Publications by authors named "D S Schoeman"
Under accelerating threats from climate-change impacts, marine protected areas (MPAs) have been proposed as climate-adaptation tools to enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems. Yet, debate persists as to whether and how MPAs may promote resilience to climate shocks. Here, we use 38 years of satellite-derived kelp cover to empirically test whether a network of 58 temperate coastal MPAs in Central and Southern California enhances the resistance of kelp forest ecosystems to, and their recovery from, the unprecedented 2014-2016 marine heatwave regime that occurred in the region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResponses of organisms to climate warming are variable and complex. Effects on species distributions are already evident and mean global surface ocean temperatures are likely to warm by up to 4.1 °C by 2100, substantially impacting the physiology and distributions of ectotherms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- New research indicates that lianas (woody vines) are competing with trees in disturbed forests, threatening the recovery processes and the global carbon sink.
- The study analyzed data from 651 vegetation samples globally and found that lianas thrive better than trees in disturbed areas with warmer temperatures, lower rainfall, and tropical lowland conditions.
- High liana competition can hinder forest recovery for decades under specific climatic conditions, highlighting the need for targeted restoration strategies in tropical forests to mitigate potential impacts on carbon storage.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers in life sciences contribute evidence for the IPCC to help policymakers plan for climate change.
- There's a risk that non-experts may misinterpret complex climate model data, leading to incorrect conclusions.
- The text aims to offer an easy-to-understand guide on climate model outputs to help life scientists effectively tackle related questions.