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Letter-to-the-Editor: Modelling the multi-functionality of African savanna landscapes under global change
  • +24
  • Reimund Rötter,
  • Simon Scheiter,
  • Munir Hoffmann,
  • Mirjam Pfeiffer,
  • William Nelson,
  • Kingsley Ayisi,
  • Peter Taylor,
  • Jan-Henning Feil,
  • Sara Yazdan Bakhsh,
  • J Isselstein,
  • Anja Linstaedter,
  • Kai Behn,
  • Catrin Westphal,
  • Ingo Grass,
  • Jude J. O. Odhiambo,
  • Wayne Twine,
  • Merante Paolo,
  • Gennady Bracho-Mujica,
  • Thomas Bringhenti,
  • Sala Lamega,
  • Issaka Abdulai,
  • Quang Lam,
  • Mina Anders,
  • Valerie Linden,
  • Sina Weier,
  • Stefan Foord,
  • Barend Erasmus
Reimund Rötter
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Simon Scheiter
Senckenberg Gesellschaft fur Naturforschung
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Munir Hoffmann
AGVOLUTION GmbH
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Mirjam Pfeiffer
Senckenberg Gesellschaft fur Naturforschung
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William Nelson
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Kingsley Ayisi
University of Limpopo Faculty of Science and Agriculture
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Peter Taylor
University of Venda
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Jan-Henning Feil
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Sara Yazdan Bakhsh
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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J Isselstein
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Anja Linstaedter
University of Bonn
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Kai Behn
University of Bonn
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Catrin Westphal
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Ingo Grass
University of Hohenheim Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Jude J. O. Odhiambo
University of Venda
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Wayne Twine
University of the Witwatersrand
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Merante Paolo
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Gennady Bracho-Mujica
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Thomas Bringhenti
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Sala Lamega
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Issaka Abdulai
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Quang Lam
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Mina Anders
University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Valerie Linden
University of Venda
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Sina Weier
University of Venda
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Stefan Foord
University of Venda
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Barend Erasmus
University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
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Abstract

Quantifying how multiple ecosystem services and functions are affected by different drivers of Global Change is challenging. Particularly in African savanna regions, highly integrated land-use activities created a landscape mosaic with flows of multiple resources between land use types. A framework is needed that quantifies the effects of climate change, management and policy interventions on ecosystem services that are most relevant for rural communities, such as provision of food, feed, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling and natural pest control. In spite of progress made in ecosystem modelling, data availability and stakeholder interactions, these elements have neither been brought together in an integrated framework, nor evaluated in the context of real-world problems. Here, we propose and outline such framework as developed by a multi-disciplinary research network, the Southern African Limpopo Landscapes network (SALLnet). Components of the framework such as the crop model APSIM and the vegetation model aDGVM2 had already been parameterized and evaluated using data sets from savanna regions of eastern, western and southern Africa, and were fine-tuned using novel data sets from Limpopo. A prototype of an agent-based farm household model was developed using comprehensive farm survey information from the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A first test of the functionality of the integrated framework has been performed for alternative policy interventions on smallholder crop-livestock systems. We discuss the versatile applicability of the framework, with a focus on smallholder landscapes in the savanna regions of southern Africa that are considered hotspots of global change impacts.
20 Jan 2021Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
21 Jan 2021Submission Checks Completed
21 Jan 2021Assigned to Editor
14 Feb 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Feb 2021Editorial Decision: Accept