structures, and species highlights the importance of conservation planning and management of these habitats.

It generally takes less time to re-establish dwarf shrub or shrub communities than it does for a forest to grow old. This fact can also be seen as an opportunity, especially if rare or threatened species can live in both shrubland and forest.

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    Nadja El Balti

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    Carsten Hobohm

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El Balti, N. (2021). Heathland, Scrub and Savanna: Overview, Recent Trends and Outlook. In: Hobohm, C. (eds) Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems. Environmental Challenges and Solutions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57710-0_15

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