have demonstrated that species with a broader distribution tend to profit from human-induced changes, expanding their range of occupied sites. Conversely, species with a more limited distribution see a decline., draw upon a comprehensive dataset comprising over 200 studies. Their research indicates that protecting habitats can alleviate some consequences of biodiversity shifts and curb the consistent decline of small-ranged species.
A team led by researchers from iDiv and MLU set out to evaluate the connection between the size of a species’ range and the changes in their regional occupancy over time. To do so, the researchers used an extensive dataset of 238 studies that monitored plant and animal species assemblages from across many sites for 10-90 years.
These relationships were stronger in marine than in terrestrial and freshwater realms. “One reason could be that marine species are often more sensitive to environmental changes such as climate warming”, explains Wubing Xu.