Dispersal failure contributes to plant losses in NW Europe.
The ongoing decline of many plant species in Northwest Europe indicates that traditional conservation measures to improve the habitat quality, although useful, are not enough to halt diversity losses. Using recent databases, we show for the first time that differences between species in adaptations to various dispersal vectors, in combination with changes in the availability of these vectors, contribute significantly to explaining losses in plant diversity in Northwest Europe in the 20th century. Species with water- or fur-assisted dispersal are over-represented among declining species, while others (wind- or bird-assisted dispersal) are under-represented. Our analysis indicates that the 'colonization deficit' due to a degraded dispersal infrastructure is no less important in explaining plant diversity losses than the more commonly accepted effect of eutrophication and associated niche-based processes. Our findings call for measures that aim to restore the dispersal infrastructure across entire regions and that go beyond current conservation practices.
Ozinga
Wim A
WA
Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology Research Group, Department of Ecology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, NL-6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands. wim.ozinga@wur.nl
Römermann
Christine
C
Bekker
Renée M
RM
Prinzing
Andreas
A
Tamis
Wil L M
WL
Schaminée
Joop H J
JH
Hennekens
Stephan M
SM
Thompson
Ken
K
Poschlod
Peter
P
Kleyer
Michael
M
Bakker
Jan P
JP
van Groenendael
Jan M
JM
D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003710:Demography; D017753:Ecosystem; D005060:Europe; D016015:Logistic Models; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000502:physiology*
D009584:Nitrogen