Assemblage Time Series Reveal Biodiversity Change but Not Systematic Loss

The extent to which biodiversity change in local assemblages contributes to global biodiversity loss is poorly understood. We analyzed 100 time series from biomes across Earth to ask how diversity within assemblages is changing through time. We quantified patterns of temporal α diversity, measured a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2014-04, Vol.344 (6181), p.296-299
Main Authors: Dornelas, Maria, Gotelli, Nicholas J., McGill, Brian, Shimadzu, Hideyasu, Moyes, Faye, Sievers, Caya, Magurran, Anne E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biodiversity
Birds
Climate
Climate change
Conservation biology
Datasets
Ecosystem
Ecosystem services
Endangered & extinct species
Extinction, Biological
Fisheries science
Fishes
Forestry research
Introduced Species
Invertebrates
Long term ecological research
Mammals
Marine ecosystems
Ocean fisheries
Plants
Population Dynamics
Species diversity
Time Factors
Time series
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The extent to which biodiversity change in local assemblages contributes to global biodiversity loss is poorly understood. We analyzed 100 time series from biomes across Earth to ask how diversity within assemblages is changing through time. We quantified patterns of temporal α diversity, measured as change in local diversity, and temporal β diversity, measured as change in community composition. Contrary to our expectations, we did not detect systematic loss of α diversity. However, community composition changed systematically through time, in excess of predictions from null models. Heterogeneous rates of environmental change, species range shifts associated with climate change, and biotic homogenization may explain the different patterns of temporal α and β diversity. Monitoring and understanding change in species composition should be a conservation priority.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1248484