Assemblage Time Series Reveal Biodiversity Change but Not Systematic Loss

Maria Dornelas; Nicholas J. Gotelli; Brian McGill; Hideyasu Shimadzu; Faye Moyes; Caya Sievers; ANNE E. MAGURRAN

doi:10.1126/science.1248484

journal article Apr 18, 2014

Assemblage Time Series Reveal Biodiversity Change but Not Systematic Loss

Maria Dornelas

Nicholas J. Gotelli

Brian McGill Hideyasu Shimadzu

Faye Moyes

Caya Sievers ANNE E. MAGURRAN

Science Vol. 344 No. 6181 pp. 296-299 · American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

View at Publisher Save 10.1126/science.1248484

Abstract

Changing Assemblages

Although the rate of species extinction has increased markedly as a result of human activity across the biosphere, conservation has focused on endangered species rather than on shifts in assemblages.

Dornelas
et al.

(p.
296
; see the Perspective by

Pandolfi and Lovelock

), using an extensive set of biodiversity time series of species occurrences in both marine and terrestrial habitats from the past 150 years, find species turnover above expected but do not find evidence of systematic biodiversity loss. This result could be caused by homogenization of species assemblages by invasive species, shifting distributions induced by climate change, and asynchronous change across the planet. All of which indicates that it is time to review conservation priorities.

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References

Details

Published: Apr 18, 2014
Vol/Issue: 344(6181)
Pages: 296-299

Authors

M

Maria Dornelas

Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK.

N

Nicholas J. Gotelli

Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.

B

Brian McGill

School of Biology and Ecology, Sustainability Solutions Initiative, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.

H

Hideyasu Shimadzu

Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK.; Department of Mathematics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi Kohoku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan.

F

Faye Moyes

Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK.

C

Caya Sievers

Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK.

A

ANNE E. MAGURRAN

Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK.

Cite This Article

Maria Dornelas, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Brian McGill, et al. (2014). Assemblage Time Series Reveal Biodiversity Change but Not Systematic Loss. Science, 344(6181), 296-299. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1248484

Assemblage Time Series Reveal Biodiversity Change but Not Systematic Loss

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