Variability in life-history and ecological traits is a buffer against extinction in mammals

Anthropogenic degradation of the world's ecosystems is leading to a widespread and accelerating loss of biodiversity. However, not all species respond equally to existing threats, raising the question: what makes a species more vulnerable to extinction? We propose that higher intraspecific vari...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology letters 2013-02, Vol.16 (2), p.242-251
Main Authors: González-Suárez, Manuela, Revilla, Eloy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Animal and plant ecology
Animal populations
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Body Weight
Comparative studies
Conservation biology
Endangered Species
Extinction
Extinction, Biological
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Human influences
intraspecific variation
Life cycles
Litter Size
Male
Mammalia
Mammals
Mammals - physiology
PanTHERIA
Population Density
Red List
taxonomically informed regression
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
vulnerability
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Summary:Anthropogenic degradation of the world's ecosystems is leading to a widespread and accelerating loss of biodiversity. However, not all species respond equally to existing threats, raising the question: what makes a species more vulnerable to extinction? We propose that higher intraspecific variability may reduce the risk of extinction, as different individuals and populations within a species may respond differently to occurring threats. Supporting this prediction, our results show that mammalian species with more variable adult body masses, litter sizes, sexual maturity ages and population densities are less vulnerable to extinction. Our findings reveal the role of local variation among populations, particularly of large mammals, as a buffering mechanism against extinction, and emphasise the importance of considering trait variation in comparative analyses and conservation management.
ISSN:1461-023X
1461-0248
DOI:10.1111/ele.12035