WORLDIVERSITY

Linking global species richness and beta diversity to individual species distributions at multiple phylogenentic and spatial scales

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Recently, unprecedented amounts of information on the World’s biodiversity have been assembled and striking patterns in its distribution have been described, such as the latitudinal gradient of species richness or the relationship between the richness and climate. Major challenges are to establish linkages between the various biodiversity patterns, to understand the mechanisms generating these patterns, and to make the results of macroecology useful for conservation biology and policy. This project will address these through the following objectives: (i) I will explore global patterns of aspects of biodiversity other than species richness, namely beta diversity; (ii) I will use the method of taxonomic deconstruction of global biodiversity patterns to assess their universality and I will examine if their taxon-specific forms can be linked to life history traits or phylogeny; (iii) I will improve methods designed to predict biodiversity in poorly surveyed areas or in areas under the thread of climate change. To address this I will use global data on birds, mammals, amphibians and recently developed statistical methods (spatially explicit regression techniques, phylogenetic analyses, randomization procedures). I will do the analyses at multiple grain resolutions. I will develop software that will enable my methods to be accessible to wide academic community. The project has relevance for biodiversity conservation both world-wide and within the EU and it will improve some of the methods currently used in biodiversity research. The project will establish vital collaboration between EU and Yale University. The project will provide me with training in cutting-edge biodiversity informatics, programming and novel evolutionary approaches. The hosting Jetz Lab at Yale University has well-evidenced experience in the analyses of broad-scale biodiversity data, it hosts leading experts and it participates in a number of collaborative efforts that will benefit the planned work.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Researchers have described a new theory linking biodiversity to habitat loss, which has a potential improve global conservation efforts.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

A recent explosion in global biodiversity data is changing scientists' understanding of how biodiversity and global climate are linked. There is a need for new tools and theories to help understand the mechanisms underlying the emerging patterns of biodiversity.

The EU-funded WORLDIVERSITY project is using this newly available data and advances in statistics to come up with tools improving maps of biodiversity, and improving estimates of biodiversity loss under habitat loss.

Researchers began to use the available datasets for the global distribution of birds, mammals and amphibians, among others. They have integrated these datasets into a single database that can be used for the rest of the project.

Using these collated data, WORLDIVERSITY advanced theory connecting species distributions to habitats and species extinctions to habitat loss. The novelty of the theory is that it explicitly links processes at local, regional and global scales.

Researchers developed several methods, including software tools, that can estimate biodiversity loss with habitat loss. Some of the tools can also predict geographic locations of the origin of a species, or improve predictions of species at high-resolution maps.

WORLDIVERSITY has applied these methods to show the influence of the shape of habitat destruction on biodiversity loss. Other notable result is the demonstration that pollinator diversity in Europe is no longer declining. The methods have also been applied to map malaria vectors in southern Africa.

Most of the software (code) is explained and/or http://www.petrkeil.com (freely available). The methods and theories developed by WORLDIVERSITY can help global biodiversity conservation, particularly by improving knowledge of species distributions at fine scales, and by enabling better estimates of actual extinction rates where habitat loss occurs.