As bird species face global threats of mass extinction, the traits that make them unique are also at risk of rapid disappearance. This homogenization will set off a domino effect of consequences for other members of these ecosystems, including humans.
As more and more bird species are threatened by extinction in today’s changing climate, the traits that make them unique are at risk of rapid disappearance.
To determine this, Hughes and her fellow researchers analyzed a set of continuous morphological traits from 8,455 bird species found in museum collections, the study states. Then, they methodically removed species in order from most to least at risk of extinction. “Vultures, as large-bodied, obligate scavengers, fill distinct areas of morphospace,” Hughes said. “Vultures provide vital ecosystem services by removing decaying carcasses, which could otherwise increase the direct transmission of infectious diseases.”
“Species extinctions will lead to a major loss of ecological strategies and functions, with important ramifications for humans as ecosystem services are lost; for example, seed dispersal [and] carrion removal,” she said.
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