What determines the sensitivity of species to ecotoxicological disturbance

1
What determines the sensitivity of species to
ecotoxicological disturbance?
2
How to predict the response of species to human
impact?Classical approaches - Local
abundance rare species are sensitive- Species
life-history traits some species are more
exposed to a disturbance than others Novel
approach- Evolution rare species have
particular phylogenetic positions
Introduction
3
Taxon oribatid mites Disturbance insecticide
Dimilin
Introduction
4
Methods
Experiment
0 month
1 sample/ 2 months
10 months
?
?
?
28 months
5
Methods
Observation Redistribution of the mites from
litter to soil
?
Abundance
L
S
L
S
6
Methods
Interspecifc comparaisons Species differ in
sample size.
50
?
Abundance
L
S
L
S
Chi²-test p lt 0.01
7
Methods
Interspecific comparaisons Species differ in
sample size.
0.5
?
Abundance
L
S
L
S
Chi²-test p gt 0.2
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Methods
Interspecific comparaisons Solution concept of
effect size.
9
Methods
Interspecifc comparisons Species are
non-independent.
10
Methods
Interspecifc comparisons Solution concept of
phylogenetically independent contrasts.
Differences between sister taxa.
11
Results

• Are rare species more sensitive than common
  species? No!

r -0.43 p 0.14
Prinzing et al. 2000 Ecoscience
12
What determines the sensitivity of species to
disturbance ?
Conclusions

• Classical approaches
• 1. Not abundance!

13
Results
Does sensitivity depend on the life history of
species?

• generation time
• exposure to Dimilin due to diet fungi
• exposure to Dimilin due to spatial distribution
  preference for the litter

14
Yes diet!
Results
stand. coeff. -0.53 p 0.02
Prinzing et al. 2002 Soil Biology Biochemistry
15
What determines the sensitivity of species to
disturbance ?
Conclusions

• Classical approaches
• 1. Not abundance!
• 2. Certain life-history traits!

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Are there macroevolutionary trends? Across
species
Results
derived
basal
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Are there macroevolutionary trends? Across
species NO
Results
Derived
Basal
18
Are there macroevolutionary trends? Across
evolutionary events
Results
derived
basal
19
Results

• absolute phylogenetically independent
• contrasts

20
Are there macroevolutionary trends? Across
evolutionary events Yes
Results
Derived
Basal
21
What determines the sensitivity of species to
disturbance ?
Conclusions

• Classical approaches
• 1. Not abundance!
• 2. Certain life-history traits!
• Novel appraoch
• 3. Flexibility may evolve among phylogenetically
  derived species