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Tropical/subtropical heath forests.
T1.4 Tropical/Subtropical Heath
Layer representing the extent in Amazonia of the functional ecosystem of tropical and subtropical heathland forests. These are unique ecosystems that thrive in poor, acidic soils, with vegetation adapted to these extreme conditions, including low shrubs and specialized species. Their high endemic diversity makes them particularly important for global biodiversity conservation. These forests are intimately linked to unique ecological processes, such as the formation of organic soils rich in humic acids. In areas degraded by human activities, such as fragmentation or resource exploitation, shrub cover and native species are seriously affected, diminishing their capacity to sustain biodiversity.
This layer represents one of the functional ecosystems in the Amazon region, identified by an occurrence number that reflects the variants of the ecosystem within a specific area: occurrence 1 represents a pristine ecosystem, and occurrence 2 represents different variants of this ecosystem modified or altered by human activities. Each ecosystem is described in detail in (DESCRIP), which includes key characteristics such as vegetation structure, biodiversity, level of human influence, and prevailing environmental conditions. The ecological realm or realm to which the ecosystem belongs is specified in the (Realm) field: its associated biome is indicated in (Biome) by categorizing it according to broad climatic and geographic characteristics. The ecosystem's functional group is described in (FunctionGr), and is uniquely identified by a standard code (code, e.g., "T1.1 Tropical-Subtropical lowland rainforests"). Finally, the (URL) field is a link to the Global Ecosystems website, where additional information such as maps and detailed documentation of the corresponding functional ecosystem can be accessed.
Functional ecosystems, developed as part of the Global Ecosystem Typology framework published by IUCN in 2020, represent a global approach to classifying ecosystems according to their key ecological processes, functions and dynamics. This typology is crucial for understanding how ecosystems support biodiversity and ecosystem services. In addition, its data are fundamental for promoting sustainable development and guiding the management of natural areas at the local level, providing a scientific basis for conservation, ecological restoration and land-use planning that benefits both human communities and biodiversity.
Own compilation AmazoniaForever360+, 2023-2024 from an adaptation of Global Ecosystem Typology data available for download as Geojson and .tif models. Descriptions were simplified and polygon detail was reduced for better visualization.
More information in:
https://global-ecosystems.org/
https://global-ecosystems.org/page/typology
Description, further reading:
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2020-037-En.pdf