Museum and Herbarium Collections for Biodiversity Research in Angola

Figueira, Rui; Lages, Fernanda

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-03083-4_19

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Additionally, casual and scientific observations of the miombo woodlands are concentrated around roads and towns, the areas most affected by logging and charcoal gathering (Mendelsohn, 2019). In contrast, WE is concentrated in remote areas difficult for research teams to access (Figueira & Lages, 2019). Ecoregion‐scale remote sensing analyses can complement empirical fieldwork by providing data on these inaccessible, under‐researched landscapes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We suggest that the spatial distribution of WE may be obscuring its extent from practitioners, as research on Angolan ecology is concentrated in southwest Angola, the sole subregion exhibiting widespread negative EVI trends (Figueira & Lages, 2019). Additionally, casual and scientific observations of the miombo woodlands are concentrated around roads and towns, the areas most affected by logging and charcoal gathering (Mendelsohn, 2019).…”

Section: Conservation and Governance Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extensive woody encroachment altering Angolan miombo woodlands despite cropland expansion and frequent fires

Loft,

Stevens,

Gonçalves

et al. 2024

Global Change Biology

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Woody encroachment (WE) and agricultural expansion are widespread in tropical savannas, where they threaten biodiversity and ecosystem function. In Africa's largest savanna, the miombo woodlands, cropland expansion is expected to cause extensive habitat loss over the next 30 years. Meanwhile, widespread WE is altering the remaining untransformed vegetation. Quantifying the extent of both processes in the Angolan miombo woodlands (~570,000 km2) has been challenging due to limited infrastructure, a history of conflict, and widespread landmines. Here, we analyze spectral satellite imagery to investigate the extent of WE and cropland expansion in the Angolan miombo woodlands since 1990. We asses WE using two complementary metrics: multi‐decade canopy greenness trends and conversion from grassland to woodland. We also examine whether WE trends are driven by landscape fragmentation and decreasing fire frequency. We found that from 1990 to 2020, 34.1% of the Angolan miombo woodlands experienced significant WE or was converted to cropland, while open grassy vegetation declined by 62%. WE advanced rapidly even in areas experiencing extraordinarily high burn frequencies and was not adequately explained by changing temperature or precipitation. WE was concentrated far from the agricultural frontier, in remote areas with low population densities. These results challenge the hypothesis that human‐altered fire regimes are the primary driver of WE in mesic savannas. The results will help decision‐makers conserve the miombo woodlands' biodiversity and ecosystem services, by highlighting that strategies to slow habitat loss must address WE and cropland expansion together.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conservation and Governance Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extensive woody encroachment altering Angolan miombo woodlands despite cropland expansion and frequent fires

Loft,

Stevens,

Gonçalves

et al. 2024

Global Change Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…18 (Huntley et al 2019); and an introduction to the importance of natural history museums and herbaria in the country's biodiversity science and conservation agenda, Chap. 19 (Figueira and Lages 2019). What is abundantly clear, as expressed in the concluding chapter, (Russo et al 2019), is that Angola is alive with research and conservation opportunities, stimulated by recent initiatives led by the Angolan government and supported by the international community.…”

Section: Chapter Outlinesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Angolan Biodiversity: Towards a Modern Synthesis

Huntley

Ferrand

2019

Biodiversity of Angola

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Angola possesses an unusually rich diversity of ecosystems and species, but this natural wealth is poorly documented when compared with other countries in the region. Both colonial history and extended wars challenged progress in biodiversity research and conservation, but since peace was achieved in 2002 a rapidly increasing level of collaboration between Angolan and visiting scientists and institutions has seen a blossoming of biodiversity research. The absence of comprehensive reviews and syntheses of existing knowledge, often published in extinct journals and inaccessible official reports, necessitates a modern synthesis. This volume brings together the existing body of scientific results from studies on Angola's landscapes, ecosystems, flora and fauna, and presents an outline of opportunities for biodiversity discovery, understanding and conservation as well as collaborative research.

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“…The documentation and study of natural science specimens underpin our understanding and further research into the diversity of life, its origins and evolution, and its distribution in space and time. This contributes to biodiversity conservation, pest and disease control, solving crime, public health, food security; and allows for future predictions, including for climate change impacts, that can inform An online survey on user perceptions of natural science collections in South Africa decision-making by policymakers (Suarez & Tsutsui 2004;Figueira & Lages 2019;Jacobs 2020). The collections also constitute an invaluable record of the natural heritage of the subcontinent (Davison 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An online survey on user perceptions of natural science collections in South Africa

Ms Shanelle Ribeiro,

Dr Terry Reynolds,

Dr Bernhard Zipfel

et al. 2023

Bothalia ABC

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Background: In South Africa, and globally, the value of natural science collections for scientific research is not widely recognised and has led to its marginalisation, which in turn has resulted in low funding, staffing and use of the collections. Aim & objectives: To this end, as part of the effort to increase understanding and appreciation of the collections, a cross-sectional web-based survey was administered to users of natural science collections (NSCs) in South Africa. The objectives of the study were to identify the perceived value of NSCs to the research community; perceived or experienced barriers in accessing NSCs and associated data for use in research; perceptions of NSCs’ current performance in serving the needs of stakeholders; and how performance is judged and what the expectations are to improve future performance of NSCs to better serve the needs of stakeholders. Methods: The survey consisted of 26 questions, distributed by email to relevant researcher community mailing lists, and posted on relevant social media groups. The survey was completed by 131 respondents. Results & conclusion: The study indicated the overall perception of the importance of NSCs and their accessibility to the student and researcher community in South Africa and internationally to be extremely important to their research. Lack of funding for operations and staff impedes the ability of researchers and other users alike in using NSCs to optimise their research and contribute to issues of societal concern. A sustained commitment is required from NSC institutions to work together to solve various challenges, including improvement in serving stakeholder needs, which will in turn assist with demonstrating the value of NSCs to policymakers, in order to lobby for support and funding. Improved recognition of the importance of NSCs for research by the scientific community will assist NSCs in demonstrating their impact. Political priority should also be given to the long-term upkeep and ongoing assistance of institutional infrastructures.

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Museum and Herbarium Collections for Biodiversity Research in Angola

Cited by 7 publications

References 57 publications

Extensive woody encroachment altering Angolan miombo woodlands despite cropland expansion and frequent fires

Extensive woody encroachment altering Angolan miombo woodlands despite cropland expansion and frequent fires

Angolan Biodiversity: Towards a Modern Synthesis

An online survey on user perceptions of natural science collections in South Africa

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