Warning signals of biodiversity collapse across gradients of tropical forest loss.
Sci Rep
; 8(1): 1622, 2018 01 26.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29374216
ABSTRACT
We evaluate potential warning signals that may aid in identifying the proximity of ecological communities to biodiversity thresholds from habitat loss-often termed "tipping points"-in tropical forests. We used datasets from studies of Neotropical mammal, frog, bird, and insect communities. Our findings provide only limited evidence that an increase in the variance (heteroskedasticity) of biodiversity-related parameters can provide a general warning signal of impending threshold changes in communities, as forest loss increases. However, such an apparent effect was evident for amphibians in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Amazonian mammal and bird communities, suggesting that impending changes in some species assemblages might be predictable. We consider the potential of such warning signs to help forecast drastic changes in biodiversity.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Clima Tropical
/
Conservación de los Recursos Naturales
/
Biodiversidad
/
Bosque Lluvioso
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Animals
País/Región como asunto:
America do sul
/
Brasil
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Rep
Año:
2018
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Australia