Ecological networks are more sensitive to plant than to animal extinction under climate change

Matthias Schleuning (), Jochen Fründ, Oliver Schweiger, Erik Welk, Jörg Albrecht, Matthias Albrecht, Marion Beil, Gita Benadi, Nico Blüthgen, Helge Bruelheide, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, D. Matthias Dehling, Carsten F. Dormann, Nina Exeler, Nina Farwig, Alexander Harpke, Thomas Hickler, Anselm Kratochwil, Michael Kuhlmann, Ingolf Kühn, Denis Michez, Sonja Mudri-Stojnić, Michaela Plein, Pierre Rasmont, Angelika Schwabe, Josef Settele, Ante Vujić, Christiane N. Weiner, Martin Wiemers and Christian Hof
Additional contact information
Matthias Schleuning: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)
Jochen Fründ: University of Guelph
Oliver Schweiger: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ
Erik Welk: Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Jörg Albrecht: Conservation Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Matthias Albrecht: Institute for Sustainability Sciences, Agroscope
Marion Beil: Vegetation and Restoration Ecology, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Gita Benadi: Biometry and Environmental Systems Analysis, University of Freiburg
Nico Blüthgen: Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Helge Bruelheide: Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Katrin Böhning-Gaese: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)
D. Matthias Dehling: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)
Carsten F. Dormann: Biometry and Environmental Systems Analysis, University of Freiburg
Nina Exeler: Ecology Section, University of Osnabrück
Nina Farwig: Conservation Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Alexander Harpke: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ
Thomas Hickler: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)
Anselm Kratochwil: Ecology Section, University of Osnabrück
Michael Kuhlmann: Zoological Museum, University of Kiel
Ingolf Kühn: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ
Denis Michez: Laboratory of Zoology, Biosciences Institute, University of Mons
Sonja Mudri-Stojnić: Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad
Michaela Plein: Geography Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland
Pierre Rasmont: Laboratory of Zoology, Biosciences Institute, University of Mons
Angelika Schwabe: Vegetation and Restoration Ecology, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Josef Settele: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ
Ante Vujić: Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad
Christiane N. Weiner: Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Martin Wiemers: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ
Christian Hof: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Impacts of climate change on individual species are increasingly well documented, but we lack understanding of how these effects propagate through ecological communities. Here we combine species distribution models with ecological network analyses to test potential impacts of climate change on >700 plant and animal species in pollination and seed-dispersal networks from central Europe. We discover that animal species that interact with a low diversity of plant species have narrow climatic niches and are most vulnerable to climate change. In contrast, biotic specialization of plants is not related to climatic niche breadth and vulnerability. A simulation model incorporating different scenarios of species coextinction and capacities for partner switches shows that projected plant extinctions under climate change are more likely to trigger animal coextinctions than vice versa. This result demonstrates that impacts of climate change on biodiversity can be amplified via extinction cascades from plants to animals in ecological networks.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13965

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