New Study Reveals Global Patterns in Species Abundance
A recent study conducted by an international team of researchers has uncovered a consistent pattern in species abundance across the globe. The study, led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), and the University of Florida (UF), sheds light on the distribution of common, rare, and intermediate species.
The research, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, highlights the importance of biodiversity monitoring in understanding species abundances and how they change over time. By analyzing data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), which represents over 1 billion species observations from 1900 to 2019, the researchers were able to unveil global species abundance distributions (gSAD) for various species groups.
The findings reveal that most species are rare but not extremely so, with only a few species being highly common. This supports the log-normal model proposed by F. W. Preston, an engineer and ecologist, which suggests that the majority of species have some intermediate level of commonness. However, until now, scientists did not have comprehensive data to confirm the true distribution of species abundances on a global scale.
The study also highlights the limitations of current data availability, with gSADs fully unveiled for only a few species groups, such as birds and cycads. For other groups, including insects and mammals, the data are still insufficient. The researchers emphasize the need for more comprehensive data collection to further uncover the true distribution of species abundances.
Dr. Corey Callaghan, the lead author of the study, praises the GBIF database as a valuable resource for biodiversity research, as it brings together data from both professional and citizen scientists worldwide. He emphasizes the importance of data sharing and collaboration in advancing biodiversity research and monitoring efforts.
The study’s findings have important implications for assessing global species diversity. While some groups, like birds, have almost fully identified their species, others, such as insects and cephalopods, still have many unknown species. The research sheds light on the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that govern the commonness and rarity of species, providing insights into Charles Darwin’s question of why some species are rare while others are common.
As researchers continue to study species abundances, they are also confronted with the challenge of human impacts on biodiversity. The alteration of the planet’s surface and the decline of common species add complexity to understanding how species abundances evolve naturally.
The study represents a significant step forward in unveiling global species abundance patterns. It highlights the importance of ongoing biodiversity monitoring efforts and the urgent need for more comprehensive data collection to address critical research questions and inform conservation strategies.
Reference: “Unveiling global species abundance distributions” by Corey T. Callaghan, Luís Borda-de-Água, Roel van Klink, Roberto Rozzi and Henrique M. Pereira, Nature Ecology & Evolution, DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02173-y