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Federico Morelli
LESSON TIPS
Biodiversity definition
Multidimensional approach to (bio)diversity
Different measures proposed to estimate the biodiversity
Taxonomic diversity
Functional diversity
Phylogenetic diversity
Anticipating the surrogacy concept: the bioindicators
BIODIVERSITY

Defining a complex concept

“Without biodiversity, there is no future for

humanity”
Prof David Macdonald, Oxford University
BIODIVERSITY

Defining a complex concept

“Biodiversity” is a term coined in 1985 as the contraction of “biological

diversity”.
Because is a complex concept, we need a multi-facet approach for a better
understanding (e.g. disentangling the components of species assemblages by
using taxonomic diversity, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity).
 BIODIVERSITY

The biodiversity is defined as ‘the variety of life

on Earth at all its levels, from genes to
ecosystems, and the ecological and evolutionary
processes that sustain it’ (Gaston & Spicer,
2004). Then, biodiversity is referred to the
diversity of genotypes, phenotypes, species,
populations, communities and ecosystems
(Walker, 1992; Gaston, 2000; Gotelli & Colwell,
2001). This plethora of dimensions or
components of biodiversity is assessed and
measured by many different indices and metrics.
NUMBER OF PLANT SPECIES

5
SPECIES DIVERSITY
Comm. 1

Comm. 2

Individual sp 1
Individual sp 2
Individual sp 3 Source: Krebs 2014.
SPECIES DIVERSITY
Comm. 1

Species Richness

Comm. 2

Individual sp 1
Individual sp 2
Individual sp 3 Source: Krebs 2014.
SPECIES DIVERSITY
Comm. 1

Individual
abundance

Comm. 2

Individual sp 1
Individual sp 2
Individual sp 3 Source: Krebs 2014.
SPECIES DIVERSITY
Comm. 1

Heterogeneity

Comm. 2
Higher Eve

Individual sp 1
Individual sp 2
Individual sp 3 Source: Krebs 2014.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THE STUDY
OF FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

In order to avoid some issues related to a strong positive correlation

between the most used functional diversity indices (FD index of Petchey
and Gaston) and species richness, multidimensional FD indices were
proposed (Mason et al., 2005; Villéger et al., 2008). The independent
functional diversity measures that each captures one of the three primary
components of overall functional diversity in a given assemblage of species.
 MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THE
STUDY OF FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

FUNCTIONAL RICHNESS
Functional Richness (FRic) represents the amount of functional space occupied
by a species assemblage
 MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THE
STUDY OF FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

FUNCTIONAL EVENNESS
Functional Evenness (FEve) indicate
how regular is the degree to which the
biomass of the species assemblage is
distributed in niche space to allow
effective utilisation of the entire range
of resources available
 MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THE
STUDY OF FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

FUNCTIONAL EVENNESS
Functional Evenness (FEve) indicate
how regular is the degree to which the
biomass of the species assemblage is
distributed in niche space to allow
effective utilisation of the entire range
of resources available
 MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THE
STUDY OF FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

FUNCTIONAL DIVERGENCE
Functional Divergence (FDiv) defines
how far high species abundances are from
the center of the functional space
Fric

Feve

FDiv
 MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THE
STUDY OF FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

RAO’S QUADRATIC ENTROPY

Rao’s quadratic entropy (Rao’s Q ) is a
measure of community-level dispersion of
species in functional trait space weighted
by their relative abundances. Rao’s Q is
not mathematically constrained to be
positively correlated with species
richness.
The ways to study the biodiversity: species
richness, taxonomic diversity, functional
diversity

Species generalist vs. species specialist

FD represents the functional differences among

species and captures the range, distribution and
abundance of trait values of species in a community.
A functional trait is any morphological, physiological,
phenological or behavioural characteristic of an
individual.
 BIOINDICATOR

THE CONCEPT OF SURROGACY OR PROXY IN NATURE

Species or organism particularly sensible to changes in the environment can be
used as bio-indicator to study or assess the ecological performance, functioning
or quality.
Species bioindicators can be used to monitoring the ecosystem health or
changes in the environment.
 BIOINDICATOR

THE CONCEPT OF SURROGACY OR PROXY IN NATURE

Principle of food chain position: top position as indicator
of ecosystem integrity
 BIOINDICATOR

THE CONCEPT OF SURROGACY OR PROXY IN NATURE

Principle of species sensitivity to biological processes: This tolerance/sensitivity
affords them sensitivity to indicate environmental changes.
Example: Caddisflies (Trichoptera) are insects with larvae common in all types of
water. The species is very sensitive to water pollution and then very useful as
bioindicator of water quality.
 BIOINDICATOR

THE CONCEPT OF SURROGACY OR PROXY IN NATURE

 ?

Bioindicator concept
TOP PREDATORS AND BIODIVERSITY

Sergio, Newton, Marchesi – Nature

2005
Tree richness Sp. Rich. Vul. Bird sp. richness RESULTS

Compared with the three types of control site,

locations occupied by top predators had greater
numbers and more diversity of avian
species, vulnerable avian species, butterfly
species and tree species

Random site

Breeding site
Sp. Rich. Protected
Top predators and biodiversity

Ecological
Integrity

Top predators

Ecosystem

Primary Secondary, Tertiary

Producers
Cons. Cons.

Trophic levels
 S
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Cuckoo vs. top predators as bioindicators
C. canorus
Cuckoo-call is associated with seasonal change (Hardy 1879)

The timing of the arrival of the cuckoos and the vigour of its calls
were also used as an indicator of the weather and the intensity of the
seasons (Lai 1998)

In literature and folklore, cuckoos are associated with many other bird
species (e.g., sparrows, magpies Pica pica, ravens Corvus corax)
(Hardy 1879; Sugar 1995)

Today, the cuckoo still occupies notoriety in songs, literature (Mulry

2009; Shakespeare) and it has attained iconic status in the cuckoo
clock

"Summer has come in / Loudly sing, Cuckoo!”

old English poem, 1240
From the human folklore to a prime
bioindicator….?
♀

♂
 Many cuckoo species
(as the Common
cuckoo) are known for
their obligate parasitic
behavior, laying its
eggs in the nests of
other birds specific
hosts for rearing their
offspring

The Brood Parasite

Identifying a nest

Stealing the host egg….

The Brood Parasite

Laying cuckoo’s egg…

…. And flying away….

The Brood Parasite

I am an early bird…

And I am very active, also cleaning the nest….

The Brood Parasite

Taking advantage of parental care .... from other species!

The Brood Parasite

The Brood Parasite
The Brood Parasite
The Brood Parasite
 Common cuckoo present a
mimicry with Eurasian
sparrowhawk (a predator), that
it's useful to access to the nest
of some potential hosts as
Eurasian reed warblers

The Hawk Mimic

Cuckoo vs. top predators as bioindicators

ADVANTAGES ADVANTAGES
Co-evolutive reasons Top of trophic chain
Many host species Presence of prey items
Widespread and habitat-generalist Presence of food for prey-items
Easy to be detected (very loud sp)
WEAKNESS
WEAKNESS Related to particular environments
In some cases can be strongly correlated (forest, farmlands or grasslands)
to particular host species (case with Wrablers) Sometimes too specific in diet
Not enough sensitive to changes in
Communities
No so «detectable»
Cuckoo vs. top predators as bioindicators

INDICATOR INDICATOR
Bird species richness Prey items abundance
Host species richness Ecosystem integrity
Functional diversity of bird community
Potentially indicator of invertebrates species
Potentially indicator of plant species
Ecosystem integrity and ecosystem resilience
(via Functional evenness)
…..
…..
Cuckoo as indicator of bird species richness
Main Results

The presence of the cuckoo was positively correlated with the

values of taxonomic diversity

The presence of the cuckoo was positively correlated with the

values of functional diversity (Fric, Feve)

The presence of the cuckoo was unrelated with the values of

community evolutionary distinctiveness of bird communities

The host species represent different levels of functional diversity in

bird communities, because they are broadly distributed and occupy
many niches for breeding and feeding
Main Results

The presence of the cuckoo was positively correlated with the

values of taxonomic diversity

The presence of the cuckoo was positively correlated with the

values of functional diversity (Fric, Feve)

The presence of the cuckoo was unrelated with the values of

community evolutionary distinctiveness of bird communities

The host species represent different levels of functional diversity in

bird communities, because they are broadly distributed and occupy
many niches for breeding and feeding
Why cuckoos indicate high bird species
richnes?
The host species represent
different levels of functional
diversity in bird communities,
because they are broadly
distributed and occupy many
niches for breeding and feeding

ANSWER: Biotic interactions

 Conservation purposes

Citizen
programs
Cuckoo Cultural
symbolism
occurrence Su
rro
0.55-0.85
0.76-0.90 g ate
(AUC)
(AUC)

Biodiversity
Host species 0.74-0.88
richness (AUC) Evolutionary
Distinctiveness
0.70 Functional
0.72 Diversity

Bird species 0.92 Phylogenetic

richness Diversity

Landscape Land use

heterogeneity diversity Drivers
Cuckoo as indicator
of environmental
quality: radiation level
in Fukushima and
Chernobyl
a)

b)
Cuckoo and citizen science programs: the new
frontier?
Cuckoo and citizen science programs: the new
frontier?
Cuckoo and citizen science programs: the new
frontier?
Cuckoo and citizen science programs: the new
frontier?

Cuckoo song
 Types of bioindicator and other species
FLAG SPECIES
Species for which it is easy to obtain resources for
conservation (i.e. pandas)

UMBRELLA SPECIES
Species whose conservation requires the protection of
very large areas and consequently by protecting this
species many others are protected (i.e. elephant)

KEY SPECIES
Species essential to maintain the existing balance in
a given ecological system (i.e. sea otter)

FOCAL SPECIES (Lambeck, 1997)

“A species, or a group of species that identify an area
of spatial and functional needs capable of effectively
understanding those of all the other species in the area
to be protected (...)”
BACK TO BIODIVERSITY…

Defining a complex concept

Taxonomic diversity: number of species
in a given assemblage

Functional diversity: assessing the

«role» of each species present in a given
assemblage

Phylogenetic diversity: considering the

evolutionary history of each species
present in a given assemblage
BIODIVERSITY

Defining a complex concept

 BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE
CHANGE
A LITERATURE REVIEW: Worldwide scientific papers published in peer-reviewed literature on
biodiversity (green) or climate change (brown) topics. (B) Public research funding in US and Canada
dedicated to biodiversity (green) or climate change (brown) issues (Legagneux et al. 2018 FEE)

Defining a complex concept

 BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE
CHANGE
Loss of Biodiversity and Climate
Change, two irreversible
environmental issues (Legagneux et
al. 2018 FEE)

Number of newspaper articles Defining a complex concept

published per month on biodiversity
(green) or climate change (brown)
issues in US, Canada, and UK.
Detected peaks (plain dots) and
associated events are shown. Events
that embraced both CC and BD
issues are written in bold
(Legagneux et al. 2018 FEE).
 BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE
CHANGE

We found that media coverage of

climate change was up to eight Defining a complex concept
times higher compared to
biodiversity. This discrepancy could
not be explained by different
scientific output between the two
issues (Legagneux et al. 2018 FEE).

• High popularization for “trendy”

concepts? Discrepancy!
• Lack of perception about the
importance of biodiversity!
• Role of popular science and
newspapers in conservation!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!