Quantifying the evidence for ecological synergies
Abstract
There is increasing concern that multiple drivers of ecological change will interact synergistically to accelerate biodiversity loss. However, the prevalence and magnitude of these interactions remain one of the largest uncertainties in projections of future ecological change. We address this uncertainty by performing a meta-analysis of 112 published factorial experiments that evaluated the impacts of multiple stressors on animal mortality in freshwater, marine and terrestrial communities. We found that, on average, mortalities from the combined action of two stressors were not synergistic and this result was consistent across studies investigating different stressors, study organisms and life-history stages. Furthermore, only one-third of relevant experiments displayed truly synergistic effects, which does not support the prevailing ecological paradigm that synergies are rampant. However, in more than three-quarters of relevant experiments, the outcome of multiple stressor interactions was non-additive (i.e. synergies or antagonisms), suggesting that ecological surprises may be more common than simple additive effects.
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Numerous assessments convincingly demonstrate associations between multiple interacting stressors and declining functions of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
“Numerous assessments convincingly demonstrate the associations between multiple interacting stressors and declining functions of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems (Luoma et al. 2001; Darling and Côté 2008).”
From Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration (2021) · cites this paper as Darling and Côté 2008
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Lindo, Z., Whiteley, J., & Gonzalez, A. (2012) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02725.x · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration
Diefenderfer, H. L., Steyer, G. D., Harwell, M. C., LoSchiavo, A. J., Neckles, H. A., Burdick, D. M., Johnson, G. E., Buenau, K. E., Trujillo, E., Callaway, J. C., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1002/fee.2274 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Darling, E. S., & Côté, I. M.
- Affiliations
- Simon Fraser University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Darling, Emily S.
- Venue
- Ecology Letters
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-11-05
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1278-1286
- ISSN
- 1461-023X (ISSN-L)
- 1461-0248
- OpenAlex
- W2126188438
- Cited by
- 723
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 51 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 55 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 56 · 2016: 44 · 2015: 71 · 2014: 51 · 2013: 64 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 1.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Ecology Letters (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Natural Environment Research Council (NE/C004442/1)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Keywords
- multiple stressors, synergistic interaction, non-additive effects, animal death, biodiversity loss, factorial design, stressor interactions, freshwater communities, marine communities, life stages
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Environment, Models, Biological, Mortality, Stress, Physiological, Ecosystem
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