Widespread winners and narrow-ranged losers: Land use homogenizes biodiversity in local assemblages worldwide

Newbold, Tim; Hudson, Lawrence N.; Contu, Sara; Hill, Samantha L. L.; Beck, Jan; Liu, Yunhui; Meyer, Carsten; Phillips, Helen R. P.; Scharlemann, Jörn P. W.; Purvis, Andy

doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2006841

Cited by 180 publications

(191 citation statements)

References 64 publications

(85 reference statements)

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“…The loss of the richness-specialization relationship over time is consistent with the trend toward biotic homogenization, i.e. the local extirpation of specialists and/or gain in generalists, widely supported in the literature (Clavel, Julliard, & Devictor, 2011; Davey et al, 2012; McKinney & Lockwood, 1999; Newbold et al, 2018). Our results, which show that species richness increased over the 50 years of the study, are also consistent with previous findings demonstrating that local richness is not systematically decreasing over time (Dornelas et al, 2014; Hillebrand et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Human-driven global changes may modify crucial ecological processes and macroecological patterns through changes in available productivity, environmental stability and heterogeneity. For example, land use and climate changes strongly impact available productivity (Haberl et al, 2007; Melillo et al, 1993; Newbold et al, 2018) and environmental stability through net changes in biotic and abiotic conditions (e.g. mean temperature, precipitation and available productivity), but also through increases in inter-annual variability in these conditions (Chamberlain, Fuller, Bunce, Duckworth, & Shrubb, 2000; Jentsch, Kreyling, & Beierkuhnlein, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recent global changes have decoupled species richness from specialization patterns in North American birds

Mimet

Buitenwerf

Sandel

et al. 2019

Preprint

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AimTheory suggests that increasing productivity and climate stability toward the tropics can explain the latitudinal richness gradient by favouring specialization. A positive relationship between species richness and specialization should thus emerge as a fundamental biogeographic pattern. However, land use and climate change disproportionally increase the local extirpation risk for specialists, potentially impacting this pattern. Here, we empirically quantify the richness-specialization prediction and test how 50 years of climate and land use change has affected the richness-specialization relationship.LocationUSATime period1966-2015Major taxa studiedBirdsMethodsWe used the North American breeding bird survey to quantify bird community richness and specialization to habitat and climate. We assess i) temporal change in the slope of the richness-specialization relationship, using a Generalized Mixed Model; ii) temporal change in spatial covariation of richness and specialization as driven by local environmental conditions, using Generalized Additive Models; and iii) land use, climate and topographic drivers of the spatio-temporal changes in the relationship, using a multivariate method.ResultsWe found evidence for a positive richness-specialization relationship in bird communities. However, the slope of the relationship declined strongly over time. Richness spatially covaried with specialization following a unimodal pattern. The peak of the unimodal pattern shifted toward less specialized communities over time. These temporal changes were associated with precipitation change, decreasing temperature stability and land use.Main conclusionsRecent climate and land use changes induced two antagonist types of community responses. In human-dominated areas, the decoupling of richness and specialization drove a general biotic homogenization trend. In human-preserved areas under increasing climate harshness, specialization increased while richness decreased in a “specialization” trend. Our results offer new support for specialization as a key driver of macroecological diversity patterns, and show that global changes are erasing this fundamental macroecological pattern.BiosketchAnne Mimet is a postdoctoral researcher interested in the understanding of human impacts on biodiversity through land use and climate changes, at various spatio-temporal scales. She is interested in embracing the complexity of socio-ecological systems, and in the understanding of biodiversity trends in a human-dominated world in the context of the general theories of ecology.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent global changes have decoupled species richness from specialization patterns in North American birds

Mimet

Buitenwerf

Sandel

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The loss of the richness–specialization relationship over time is consistent with the trend toward biotic homogenization (i.e., the local extirpation of specialists and/or gain in generalists) widely supported in the literature (Clavel, Julliard, & Devictor, ; Davey et al, ; McKinney & Lockwood, ; Newbold et al, ). Our results, which show that species richness increased on average over the 50 years of the study, are also consistent with previous findings demonstrating that local richness does not decrease systematically over time (Dornelas et al, ; Hillebrand et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…The weakening of the richness-specialization relationship is supported by different analyses in the present study, all of which F I G U R E 4 Temporal change in the slope of the richnessspecialization relationship. The three decades used in some subsequent analyses are shown (1973-1983, 1985-1995 and 2001-2011) The loss of the richness-specialization relationship over time is consistent with the trend toward biotic homogenization (i.e., the local extirpation of specialists and/or gain in generalists) widely supported in the literature (Clavel, Julliard, & Devictor, 2011;Davey et al, 2012;McKinney & Lockwood, 1999;Newbold et al, 2018). Our results, which show that species richness increased on average over the 50 years of the study, are also consistent with previous findings demonstrating that local richness does not decrease systematically over time (Dornelas et al, 2014;Hillebrand et al, 2018).…”

Section: Weakening Of the Richness-specialization Relationship Throsupporting

confidence: 76%

Recent global changes have decoupled species richness from specialization patterns in North American birds

Mimet

Buitenwerf

Sandel

et al. 2019

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Aim Theory suggests that increasing productivity and climate stability towards the tropics favours specialization, thus contributing to the latitudinal richness gradient. A positive relationship between species richness and specialization should therefore emerge as a fundamental biogeographical pattern. However, land‐use and climate changes disproportionally increase the local extirpation risk for specialists, potentially weakening the relationship between richness and specialization. Here, we quantify empirically the richness–specialization prediction and test how 50 years of climate and land‐use change has affected the richness–specialization relationship. Location USA. Time period 1966–2015. Major taxa studied Birds. Methods We used the North American Breeding Bird Survey to quantify bird community richness and specialization to habitat and climate. We (a) quantify temporal change in the slope of the richness–specialization relationship, using a generalized mixed model; (b) assess how this change translates spatially, using generalized additive models; and (c) attribute spatio‐temporal change in the richness–specialization relationship to land use, climate and topographic drivers. Results We found evidence for a positive but weak richness–specialization relationship in bird communities that greatly weakened over time. Given that specialization was not the main driver of richness, this relationship did not translate spatially into a linear spatial covariation between richness and specialization. Instead, the spatial covariation in richness and specialization followed a unimodal pattern, the peak of which shifted towards less specialized communities over time. These temporal changes were associated with precipitation change, decreasing temperature stability and land use. Main conclusions Recent climate and land‐use changes have induced two contrasting types of community responses. In human‐dominated areas, the decoupling of richness and specialization drove a general trend for biotic homogenization. In areas of low human impact experiencing increasing climate harshness, specialization increased, whereas richness decreased. Our results offer new support for specialization as a key driver of macroecological diversity patterns and show that global changes are weakening this fundamental macroecological pattern.

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“…On the other hand, areas modified at a more constant pace throughout history (e.g. Europe or India) may have more resilient species, as these areas are more likely to have suffered more severe extinction filters in the past (Newbold et al 2018, Polaina et al 2018.…”

Section: Globalmentioning

confidence: 99%

The legacy of past human land use in current patterns of mammal distribution

2019

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Multiple environmental factors are known to shape species distributions at the global scale, including climate and topography, but understanding current extents of occurrence and biodiversity patterns requires considering anthropogenic factors as well. Numerous studies have explored the relationship between contemporary human activities and different biodiversity metrics, but the influence of past activities, such as land‐use, remains poorly understood despite being one of the oldest human impacts. Here we evaluate the role of past land‐use modifications in the current distribution and conservation status of mammals worldwide using spatial data characterizing human land use from ca BC 6000 to ca AD 2000. First, we applied a clustering method that revealed three generalized past human land‐use trajectories that represent low‐, recently‐ and steadily‐used areas widely represented across the globe. Second, we fitted boosted regression trees to predict total and threatened mammalian richness, globally and within trajectory‐clusters, testing the role of environmental factors and multiple human land‐use metrics reflecting: total used area at different time spans, rates of land‐use change, and the occurrence of remarkable land‐use shifts. Environmental factors were identified as the main correlates of current mammalian richness, but several proposed metrics of past land‐use were also relevant predictors. Overall, these results highlight the likely existence of a land‐use legacy in some regions of the world that has influenced the distribution of extant mammals, particularly of those currently classified as threatened. Even if we cannot change that legacy, our results show that we need to account for past human impacts to understand present biodiversity patterns and, arguably, to guide future actions.

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Widespread winners and narrow-ranged losers: Land use homogenizes biodiversity in local assemblages worldwide

Cited by 180 publications

References 64 publications

Recent global changes have decoupled species richness from specialization patterns in North American birds

Recent global changes have decoupled species richness from specialization patterns in North American birds

Recent global changes have decoupled species richness from specialization patterns in North American birds

The legacy of past human land use in current patterns of mammal distribution

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