@article{fdi:010092545,
  title = {{E}xtensive woody encroachment altering {A}ngolan miombo woodlands despite cropland expansion and frequent fires},
  author = {{L}oft, {T}. and {S}tevens, {N}. and {G}on{\c{c}}alves, {F}.{M}.{P}. and {O}liveras {M}enor, {I}mma},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}oody encroachment ({WE}) and agricultural expansion are widespread in tropical savannas, where they threaten biodiversity and ecosystem function. {I}n {A}frica's largest savanna, the miombo woodlands, cropland expansion is expected to cause extensive


habitat loss over the next 30?years. {M}eanwhile, widespread {WE} is altering the remaining untransformed vegetation. {Q}uantifying the extent of both processes in the {A}ngolan miombo woodlands (~570,000?km2) has been challenging due to limited infrastructure,


a history of conflict, and widespread landmines. {H}ere, we analyze spectral satellite imagery to investigate the extent of {WE} and cropland expansion in the {A}ngolan miombo woodlands since 1990.


{W}e asses {WE} using two complementary metrics: multi-decade canopy greenness trends and conversion from grassland to woodland. {W}e also examine whether {WE} trends are driven by landscape fragmentation and decreasing fire frequency. {W}e found that from 1990


to 2020, 34.1% of the {A}ngolan 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. {T}hese results challenge the hypothesis that human-altered fire regimes are the primary driver of {WE} in mesic savannas. {T}he 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.},
  keywords = {{ANGOLA}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{G}lobal {C}hange {B}iology},
  volume = {30},
  numero = {2},
  pages = {e17171 [15 ]},
  ISSN = {1354-1013},
  year = {2024},
  DOI = {10.1111/gcb.17171},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010092545},
}