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Drivers of extinction: the case of Azorean beetles.

ABSTRACT: Oceanic islands host a disproportionately high fraction of endangered or recently extinct endemic species. We report on species extinctions among endemic Azorean beetles following 97% habitat loss since AD 1440. We infer extinctions from historical and contemporary records and examine the influence of three predictors: geographical range, habitat specialization and body size. Of 55 endemic beetle species investigated (out of 63), seven can be considered extinct. Single-island endemics (SIEs) were more prone to extinction than multi-island endemics. Within SIEs restricted to native habitat, larger species were more extinction-prone. We thus show a hierarchical path to extinction in Azorean beetles: species with small geographical range face extinction first, with the larger bodied ones being the most threatened. Our study provides a clear warning of the impact of habitat loss on island endemic biotas.

SUBMITTER: Terzopoulou S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4528476 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Drivers of extinction: the case of Azorean beetles.

Terzopoulou Sofia S Rigal François F Whittaker Robert J RJ Borges Paulo A V PA Triantis Kostas A KA

Biology letters 20150601 6

Oceanic islands host a disproportionately high fraction of endangered or recently extinct endemic species. We report on species extinctions among endemic Azorean beetles following 97% habitat loss since AD 1440. We infer extinctions from historical and contemporary records and examine the influence of three predictors: geographical range, habitat specialization and body size. Of 55 endemic beetle species investigated (out of 63), seven can be considered extinct. Single-island endemics (SIEs) wer ...[more]

PMID: 26063753

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