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Ecological networks are more sensitive to plant than to animal extinction under climate change.
Journal article

Ecological networks are more sensitive to plant than to animal extinction under climate change.

  • Schleuning M Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
  • Fründ J Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G2W1.
  • Schweiger O Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.
  • Welk E Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany.
  • Albrecht J Conservation Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
  • Albrecht M Institute for Sustainability Sciences, Agroscope, Reckenholzstr. 191, CH-8046 Zürich, Switzerland.
  • Beil M Vegetation and Restoration Ecology, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
  • Benadi G Biometry and Environmental Systems Analysis, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
  • Blüthgen N Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
  • Bruelheide H Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany.
  • Böhning-Gaese K Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
  • Dehling DM Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
  • Dormann CF Biometry and Environmental Systems Analysis, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
  • Exeler N Ecology Section, Department of Biology and Chemistry, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastr. 13, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany.
  • Farwig N Conservation Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
  • Harpke A Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.
  • Hickler T Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
  • Kratochwil A Ecology Section, Department of Biology and Chemistry, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastr. 13, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany.
  • Kuhlmann M Zoological Museum, University of Kiel, Hegewischstr. 3, 24105 Kiel, Germany.
  • Kühn I Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.
  • Michez D Laboratory of Zoology, Biosciences Institute, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, B-7000 Mons, Belgium.
  • Mudri-Stojnić S Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
  • Plein M Geography Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia.
  • Rasmont P Laboratory of Zoology, Biosciences Institute, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, B-7000 Mons, Belgium.
  • Schwabe A Vegetation and Restoration Ecology, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
  • Settele J Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.
  • Vujić A Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
  • Weiner CN Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
  • Wiemers M Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.
  • Hof C Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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  • 2016-12-24
Published in:
  • Nature communications. - 2016
Adaptation, Physiological
Animals
Biodiversity
Climate
Climate Change
Ecosystem
Europe
Extinction, Biological
Models, Theoretical
Plants
Pollination
Population Dynamics
Seed Dispersal
Species Specificity
English Impacts of climate change on individual species are increasingly well documented, but we lack understanding of how these effects propagate through ecological communities. Here we combine species distribution models with ecological network analyses to test potential impacts of climate change on >700 plant and animal species in pollination and seed-dispersal networks from central Europe. We discover that animal species that interact with a low diversity of plant species have narrow climatic niches and are most vulnerable to climate change. In contrast, biotic specialization of plants is not related to climatic niche breadth and vulnerability. A simulation model incorporating different scenarios of species coextinction and capacities for partner switches shows that projected plant extinctions under climate change are more likely to trigger animal coextinctions than vice versa. This result demonstrates that impacts of climate change on biodiversity can be amplified via extinction cascades from plants to animals in ecological networks.
Language
  • English
Open access status
gold
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/138948
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