Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40670344›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Global alternatives of natural vegetation cover.

Jean-François Bastin, Nicolas Latte, Jan Bogaert, Claude A Garcia, Fabio Berzaghi, Fernando T Maestre, Jens-Christian Svenning, Emeline Assede, Sabas Barima, Timothée Besisa and 22 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

32 authors.

Jean-François BastinTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium. jfbastin@uliege.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2602-7247
Nicolas LatteTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3822-315X
Jan BogaertTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Claude A GarciaSchool of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, BFH-HAFL, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7351-0226
Fabio BerzaghiWorld Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden.
Fernando T MaestreEnvironmental Sciences and Engineering, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7434-4856
Jens-Christian SvenningCenter for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3415-0862
Emeline AssedeFaculté d'Agronomie, Université de Parakou, Parakou, Benin.
Sabas BarimaUFR Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Ivory Coast.
Timothée BesisaTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Samuel BouchomsTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Thomas W CrowtherInstitute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5674-8913
Thalès de HaullevilleQ-Forestlab, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium.
Hugo de LameTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Pauline DepoortereTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Marc DufrêneTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Anne J Hoek Van DijkeLouis Bolk Institute, AJ Bunnik, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0354-8517
Simon LhoestTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7237-3867
Gregory MahyTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Christian MessierInstitut des Sciences de la forêt tempérée (ISFORT), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8728-5533
Danilo MolliconeUN-FAO Climate Change Office, Rome, Italy.
Felana Nantenaina RamalasonTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1487-4027
Marc PeaucelleINRAE, UMR1391 ISPA, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeau, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0324-4628
Antoine PlumackerTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Fabien QuétierRewilding Europe, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3767-0353
Olivia RakotondrasoaESSA-Forêts, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-8752-7406
Kouagou Raoul SambieniTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Ben SparrowTERN, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2566-1895
Yegor TarelkinTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Yannick Useni SikuzaniUnité Ecologie, Restauration Ecologique et Paysage, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, DRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Arthur Vander LindenTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
Philippe LejeuneTERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Preserving and restoring terrestrial ecosystems is essential to preventing the decline of life on Earth. To guide global conservation efforts, we present a detailed counterfactual map showing Earth's natural tree, short vegetation, and bare ground cover. This map accounts for environmental filtering along with realistic scenarios of fire frequency and wildlife herbivory. The most likely scenario suggests 43% (5669 ± 74 Mha) of land could support trees, 39% (5183 ± 86 Mha) shrubs and grasses, and 18% (2352 ± 59 Mha) bare ground. Adjustments in fire and herbivory could shift a minimum of 675 Mha of land, stressing the importance of considering alternative outcomes when restoring a landscape. Our findings also suggest that adjustments in fire frequency and wildlife herbivory could have a greater impact on natural vegetation than expected climate changes by 2050, highlighting decision-makers' responsibility to guide conservation and restoration toward a sustainable and biodiverse future.

Indexed as

Conservation of Natural ResourcesEcosystemAnimalsClimate ChangeFiresHerbivoryPlantsTrees

Identifiers

PMID40670344
PMCPMC12267432

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.