Dataset Information

Linking human impacts to community processes in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Human impacts such as habitat loss, climate change and biological invasions are radically altering biodiversity, with greater effects projected into the future. Evidence suggests human impacts may differ substantially between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, but the reasons for these differences are poorly understood. We propose an integrative approach to explain these differences by linking impacts to four fundamental processes that structure communities: dispersal, speciation, species-level selection and ecological drift. Our goal is to provide process-based insights into why human impacts, and responses to impacts, may differ across ecosystem types using a mechanistic, eco-evolutionary comparative framework. To enable these insights, we review and synthesise (i) how the four processes influence diversity and dynamics in terrestrial versus freshwater communities, specifically whether the relative importance of each process differs among ecosystems, and (ii) the pathways by which human impacts can produce divergent responses across ecosystems, due to differences in the strength of processes among ecosystems we identify. Finally, we highlight research gaps and next steps, and discuss how this approach can provide new insights for conservation. By focusing on the processes that shape diversity in communities, we aim to mechanistically link human impacts to ongoing and future changes in ecosystems.

SUBMITTER: McFadden IR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10107666 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Linking human impacts to community processes in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.

McFadden Ian R IR Sendek Agnieszka A Brosse Morgane M Bach Peter M PM Baity-Jesi Marco M Bolliger Janine J Bollmann Kurt K Brockerhoff Eckehard G EG Donati Giulia G Gebert Friederike F Ghosh Shyamolina S Ho Hsi-Cheng HC Khaliq Imran I Lever J Jelle JJ Logar Ivana I Moor Helen H Odermatt Daniel D Pellissier Loïc L de Queiroz Luiz Jardim LJ Rixen Christian C Schuwirth Nele N Shipley J Ryan JR Twining Cornelia W CW Vitasse Yann Y Vorburger Christoph C Wong Mark K L MKL Zimmermann Niklaus E NE Seehausen Ole O Gossner Martin M MM Matthews Blake B Graham Catherine H CH Altermatt Florian F Narwani Anita A

Ecology letters 20221222 2

Human impacts such as habitat loss, climate change and biological invasions are radically altering biodiversity, with greater effects projected into the future. Evidence suggests human impacts may differ substantially between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, but the reasons for these differences are poorly understood. We propose an integrative approach to explain these differences by linking impacts to four fundamental processes that structure communities: dispersal, speciation, species-le ...[more]

PMID: 36560926

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Project description:Extreme droughts, heat waves, frosts, precipitation, wind storms and other climate extremes may impact the structure, composition and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, and thus carbon cycling and its feedbacks to the climate system. Yet, the interconnected avenues through which climate extremes drive ecological and physiological processes and alter the carbon balance are poorly understood. Here, we review the literature on carbon cycle relevant responses of ecosystems to extreme climatic events. Given that impacts of climate extremes are considered disturbances, we assume the respective general disturbance-induced mechanisms and processes to also operate in an extreme context. The paucity of well-defined studies currently renders a quantitative meta-analysis impossible, but permits us to develop a deductive framework for identifying the main mechanisms (and coupling thereof) through which climate extremes may act on the carbon cycle. We find that ecosystem responses can exceed the duration of the climate impacts via lagged effects on the carbon cycle. The expected regional impacts of future climate extremes will depend on changes in the probability and severity of their occurrence, on the compound effects and timing of different climate extremes, and on the vulnerability of each land-cover type modulated by management. Although processes and sensitivities differ among biomes, based on expert opinion, we expect forests to exhibit the largest net effect of extremes due to their large carbon pools and fluxes, potentially large indirect and lagged impacts, and long recovery time to regain previous stocks. At the global scale, we presume that droughts have the strongest and most widespread effects on terrestrial carbon cycling. Comparing impacts of climate extremes identified via remote sensing vs. ground-based observational case studies reveals that many regions in the (sub-)tropics are understudied. Hence, regional investigations are needed to allow a global upscaling of the impacts of climate extremes on global carbon-climate feedbacks.

Dataset Information

Linking human impacts to community processes in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.

Publications

Linking human impacts to community processes in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.

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