Browsing by Author "Rebelo, Alanna J."

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    Benefits of water-related ecological infrastructure investments to support sustainable land-use : a review of evidence from critically water-stressed catchments in South Africa
    (Royal Society, 2021) Rebelo, Alanna J.; Holden, Petra B.; Esler, Karen; New, Mark G.
    Investments to promote sustainable land-use within critical river catchment areas are often undertaken to provide benefits to society. Investments generally aim to protect or restore ecological infrastructure—the underlying framework of ecosystems, functions and processes that supply ecosystem services—for multiple benefits to society. However, the empirical evidence base from studies across the world on both mechanisms and outcomes to support these assumptions is limited. We collate evidence on the benefits of ecological infrastructure interventions, in terms of ecosystem services provided to society, from three major South African water-providing catchments using a novel framework. In these catchments, millions of US Dollars' worth of investments have been made into ecological infrastructure since 1996. We ask the question: is there evidence that ecological infrastructure interventions are delivering the proposed benefits? Results show that even in catchments with substantial, long-term financial investment into ecological infrastructure, research has not empirically confirmed the benefits. Better baseline data collection is required, and monitoring during and after ecological infrastructure interventions, to quantify benefits to society. This evidence is needed to leverage investment into ecological infrastructure interventions at scale. Investment at scale is needed to transition to more sustainable land-use to unlock greater benefits to nature and people.
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    Plant functional trait data and reflectance spectra for 22 palmiet wetland species
    (Elsevier, 2018) Rebelo, Alanna J.; Somers, Ben; Esler, Karen J.; Meire, Patrick
    We provide reflectance spectra for 22 South African palmiet wetland species collected in spring 2015 from three wetlands throughout the Cape Floristic Region. In addition, we provide summarized plant functional trait data, as well as supporting and meta-data. Reflectance spectra were collected with a portable ASD Fieldspec Pro using standard methods. The 14 plant functional traits were measured on 10 replicates of each species, following standard protocols. We provide tables detailing these standard methods, as well a table with hypotheses on how these 14 continuous traits, as well as an additional 9 categorical traits, may affect ecosystem service provision. In addition, tables are attached which detail which functional and spectral groups these species belong to, according to the data. Finally, we include a photographic plate of the species data are provide for. We make these data available in an effort to assist in research on the understanding of how traits affect ecosystem service provision in wetlands, and particularly of whether remote sensing can be used to map these traits in wetlands.
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    Plant functional trait data and reflectance spectra for 22 palmiet wetland species
    (Elsevier, 2018) Rebelo, Alanna J.; Somers, Ben; Esler, Karen J.; Meire, Patrick
    We provide reflectance spectra for 22 South African palmiet wetland species collected in spring 2015 from three wetlands throughout the Cape Floristic Region. In addition, we provide summarized plant functional trait data, as well as supporting and meta-data. Reflectance spectra were collected with a portable ASD Fieldspec Pro using standard methods. The 14 plant functional traits were measured on 10 replicates of each species, following standard protocols. We provide tables detailing these standard methods, as well a table with hypotheses on how these 14 continuous traits, as well as an additional 9 categorical traits, may affect ecosystem service provision. In addition, tables are attached which detail which functional and spectral groups these species belong to, according to the data. Finally, we include a photographic plate of the species data are provide for. We make these data available in an effort to assist in research on the understanding of how traits affect ecosystem service provision in wetlands, and particularly of whether remote sensing can be used to map these traits in wetlands.