Higher levels of biodiversity appear to reduce extinction risk in birds


Date:
February 25, 2022
Source:
University of Michigan
Summary:
A new study has found that higher levels of biodiversity -- the
enormous variety of life on Earth and the species, traits and
evolutionary history they represent -- appear to reduce extinction
risk in birds.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new University of Michigan study has found that higher levels of
biodiversity -- the enormous variety of life on Earth and the species,
traits and evolutionary history they represent -- appear to reduce
extinction risk in birds.


========================================================================== Prior research has established that biodiversity is associated with
predictable outcomes in the short term: diverse systems are less prone
to invasion, have more stable productivity, and can be more disease
resistant.

The new study, published online Feb. 24 in Ecology Lettersand led by evolutionary biologist and ornithologist Brian Weeks of the U-M School
for Environment and Sustainability, has revealed yet another positive
outcome in potentially reduced extinction rates.

The study utilized a new dataset collected by researchers using natural
history museum specimens that covers more than 99% of all species of
birds in the world. While the practice of using natural history museum specimens is common, this is the first time that there has been a
comprehensive dataset of the functional traits of all birds.

The researchers used the data to measure the diversity of birds around
the world, including the species found in a community, their evolutionary relationships and their functional traits. They then used structural
equation modeling to characterize the relationship between diversity
and extinction risk.

According to the study, diversity is associated with lower levels of contemporary extinction risk in birds. The study attributes this to
diverse communities providing a safe harbor for species that are at risk
of extinction.

Attributes of species (e.g., large body size, poor dispersal ability
or small range size) can make them more likely to go extinct. However,
it appears that the benefits afforded by living in a diverse community
protect these extinction-prone species, allowing more of them to persist.

The findings reveal the importance of protecting diversity, according
to the authors.

"While we know that biodiversity impacts the functioning of ecosystems
in predictable ways, it is less clear how these biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships impact extinction risk across longer
timescales," Weeks said.

"Our findings suggest that the conservation of biodiversity is not only a
goal of conservation but is also likely a necessary component to effective conservation interventions." The researchers also concluded that the maintenance of biodiverse communities could be a more cost-effective
approach to preventing extinction since single- species conservation interventions are expensive.

The study's other authors are Shahid Naeem of Columbia University, Jesse
Lasky of Pennsylvania State University and Joseph Tobias of Imperial
College London.

Bird trait data collection was supported by the UK Natural Environment
Research Council.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Michigan. Original
written by Nayiri Mullinix. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Brian C. Weeks, Shahid Naeem, Jesse R. Lasky, Joseph
A. Tobias. Diversity
and extinction risk are inversely related at a global scale. Ecology
Letters, 2022; 25 (3): 697 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13860 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220225100246.htm

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