Domino Effect: The Loss of Plant Species Triggers the Extinction of Animals

This domino effect is a particular threat to animal species that only interact with a small number of plant species, such as Chelostoma rapunculi . 

Animals such as Chelostoma rapunculi could escape their fate only if they reallocate many interactions to new plant partners in the future. So far, however, the animals’ potential for this type of rewiring is not well understood. Animals that closely depend on certain plant species during their entire life cycle appear to be particularly threatened. Therefore, insects will face a higher threat than many bird species, which tend to be more flexible in their food choice.

“Our study shows that climate change not only poses a direct threat to many animal species, but that additional indirect effects also play a role. Therefore, climate change may have a more negative effect on the biological diversity of animals than previously assumed,” says Schleuning, and he adds, “A consideration of biotic interactions between animals and plants is therefore important for predicting the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.”

Contacts and sources:
Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum

Citation: Schleuning, M. et al (2016): Ecological networks are more sensitive to plant than to animal extinction under climate change. Nature Communications, doi: 10.1038/ncomms13965