title: Cryptic function loss in animal populations.
abstract: The essential functional roles performed by animal species are lost when they become locally extinct, and ecosystems are critically threatened by this decline in functional diversity. Theory that links function, diversity, and ecosystem stability exists but fails to assess function loss that occurs in species with persistent populations. The entire functional role of a species, or a critical component of it, can be lost following large population declines (functional extinction), following population increase, or after behavioural adaptations to changes in the population, community, habitat, or climate. Here, we provide a framework that identifies the scenarios under which 'cryptic' function loss can occur in persistent populations. Cryptic function loss is potentially widespread and critically threatens ecosystem stability across the globe.
authors: School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore 560012, India. Electronic address: kimmcconkey@gmail.com.
authors: Kim R
authors: KR
authors: McConkey
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto (Ontario), M5S 3G5, Canada.
authors: Georgina
authors: G
authors: O'Farrill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D058448:Biota; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D020387:Food Chain; D011157:Population Dynamics
keywords: ecosystem stability; functional diversity; functional extinction; global change; population decline; species interactions