Non-Forest Ecosystem Conversion

Forest loss gets most of the attention, but grasslands, savannas, shrublands, and wetlands are disappearing just as fast, and in many regions faster. These ecosystems hold high biodiversity and many endemic species, yet global conservation assessments rarely examine what agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, and resource extraction are doing to them.This Research Topic welcomes studies that measure the extent, drivers, and biodiversity consequences of non-forest ecosystem conversion, from regional to planetary scales. We invite land cover change analyses using remote sensing and spatial datasets, work on the economic, demographic, and political drivers of conversion, assessments of impacts on threatened species and ecosystem function, and evaluations of policy responses to habitat loss. Empirical and modeling studies that clarify how land-use change in non-forest systems drives global biodiversity trends are especially welcome. Topic editors: Jonathan Cabrera, Vinayak Bhanage Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85921/non-forest-ecosystem-conversion