期刊
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
卷 23, 期 8, 页码 2962-2972出版社
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13703
关键词
algae; consumers; ecological stability; field experiment; food web; intertidal; nontrophic interactions; rocky shore; secondary extinctions; structural robustness
资金
- EPA Ireland STRIVE [2008-FS-W-7-S5]
- Irish Research Council Embark Postdoctoral Fellowship
- EPA Ireland STRIVE Fellowship [2007-FS-B-8-M5]
- Environmental Protection Agency Ireland (EPA) [2007-FS-B-8-M5, 2008-FS-W-7-S5] Funding Source: Environmental Protection Agency Ireland (EPA)
Ecological networks are tightly interconnected, such that loss of a single species can trigger additional species extinctions. Theory predicts that such secondary extinctions are driven primarily by loss of species from intermediate or basal trophic levels. In contrast, most cases of secondary extinctions from natural systems have been attributed to loss of entire top trophic levels. Here, we show that loss of single predator species in isolation can, irrespective of their identity or the presence of other predators, trigger rapid secondary extinction cascades in natural communities far exceeding those generally predicted by theory. In contrast, we did not find any secondary extinctions caused by intermediate consumer loss. A food web model of our experimental system-a marine rocky shore community-could reproduce these results only when biologically likely and plausible nontrophic interactions, based on competition for space and predator-avoidance behaviour, were included. These findings call for a reassessment of the scale and nature of extinction cascades, particularly the inclusion of nontrophic interactions, in forecasts of the future of biodiversity.
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