A Spatial Analysis Approach to the Global Delineation of Dryland Areas of Relevance to the CBD Programme of Work on Dry and Subhumid Lands
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A spatial analysis approach to the global delineation of dryland areas of relevance to the CBD Programme of Work on Dry and Subhumid Lands Prepared by Levke Sörensen at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre Cambridge, UK January 2007 This report was prepared at the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). The lead author is Levke Sörensen, scholar of the Carlo Schmid Programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Acknowledgements This report benefited from major support from Peter Herkenrath, Lera Miles and Corinna Ravilious. UNEP-WCMC is also grateful for the contributions of and discussions with Jaime Webbe, Programme Officer, Dry and Subhumid Lands, at the CBD Secretariat. Disclaimer The contents of the map presented here do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP-WCMC or contributory organizations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP-WCMC or contributory organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. 3 Table of contents Acknowledgements............................................................................................3 Disclaimer ...........................................................................................................3 List of tables, annexes and maps .....................................................................5 Abbreviations and acronyms ............................................................................7 Executive Summary ...........................................................................................8 1. Introduction.....................................................................................................9 1.1 Scope ................................................................................................................ 9 1.2 Aims and objectives ...................................................................................... 12 2. Methods.........................................................................................................13 2.1 Dataset choice and justification................................................................... 13 2.3 Biomes containing drylands......................................................................... 15 2.3 Spatial data analysis ..................................................................................... 17 3. Results ..........................................................................................................20 4. Conclusions..................................................................................................34 References........................................................................................................36 Annexes 1-6……………………………………………………………………..I - XXVI 4 List of tables, annexes and maps Table 1: Percentage of the biomes 7, 8, 10, 12 and 13 on the biogeographic realms Table 2: Percentage of biomes in hyperarid, arid, semiarid and dry subhumid zones Table 3: Percentage of the global terrestrial area, and of each biogeographic realm, defined as dryland using different dryland definitions Annex 1: Classification of ecoregions within biome 7 – Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannahs and Shrublands Annex 2: Classification of ecoregions within biome 8 – Temperate Grasslands, Savannahs and Shrublands Annex 3: Classification of ecoregions within biome 10 – Montane Grasslands and Shrublands Annex 4: Classification of ecoregions within biome 12 – Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub Annex 5: Percentage of ecoregions within biome 13 (Deserts & xeric Shrublands) in P/PET < 0.65 Annex 6: Explanations to Annex 1 - 5 Map 1: UNCCD delineation of drylands Map 2: Extent of dryland systems according to the World Atlas of Desertification Map 3: Biogeographic realms Map 4: Extent of biomes 7, 8, 10, 12 and 13 Map 5: Extent of biomes 7, 8, 10, 12 and 13 with P/PET ratio ≥ 0.65 Map 6: Global delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands Map 7: Delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands, Afrotropic I Map 8: Delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands, Afrotropic II Map 9: Delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands, Australasia Map 10: Delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands, Indo-Malay 5 Map 11: Delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands, Nearctic Map 12: Delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands, Neotropic Map 13: Delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands, Palearctic I Map 14: Delineation of areas in relation to the CBD PoW on Dry and Subhumid Lands, Palearctic II 6 Abbreviations and acronyms AA Australasia AHTEG Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group AT Afrotropic CBD Convention on Biological Diversity COP Conference of the Parties CRU/UEA Climatic Research Unit/University of East Anglia ESRI Environmental Systems Research Institute FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FRA Forest Resources Assessment GIS Geographic Information System GRID Global Resource Information Database IFFN International Forest Fire News IM Indo-Malay JWP Joint Work Programme LADA Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands NA Nearctic NT Neotropic OC Oceania PA Palearctic PoW Programme of Work P/PET Ratio of mean annual precipitation (P) to mean annual potential evapotranspiration (PET) SBSTTA Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNEP-WCMC UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre WRI World Resources Institute WWF World Wildlife Fund/World Wide Fund for Nature 7 Executive Summary Executive Summary The world’s drylands are affected by desertification and biodiversity loss, two closely related pressures. In 2003, the Secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) therefore agreed a Joint Work Programme (JWP), focusing on the biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands. This Programme is based, both in content and extent, on the thematic Programme of Work (PoW) on Dry and Sub-humid Lands of the CBD. A basic challenge for the implementation of the JWP is the divergence in definition of drylands between the Conventions. While the UNCCD has a spatially explicit definition of dryland boundaries, the CBD definition is both broader and less precise. The UNCCD bioclimatic definition covers 34.9 percent of the world’s terrestrial area, whilst the CBD bioclimatic definition covers a 41.5 percent. The CBD definition also includes additional areas on the basis of their vegetation cover. In order to identify areas of interest under the JWP, a global mapping effort is indispensable. This study uses a GIS spatial analysis at a global scale to provisionally delineate the areas that the CBD PoW, and hence also the JWP, encompasses. Maps of the WWF terrestrial ecoregions (WWF-US 2004) and of aridity zones (CRU/UEA; UNEP- GRID 1991) were used to identify areas included within the CBD definition. Using criteria based on the CBD definition, the ecoregion descriptions were evaluated to classify areas extending beyond the CBD bioclimatic definition as ‘presumed included’, or ‘presumed excluded’, or ‘to review’. 44.6 percent of the area concerned was classed as ‘to review’ as a result of uncertainty on the existence of dryland features. 1.3 percent was classified as ‘presumed excluded’, as dryland features are largely absent. Depending on the precise dryland criteria used, the CBD PoW could cover 41.5 to 52.3 percent of the world’s terrestrial area, that is between 6.6 and 17.4 percent more than the UNCCD definition. The delineation of dryland areas, and hence their extent, has major implications for the scope of the PoW and the JWP. This study reveals the need for an agreed global map of dryland areas, highlights some issues in delineating dryland boundaries, and offers a provisional map for discussion. 8 Introduction 1. Introduction 1.1 Scope Realizing the relationship between desertification and biodiversity loss, and between sustainable livelihoods and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (Mulongoy and Zeidler 2003), the fifth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2000 adopted a Programme of Work on Dry and Sub-humid Lands in order to fill knowledge gaps and promote conservation (Decision V/23). The shared goals of the CBD and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) mean that joint implementation of and collaboration between the two conventions can yield multiple benefits (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005). The Secretariats of the CBD and the UNCCD agreed on a Joint Work Programme (JWP) in 2003 (UNEP/CBD/COP/7/INF/28). The JWP follows the rationale and structure of the CBD Programme of Work (PoW) and highlights areas of possible collaboration and joint action. In this context, a definition of the global dryland extent is indispensable in order to define the scope of activities within the JWP. As is detailed below, the two conventions define drylands differently. As the JWP is based on the CBD PoW, the dryland definition from this document is most relevant to the JWP.