Beyond species loss: the extinction of ecological interactions in a changing world

Summary The effects of the present biodiversity crisis have been largely focused on the loss of species. However, a missed component of biodiversity loss that often accompanies or even precedes species disappearance is the extinction of ecological interactions. Here, we propose a novel model that (i) relates the diversity of both species and interactions along a gradient of environmental deterioration and (ii) explores how the rate of loss of ecological functions, and consequently of ecosystem services, can be accelerated or restrained depending on how the rate of species loss covaries with the rate of interactions loss. We find that the loss of species and interactions are decoupled, such that ecological…

• FD
  Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
• MD
  Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad

  Award: SEV-2012-0262
• CN
  Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
• CC
  CYTED Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo

  Award: 409AC0369