Patterns of invertebrate functional diversity highlight the vulnerability of ecosystem services over a 45-year period

Greenop, Arran; Woodcock, Ben A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0300-9951; Outhwaite, Charlotte L.; Carvell, Claire; Pywell, Richard F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6431-9959; Mancini, Francesca ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4085-4978; Edwards, Francois K.; Johnson, Andrew C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1570-3764; Isaac, Nick J.B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4869-8052. 2021 Patterns of invertebrate functional diversity highlight the vulnerability of ecosystem services over a 45-year period. Current Biology, 31 (20). 4627-4634. 10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.080

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Abstract/Summary

Declines in invertebrate biodiversity pose a significant threat to key ecosystem services. Current analyses of biodiversity often focus on taxonomic diversity (e.g., species richness), which does not account for the functional role of a species. Functional diversity of species’ morphological or behavioral traits is likely more relevant to ecosystem service delivery than taxonomic diversity, as functional diversity has been found to be a key driver of a number of ecosystem services including decomposition and pollination. At present, we lack a good understanding of long-term and large-scale changes in functional diversity, which limits our capacity to determine the vulnerability of key ecosystem services with ongoing biodiversity change. Here we derive trends in functional diversity and taxonomic diversity over a 45-year period across Great Britain for species supporting freshwater aquatic functions, pollination, natural pest control, and agricultural pests (a disservice). Species supporting aquatic functions showed a synchronous collapse and recovery in functional and taxonomic diversity. In contrast, pollinators showed an increase in taxonomic diversity, but a decline and recovery in functional diversity. Pest control agents and pests showed greater stability in functional diversity over the assessment period. We also found that functional diversity could appear stable or show patterns of recovery, despite ongoing changes in the composition of traits among species. Our results suggest that invertebrate assemblages can show considerable variability in their functional structure over time at a national scale, which provides an important step in determining the long-term vulnerability of key ecosystem services with ongoing biodiversity change.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.080
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-) Pollution (Science Area 2017-) Water Resources (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	0960-9822
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	ecosystem services, functional diversity, taxonomic diversity, functional traits, pest control, pests, pollination aquatic functions
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	01 Nov 2021 11:29 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/531324

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