scholarly journals Species traits predict extinction risk across the Tree of Life

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipe Chichorro ◽  
Fernando Urbano ◽  
Dinarte Teixeira ◽  
Henry Väre ◽  
Tiago Pinto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Tree Of Life ◽  
Offspring Size ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Human Footprint ◽  
Habitat Breadth

SummaryBiodiversity is eroding at unprecedented rates due to human activity1. Species’ trajectories towards extinction are shaped by multiple factors, including life-history traits2 as well as human pressures3. Previous studies linking these factors to extinction risk have been narrow in their taxonomic and geographic scope4, thus limiting the ability for identifying global predictors. We studied the relation between 12 traits and the extinction risk of almost 900 species representing 15 groups across the tree of life (vertebrates, invertebrates and plants) at a global scale. We show that threatened species share narrow habitat breadth, poor dispersal ability, low fecundity, small altitudinal range, and are affected by a large human footprint. Other traits either show contrasting responses among groups (body size, offspring size, and change in human footprint), or relations were found for only a limited number of taxa (generation length, diet breadth, microhabitat). Our study suggests that in the absence of data on the precise distribution and population trends of species, traits can be used as predictors of extinction risk and thus help guide future research, monitoring and conservation efforts.

scholarly journals A review of the relation between species traits and extinction risk

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipe Chichorro ◽  
Aino Juslén ◽  
Pedro Cardoso
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Biogeographical Regions ◽  
Habitat Breadth ◽  
The Many ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTBiodiversity is shrinking rapidly, and despite our efforts only a small part of it has been assessed for extinction risk. Identifying the traits that make species vulnerable might help us to predict the outcome for those less known. We gathered information on the relations of traits to extinction risk from 173 publications, across all taxa, spatial scales and biogeographical regions, in what we think it is the most comprehensive compilation to date. Vertebrates and the Palaearctic are the most studied taxon and region because of higher accumulation of data in these groups. Among the many traits that have been suggested to be good predictors, our meta-analyses were successful in identifying two as potentially useful in assessing risk for the lesser-known species: regardless of the taxon, species with small range and habitat breadth are more vulnerable to extinction. On the other hand, body size (the most studied trait) did not present a consistently positive or negative response. In line with recent research, we hypothesize that the relationship between body size and extinction risk is shaped by different aspects, namely body size is a proxy for different phenomena depending on the taxonomic group.

scholarly journals Good Things Come in Larger Packages: Size Matters for Adult Fruit-Feeding Butterfly Dispersal and Larval Diet Breadth

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 664
Author(s):  
Geraldo B. Freire ◽  
Thayane Silva ◽  
Hernani Oliveira ◽  
Chloe Collier ◽  
Hanna P. Rodrigues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Generalized Least Squares ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Larval Diet ◽  
Dispersal Capacity

Introduction: In animals, body size is correlated with many aspects of natural history, such as life span, abundance, dispersal capacity and diet breadth. However, contrasting trends have been reported for the relationship between body size and these ecological traits. Methods: Fruit-feeding butterflies were used to investigate whether body size is correlated with species abundance, dispersal, permanence, and larval diet breadth in a Neotropical savanna in Brazil (Cerrado). We used Blomberg’s K and Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares models (PGLS) to measure phylogenetic signal strength in species traits and to estimate size–dispersal–diet breadth associations, while also taking shared ancestry into account. Results: 539 individuals from 27 species were captured, and 190 individuals were recaptured, representing a 35% recapture rate. We found body size to be negatively associated with butterfly abundance, and positively associated with dispersal level, distance traveled, number of traps visited, individual permanence, and diet breadth. These results indicate that larger butterflies are more likely to disperse over longer distances. Moreover, larger butterflies have more generalized larval diets, based on the number of host plant families, genera, and phylogenetic diversity of the host plants they consume as larvae. Smaller butterflies rely on fewer resources, which is reflected in their higher survival in small patches and may explain their lower dispersal ability and higher diet specialization. Nevertheless, lower dispersal ability may, if not compensated by large population sizes, threaten small-bodied species inhabiting environments, such as the Cerrado, which have intense deforestation rates. Conclusions: Body size is positively associated with dispersal and diet breadth for the fruit-feeding butterflies collected in this study.

scholarly journals Searching for synthetic mechanisms on how biological traits mediate species responses to climate change

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fábio Júlio Alves Borges ◽  
Rafael Loyola
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Species Vulnerability ◽  
Environment Temperature ◽  
Species Responses ◽  
Different Response

Abstract: Climate change will likely be the most significant challenge faced by species in this century, and species’ ability to cope with climate change depends on their life history and ecological and evolutionary traits. Understanding how these traits mediate species’ responses is beneficial for identifying more vulnerable species or prone to extinction risk. Here, we carried out a literature review describing how four traits commonly used in vulnerability assessments (i.e. clutch size, diet breadth, dispersal ability, and climatic tolerance) may determine species vulnerability. We also portray the possible mechanisms that explain how these traits govern species responses to climate change. The literature suggests different mechanisms operating for the evaluated traits. The mechanism of response to climate change differs between species inhabiting tropical and temperate regions: while species from the temperate areas may respond positively to temperature rise, tropical species may be severely affected. Since ectotherms depend on environment temperature, they are more sensitive and present different response mechanisms from endotherms.

scholarly journals Good Things Come in Larger Packages: Size Matters for Fruit-feeding Butterfly Dispersal and Diet Breadth

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldo Freire-Jr. ◽  
Thayane Silva ◽  
Hernani Oliveira ◽  
Chloe Collier ◽  
Hanna P. Rodrigues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Generalized Least Squares ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Dispersal Capacity

Introduction: Body size is correlated with many aspects of an animal species' natural history, such as life span, abundance, dispersal capacity and diet breadth. However, contrasting trends have been reported for the relationship between body size and these ecological traits. Methods: Butterfly species from fruit-feeding guilds were used to investigate whether body size correlates with species abundances, dispersal, permanence, and diet breadth in a Neotropical savanna in Brazil (Cerrado). We used Blomberg’s K and Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares models (PGLS) to measure phylogenetic signal strength in species traits, and to estimate size-dispersal-diet breadth associations while taking shared ancestry into account. Results: 539 individuals from 27 species were captured, and 190 individuals were recaptured, representing a 35% recapture rate. We found that body size negatively influenced butterfly abundance. In contrast, body size was positively associated with dispersal levels, distance traveled, number of traps visited, individual permanence, and diet breadth. These results indicate that larger butterflies have a greater proportion of dispersing individuals over longer distances, as they permanence were detected over longer periods than their smaller relatives. Moreover, larger butterflies are more generalized, based on the number of host plant families and genera they consume. Smaller butterflies demand fewer resources, which is reflected in their higher survival in small patches, and may explain their lower dispersal ability, and higher diet specialization. Nevertheless, lower dispersal ability, if not compensated by large population sizes, may threaten small-bodied species inhabiting environments with intense deforestation rates, such as the Cerrado. Conclusions: Body size positively influences dispersal and diet breadth in the fruit-feeding butterflies collected in this study.

scholarly journals Biological and extrinsic correlates of extinction risk in Chinese lizards

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxi Zhong ◽  
Chuanwu Chen ◽  
Yanping Wang
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Habitat Specialization ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Extrinsic Factors

Abstract China is a country with one of the most species rich reptile faunas in the world. However, nearly a quarter of Chinese lizard species assessed by the China Biodiversity Red List are threatened. Nevertheless, to date, no study has explicitly examined the pattern and processes of extinction and threat in Chinese lizards. In this study, we conducted the first comparative phylogenetic analysis of extinction risk in Chinese lizards. We addressed the following three questions: 1) What is the pattern of extinction and threat in Chinese lizards? 2) Which species traits and extrinsic factors are related to their extinction risk? 3) How can we protect Chinese lizards based on our results? We collected data on ten species traits (body size, clutch size, geographic range size, activity time, reproductive mode, habitat specialization, habitat use, leg development, maximum elevation, and elevation range) and seven extrinsic factors (mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, mean annual solar insolation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), human footprint, human population density, and human exploitation). After phylogenetic correction, these variables were used separately and in combination to assess their associations with extinction risk. We found that Chinese lizards with small geographic range, large body size, high habitat specialization, and living in high precipitation areas were vulnerable to extinction. Conservation priority should thus be given to species with the above extinction-prone traits so as to effectively protect Chinese lizards. Preventing future habitat destruction should also be a primary focus of management efforts because species with small range size and high habitat specialization are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss.

scholarly journals Host–parasitoid evolution in a metacommunity

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1831) ◽  
pp. 20160477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denon Start ◽  
Benjamin Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Selection Gradient ◽  
Phenotypic Differences ◽  
Dispersal Abilities ◽  
Phenotypic Shift

Patch size and isolation are predicted to alter both species diversity and evolution; yet, there are few empirical examples of eco-evolutionary feedback in metacommunities. We tested three hypotheses about eco-evolutionary feedback in a gall-forming fly, Eurosta solidaginis and two of its natural enemies that select for opposite traits: (i) specialization and poor dispersal ability constrain a subset of natural enemies from occupying small and isolated patches, (ii) this constraint alters selection on the gall fly, causing phenotypic shifts towards traits resistant to generalist and dispersive enemies in small and isolated patches, and (iii) reduced dispersal evolves in small, isolated populations. We sampled patches in a natural metacommunity and found support for all hypotheses; Eurosta 's specialist wasp parasitoid attacked fewer galls in small and isolated patches, generating a selection gradient that favoured small galls resistant to predation by a dispersive and generalist bird predator. Phenotype distributions matched this selection gradient, and these phenotypic differences were maintained in a common garden experiment. Finally, we found lower dispersal abilities in small and isolated patches, a phenotypic shift that aids in the maintenance of local adaptation. We suggest that the trophic rank and the species traits of consumers are central to evolution in metacommunities.

Towards a general model explaining physical and digital counterfeits

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco-Jose Molina-Castillo ◽  
Elfriede Penz ◽  
Barbara Stöttinger
Keyword(s):  
General Model ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Digital Piracy ◽  
Digital Products ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Robust Model ◽  
Research Goal

PurposeDemand for fake physical and digital products is a global phenomenon with substantive detrimental effects on companies and consumers. This raises various questions and issues, such as whether there are generalizable explanations of purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on consumer samples from three different countries. This paper develops and tests a model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain both the demand for counterfeits and digital piracy. Respondents were questioned about physical products (e.g. clothing, accessories) from well-known brands and digital products (e.g. software, music).FindingsSocially oriented motives such as embarrassment potential, ethical concerns and social norms explain the intention to purchase fake physical and digital products, while personally oriented motives (e.g. self-identity) have indirect effects but not a direct impact on purchase intention.Research limitations/implicationsAs our results show, we find evidence for a general model – contributing and supporting our first and primary research goal of providing a theoretically robust model that bridges the gap between two streams of literature.Practical implicationsThe fact that drivers of buying counterfeit physical and digital goods are similar across countries provides justification for companies and international organizations to bundle their efforts and thus leverage them more strongly on a global scale.Originality/valueWe provide a basis for consolidating future research on demand for counterfeits and pirated goods because underlying factors driving demand are similar across the three countries studied herein.

Conspecific attraction for conservation and management of terrestrial breeding birds: Current knowledge and future research directions

The Condor ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon J Valente ◽  
Christa L LeGrande-Rolls ◽  
James W Rivers ◽  
Anna M Tucker ◽  
Richard A Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Site Occupancy ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Social Cues ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conspecific Attraction ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
And Control

Abstract Conspecific presence can indicate the location or quality of resources, and animals settling near conspecifics often gain fitness benefits. This can result in adaptive conspecific attraction during breeding habitat selection as demonstrated in numerous terrestrial, territorial birds. There is growing interest in using simulated conspecific social cues (e.g., decoys, broadcasted vocalizations) to manage bird distributions, yet it remains unclear when this approach is likely to succeed. We reviewed published studies to evaluate whether the strength of conspecific attraction in terrestrial birds is mediated by characteristics of species (life history traits), simulated cues (e.g., timing and duration), sites (e.g., quality), and how conspecific attraction was measured. We identified 31 experiments that simulated social cues and compared conspecific settlement between treatment and control sites. We then used phylogenetically controlled meta-regression to assess the impacts of 19 moderators on settlement. Nearly all species included in these experiments were migratory passerines, and social cues generally had a strong, positive influence on their settlement decisions, as the odds of site occupancy were 3.12× (95% CI: 0.81–11.69) greater in treatment sites relative to control sites. Within this group, conspecific attraction was evolutionarily conserved with ≥25.5% (95% CI: 5.1%–65.4%) of the variance in treatment effects explained by phylogenetic relatedness. However, we found no evidence that any covariates influenced the response to social cues, and we posit this stems from limited research specifically designed to identify the mechanisms mediating conspecific attraction. We therefore developed a research agenda that provides a framework for testing mechanistic hypotheses regarding how cue characteristics, species traits, and spatial contexts may mediate attraction to conspecifics. Evaluating these hypotheses will greatly advance the field by helping managers understand when, where, and why simulating social cues can be used to enhance populations of species that are of conservation concern.

scholarly journals A machine-learning approach to human footprint index estimation with applications to sustainable development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick W. Keys ◽  
Elizabeth A. Barnes ◽  
Neil H. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Conservation Policies ◽  
Human Footprint ◽  
Machine Learning Approach ◽  
Index Estimation ◽  
Ongoing Monitoring

AbstractThe human footprint index is an extensively used tool for interpreting the accelerating pressure of humanity on Earth. Up to now, the process of creating the human footprint index has required significant data and modeling, and updated versions of the index often lag the present day by many years. Here we introduce a near-present, global-scale machine learning-based human footprint index (ml-HFI) which is capable of routine update using satellite imagery alone. We present the most up-to-date map of the human footprint index, and document changes in human pressure during the past 20 years (2000 to 2019). Moreover, we demonstrate its utility as a monitoring tool for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG15), “Life on Land”, which aims to foster sustainable development while conserving biodiversity. We identify countries that are making progress toward SDG15 while also experiencing increases in their ml-HFI. We briefly examine a subset of these in the context of conservation policies that may or may not enable continued progress toward SDG15. This has immediate policy relevance, since the majority of countries globally are not on track to achieve Goal 15 by the declared deadline of 2030. Moving forward, the ml-HFI may be used for ongoing monitoring and evaluation support toward the twin goals of fostering a thriving society and global Earth system.

scholarly journals Adding fossil occupancy trajectories to the assessment of modern extinction risk

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 20150813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Kiessling ◽  
Ádám T. Kocsis
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Latent Extinction ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Temporal Trajectory

Besides helping to identify species traits that are commonly linked to extinction risk, the fossil record may also be directly relevant for assessing the extinction risk of extant species. Standing geographical distribution or occupancy is a strong predictor of both recent and past extinction risk, but the role of changes in occupancy is less widely assessed. Here we demonstrate, based on the Cenozoic fossil record of marine species, that both occupancy and its temporal trajectory are significant determinants of risk. Based on extinct species we develop a model on the additive and interacting effects of occupancy and its temporal changes on extinction risk. We use this model to predict extinction risk of extant species. The predictions suggest a moderate risk for marine species on average. However, some species seem to be on a long-term decline and potentially at a latent extinction risk, which is not considered in current risk assessments.

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