Trait-dependent declines of species following conversion of rain forest to oil palm plantations |
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Authors: | Michael J M Senior Keith C Hamer Simon Bottrell David P Edwards Tom M Fayle Jennifer M Lucey Peter J Mayhew Robert Newton Kelvin S-H Peh Frederick H Sheldon Christopher Stewart Alison R Styring Michael D F Thom Paul Woodcock Jane K Hill |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK 2. Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK 3. School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK 4. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia 5. Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic 6. Forest Ecology and Conservation Group, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK 7. Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK 8. Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA 9. Proforest, South Suite, Frewin Chambers, Frewin Court, Oxford, OX1 3HZ, UK 10. The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, 98505, USA
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Abstract: | Conversion of natural habitats to agriculture reduces species richness, particularly in highly diverse tropical regions, but its effects on species composition are less well-studied. The conversion of rain forest to oil palm is of particular conservation concern globally, and we examined how it affects the abundance of birds, beetles, and ants according to their local population size, body size, geographical range size, and feeding guild or trophic position. We re-analysed data from six published studies representing 487 species/genera to assess the relative importance of these traits in explaining changes in abundance following forest conversion. We found consistent patterns across all three taxa, with large-bodied, abundant forest species from higher trophic levels, declining most in abundance following conversion of forest to oil palm. Best-fitting models explained 39–66 % of the variation in abundance changes for the three taxa, and included all ecological traits that we considered. Across the three taxa, those few species found in oil palm tended to be small-bodied species, from lower trophic levels, that had low local abundances in forest. These species were often hyper-abundant in oil palm plantations. These results provide empirical evidence of consistent responses to land-use change among taxonomic groups in relation to ecological traits. |
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