02973naa a2200313 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006002400390007410000220011324501230013526000090025850001240026752018810039165300100227265300170228265300170229965300180231665300310233465300230236565300230238865300210241165300180243265300200245065300220247070000180249270000160251077301330252610621132021-06-08       2021    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a0301-47977 a10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.1126062DOI1 aCAMBA SANS, G. H.  aForest strips increase connectivity and modify forests? functioning in a deforestation hotspot.h[electronic resource]  c2021  aArticle history: Received 29 August 2020, Revised 3 April 2021, Accepted 11 April 2021, Available online 28 April 2021.  aABSTRACT. - Land use changes are occurring with unprecedented magnitude and intensity, imposing global impacts on ecosystem services (ES) and biodiversity. While the impacts of land use changes are increasingly recognized, understanding how landscape connectivity is related to ecosystem functioning is lacking. In the Argentinian Dry Chaco, deforestation increased forest fragmentation but strips of native forest (linear remnants) were usually left after clearings. Although the number of ecological studies on forest strips has increased, their contribution to forest connectivity and functioning has not been assessed. We evaluated the contribution of forest strips to forest connectivity and estimated its effect on forests' functioning considering low, moderate, and high species' dispersal abilities in our estimation. The effects of forest strip connectivity contribution to the forests' Ecosystem Services Supply Index (Forests' ESSI) was also analyzed. Forest strips contributed on average 6% and up to 40% to forest connectivity for moderate dispersal abilities, while low and high dispersals presented low values in almost all cases. The connectivity contribution was highest (between 15 and 40%) and variable for moderate dispersal abilities in landscapes with between 25 and 35% of forest cover. High connectivity contribution was generally achieved for low and moderate dispersals when forest strips conformed a network among forest patches. Forest strip connectivity significantly increased the forests? ESSI (between 1.3 and 2.4% per unit of connectivity contribution) and its effect was higher in comparison to forest amount and fragmentation. This study provides insights for planning the location of forest strips and forest remnants in agricultural landscapes, thus increasing forest connectivity for enhancing ecosystem functioning.  © 2021 Elsevier Ltd  aChaco  aConnectivity  aConservation  aDeforestation  aEcological intensification  aEcosystem function  aEcosystem services  aForest ecosystem  aFragmentation  aLand use change  aLandscape ecology1 aVERÓN, S. R.1 aPARUELO, J.  tJournal of Environmental Management, 2021, Volume 290, Article number 112606. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112606