Managing nutritional landscapes as the next frontier in forest ecology and conservation

Abstract

Sizable efforts and international collaborations are underway to restore natural landscape connectivity and establish green infrastructure. At the same time, there is evidence globally of how disturbance-related changes in tree composition from human activities such as reforestation, logging, fire management, and land clearing are impacting nutritional landscapes, altering ecosystem functioning, and influencing the distribution and abundance of browsers. In disturbance and restoration scenarios, the underlying chemical ecology that influences the function of these forests as food for folivores is often overlooked in management actions. This oversight can result in landscapes that fall short in their ability to support viable populations of browsers and other species that depend on them. We must improve our understanding and awareness of how plant composition affects habitat nutritional quality so that this knowledge can be applied to landscape management and restoration.