Long-term studies are essential to understand the impacts of global changes on the multiple facets of biological diversity. Here, we use distribution data for over 600 species of arthropods collected over 150 years from locations across Italy and test how multiple environmental stressors (climate, land use and human population density) influenced assemblage composition and functionality. By carefully reconstructing the temporal changes in these stressors, we explicitly tested how environmental changes can determine the observed changes in taxonomic and functional diversity. We found that rapid changes in precipitation destabilize the assemblages and maximize colonization and extinction rates, especially when coupled with changes in human population density (for taxonomy) or temperature (for functionality). Higher microclimatic heterogeneity increases the stability of biodiversity by reducing taxonomic and functional loss. Finally, changes in natural habitats increased colonization, influencing taxonomic nestedness and functional replacement. The integration of long-term datasets combining distributions, climate and traits may deepen our understanding of the processes underlying biodiversity responses to global-scale drivers.

Climate and land-use changes drive biodiversity turnover in arthropod assemblages over 150 years

Brunetti M;Provenzale A;
2021

Abstract

Long-term studies are essential to understand the impacts of global changes on the multiple facets of biological diversity. Here, we use distribution data for over 600 species of arthropods collected over 150 years from locations across Italy and test how multiple environmental stressors (climate, land use and human population density) influenced assemblage composition and functionality. By carefully reconstructing the temporal changes in these stressors, we explicitly tested how environmental changes can determine the observed changes in taxonomic and functional diversity. We found that rapid changes in precipitation destabilize the assemblages and maximize colonization and extinction rates, especially when coupled with changes in human population density (for taxonomy) or temperature (for functionality). Higher microclimatic heterogeneity increases the stability of biodiversity by reducing taxonomic and functional loss. Finally, changes in natural habitats increased colonization, influencing taxonomic nestedness and functional replacement. The integration of long-term datasets combining distributions, climate and traits may deepen our understanding of the processes underlying biodiversity responses to global-scale drivers.
2021
Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse - IGG - Sede Pisa
Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima - ISAC
global changes; biological diversity
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
prod_457228-doc_177326.pdf

solo utenti autorizzati

Descrizione: Climate and land-use changes drive biodiversity turnover in arthropod assemblages over 150 years
Tipologia: Versione Editoriale (PDF)
Licenza: NON PUBBLICO - Accesso privato/ristretto
Dimensione 5.98 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
5.98 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia
Marta+2021+submitted.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 5, pages1291–1300 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01513-0
Tipologia: Documento in Pre-print
Licenza: Altro tipo di licenza
Dimensione 1.29 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.29 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/403031
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 29
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact