The human dimension of biodiversity changes on islands

Sandra Nogué; Ana M.C. Santos; H. John; Svante Björck; Alvaro Castilla-Beltrán; Simon Connor; Erik J. de Boer; Lea de Nascimento; Vivian A. Felde; José María Fernández-Palacios; Cynthia A. Froyd; Simon G. Haberle; Henry Hooghiemstra; Karl Ljung; Sietze J. Norder; Josep Peñuelas; Matthew Prebble; Janelle Stevenson; Robert J. Whittaker; Kathy J. Willis; Janet M. Wilmshurst; Manuel J. Steinbauer

doi:10.1126/science.abd6706

The human dimension of biodiversity changes on islands

Sandra Nogué^*, Ana M.C. Santos, H. John, Svante Björck, Alvaro Castilla-Beltrán, Simon Connor, Erik J. de Boer, Lea de Nascimento, Vivian A. Felde, José María Fernández-Palacios, Cynthia A. Froyd, Simon G. Haberle, Henry Hooghiemstra, Karl Ljung, Sietze J. Norder, Josep Peñuelas, Matthew Prebble, Janelle Stevenson, Robert J. Whittaker, Kathy J. WillisJanet M. Wilmshurst, Manuel J. Steinbauer^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

103 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Islands are among the last regions on Earth settled and transformed by human activities, and they provide replicated model systems for analysis of how people affect ecological functions. By analyzing 27 representative fossil pollen sequences encompassing the past 5000 years from islands globally, we quantified the rates of vegetation compositional change before and after human arrival. After human arrival, rates of turnover accelerate by a median factor of 11, with faster rates on islands colonized in the past 1500 years than for those colonized earlier. This global anthropogenic acceleration in turnover suggests that islands are on trajectories of continuing change. Strategies for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration must acknowledge the long duration of human impacts and the degree to which ecological changes today differ from prehuman dynamics.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	488-491
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	372
Issue number	6541
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abd6706
Publication status	Published - 30 Apr 2021

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Nogué, S., Santos, A. M. C., John, H., Björck, S., Castilla-Beltrán, A., Connor, S., de Boer, E. J., de Nascimento, L., Felde, V. A., Fernández-Palacios, J. M., Froyd, C. A., Haberle, S. G., Hooghiemstra, H., Ljung, K., Norder, S. J., Peñuelas, J., Prebble, M., Stevenson, J., Whittaker, R. J., ... Steinbauer, M. J. (2021). The human dimension of biodiversity changes on islands. Science, 372(6541), 488-491. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abd6706

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title = "The human dimension of biodiversity changes on islands",

abstract = "Islands are among the last regions on Earth settled and transformed by human activities, and they provide replicated model systems for analysis of how people affect ecological functions. By analyzing 27 representative fossil pollen sequences encompassing the past 5000 years from islands globally, we quantified the rates of vegetation compositional change before and after human arrival. After human arrival, rates of turnover accelerate by a median factor of 11, with faster rates on islands colonized in the past 1500 years than for those colonized earlier. This global anthropogenic acceleration in turnover suggests that islands are on trajectories of continuing change. Strategies for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration must acknowledge the long duration of human impacts and the degree to which ecological changes today differ from prehuman dynamics.",

author = "Sandra Nogu{\'e} and Santos, {Ana M.C.} and H. John and Svante Bj{\"o}rck and Alvaro Castilla-Beltr{\'a}n and Simon Connor and {de Boer}, {Erik J.} and {de Nascimento}, Lea and Felde, {Vivian A.} and Fern{\'a}ndez-Palacios, {Jos{\'e} Mar{\'i}a} and Froyd, {Cynthia A.} and Haberle, {Simon G.} and Henry Hooghiemstra and Karl Ljung and Norder, {Sietze J.} and Josep Pe{\~n}uelas and Matthew Prebble and Janelle Stevenson and Whittaker, {Robert J.} and Willis, {Kathy J.} and Wilmshurst, {Janet M.} and Steinbauer, {Manuel J.}",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

day = "30",

doi = "10.1126/science.abd6706",

language = "English",

volume = "372",

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journal = "Science",

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Nogué, S, Santos, AMC, John, H, Björck, S, Castilla-Beltrán, A, Connor, S, de Boer, EJ, de Nascimento, L, Felde, VA, Fernández-Palacios, JM, Froyd, CA, Haberle, SG, Hooghiemstra, H, Ljung, K, Norder, SJ, Peñuelas, J, Prebble, M, Stevenson, J, Whittaker, RJ, Willis, KJ, Wilmshurst, JM & Steinbauer, MJ 2021, 'The human dimension of biodiversity changes on islands', Science, vol. 372, no. 6541, pp. 488-491. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abd6706

TY - JOUR

T1 - The human dimension of biodiversity changes on islands

AU - Nogué, Sandra

AU - Santos, Ana M.C.

AU - John, H.

AU - Björck, Svante

AU - Castilla-Beltrán, Alvaro

AU - Connor, Simon

AU - de Boer, Erik J.

AU - de Nascimento, Lea

AU - Felde, Vivian A.

AU - Fernández-Palacios, José María

AU - Froyd, Cynthia A.

AU - Haberle, Simon G.

AU - Hooghiemstra, Henry

AU - Ljung, Karl

AU - Norder, Sietze J.

AU - Peñuelas, Josep

AU - Prebble, Matthew

AU - Stevenson, Janelle

AU - Whittaker, Robert J.

AU - Willis, Kathy J.

AU - Wilmshurst, Janet M.

AU - Steinbauer, Manuel J.

PY - 2021/4/30

Y1 - 2021/4/30

N2 - Islands are among the last regions on Earth settled and transformed by human activities, and they provide replicated model systems for analysis of how people affect ecological functions. By analyzing 27 representative fossil pollen sequences encompassing the past 5000 years from islands globally, we quantified the rates of vegetation compositional change before and after human arrival. After human arrival, rates of turnover accelerate by a median factor of 11, with faster rates on islands colonized in the past 1500 years than for those colonized earlier. This global anthropogenic acceleration in turnover suggests that islands are on trajectories of continuing change. Strategies for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration must acknowledge the long duration of human impacts and the degree to which ecological changes today differ from prehuman dynamics.

AB - Islands are among the last regions on Earth settled and transformed by human activities, and they provide replicated model systems for analysis of how people affect ecological functions. By analyzing 27 representative fossil pollen sequences encompassing the past 5000 years from islands globally, we quantified the rates of vegetation compositional change before and after human arrival. After human arrival, rates of turnover accelerate by a median factor of 11, with faster rates on islands colonized in the past 1500 years than for those colonized earlier. This global anthropogenic acceleration in turnover suggests that islands are on trajectories of continuing change. Strategies for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration must acknowledge the long duration of human impacts and the degree to which ecological changes today differ from prehuman dynamics.

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U2 - 10.1126/science.abd6706

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SN - 0036-8075

VL - 372

SP - 488

EP - 491

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6541

ER -

The human dimension of biodiversity changes on islands

Abstract

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