Comment on "The extent of forest in dryland biomes".

Daniel M Griffith Caroline E R Lehmann Caroline A E Strömberg Catherine L Parr R Toby Pennington Mahesh Sankaran Jayashree RatnamChristopher J StillRebecca L PowellNiall P HananJesse B Nippert Colin P Osborne Stephen P Good T Michael Anderson Ricardo M Holdo Joseph W Veldman Giselda Durigan Richard T Corlett William A Hoffmann Sally Archibald William J Bond

Published in: Science (New York, N.Y.) (2017)

Bastin et al (Reports, 12 May 2017, p. 635) infer forest as more globally extensive than previously estimated using tree cover data. However, their forest definition does not reflect ecosystem function or biotic composition. These structural and climatic definitions inflate forest estimates across the tropics and undermine conservation goals, leading to inappropriate management policies and practices in tropical grassy ecosystems.

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