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The Loss of Foundation Species Revisited
Allyson L.
1,
Degrassi †,
Steven
2
Brantley ,
Carrie R.
3
Levine ,
Robert J.
4
Miller ,
Jacqueline
5
Mohan ,
Sydne
6
Record ,
and Aaron M.
7
Ellison
†[email protected]
1 Department of Biology, University of Vermont, 120 Marsh Life Science, Burlington VT 05468 USA; 2 Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, 3Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California,
Berkeley, 4 Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara; 5 Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia Athens; 6 Department of Biology, Bryn Mawr College; 7 Harvard University, Harvard Forest
INTRODUCTION
Concept Defined?
• Ecologists and environmental scientists often prioritize research
efforts with conservation importance and dominant, widespread, or
locally abundant species, such as foundation species, at low risk of
extinction receive relatively little attention unless they are invasive.
• Foundation species are distinct from these other types of species,
because they also have unique sets of traits.
Role Identified?
Species Identified?
Threat Identified?
Studied Where?
Studied Influenced?
RESULTS
378 papers cited Ellison et al. 2005
from 2005-2014
1. Ellison et a. 2005
NO
43%
Concept Defined?
57%
2. Other
YES
X2 = 284.27
df = 4, P<0.001
NO
3. Both
4. Dayton 1972
50%
50%
Studied?
YES
X 2 = 0.00
df = 1, P = 1.0
YES
OBJECTIVE
• To examine research following a suggestion to identify and study
foundation species while they were still common and not threatened.
Role Identified?
Threat Identified?
X 2 = 18.75,
df = 3, P<0.001
X 2 = 16.08,
df = 5, P < 0.01
80%
20%
NO
YES
83%
1. Invasive
2. Climate
3. Disease
1. Community
2. Both
3. Ecosystem
17%
NO
4. Habitat Loss
5. Exploitation
CONCLUSION
Studied Influenced by Ellison et al. 2005?
METHODS
LTER 2012
Foundation Species
Working Group
Citation Analysis
“Loss of Foundation
Species”
(Ellison et al. 2005)
Were suggestions
followed?
Marginally
Strongly
Moderately
43%
30%
27%
X 2 = 13.03
df = 2, P < 0.01
1. Contemporary authors who cite key papers defining a foundation
species (FS) pay little attention to its actual definition.
2. Species were rarely identified as FS.
3. Less research is focused on identifying FS before they are threatened.
4. Invasive species were identified as the most common threat.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work is the result of a Foundation Species Working Group (“Foundation Species in North America”)
organized at the 2012 Long-Term Ecological Research-All Science Meeting (LTER-ASM) in Estes Park,
CO.