Loss of birds and animals bad news for survival of many plants

By Joe Morgan via SWNS

Many plant species risk going extinct because the loss of birds and animals are affecting their ability to disperse seeds, warns a new study.

With more than of plants relying on animals to disperse their seeds, but with extinction and desertion of what used to be prime habitats on the rise, the fate of many plant species are in question.

In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers have gauged how biodiversity loss of birds and mammals will impact plants’ chances of adapting to human-induced climate warming.

Researchers have found the ability of plants to keep pace with climate change has been reduced by 60 percent due to the loss of mammals and birds around them.

Computer models drawing from thousands of field studies showed in some cases seed dispersal declined by 95 percent, even though they had lost only a few percent of their mammal and bird species.

The study showed seed-dispersal losses were especially severe in temperate regions across North America, Europe, South America and Australia.

If endangered species go extinct, tropical regions in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia would be most affected.

Dr. Evan Fricke, from Rice University, said: “Some plants live hundreds of years, and their only chance to move is during the short period when they're a seed moving across the landscape.

“If there are no animals available to eat their fruits or carry away their nuts, animal-dispersed plants aren’t moving very far.

“We found regions where climate-tracking seed dispersal declined by 95%, even though they’d lost only a few percent of their mammal and bird species.

“Biodiversity of seed-dispersing animals is key for the climate resilience of plants, which includes their ability to continue storing carbon and feeding people."

He added: “When we lose mammals and birds from ecosystems, we don’t just lose species. Extinction and habitat loss damage complex ecological networks.

"This study shows animal declines can disrupt ecological networks in ways that threaten the climate resilience of entire ecosystems that people rely upon.”

Professor Doug Levey, at Aarhus University, said: “In addition to the wake-up call that declines in animal species have vastly limited the ability of plants to adapt to climate change, this study beautifully demonstrates the power of complex analyses applied to huge, publicly available data.

"Large mammals and birds are particularly important as long-distance seed dispersers and have been widely lost from natural ecosystems.

“The research highlights the need to restore faunas to ensure effective dispersal in the face of rapid climate change.”

The study was published in the journal Science.