loading page

Does increasing human environmental footprint lead to biotic homogenization of forest bird communities in northern USA?
  • +2
  • Eric Le Tortorec,
  • Matti Häkkilä,
  • Edmund Zlonis,
  • Gerald Niemi,
  • Mikko Mönkkönen
Eric Le Tortorec
University of Jyvaskyla Faculty of Mathematics and Science

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Matti Häkkilä
University of Jyvaskyla Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Author Profile
Edmund Zlonis
University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute
Author Profile
Gerald Niemi
Natural Resources Research Institute
Author Profile
Mikko Mönkkönen
University of Jyvaskyla Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Author Profile

Abstract

Studies have shown negative impacts of increased human pressures on biodiversity at local (alpha-diversity) and regional (gamma-diversity) scales. However, the diversity between local sites (beta-diversity) has received less attention. This is an important shortcoming since beta-diversity acts as a linkage between trends at the local and regional scales. Decreased beta-diversity means that local sites lose their distinctiveness, becoming more similar to each other. This process, known as biotic homogenization, is predicted to arise through the replacement of native specialists with native and non-native generalists. However, the mechanisms causing biotic homogenization have not been fully studied nor its impacts on different facets of biodiversity. We examined if land-use change due to human actions causes biotic homogenization of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in bird communities of forested habitats in the state of Minnesota, USA. Our aim was to study if increased human pressure, which included human population density, land transformation, transport infrastructure, and electrical power infrastructure, was associated with increased similarity among bird point count sites. Our results showed that elevated human pressure was not related with increased biotic homogenization in this study region. Interestingly, increased human pressure appeared to increase the between-site functional diversity of bird communities. This association was driven by a decrease in local diversity, which, due to the nature of beta-diversity, led to an increase in between-site diversity. We highlight the importance of considering multiple facets of biodiversity and the use of beta-diversity in a conservation setting.
06 May 2022Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
06 May 2022Submission Checks Completed
06 May 2022Assigned to Editor
12 May 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
06 Jun 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
14 Jun 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
20 Oct 20221st Revision Received
21 Oct 2022Submission Checks Completed
21 Oct 2022Assigned to Editor
21 Oct 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
14 Nov 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
29 Dec 20222nd Revision Received
30 Dec 2022Submission Checks Completed
30 Dec 2022Assigned to Editor
30 Dec 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
19 Jan 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
17 Feb 20233rd Revision Received
18 Feb 2023Submission Checks Completed
18 Feb 2023Assigned to Editor
18 Feb 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Feb 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
22 Mar 20234th Revision Received
23 Mar 2023Submission Checks Completed
23 Mar 2023Assigned to Editor
23 Mar 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
24 Mar 2023Editorial Decision: Accept