Urbanization as a driver of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity losses in bird communities

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (10) ◽  
pp. 1114-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Facundo X. Palacio ◽  
Lucía M. Ibañez ◽  
René E. Maragliano ◽  
Diego Montalti
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity

Urbanization is one of the most important threats to biodiversity worldwide, as it drives declines in species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity and increases functional redundancy among species. We estimated taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities, as well as the abundance of several functional groups, in bird communities from a town in east-central Argentina in 1985–1986 and 30 years after (2015–2016). In 1985–1986, we found that taxonomic diversity (abundance, species richness, and alpha diversity), functional richness, and basal phylogenetic diversity were negatively related to building cover, whereas terminal phylogenetic diversity showed a positive relationship with building cover. Moreover, the abundance of specialized functional groups (ground, aerial, and foliage insectivores; nectarivores/insectivores; ground/canopy and ground granivores) decreased with increased building cover, whereas the reverse pattern for the abundance of generalists (medium-sized/large and small omnivores) was found. In 2015–2016, by contrast, taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities were not related to building cover. Our results not only support the hypothesis that urbanization affects the potential number of ecosystem functions, but also that this relationship may change through time. Given the accelerated rate of urbanization worldwide, an integrative approach between different facets of biodiversity is promoted to gain insight into the response of bird communities in urban environments.

scholarly journals Functional diversity of Himalayan bat communities declines at high elevation without the loss of phylogenetic diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Chakravarty ◽  
Ram Mohan ◽  
Christian C. Voigt ◽  
Anand Krishnan ◽  
Viktoriia Radchuk
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Elevational Gradients ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Functional Dispersion ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity

AbstractSpecies richness exhibits well-known patterns across elevational gradients in various taxa, but represents only one aspect of quantifying biodiversity patterns. Functional and phylogenetic diversity have received much less attention, particularly for vertebrate taxa. There is still a limited understanding of how functional, phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity change in concert across large gradients of elevation. Here, we focused on the Himalaya—representing the largest elevational gradients in the world—to investigate the patterns of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in a bat assemblage. Combining field data on species occurrence, relative abundance, and functional traits with measures of phylogenetic diversity, we found that bat species richness and functional diversity declined at high elevation but phylogenetic diversity remained unchanged. At the lowest elevation, we observed low functional dispersion despite high species and functional richness, suggesting a niche packing mechanism. The decline in functional richness, dispersion, and divergence at the highest elevation is consistent with patterns observed due to environmental filtering. These patterns are driven by the absence of rhinolophid bats, four congeners with extreme trait values. Our data, some of the first on mammals from the Himalayan region, suggest that in bat assemblages with relatively high species diversity, phylogenetic diversity may not be a substitute to measure functional diversity.

scholarly journals Seasonal Analysis of Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Poneromorph Ant Assemblages in the Amazon Forest

Sociobiology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luana Priscila de Carvalho Pereira ◽  
Fábio Souto Almeida ◽  
André Barbosa Vargas ◽  
Marcel Santos de Araújo ◽  
Antônio José Mayhé-Nunes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Amazon Forest ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Seasonal Analysis ◽  
Ant Diversity ◽  
Dry And Rainy Seasons

The present study aimed at assessing the effects of climate seasonality on poneromorph ants in the Brazilian Amazon, by studying variations in composition, richness, and taxonomic and functional diversity. The study was carried out in the Tapirapé-Aquiri National Forest, southeastern Pará State. We collected poneromorph ants in three areas of native forest with pitfall traps and sardine baits on the ground and vegetation, in two dry and rainy seasons. We collected 46 species of poneromorph ants, which belong to two subfamilies and eleven genera. The species composition, richness and taxonomic diversity did not vary significantly between seasons. There was no significant difference in the frequency of species of functional groups between dry and rainy seasons. There was no significant difference in the average richness and average diversity of functional groups between the dry and rainy seasons. In our study we found no seasonal differences in composition, taxonomic and functional richness and diversity of poneromorph ants in the Amazon, which is useful for future studies that aim at using those ants as bioindicators. In addition, the identification of the species made in the present study has special relevance as it contributes to advance the knowledge of poneromorph ant diversity in the Amazon.

scholarly journals Contrasting spatial patterns of taxonomic and functional richness offer insights into potential loss of ecosystem services

2009 ◽  
Vol 364 (1524) ◽  
pp. 1683-1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme S. Cumming ◽  
Matthew F. Child
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Taxonomic Richness ◽  
Response Diversity ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Species Area

Functional and trophic perspectives on patterns of species occurrences have the potential to offer new and interesting insights into a range of spatially explicit problems in ecology and conservation. We present the function–area relationship (FAR) and explore linkages between functional and taxonomic species richness for South African birds. We first used beak morphology to classify a subset of 151 South African bird species into 18 functional groups and calculated both the species–area relationship and the FAR at quarter-degree resolution for South Africa. The relationship between functional and taxonomic richness by cell was quadratic rather than linear, with considerable scatter around the curve. We next looked at the spatial relationships between taxonomic diversity and response diversity (i.e. diversity within functional groups) using an a priori categorization of nearly all South African birds into nine functional groups. The spatial distribution of response richness also showed considerable variation in relation to taxonomic richness. Our results demonstrate a novel approach to linking taxonomic, functional and trophic patterns in space and suggest a way in which conservation planning, which has traditionally had a taxonomic focus, could formally incorporate a more functional and food-web-based approach.

scholarly journals Effects of management outweigh effects of plant diversity on restored animal communities in tallgrass prairies

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
pp. e2015421118
Author(s):  
Peter W. Guiden ◽  
Nicholas A. Barber ◽  
Ryan Blackburn ◽  
Anna Farrell ◽  
Jessica Fliginger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Restoration Ecology ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Tallgrass Prairies ◽  
Degraded Ecosystems ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Animal Communities

A primary goal of ecological restoration is to increase biodiversity in degraded ecosystems. However, the success of restoration ecology is often assessed by measuring the response of a single functional group or trophic level to restoration, without considering how restoration affects multitrophic interactions that shape biodiversity. An ecosystem-wide approach to restoration is therefore necessary to understand whether animal responses to restoration, such as changes in biodiversity, are facilitated by changes in plant communities (plant-driven effects) or disturbance and succession resulting from restoration activities (management-driven effects). Furthermore, most restoration ecology studies focus on how restoration alters taxonomic diversity, while less attention is paid to the response of functional and phylogenetic diversity in restored ecosystems. Here, we compared the strength of plant-driven and management-driven effects of restoration on four animal communities (ground beetles, dung beetles, snakes, and small mammals) in a chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairie, where sites varied in management history (prescribed fire and bison reintroduction). Our analyses indicate that management-driven effects on animal communities were six-times stronger than effects mediated through changes in plant biodiversity. Additionally, we demonstrate that restoration can simultaneously have positive and negative effects on biodiversity through different pathways, which may help reconcile variation in restoration outcomes. Furthermore, animal taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity responded differently to restoration, suggesting that restoration plans might benefit from considering multiple dimensions of animal biodiversity. We conclude that metrics of plant diversity alone may not be adequate to assess the success of restoration in reassembling functional ecosystems.

scholarly journals Iberian Protected Areas Capture Regional Functional, Phylogenetic and Taxonomic Diversity of Most Tetrapod Groups

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Llorente-Culebras ◽  
Rafael Molina-Venegas ◽  
A. Márcia Barbosa ◽  
Silvia B. Carvalho ◽  
Miguel Á. Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Habitat Specificity ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Species Roles

Protected areas (PAs) have been created with the purpose of preserving biodiversity, acting as refuges from anthropogenic pressures. Traditionally, PAs have been designed and managed to represent mainly taxonomic diversity, ignoring other diversity facets such as its functional and phylogenetic components. Yet, functional and phylogenetic diversity are, respectively, connected with species’ roles on ecosystems and evolutionary history held within communities. Here, we focused on the amphibian, reptile, resident breeding bird, and non-flying mammal faunas of the national and natural parks of the Iberian Peninsula, to evaluate whether these PAs are adequately representing regional functional, phylogenetic, and taxonomic diversity of each group. Specifically, we computed functional and phylogenetic diversity within each PA, and then compared those values to the ones obtained from a random assembly of species from the regional pool, that was defined as the region encompassing the PA and a neighboring area of 50 km beyond its boundary. We also calculated the proportion of species in each regional pool that were present within the PAs. In general, the functional and phylogenetic diversity of amphibians, reptiles and non-flying mammals found within PAs did not differ significantly from random expectations generated from the species pertaining to the regional pool, although a few PAs showed a higher diversity. In contrast, resident breeding birds presented lower functional and phylogenetic diversity than expected by chance in many of the PAs, which could relate to climatic variables and the habitat specificity of some species. The proportion of species from the regional pools that are present in the PAs was high for amphibians, reptiles and mammals, and slightly lower for birds. These results suggest that the Iberian natural and national parks are effectively capturing the functional, phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity of most tetrapod assemblages present at the regional level. Future studies should identify priority areas to expand the representation of these biodiversity components, and assess potential effects of climate and land-use changes on current patterns.

Continuous forest has greater taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic plant diversity than an adjacent naturally fragmented forest

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas ◽  
Selmy G. Jurado-Dzib ◽  
Candy R. Mezeta-Cob ◽  
Salvador Montiel ◽  
Armando Rojas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Fragmented Forest ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity

Abstract:Several studies have evaluated the short-term effects of tropical forest fragmentation on plant taxonomic diversity, while only a few have evaluated its effects on functional or phylogenetic diversity. To our knowledge no study has looked at the long-term consequences of tropical forest fragmentation on the three main components of plant diversity simultaneously: taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity. We sampled the vascular flora using belt transects (50 × 4 m) in a continuous tropical semi-evergreen forest (16 transects) and in an adjacent naturally fragmented forest (fragments of 1.7-My-old semi-evergreen forest immersed in a mangrove/sedge matrix) (18 transects), and compared their taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic plant diversity. There were 36 species in the continuous forest and 28 in the fragmented forest. Continuous forest was taxonomically more diverse (25%) than the fragmented forest. All functional diversity metrics were greater (6–33%) in the continuous than in the fragmented forest. Phylogenetic diversity was 19% greater and phylogenetically more overdispersed in the continuous forest than in the fragmented forest. The results suggest that in the fragmented forest not only is taxonomic plant diversity lower, but functional and phylogenetic diversity are as well. The negative effects of forest fragmentation on plant diversity seem to be chronic.

scholarly journals A decrease in taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles impacts the ecosystem function of manure removal in altered subtropical habitats

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0244783
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Sarmiento-Garcés ◽  
Malva Isabel Medina Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Removal Rate ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Soil Temperatures

The loss of biodiversity—caused mainly by habitat destruction—is one of the environmental problems with major repercussions on ecosystem functioning. Nevertheless, our understanding of the functional consequences of habitat changes on the communities and ecosystems remains limited to a small number of case studies. We evaluated the change in taxonomic and functional diversity of copro-necrophagous beetles (Scarabaeinae) and their relationship with the varying environmental factors present in four habitats with different degrees of disturbance. Furthermore, we evaluated how changes in taxonomic and functional diversity affect the rates of excrement removal. The collections were carried out at four locations in the state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil, on natural systems with different degrees of disturbances (forests in advanced and initial succession) and agroecosystems (silviculture and pastures dedicated to livestock). We collected a total of 1266 dung beetles distributed in 35 species and classified into 11 functional groups. The taxonomic and functional diversity analyses showed that habitats that still maintain an arboreal stratum do not present differences between them, in contrast to habitats dedicated to livestock where there was a significant loss of species and functional groups. The distance between the trees, as well as the air and soil temperatures were determining factors in the selection of species and functional groups. Some of these environmental factors explain the differences in functional traits, represented as varying abundances of the species found. The rates of manure removal from the ecosystem were positively correlated to taxonomic and functional richness as well as biomass of beetles. Thus, we can conclude that habitats with tree strata have the capacity to preserve a larger proportion of the regional set of species as well as the important ones, while preserving the taxonomic and functional diversity and the ecosystem functions, such as the excrement removal rate.

scholarly journals Woody Encroachment Affects Multiple Dimensions of Ant Diversity in a Neotropical Savanna

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Neves ◽  
Bernardo Santos ◽  
Ted Schultz ◽  
Dietrich Gotzek ◽  
Rodolfo C.R. Abreu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Woody Encroachment ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Ant Communities ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Ant Diversity

Abstract Although savanna woody encroachment has become a global phenomenon, few studies have simultaneously evaluated its effects on multiple dimensions and levels of savanna biodiversity. We evaluated how the progressive increase in tree cover in a fire-suppressed savanna landscape affects the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of neotropical ant communities. We sampled ants along an extensive tree cover gradient, ranging from open savannas to forests established in former savanna areas due to fire suppression, and found that Leaf Area Index explained much of the observed variation in ant diversity at both the alpha and beta levels. However, ant responses to variation in tree cover were largely non-linear as differences in alpha diversity and in the dissimilarities of the sampled communities were often much more marked at the savanna/forest transition than at any other part of the gradient. The patterns of functional and phylogenetic diversity mirrored those of taxonomic diversity, notably at the beta level. At the alpha level, functional diversity tended to increase, whereas taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity decreased or was unrelated to tree cover. Our results indicate that savanna ant communities switch rapidly to an alternative state once savanna turns into forest. Ant communities in the newly formed forest areas lacked many of the species typical of the open habitats, suggesting that the maintenance of a fire suppression policy, is likely to result in a decrease in ant diversity and in the homogenization of the ant fauna at the landscape level.

scholarly journals Impacts of invasive trees on alpha and beta diversity of temperate forest understories

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin K. Dyderski ◽  
Andrzej M. Jagodziński
Keyword(s):  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Robinia Pseudoacacia ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽  
Native Forests ◽  
Invasive Trees ◽  
Invasive Tree ◽  
Invasive Tree Species ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity

Abstract Despite good recognition of distributions and spread mechanisms of the three most invasive trees in Europe (Prunus serotina, Quercus rubra and Robinia pseudoacacia), their impacts on forest biodiversity are unevenly recognized. Most studies cover only taxonomic alpha diversity, and only a single study included functional and phylogenetic diversity. Using a set of 186 study plots in western Poland we assessed the impacts of these invasive tree species on the alpha and beta taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of understory vascular plants. Alpha diversity was higher in R. pseudoacacia forests and lower in Q. rubra forests compared to mature native forests. Compared to non-invaded plantations and forests, alpha diversity was higher in P. sylvestris plantations invaded by P. serotina, but lower in invaded nutrient-poor P. sylvestris forests. Alien species richness was higher and beta diversity was lower in forests invaded by P. serotina or R. pseudoacacia than in non-invaded forests. In contrast, beta diversity was higher in Q. rubra forests than in native forests. We proved that invaded forests differed from non-invaded forests in species composition, but not always with decreased alpha and beta diversity. Impacts of particular invasive species also depended on the reference ecosystem properties (here mature native forests, which did not always have the highest biodiversity), which is a source of inconsistency in previous studies, usually referring to single native ecosystem types.

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