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Projected losses of global mammal and bird ecological strategies

Author

Listed:
  • Robert S. C. Cooke

    (University of Southampton
    University of Southampton
    Marwell Wildlife, Thompson’s Lane, Colden Common)

  • Felix Eigenbrod

    (University of Southampton
    University of Southampton)

  • Amanda E. Bates

    (Memorial University of Newfoundland
    University of Southampton)

Abstract

Species, and their ecological strategies, are disappearing. Here we use species traits to quantify the current and projected future ecological strategy diversity for 15,484 land mammals and birds. We reveal an ecological strategy surface, structured by life-history (fast–slow) and body mass (small–large) as one major axis, and diet (invertivore–herbivore) and habitat breadth (generalist–specialist) as the other. We also find that of all possible trait combinations, only 9% are currently realized. Based on species’ extinction probabilities, we predict this limited set of viable strategies will shrink further over the next 100 years, shifting the mammal and bird species pool towards small, fast-lived, highly fecund, insect-eating, generalists. In fact, our results show that this projected decline in ecological strategy diversity is much greater than if species were simply lost at random. Thus, halting the disproportionate loss of ecological strategies associated with highly threatened animals represents a key challenge for conservation.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert S. C. Cooke & Felix Eigenbrod & Amanda E. Bates, 2019. "Projected losses of global mammal and bird ecological strategies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-10284-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10284-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Rob Cooke & Ferran Sayol & Tobias Andermann & Tim M. Blackburn & Manuel J. Steinbauer & Alexandre Antonelli & Søren Faurby, 2023. "Undiscovered bird extinctions obscure the true magnitude of human-driven extinction waves," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Wu, Chen-Fa & Wang, Hsiao-Hsuan & Chen, Szu-Hung & Trac, Luu Van Thong, 2024. "Assessing the efficiency of bird habitat conservation strategies in farmland ecosystems," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 492(C).
    3. Jean C. Bikomeye & Sima Namin & Chima Anyanwu & Caitlin S. Rublee & Jamie Ferschinger & Ken Leinbach & Patricia Lindquist & August Hoppe & Lawrence Hoffman & Justin Hegarty & Dwayne Sperber & Kirsten , 2021. "Resilience and Equity in a Time of Crises: Investing in Public Urban Greenspace Is Now More Essential Than Ever in the US and Beyond," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-39, August.
    4. Mariana Munguía-Carrara, 2020. "From Human-Wildlife Conflicts to Human- Wildlife Coexistence in Anthropocene Landscapes," Agricultural Research & Technology: Open Access Journal, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 24(4), pages 140-144, June.
    5. R. C. Rodríguez-Caro & E. Graciá & S. P. Blomberg & H. Cayuela & M. Grace & C. P. Carmona & H. A. Pérez-Mendoza & A. Giménez & R. Salguero-Gómez, 2023. "Anthropogenic impacts on threatened species erode functional diversity in chelonians and crocodilians," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.

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