On defining and quantifying biotic homogenization

ABSTRACT Ongoing species invasions and extinctions are changing biological diversity in different ways at different spatial scales. Biotic homogenization (or BH) refers to the process by which the genetic, taxonomic or functional similarities of regional biotas increase over time. It is a multifaceted process that encompasses species invasions, extinctions and environmental alterations, focusing on how the identities of species (or their genetic or functional attributes) change over space and time. Despite the increasing use of the term BH in conservation biology, it is often used erroneously as a synonym for patterns of species invasions, loss of native species or changes in species richness through time.…

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  Nature Conservancy