@article {155542, title = {Open letter: There are more than just trees and forests to be conserved and restored}, year = {2025}, publisher = {Plants, People, Planet}, abstract = {

Tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas have historically been neglected in global and local conservation policies. As a result, nearly half of their coverage has been lost. In 2023, the world{\textquoteright}s most biodiverse savanna (Brazilian Cerrado) lost 1.110.326 ha, increasing the rate of land conversion by 67.7\% (MapBiomas,\ 2024). The resulting biodiversity and ecosystem service losses, including the ability to mitigate climate change, are profound and irreversible.

As scientists specialized in ecology, conservation, and restoration, from around the world, we call on policymakers at COP 16 to act decisively:\ Tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas matter for biodiversity protection, and the future of this planet relies on these ecosystems to the same extent it relies on forests.

We urge the following commitments:

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10635}, url = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppp3.10635}, author = {Natashi Pilon and Franciele Peixoto and Jayashree Ratnam and Mahesh Sankaran} }