An introduction to the correlation between human population and biodiversity, vascular plants, stream macro-invertebrates, ants, grasshoppers, maps of the world, Synthesis of the North American Flora, Ohio and Virginia not included. Scale-dependence of the correlation between human population and the species richness of stream macro-invertebrates
8. A positive species-people correlation
for vascular plants in US counties
4
log10 vascular plant spp richness (n)
2
n = 2877, r = 0.18, y = 1.75+ 0.22x, p < 0.0001
3
2
1
2 3 4 5 6 7
log10 human population size (n)
Data from the Synthesis of the North American Flora, Ohio and Virginia not included
12. 2. Active conservation?
Cupressus Quercus robur, Udine
sempervirens, Forli
Celtis australis, San Gimignano
Castanea sativa,
St. Alfio, Sicily
people / km2
Quercus cerris,
Amatrice, Latium Photos of veteran trees courtesy of G. Bortolotti;
Map of human population density from Swiss Federal Statistical Office no information
13. (b)
Monumental trees in Italy’s regions and provinces
(a) 3 (c) 2
(c)
log10 veteran tree individuals
log10 veteran tree species
2
1
1
2
2
y = -1.99 + 0.58x, r = 0.56, p < 0.0001 y = -1.70 + 0.47x, r = 0.69, p < 0.0001
0 0
4 5 6 7 8 4 5 6 7 8
log10 region human population size log10 region human population size
(b)
(b) (d) 2
2
2
(c)
y = -2.98 + 0.68x, r = 0.13, p < 0.0001 2
y = -2.03 + 0.49x, r = 0.15, p < 0.0001
log10 veteran tree individuals
log10 veteran tree species
1 1
0 0
4 5 6 7
4 5 6 7
log 10 province human population size
log10 province human population size
a & b: abundance, c & d: spp richness,
a & c: regions; b & d: provinces; from: Pautasso & Chiarucci (2008) Annals of Botany
14. 3. Species introductions?
Trace forward/back zipcode
Positive (Phytophthora ramorum) site
Hold released
Source: United States Department of Agriculture, 2004
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine
15. Multi-scale correlation of human presence and
Phytophthora ramorum disease incidence
from: Cushman & Meentemeyer (2008) Journal of Ecology
16. Sudden Oak Death in California
from Desprez-Loustau et al. (2007) Trends in Ecology & Evolution
17. Living collections of the world’s botanical gardens
(c)
(a) (c)
log10 spp richness (n)
(d) (yr)
(b) Size of countries reflects n of botanic gardens
(d)
b from: http://www.worldmapper.org/
a, c & d: from: Pautasso & Parmentier (2007) Botanica Helvetica
18. 4. Both species and people correlate with productivity?
(a) vascular plant species richness (b) terrestrial net primary productivity
NPP
(g C yr-1 m-2)
human-appropriated net primary productivity
(c)
From (all et al.): (a) Kreft (2008) Ecology Letters,
(b) Cramer (1999) Global Change Biology, (c) Imhoff (2004) Nature
19. Both species and people correlate with productivity
Altitude Plant species richness
in Trentino, Italy
from: Marini, Prosser, Klimek & Marrs (in press) J Biogeography
20. Excursus: human population density across the Alps
Source: European Academy, Bozen/Bolzano, Italy (EURAC)
21. Excursus (2): human pop. dens. change across the Alps
Source: European Academy, Bozen/Bolzano, Italy (EURAC)
22. [1015 mol/cm2; Jan 2003- Jun 2004]
Air pollution due to urbanization: NO2
source: http://esamultimedia.esa.int/images/EarthObservation/pollution_europe_hires.jpg
23. Some recent studies of the spp-people correlation
Araujo
(2003)
McKinney GEB
(2003)
Moreno-
Biol Cons
Rueda & Ding et al.
Pizarro (2008)
(2006) J
Ecol Res
Vazquez Hunter Biogeog
& Gaston (2006) & Jonzon
Biodiv & Cons (1993) CB
Balmford
et al. (2001)
Science
Real et al. Chown et al. Luck (2007)
(2003) J Diniz-Filho et al. (2003) Ecol Appl J Biogeog
Biogeog (2006) Acta Oecol.
World wilderness map from: UNEP-WCMC World Atlas of Biodiversity, GIS analysis
by R. Lesslie (ANU), method developed for the Australian Heritage Commission
24. What about invertebrates? (1) Ants
(a) 3.0
2
y = -0.19 + 0.29x, s.s.e. = 0.03, r = 0.42, p < 0.0001
(c) 3.0
y = -1.00 + 0.87x, s.s.e. = 0.13, r2 = 0.56, p < 0.0001
log10 ant species richness (n)
log10 ant species richness (n)
2.0 2.0
1.0 1.0
4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
log10 human population size (n) log10 plant species richness (n)
(b) 3.0 (d) 3.0
2
y = 0.67 + 0.22x, s.s.e = 0.02, r = 0.30, p < 0.0001 y = 0.65 - 0.27x, s.s.e. = 0.64, r2 = 0.02, p = 0.67
log10 ant species richness (n)
log10 ant species richness (n)
2.0 2.0
1.0 1.0
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 -4.6 -4.5 -4.4 -4.3 -4.2
log10 country area (km2) Boltzmann transformed temperature (1/kT)
from Schlick-Steiner et al. (in press) Journal of Biogeography
26. What about invertebrates? (3) May-, stone- & caddis-flies
Pictures from http://biokeys.berkeley.edu
from Pautasso & Fontaneto (in press) Ecological Applications
27. Random sample of 100 papers per year
on ‘species richness’ in WOS (1991-2004)
from: Lonsdale et al. (2008) European Journal of Forest Research
28. Conclusions
1) the scale-dependence of the species-people
correlation has implications for conservation,
2) a positive spp-people correlation could be
due to i) sampling bias, (ii) active
conservation, and (iii) species introductions,
3) but its most plausible/frequent explanation
is a correlation of both people and spp
richness with environmental productivity
29. Acknowledgements
Mike McKinney,
Univ. of Kevin Ingrid
Tennessee, US Diego
Gaston, Parmentier,
Fontaneto,
Univ. of Univ. of
Silwood
Sheffield Bruxelles,
Mike Jeger, Belgium
Wye & Silwood
Birgit & Florian
Claude Steck, Alessandro
Schlick-Steiner, Lorenzo Marini,
WSL, CH Chiarucci,
Univ. of Univ. of
Queensland, Univ. of
Padua, Italy Siena, Italy
Australia
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