Drivers of extinction : the case of Azorean beetles

Terzopoulou, Sofia; Rigal, François; Whittaker, Robert J.; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Triantis, Kostas A.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/4585

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Abstract(s)

Oceanic islands host a disproportionately high fraction of endangered or recently extinct endemic species. We report on species extinctions among endemic Azorean beetles following 97% habitat loss since AD 1440. We infer extinctions from historical and contemporary records and examine the influence of three predictors: geographical range, habitat specialization and body size. Of 55 endemic beetle species investigated (out of 63), seven can be considered extinct. Single-island endemics (SIEs) were more prone to extinction than multi-island endemics. Within SIEs restricted to native habitat, larger species were more extinction-prone. We thus show a hierarchical path to extinction in Azorean beetles: species with small geographical range face extinction first, with the larger bodied ones being the most threatened. Our study provides a clear warning of the impact of habitat loss on island endemic biotas.

Keywords

Azores Body Size Endemic Beetles Extinction Habitat Destruction Oceanic Islands

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/4585

Citation

Terzopoulou, S.; Rigal, F.; Whittaker, R.J.; Borges, P.A.V.; Triantis, K.A. (2015). Drivers of extinction: the case of Azorean beetles, "Biology Letters", 11(6), 20150273. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0273