Habitat-specific trends in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in European plant communities over a century.
Kambach S, Jandt U, Acosta ATR, Álvarez-Martínez JM, Axmanová I
Biodiversity Change
The wildflowers and rushes in your nearest bog or wetland park are disappearing fastest, replaced by tough generalist weeds that can live anywhere — meaning the unique, irreplaceable plants that make those places special are quietly vanishing even as overall species counts tick upward.
Scientists tracked which plants were growing where across Europe over the past 100 years, using nearly 60,000 survey records. They found that, on average, plant communities have more species than before — but the new arrivals are often invasive plants from other continents or common generalist species that thrive anywhere. The rare, habitat-specific plants that make places like bogs and wetlands unique are being squeezed out, even though the headline species count looks fine.
Key Findings
Plant communities gained an average of 0.2% more species per year and 0.7% more vegetation cover per year over the past 100 years across Europe.
Gains in species richness were accompanied by increases in non-native (invasive) species and generalist species, while specialist species declined — a pattern called 'biotic homogenization.'
Mire and wetland habitats showed the most dramatic diversity changes, and habitat type plus disturbance history explained up to 36.6% of variation in diversity trends across sites.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A massive 100-year study of nearly 57,000 European plant communities found that local plant diversity has generally increased — more species, more functional variety — but these gains come with troubling trade-offs: more invasive non-native species and more generalists crowding out specialists, with the biggest changes hitting wetlands and mires hardest.
Abstract Preview
Despite widespread concern over global biodiversity loss, the balance between gains and losses within local plant communities remains contentious, largely due to a scarcity of integrative, long-ter...
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