https://www.futurity.org/reptile-loss-islands-2877892-2/
"The disappearance of even a few reptile species has a serious impact on some
island areas, an examination of ancient and current species finds.
The study, published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
has startling conclusions about how, on smaller islands in the Caribbean where
human impact was greatest, extinctions have led to the loss of up to two-thirds
of the supports for the ecosystem that native reptile species once provided
there.
Although similar studies have looked at the role of large mammals or other
types of animals in ecosystems over time, this is the first to do so with
reptiles—a key component of many island ecosystems.
Exploring what’s known as functional diversity, the study goes beyond
cataloging different living things in a place over time, in this case, 418
Caribbean reptile species. Instead, the study maps out the functions that those
species offer that support a thriving natural environment. The 418 species can
be collapsed into 123 functional entities: groupings of species that share the
same suite of traits and may perform similar ecosystem services."
Via Rixty Dixet.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
