Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/26717
Title: Rare Species Support Vulnerable Functions in High-Diversity Ecosystems
Contributor(s): Mouillot, David (author); Bellwood, David R (author); Baraloto, Christopher (author); Chave, Jerome (author); Galzin, Rene (author); Harmelin-Vivien, Mireille (author); Kulbicki, Michel (author); Lavergne, Sebastien (author); Lavorel, Sandra (author); Mouquet, Nicolas (author); Paine, C E Timothy  (author)orcid ; Renaud, Julien (author); Thuiller, Wilfried (author)
Publication Date: 2013-05-23
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001569Open Access Link
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/26717
Abstract: Around the world, the human-induced collapses of populations and species have triggered a sixth mass extinction crisis, with rare species often being the first to disappear. Although the role of species diversity in the maintenance of ecosystem processes has been widely investigated, the role of rare species remains controversial. A critical issue is whether common species insure against the loss of functions supported by rare species. This issue is even more critical in species-rich ecosystems where high functional redundancy among species is likely and where it is thus often assumed that ecosystem functioning is buffered against species loss. Here, using extensive datasets of species occurrences and functional traits from three highly diverse ecosystems (846 coral reef fishes, 2,979 alpine plants, and 662 tropical trees), we demonstrate that the most distinct combinations of traits are supported predominantly by rare species both in terms of local abundance and regional occupancy. Moreover, species that have low functional redundancy and are likely to support the most vulnerable functions, with no other species carrying similar combinations of traits, are rarer than expected by chance in all three ecosystems. For instance, 63% and 98% of fish species that are likely to support highly vulnerable functions in coral reef ecosystems are locally and regionally rare, respectively. For alpine plants, 32% and 89% of such species are locally and regionally rare, respectively. Remarkably, 47% of fish species and 55% of tropical tree species that are likely to support highly vulnerable functions have only one individual per sample on average. Our results emphasize the importance of rare species conservation, even in highly diverse ecosystems, which are thought to exhibit high functional redundancy. Rare species offer more than aesthetic, cultural, or taxonomic diversity value; they disproportionately increase the potential breadth of functions provided by ecosystems across spatial scales. As such, they are likely to insure against future uncertainty arising from climate change and the ever-increasing anthropogenic pressures on ecosystems. Our results call for a more detailed understanding of the role of rarity and functional vulnerability in ecosystem functioning.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Grant Details: ARC/IOF-GA-2009-236316
Source of Publication: PLoS Biology, 11(5), p. 1-11
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Place of Publication: United States of America
ISSN: 1545-7885
1544-9173
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 060202 Community Ecology (excl. Invasive Species Ecology)
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 310302 Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology)
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 960806 Forest and Woodlands Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 180606 Terrestrial biodiversity
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Environmental and Rural Science

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