Nature Communications (Jun 2018)

Drivers of woody plant encroachment over Africa

  • Z. S. Venter,
  • M. D. Cramer,
  • H.-J. Hawkins

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04616-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Woody plant encroachment has important implications for habitat conservation and global carbon budgets, but its drivers require quantification. Here, Venter et al. report that encroachment is predominantly driven by human activities, changing weather conditions, fire, and herbivory.