When Do Ecosystem Services Depend on Rare Species?

Laura E Dee; Jane Cowles; Forest Isbell; Stephanie Pau; Steven D Gaines; Peter B Reich

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2019.03.010

When Do Ecosystem Services Depend on Rare Species?

Trends Ecol Evol. 2019 Aug;34(8):746-758. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.03.010. Epub 2019 May 16.

Authors

Laura E Dee¹, Jane Cowles², Forest Isbell², Stephanie Pau³, Steven D Gaines⁴, Peter B Reich⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St Paul, MN, USA; Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St Paul, MN, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St Paul, MN, USA.
³ Department of Geography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
⁴ Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St Paul, MN, USA; Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, New South Wales 2753, Australia.

PMID: 31104954
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.03.010

Abstract

Conservation aims to preserve species and ecosystem services. If rare species contribute little to ecosystem services, yet are those most in need of preservation, tradeoffs may exist for these contrasting objectives. However, little attention has focused on identifying how, when, and where rare species contribute to ecosystem services and at what scales. Here, we review distinct ways that ecosystem services can positively depend on the presence, abundance, disproportionate contribution or, counterintuitively, the scarcity of rare species. By contrast, ecosystem services are less likely to depend on rare species that do not have a unique role in any service or become abundant enough to contribute substantially. We propose a research agenda to identify when rare species may contribute significantly to services.

Keywords: biodiversity conservation; ecosystem functioning; ecosystem services; keystone species; rare species; species composition.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Biodiversity*
Conservation of Natural Resources
Ecosystem*