Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
10:23
A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
772
Secondary extinctions of biodiversity
Jedediah F Brodie1, Clare E Aslan2, Haldre S Rogers3
1Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada; Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|December 3, 2014
Summary
Species loss can trigger further extinctions, especially for specialists. Understanding these secondary extinction risks is crucial for effective conservation strategies and biodiversity protection.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Biodiversity Science
Background:
- Extinctions can cascade through ecological networks, leading to secondary extinction events.
- Species loss impacts interactors like mutualists, predators, prey, and hosts, disrupting ecosystem stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a conceptual model predicting secondary extinction likelihood based on species and community attributes.
- To identify factors that buffer or exacerbate extinction risk following partner loss.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual modeling approach.
- Analysis of species specialization and community structure.
- Consideration of evolutionary and ecological responses to partner loss.
Main Results:
- Specialized species, particularly 'cryptic specialists,' face higher secondary extinction risks.
- Inability to adapt or find new partners increases vulnerability.
- Multiple anthropogenic stressors can amplify extinction risk by overcoming ecological buffers.
- Interacting stressors can also offset each other, reducing risk—an underappreciated effect.
Conclusions:
- Secondary extinction risk is influenced by species traits and community composition.
- Conservation planning must account for indirect effects of species loss and multiple stressors.
- Further research is needed on the complex dynamics of secondary extinctions and stressor interactions.
Keywords:
co-extinctionconservation planningextinction debtfunctional redundancymutualismresiliencespecies interactionstrophic cascadeMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:50Threats to Biodiversity
27.9K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
27.9K
02:56The Fossil Record
28.6K
The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
28.6K
02:35What is Evolutionary History?
45.2K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
45.2K
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
22.1K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
22.1K
01:57What is Conservation Biology?
24.9K
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
24.9K
02:07Conservation of Declining Populations
13.7K
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
13.7K