Which intrinsic traits predict vulnerability to extinction depends on the actual threatening processes

González‐Suárez, Manuela; Gómez, A.; Revilla, Eloy

doi:10.1890/es12-00380.1

Cited by 116 publications

(124 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…Similarly, species without listed threats may not have been adequately evaluated and thus, lack of threats may in some cases not reflect true conditions [16], [19]. Therefore, the observed increase in listed threats with Red List status could be an artifact of the threat listing limitations.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generalized Drivers in the Mammalian Endangerment Process

González‐Suárez

Revilla

2014

PLoS ONE

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An important challenge for conservation today is to understand the endangerment process and identify any generalized patterns in how threats occur and aggregate across taxa. Here we use a global database describing main current external threats in mammals to evaluate the prevalence of distinct threatening processes, primarily of anthropogenic origin, and to identify generalized drivers of extinction and their association with vulnerability status and intrinsic species' traits. We detect several primary threat combinations that are generally associated with distinct species. In particular, large and widely distributed mammals are affected by combinations of direct exploitation and threats associated with increasing landscape modification that go from logging to intense human land-use. Meanwhile, small, narrowly distributed species are affected by intensifying levels of landscape modification but are not directly exploited. In general more vulnerable species are affected by a greater number of threats, suggesting increased extinction risk is associated with the accumulation of external threats. Overall, our findings show that endangerment in mammals is strongly associated with increasing habitat loss and degradation caused by human land-use intensification. For large and widely distributed mammals there is the additional risk of being hunted.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generalized Drivers in the Mammalian Endangerment Process

González‐Suárez

Revilla

2014

PLoS ONE

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“…This might have provided these Indochinese species a competitive advantage over Sundaic species and increased their chances of expanding their range to the south. However, additional studies would be needed because body mass is a trait correlated with many other species characteristics (Gonzalez‐Suarez, Gomez, & Revilla, ; González‐Suárez & Revilla, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distributions of mammals in Southeast Asia: The role of the legacy of climate and species body mass

Radchuk

Kramer‐Schadt

Fickel

et al. 2019

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Current species distributions are shaped by present and past biotic and abiotic factors. Here, we assessed whether abiotic factors (habitat availability) in combination with past connectivity and a biotic factor (body mass) can explain the unique distribution pattern of Southeast Asian mammals, which are separated by the enigmatic biogeographic transition zone, the Isthmus of Kra (IoK), for which no strong geophysical barrier exists. Location Southeast Asia. Taxon Mammals. Methods We projected habitat suitability for 125 mammal species using climate data for the present period and for two historic periods: mid‐Holocene (6 ka) and last glacial maximum (LGM 21 ka). Next, we employed a phylogenetic linear model to assess how present species distributions were affected by the suitability of areas in these different periods, habitat connectivity during LGM and species body mass. Results Our results show that cooler climate during LGM provided suitable habitat south of IoK for species presently distributed north of IoK (in mainland Indochina). However, the potentially suitable habitat for these Indochinese species did not stretch very far southwards onto the exposed Sunda Shelf. Instead, we found that the emerged landmasses connecting Borneo and Sumatra provided suitable habitat for forest dependent Sundaic species. We show that for species whose current distribution ranges are mainly located in Indochina, the area of the distribution range that is located south of IoK is explained by the suitability of habitat in the past and present in combination with the species body mass. Main conclusions We demonstrate that a strong geophysical barrier may not be necessary for maintaining a biogeographic transition zone for mammals, but that instead a combination of abiotic and biotic factors may suffice.

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“…Assessing the risk of species' extinction or decline requires an understanding of threats, or extrinsic adverse events, and vulnerability, or the intrinsic susceptibility of species to threats (Araújo & Williams, 2000). It is thus important to understand the interaction between threats and vulnerability, as specific traits are likely to mediate species' responses to different threats (Isaac & Cowlishaw, 2004; Fritz et al ., 2009; Murray et al ., 2011; González-Suárez et al ., 2013). For example, under habitat-modifying processes such as agriculture and logging, small-sized, habitat specialist mammals are most affected, whereas under processes that directly affect survival, such as hunting, the most susceptible are mammals with large body size and small litter size (González-Suárez et al ., 2013; see also Isaac & Cowlishaw, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Matching species traits to projected threats and opportunities from climate change

García

Araújo

Burgess

et al. 2014

Journal of Biogeography

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AimClimate change can lead to decreased climatic suitability within species' distributions, increased fragmentation of climatically suitable space, and/or emergence of newly suitable areas outside present distributions. Each of these extrinsic threats and opportunities potentially interacts with specific intrinsic traits of species, yet this specificity is seldom considered in risk assessments. We present an analytical framework for examining projections of climate change-induced threats and opportunities with reference to traits that are likely to mediate species' responses, and illustrate the applicability of the framework.LocationSub-Saharan Africa.MethodsWe applied the framework to 195 sub-Saharan African amphibians with both available bioclimatic envelope model projections for the mid-21st century and trait data. Excluded were 500 narrow-ranging species mainly from montane areas. For each of projected losses, increased fragmentation and gains of climate space, we selected potential response-mediating traits and examined the spatial overlap with vulnerability due to these traits. We examined the overlap for all species, and individually for groups of species with different combinations of threats and opportunities.ResultsIn the Congo Basin and arid Southern Africa, projected losses for wide-ranging amphibians were compounded by sensitivity to climatic variation, and expected gains were precluded by poor dispersal ability. The spatial overlap between exposure and vulnerability was more pronounced for species projected to have their climate space contracting in situ or shifting to distant geographical areas. Our results exclude the potential exposure of narrow-ranging species to shrinking climates in the African tropical mountains.Main conclusionsWe illustrate the application of a framework combining spatial projections of climate change exposure with traits that are likely to mediate species' responses. Although the proposed framework carries several assumptions that require further scrutiny, its application adds a degree of realism to familiar assessments that consider all species to be equally affected by climate change-induced threats and opportunities.

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Which intrinsic traits predict vulnerability to extinction depends on the actual threatening processes

Cited by 116 publications

References 44 publications

Generalized Drivers in the Mammalian Endangerment Process

Generalized Drivers in the Mammalian Endangerment Process

Distributions of mammals in Southeast Asia: The role of the legacy of climate and species body mass

Matching species traits to projected threats and opportunities from climate change

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