Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Commonness, population depletion and conservation biology.

Kevin J Gaston1, Richard A Fuller

  • 1Biodiversity and Macroecology Group, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK. k.j.gaston@sheffield.ac.uk <k.j.gaston@sheffield.ac.uk>

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|November 27, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Breaking the intergenerational cycle of extinction of experience: Actions needed and pathways forward.

Cambridge prisms. Extinction·2026
Same author

When experience breeds variability: age-dependent movement diversity in a successful shorebird.

Movement ecology·2026
Same author

BehaveAI enables rapid detection and classification of objects and behavior from motion.

PLoS biology·2026
Same author

Mitigating the environmental and ecological impacts of evolving city-scale streetlighting installations.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same author

Severe and widespread reductions in night-time activity of nocturnal moths under modern artificial lighting spectra.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

An ecology fit for a crisis.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2025
Same journal

The emerging field of wild animal welfare science.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Integrating nutritional mutualists into the evolution of defense.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Formation of three great Asian plateaus, climate change, and biodiversity: (Trends Ecol. Evol. 40, 970-982; 2025).

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Digital twins as a tool for ecosystem research.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Constraint and convergence in the evolution of vertebrate sound production.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Is a comprehensive root economics space a chimera?

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
See all related articles

Conservation efforts often overlook common species, yet their significant declines disrupt ecosystems. This study highlights the need to monitor and address declines in abundant species to protect ecosystem health and services.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Conservation Biology
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Current species conservation primarily focuses on species facing imminent extinction, prioritizing those with small populations or limited ranges.
  • Recent research underscores the critical role of common species in maintaining ecosystem structure, function, and services.
  • Even minor proportional declines in abundant species can lead to substantial losses in individual numbers and biomass, impacting ecosystems significantly.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To advocate for a shift in conservation focus to include the monitoring and management of declines in once-common species.
  • To highlight the ecological consequences of significant depletions in abundant species.
  • To complement existing conservation strategies centered on extinction risk by addressing population declines in common species.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent ecological research on the importance of common species.
  • Analysis of evidence demonstrating dramatic declines in formerly abundant species.
  • Conceptual framework for integrating the monitoring and alleviation of depletion events for common species into conservation practice.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests that significant declines in common species are occurring.
  • These declines, though potentially small proportionally, represent large absolute losses with substantial ecosystem impacts.
  • Existing conservation practices may be insufficient to address the ecological disruption caused by the depletion of common species.

Conclusions:

  • Conservation strategies must expand to include the identification, monitoring, and mitigation of significant depletions in common species.
  • Addressing declines in abundant species is crucial for maintaining ecosystem integrity, function, and services.
  • A dual focus on extinction risk and the depletion of common species is necessary for effective, holistic conservation.