Habitats, dispersal, and multiple threats: Challenges for biodiversity under global change

Background/Question/Methods

Current and future climate change is widely expected to have unprecedented effects on Earth’s biodiversity. In fact, studies with predictions of distribution changes, population declines and species extinctions are rapidly accumulating. However, in addition to climate change other threats may impose even greater challenges to species and ecosystems, namely habitat fragmentation and destruction, caused by anthropogenic land-use changes. Here, I assess the potential impacts of global threats to biodiversity using different conceptual and modelling approaches.

Results/Conclusions

Firstly, in a study on the geography of future threats for global amphibian diversity I will show that the spatial additivity of different threat factors could jeopardize amphibian diversity more than previous, mono-causal, assessments have suggested. Secondly, using the distributions of European dragon- and damselflies, I assess the interface of ecological adaptations and the evolution of dispersal. In particular, I will show how habitat stability may influence range dynamics and dispersal ability, and therefore the potential to respond to climate change. Finally, I will combine findings from geophysical and biological research to discuss the possibility that species’ ability to survive drastic climate change is greater than hitherto recognised. However, I conclude that the interactive effects between climate change and the continuing destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats should by no means be underestimated.