![](https://news.europawire.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Study-finds-widespread-species-benefit-from-anthropogenic-changes-while-narrowly-distributed-species-decline.jpg)
Study finds widespread species benefit from anthropogenic changes, while narrowly distributed species decline
(IN BRIEF) A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that widespread species tend to benefit from anthropogenic changes, increasing the number of sites they occupy, while more narrowly distributed species tend to decrease. The study was conducted by researchers from the Centre for Biological Diversity at the University of St Andrews, in collaboration with international partners. The research used an extensive dataset of over 200 studies and found that species with larger ranges tend to increase in occupancy through time, while small-ranged species decrease. The study also suggests that habitat protection can mitigate some effects of biodiversity change and reduce the systematic decrease of small-ranged species.
(PRESS RELEASE) SCOTLAND, 21-Mar-2023 — /EuropaWire/ —Researchers from the Centre for Biological Diversity at the University of St Andrews, working with international partners including the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have discovered that widespread species tend to benefit from anthropogenic changes and increase the number of sites they occupy, whereas more narrowly distributed species decrease.
Their results, published in Nature Communications today (Monday 20 March), are based on an extensive dataset of over 200 studies and provide evidence that habitat protection can mitigate some effects of biodiversity change and reduce the systematic decrease of small-ranged species.
Every living species on the planet has its own unique geographic range, with some species occurring over large parts of the globe, while others inhabiting only a few select areas. The question scientists wanted to answer was whether the range size of a species influences how it responds to human activities and changes in the number of sites it occupies through time.
The report’s co-authors Professor Maria Dornelas and Professor Anne Magurran, from St Andrews School of Biology, explained the research team set out to evaluate the connection between the size of a species’ range and the changes in their regional occupancy over time.
To do so, researchers used an extensive dataset of 238 studies that monitored plant and animal species assemblages from across many sites for 10-90 years. From these time series, they were able to determine which species were increasing in the numbers of sites they occupied through time, which were decreasing in their site occupancy, and which stayed the same.
They then wanted to compare the trends of species to the size of their ranges to see if there was a connection. To determine the range sizes of nearly 19,000 species from across the tree-of-life that were identified in the time series, they used data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), which includes data on the occurrences of species from across the world, including data collected from popular smartphone apps like iNaturalist and eBird.
The researchers found that on average across all studies, species with larger ranges tended to increase in occupancy through time, whereas small-ranged species decreased. For example, in a study from northern Australia, species that were native to only a small part of the region, such as red cabbage palm (Livistona mariae), lost ground from when they were first surveyed in the 1990s, while more widely distributed species, such as Polynesian arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides) and diamond burbark (Triumfetta rhomboidea), were found at more sites. Likewise, narrowly distributed fish in the kelp beds off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, like the rainbow perch (Hypsurus caryi) were found at fewer sites since monitoring started in 2000, while more widespread species like Scropaenichthys marmoratus occurred at more sites.
“One reason could be because widespread species tend to have wider niche breadth, meaning that they live in many different kinds of habitats. These species can more rapidly disperse across sites than more narrowly distributed species, and thus are more likely to persist or even increase in response to global environmental changes”, says first author Dr. Wubing Xu from iDiv and MLU.
These relationships were stronger in marine than in terrestrial and freshwater realms. “One reason could be that marine species are often more sensitive to environmental changes such as climate warming”, explains Wubing Xu.
These results also help resolve previous discrepancies and build on the work of an earlier study led by Professor Magurran and Professor Dornelas. The previous study compiled time series of biodiversity data from across the world into a database that they called BioTIME. The new study has now added many new datasets to that compilation.
Professor Dornelas said: “Our work with the first versions of BioTIME showed no clear general trend one way or the other in local species richness, but this does not mean the world is not changing and that humans are not having a dramatic impact on biodiversity”.
“We saw substantial changes in species composition, and what is nice about these new results is that we were able to show that these changes are associated with characteristics of the species that are winning and losing through time. It is clear that to understand biodiversity change we need to use multiple metrics at multiple scales.”
To date, ~17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters and ~8% of coastal and marine areas are designated as ‘protected’ in some way. Recent international agreements at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference aim to increase this substantially in the next decade. By comparing the trends inside and outside of protected areas, the researchers found that changes in occupancy were less extreme in terrestrial protected areas. For example, the investigators found that more narrow-ranged bird species like Little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) increased their occupancy through time in an area given special protection status in Portugal, whereas they were declining in a nearby intensively farmed region.
Senior author Professor Jonathan Chase from iDiv and MLU added: “Reducing anthropogenic pressures by establishing protected areas can temper the decreases in occupancy of small-ranged species that we often observe.
“This is why it is imperative that the international community follow through on its promise to increase the amount of habitat protected and restored across the world.”
Captions:
File: Tetrax tetrax
Credit: Ron Knight (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons
URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32940285
File: Kelp
Credit: Gustavo Gerdel (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons
URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Kelp_by_Gustavo_Gerdel.jpg
File: Rainbow surfperch
Credit: PlanespotterA320 (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons
URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68097796
File: Scorpaenichthys marmoratus
Credit: Steve Lonhart
URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2045463
The paper ‘Regional occupancy increases for widespread species but decreases for narrowly distributed species in metacommunity time series‘ is published in Nature Communications.
DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-37127-2
Professor Maria Dornelas and Professor Anna Magurran available for interview via the Communications Office.
Further information:
Original publication by Wu-Bing Xu, Shane A. Blowes, Viviana Brambilla, Cher F. Y. Chow, Ada Fontrodona-Eslava, Inês S. Martins, Daniel McGlinn, Faye Moyes, Alban Sagouis, Hideyasu Shimadzu, Roel van Klink, Anne E. Magurran, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Brian J. McGill, Maria Dornelas, Jonathan M. Chase (2023). Regional occupancy increases for widespread species but decreases for narrowly distributed species in metacommunity time series. Nature Communications. https://rdcu.be/c7LAA
This research was financed inter alia by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; FZT-118).
Media Contact:
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2530
SOURCE: University of St Andrews
MORE ON UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS, ETC.:
- Digi Communications N.V. Announces Rating Assigned by Fitch Ratings to Digi Communications N.V.
- Digi Communications N.V. announces significant agreements concluded by the Company’s subsidiaries in Spain
- SGW Global Appoints Telcomdis as the Official European Distributor for Motorola Nursery and Motorola Sound Products
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the availability of the instruction regarding the payment of share dividend for the 2023 financial year
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the exercise of conditional share options by the executive directors of the Company, for the year 2023, as approved by the Company’s Ordinary General Shareholders’ Meetings from 18th May 2021 and 28th December 2022
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the granting of conditional stock options to Executive Directors of the Company based on the general shareholders’ meeting approval from 25 June 2024
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the OGMS resolutions and the availability of the approved 2023 Annual Report
- Czech Composer Tatiana Mikova Presents Her String Quartet ‘In Modo Lidico’ at Carnegie Hall
- SWIFTT: A Copernicus-based forest management tool to map, mitigate, and prevent the main threats to EU forests
- WickedBet Unveils Exciting Euro 2024 Promotion with Boosted Odds
- Museum of Unrest: a new space for activism, art and design
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the conclusion of a Senior Facility Agreement by companies within Digi Group
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the agreements concluded by Digi Romania (formerly named RCS & RDS S.A.), the Romanian subsidiary of the Company
- Green Light for Henri Hotel, Restaurants and Shops in the “Alter Fischereihafen” (Old Fishing Port) in Cuxhaven, opening Summer 2026
- Digi Communications N.V. reports consolidated revenues and other income of EUR 447 million, adjusted EBITDA (excluding IFRS 16) of EUR 140 million for Q1 2024
- Digi Communications announces the conclusion of Facilities Agreements by companies from Digi Group
- Digi Communications N.V. Announces the convocation of the Company’s general shareholders meeting for 25 June 2024 for the approval of, among others, the 2023 Annual Report
- Digi Communications NV announces Investors Call for the presentation of the Q1 2024 Financial Results
- Digi Communications intends to propose to shareholders the distribution of dividends for the fiscal year 2023 at the upcoming General Meeting of Shareholders, which shall take place in June 2024
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the availability of the Romanian version of the 2023 Annual Report
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the availability of the 2023 Annual Report
- International Airlines Group adopts Airline Economics by Skailark ↗️
- BevZero Spain Enhances Sustainability Efforts with Installation of Solar Panels at Production Facility
- Digi Communications N.V. announces share transaction made by an Executive Director of the Company with class B shares
- BevZero South Africa Achieves FSSC 22000 Food Safety Certification
- Digi Communications N.V.: Digi Spain Enters Agreement to Sell FTTH Network to International Investors for Up to EUR 750 Million
- Patients as Partners® Europe Announces the Launch of 8th Annual Meeting with 2024 Keynotes and Topics
- driveMybox continues its international expansion: Hungary as a new strategic location
- Monesave introduces Socialised budgeting: Meet the app quietly revolutionising how users budget
- Digi Communications NV announces the release of the 2023 Preliminary Financial Results
- Digi Communications NV announces Investors Call for the presentation of the 2023 Preliminary Financial Results
- Lensa, един от най-ценените търговци на оптика в Румъния, пристига в България. Първият шоурум е открит в София
- Criando o futuro: desenvolvimento da AENO no mercado de consumo em Portugal
- Digi Communications N.V. Announces the release of the Financial Calendar for 2024
- Customer Data Platform Industry Attracts New Participants: CDP Institute Report
- eCarsTrade annonce Dirk Van Roost au poste de Directeur Administratif et Financier: une décision stratégique pour la croissance à venir
- BevZero Announces Strategic Partnership with TOMSA Desil to Distribute equipment for sustainability in the wine industry, as well as the development of Next-Gen Dealcoholization technology
- Digi Communications N.V. announces share transaction made by a Non-Executive Director of the Company with class B shares
- Digi Spain Telecom, the subsidiary of Digi Communications NV in Spain, has concluded a spectrum transfer agreement for the purchase of spectrum licenses
- Эксперт по торговле акциями Сергей Левин запускает онлайн-мастер-класс по торговле сырьевыми товарами и хеджированию
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the conclusion by Company’s Portuguese subsidiary of a framework agreement for spectrum usage rights
- North Texas Couple Completes Dream Purchase of Ouray’s Iconic Beaumont Hotel
- Предприниматель и филантроп Михаил Пелег подчеркнул важность саммита ООН по Целям устойчивого развития 2023 года в Нью-Йорке
- Digi Communications NV announces the release of the Q3 2023 Financial Results
- IQ Biozoom Innovates Non-Invasive Self-Testing, Empowering People to Self-Monitor with Laboratory Precision at Home
- BevZero Introduces Energy Saving Tank Insulation System to Europe under name “BevClad”
- Motorvision Group reduces localization costs using AI dubbing thanks to partnering with Dubformer
- Digi Communications NV Announces Investors Call for the Q3 2023 Financial Results
- Jifiti Granted Electronic Money Institution (EMI) License in Europe
- Предприниматель Михаил Пелег выступил в защиту образования и грамотности на мероприятии ЮНЕСКО, посвящённом Международному дню грамотности
- VRG Components Welcomes New Austrian Independent Agent
- Digi Communications N.V. announces that Digi Spain Telecom S.L.U., its subsidiary in Spain, and abrdn plc have completed the first investment within the transaction having as subject matter the financing of the roll out of a Fibre-to-the-Home (“FTTH”) network in Andalusia, Spain
- Продюсер Михаил Пелег, как сообщается, работает над новым сериалом с участием крупной голливудской актрисы
- Double digit growth in global hospitality industry for Q4 2023
- ITC Deploys Traffic Management Solution in Peachtree Corners, Launches into United States Market
- Cyviz onthult nieuwe TEMPEST dynamische controlekamer in Benelux, Nederland
- EU-Funded CommuniCity Launches its Second Open Call
- Astrologia pode dar pistas sobre a separação de Sophie Turner e Joe Jonas
- La astrología puede señalar las razones de la separación de Sophie Turner y Joe Jonas
- Empowering Europe against infectious diseases: innovative framework to tackle climate-driven health risks
- Montachem International Enters Compostable Materials Market with Seaweed Resins Company Loliware
- Digi Communications N.V. announces that its Belgian affiliated companies are moving ahead with their operations
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the exercise of conditional share options by an executive director of the Company, for the year 2022, as approved by the Company’s Ordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting from 18 May 2021
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the availability of the instruction regarding the payment of share dividend for the 2022 financial year
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the availability of the 2022 Annual Report
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the general shareholders’ meeting resolutions from 18 August 2023 approving amongst others, the 2022 Annual Accounts
- Русские эмигранты усиливают призывы «Я хочу, чтобы вы жили» через искусство
- BevZero Introduces State-of-the-Art Mobile Flash Pasteurization Unit to Enhance Non-Alcoholic Beverage Stability at South Africa Facility
- Russian Emigrés Amplify Pleas of “I Want You to Live” through Art
- Digi Communications NV announces the release of H1 2023 Financial Results
- Digi Communications NV Announces Investors Call for the H1 2023 Financial Results
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the convocation of the Company’s general shareholders meeting for 18 August 2023 for the approval of, among others, the 2022 Annual Report
- “Art Is Our Weapon”: Artists in Exile Deploy Their Talents in Support of Peace, Justice for Ukraine
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the availability of the 2022 Annual Financial Report
- “AmsEindShuttle” nuevo servicio de transporte que conecta el aeropuerto de Eindhoven y Ámsterdam
- Un nuovo servizio navetta “AmsEindShuttle” collega l’aeroporto di Eindhoven ad Amsterdam
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the conclusion of an amendment agreement to the Facility Agreement dated 26 July 2021, by the Company’s Spanish subsidiary
- Digi Communications N.V. announces an amendment of the Company’s 2023 financial calendar
- iGulu F1: Brewing Evolution Unleashed
- Почему интерактивная «Карта мира» собрала ключевые антивоенные сообщества россиян по всему миру и становится для них важнейшим инструментом
- Hajj Minister meets EU ambassadors to Saudi Arabia
- Online Organizing Platform “Map of Peace” Emerges as Key Tool for Diaspora Activists
- Digi Communications N.V. announces that conditional stock options were granted to executive directors of the Company based on the general shareholders’ meeting approval from 18 May 2021
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the release of the Q1 2023 financial results
- AMBROSIA – A MULTIPLEXED PLASMO-PHOTONIC BIOSENSING PLATFORM FOR RAPID AND INTELLIGENT SEPSIS DIAGNOSIS AT THE POINT-OF-CARE
- Digi Communications NV announces Investors Call for the Q1 2023 Financial Results presentation
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the amendment of the Company’s 2023 financial calendar
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the conclusion of two Facilities Agreements by the Company’s Romanian subsidiary
- Digi Communications N.V. announces the conclusion of a Senior Facility Agreement by the Company’s Romanian subsidiary
- Patients as Partners Europe Returns to London and Announces Agenda Highlights
- GRETE PROJECT RESULTS PRESENTED TO TEXTILE INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS AT INTERNATIONAL CELLULOSE FIBRES CONFERENCE
- Digi Communications N.V. announces Digi Spain Telecom S.L.U., its subsidiary in Spain, entered into an investment agreement with abrdn to finance the roll out of a Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in Andalusia, Spain
- XSpline SPA / University of Linz (Austria): the first patient has been enrolled in the international multicenter clinical study for the Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy DeliveRy guided by non-Invasive electrical and VEnous anatomy assessment (CRT-DRIVE)
- Franklin Junction Expands Host Kitchen® Network To Europe with Digital Food Hall Pioneer Casper
- Unihertz a dévoilé un nouveau smartphone distinctif, Luna, au MWC 2023 de Barcelone
- Unihertz Brachte ein Neues, Markantes Smartphone, Luna, auf dem MWC 2023 in Barcelona
- Editor's pick archive....