The DOI matches its Crossref record; 164 of the 164 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 6 of the 136 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
Defaunation in the Anthropocene
Open accessAbstract
We live amid a global wave of anthropogenically driven biodiversity loss: species and population extirpations and, critically, declines in local species abundance. Particularly, human impacts on animal biodiversity are an under-recognized form of global environmental change. Among terrestrial vertebrates, 322 species have become extinct since 1500, and populations of the remaining species show 25% average decline in abundance. Invertebrate patterns are equally dire: 67% of monitored populations show 45% mean abundance decline. Such animal declines will cascade onto ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Much remains unknown about this “Anthropocene defaunation”; these knowledge gaps hinder our capacity to predict and limit defaunation impacts. Clearly, however, defaunation is both a pervasive component of the planet’s sixth mass extinction and also a major driver of global ecological change.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
6 of 136 cited sources checked · 5 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Across vertebrates, 16% to 33% of all species are estimated to be globally threatened or endangered (17,18)”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Defaunation: a pervasive phenomenon
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [17] 17. IUCN, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species <www.iucnredlist.org> (2013)
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Supportedcites [18] 18. M. Hoffmann et al., Science 330, 1503 (2010). source
The “Status, trends, and threats” section states that, accounting for uncertainty from Data Deficient species, between 16% and 33% of all vertebrate species are classified as Threatened. This directly supports the cited estimate. (LLM, conf=0.95)
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Not matched
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“The long-established major proximate drivers of wildlife population decline and extinction in terrestrial ecosystems, namely overexploitation, habitat destruction, and impacts from invasive species remain pervasive (18).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Multiple, unaddressed drivers of defaunation
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [18] 18. M. Hoffmann et al., Science 330, 1503 (2010). source
The opening summary (p. 1503) identifies agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, and invasive alien species as main drivers of biodiversity loss among mammals, birds, and amphibians. The “Confronting threats” section adds that conservation has not yet offset any major driver of increased extinction risk. Agricultural expansion and logging substantiate the claim’s reference to habitat destruction. (LLM, conf=0.93)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Supported
The sources with a verdict support this claim; the rest weren’t checked yet, have no full text we could read, or their verdicts aren’t rated yet.
In the paper
“None of these major drivers have been effectively mitigated at the global scale (14,18).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Multiple, unaddressed drivers of defaunation
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [14] 14. S. H. Butchart et al., Science 328, 1164 (2010). source
- Supportedcites [18] 18. M. Hoffmann et al., Science 330, 1503 (2010). source
In “Confronting threats” (page not supplied), the paper says that deteriorations outnumber improvements for every threat assessed and concludes that conservation has not yet offset any major driver of increased extinction risk. This supports the claim at the global scale, within the paper’s scope of vertebrate extinction risk. (LLM, conf=0.93)
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesThe cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“the effects of defaunation will be much less about the loss of absolute diversity than about local shifts in species compositions and functional groups within a community (80).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [80] 80. M. Dornelas et al., Science 344, 296 (2014). sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Conclusions (page not available) describe the replacement of large herbivores by smaller mammals and arthropods, and the ‘Effects of large mammals on small mammals’ section reports changes in vegetation and consumer abundance. These support local shifts in the community, but the paper does not establish that such shifts matter more than losses of absolute diversity or make a general comparison of the two effects of defaunation. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“and few major human pathogens seem to fit the criteria that would make such a relationship pervasive (71).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Water quality.
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [71] 71. C. L. Wood, K. D. Lafferty, G. DeLeo, H. S. Young, A. M. Kuris, Ecology 95, 817http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/13-1041.1 (2014). source
In “Predicting the Biodiversity–Disease Relationship” (page not available), the authors project that biodiversity would reduce the prevalence of only 12% of the infectious disease species they assessed. They conclude that negative biodiversity–disease relationships may be relatively uncommon, supporting the citing sentence’s hedged claim. Their assessment covers common pathogenic human protozoan and metazoan parasites, not viruses or bacteria. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“However, the impacts of defaunation on disease are far from straightforward (71)”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Water quality.
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [71] 71. C. L. Wood, K. D. Lafferty, G. DeLeo, H. S. Young, A. M. Kuris, Ecology 95, 817http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/13-1041.1 (2014). source
The Introduction says that biodiversity loss is likely to produce both “winners and losers” among parasites. “Where Do We Go From Here?” adds that the biodiversity–disease relationship may be nonlinear and either positive or negative. These passages support the claim that the disease effects of defaunation are not straightforward; page numbers were not provided. (LLM, conf=0.92)
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Supported
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“Of a conservatively estimated 5-9 million animal species on the planet, we are likely losing ~11,000 to 58,000 species annually (15,16).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Defaunation: a pervasive phenomenon
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [15] 15. C. Mora, A. Rollo, D. P. Tittensor, Science 493, 295 (2013).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites [16] 16. B. R. Scheffers, L. N. Joppa, S. L. Pimm, W. F. Laurance, Trends Ecol. Evol. 27, 501 (2012).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Not matched
In the paper
“with populations of many iconic species such as elephant (Fig S1B) rapidly declining towards extinction (19).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Defaunation: a pervasive phenomenon
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [19] 19. Materials and methods are available in the Supplementary Materials.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Not matched
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“Among terrestrial vertebrates 322 species have become extinct since 1500, while populations of the remaining species show 25% average decline in abundance.”
- Also stated in: § Defaunation: a pervasive phenomenon · plain
“Across vertebrates, 16% to 33% of all species are estimated to be globally threatened or endangered (17,18), and at least 322 vertebrate species have become extinct since 1500 (a date representative of onset of the recent wave of extinction, as formal definition of the start of the Anthropocene still being debated) (17,19,20) (Table S1).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [17] 17. IUCN, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species <www.iucnredlist.org> (2013)
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites [19] 19. Materials and methods are available in the Supplementary Materials.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites [20] 20. G. Ceballos, A. García, P. R. Ehrlich, J. Cosmol. 8, 1821 (2010).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The year 1500 is a representative starting point for the recent wave of extinction.
- Also stated in: § Defaunation: a pervasive phenomenon · plain
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Invertebrate patterns are equally dire: 67% of monitored populations show 45% mean abundance decline.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes? Based: unclear
- It may state two separate claims as one. 24
- Probably not a substantial claim. 8
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In our evaluation of mammals (1437 species) and birds (4263 species), the number of species per 10,000 km 2 in decline (IUCN population status “decreasing”) varied across regions from a few to 75 in mammals and 125 in birds (Fig 2), with highest numbers in tropical regions.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Patterns of defaunation
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Of all insects with IUCN documented population trends, 33% are declining, with strong variation among Orders 19).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [19] 19. Materials and methods are available in the Supplementary Materials.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“counts of threatened species do not necessarily translate into extinction risk, much less ecological impact (13).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [13] 13. A. Ø. Mooers, D. P. Faith, W. P. Maddison, PloS one 3, e3700 (2008).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“These extinctions altered ecosystem processes and disturbance regimes at continental scales, triggering cascades of extinction thought to still reverberate today (3,4).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [3] 3. C. E. Doughty, A. Wolf, Y. Malhi, Nat. Geosci. 6, 761 (2013).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [4] 4. J. L. Gill et al., Science 326, 1100 (2009). source
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“Similar to other mass extinction events, the effects of this”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [2] 2. M. Cardillo et al., P. Roy. Soc. Lond. B. Bio. 275, 1441 (2008).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Clearly, however, defaunation is both a pervasive component of the planet's sixth mass extinction, and also a major driver of global ecological change.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Much remains unknown about this”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Loss of invertebrate biodiversity has received much less attention and data are extremely limited.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Defaunation: a pervasive phenomenon
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“We live amidst a global wave of anthropogenically driven biodiversity loss: species and population extirpations and, critically, declines in local species abundance.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“some animal species are able to persist in highly modified habitats”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Abstract
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Moreover, several newer threats have recently emerged, most notably anthropogenic climate disruption, which will likely soon compete with habitat loss as the most important driver of defaunation (44).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Multiple, unaddressed drivers of defaunation
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [44] 44. O. E. Sala et al., Science 287, 1770 (2000). source
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“While most declining species are affected by multiple stressors, we still have a poor understanding of the complex ways in which these drivers interact, and of feedback loops that may exist (7,11).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Multiple, unaddressed drivers of defaunation
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [7] 7. A. D. Barnosky et al., Nature 486, 52 (2012). source
- Not matchedcites [11] 11. B. W. Brook, N. S. Sodhi, C. J. Bradshaw, Trends Ecol. Evol. 23, 453 (2008).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“While defaunation is a global pattern, geographic distribution patterns are also decidedly non-random (28).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Patterns of defaunation
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [28] 28. S. Pimm et al., Science 344, 1246752 (2014). source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“However, increasingly sophisticated approaches help to predict which species are likely to be at risk, and to map latent extinction risk (38), holding great promise both for managing defaunation and identifying likely patterns of ecological impact (39).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Patterns of defaunation
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [38] 38. M. Cardillo, G. M. Mace, J. L. Gittleman, A. Purvis, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103, 4157 (2006).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites [39] 39. H. Hillebrand, B. Matthiessen, Ecol. Lett. 12, 1405 (2009).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“For instance, among vertebrates, more amphibians (41%) are currently considered threatened than birds (17%), with mammals and reptiles experiencing intermediate threat levels (27).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Patterns of defaunation
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [27] 27. J. Schipper et al., Science 322, 225 (2008). source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“However, these 'extinction models' have made little impact on conservation management, in part because trait correlations are often idiosyncratic and context dependent (31).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Patterns of defaunation
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [31] 31. M. Cardillo, E. Meijaard, Trends Ecol. Evol. 27, 167 (2012).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Ironically, the cryptic nature of defaunation has strong potential to soon become very non-cryptic, rivaling the impact of many other forms of global change in terms of loss of ecosystem services essential for human well-being.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“we need to focus on predicting the systematic patterns of winners and losers in the Anthropocene and identify the traits that characterize them, as this will provide information on the patterns and the links to function that we can then act upon.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“we emphasize that defaunation is about much more than species loss.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“However, most efforts to quantify this relationship have focused largely on effects of reduced producer diversity, which may typically have much lower functional impacts than does consumer loss (49,50).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Consequences of defaunation
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [49] 49. J. Reiss, J. R. Bridle, J. M. Montoya, G. Woodward, Trends Ecol. Evol. 24, 505 (2009).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [50] 50. B. J. Cardinale et al., Nature 486, 59 (2012). source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Ongoing declines in populations of animals such as nematodes, beetles, or bats, are considerably less evident to humans”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Ultimately, both reduced and more evenly distributed global resource consumption will be necessary to sustainably change ongoing trends in defaunation and, hopefully, eventually open the door to refaunation.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Continued human population growth and increasingly uneven per-capita consumption ultimately drive all these threats.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“yet arguably are more functionally important”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
In the paper
“One recent study in Madagascar suggested that loss of wildlife as a food source will increase anemia by 30%, leading to increased mortality, morbidity and learning difficulties (66).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Water quality.
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [66] 66. C. D. Golden et al., P. Natl. Acad. Sci. 108, 19653 (2011).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: In many parts of the world, wild animal food sources are a critical part of the diet, particularly for the poor.
- Not matched
In the paper
“Insect pollination, needed for 75% of all the world's food crops, is estimated to be worth ~10% of the economic value of the world's entire food supply (52).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Impacts on ecosystem functions and services
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [52] 52. N. Gallai, J.-M. Salles, J. Settele, B. E. Vaissière, Ecological Economics 68, 810 (2009).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“Similarly, declines in bird pollinators in New Zealand led to strong pollen limitation, ultimately reducing seed production and population regeneration (55) (Fig 5H).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Impacts on ecosystem functions and services
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [55] 55. S. H. Anderson et al., Science 331, 1068 (2011). source
Strength:boosted· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This review indicates that a widespread and pervasive defaunation crisis, with farreaching consequences, is upon us.”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Large animals, including ungulates, hippos, and crocodiles, prevent formation of anoxic zones through agitation and affect water movement through trampling (64).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Water quality.
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [64] 64. J. P. Wright, C. G. Jones, A. S. Flecker, Oecologia 132, 96 (2002).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“For instance, global declines in amphibian populations increase algae and fine detritus biomass, reduce nitrogen uptake, and greatly reduce whole stream respiration (Fig 5E; (63)).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Water quality.
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [63] 63. M. Whiles et al., Ecosystems 16, 146 (2013). source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Large wildlife removal also causes major effects on ecosystem functions and services (Panel D), including changes to fire intensity (Fi); cattle production in both dry (C-D) and wet seasons (C-W); disease prevalence (D); infectivity of arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF); photosynthetic rates (Ph); and transpiration rates (TR).”
§ Defaunation in the Anthropocene > Synthesis and ways forward
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [81] 81. F. Keesing, T. P. Young, Bioscience 64, 487 (2014).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
The paper relies on this without support.
The year 1500 is a representative starting point for the recent wave of extinction.
“(a date representative of onset of the recent wave of extinction, as formal definition of the start of the Anthropocene still being debated)”
The paper relies on this without support.
In many parts of the world, wild animal food sources are a critical part of the diet, particularly for the poor.
“In many parts of the world, wild animal food sources are a critical part of the diet, particularly for the poor.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The indirect evolutionary effects of defaunation on species not directly impacted by human defaunation are still poorly studied.
“Still poorly studied are the indirect evolutionary effects of defaunation on other species, not directly impacted by human defaunation.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Arthropod pests are responsible for 8-15% of the losses in most major food crops.
“For example, arthropod pests are responsible for 8-15% of the losses in most major food crops.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Continued human population growth and increasingly uneven per-capita consumption ultimately drive all these threats.
“continued human population growth and increasingly uneven per-capita consumption, which ultimately drive all these threats”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“the literature reflects broad agreement among environmental scientists that biases lead to underestimating the number of species that have gone extinct in the past few centuries”
From Accelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction (2015) · cites this paper as [8]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Hundreds of species and myriad populations are being driven to extinction every year (1–8).”
From Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines (2017) · cites this paper as [2]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“A growing body of evidence indicates that current species extinction rates are higher than the pre-human background rate (8–15)”
From Accelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction (2015) · cites this paper as [8]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“This suggests that, even if there was not ample sign that the crisis extends far beyond that group of animals, today’s planetary defaunation of vertebrates will itself promote cascading catastrophic effects on ecosystems, worsening the annihilation of nature (2, 3, 46).”
From Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines (2017) · cites this paper as [2]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“In sum, by losing populations (and species) of vertebrates, we are losing intricate ecological networks involving animals, plants, and microorganisms (e.g., refs. 2, 8, 18, 45, 46).”
From Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines (2017) · cites this paper as [2]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“However, given that such medium and large species are the most seriously threatened by the predominant proximate drivers of defaunation (2, 3), the likely bias against small-sized species should not affect our overall interpretation of results.”
From Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines (2017) · cites this paper as [2]
In the citing paper
“Fourth, species at the brink have been pushed to a critical conservation status because of human activities, where habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal trade, overexploitation, introduced domestic and wild species, toxification, and pollution have played a major role (10, 13–15, 30, 46, 52, 53).”
From Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction (2020) · cites this paper as [14]
In the citing paper
“They occur mostly in heavily populated regions such as tropical Asia, where major ongoing biodiversity losses are well known (10, 13–15, 30, 46, 52, 53).”
From Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction (2020) · cites this paper as [14]
In the citing paper
“More recently, climate disruption is becoming a major cause of species endangerment (10, 11, 14–17).”
From Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction (2020) · cites this paper as [14]
In the citing paper
“Thus, moving onto the brink is an important part of the process of defaunation (14).”
From Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction (2020) · cites this paper as [14]
In the citing paper
“However, the number of studies on insect trends with sufficient replication and spatial coverage are limited [10, 23–25] and restricted to certain well-studied taxa.”
From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“Many top predators are both overexploited and strong controllers of nutrient cycling, water quality and other ecosystem services9,77,80–82.”
From Linking the influence and dependence of people on biodiversity across scales (2017) · cites this paper as [82]
In the citing paper
“Increasingly, the simple theoretical prediction that fragmentation reduces species richness is being modified to account for species identity through models that focus on how species vary in their traits (4, 21, 36, 48, 57, 58).”
From Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth’s ecosystems (2015) · cites this paper as [58]
In the citing paper
“Most forms of global change known to reduce population sizes and biodiversity will be exacerbated by fragmentation (58, 60), including climate change (61), invasive species (62, 63), hunting (64), pollution [including light, noise, and chemicals (65)], and altered disturbance regimes (66).”
From Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth’s ecosystems (2015) · cites this paper as [58]
Citations
Cites
Global Biodiversity Scenarios for the Year 2100
Sala, O. E., Stuart Chapin, F., III, Armesto, J. J., Berlow, E., Bloomfield, J., Dirzo, R., Huber-Sanwald, E., Huenneke, L. F., Jackson, R. B., et al. (2000) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.287.5459.1770 · Cited by 9,280
Self-citationBiodiversity loss and its impact on humanity
Cardinale, B. J., Duffy, J. E., Gonzalez, A., Hooper, D. U., Perrings, C., Venail, P., Narwani, A., Mace, G. M., Tilman, D., Wardle, D. A., et al. (2012) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature11148 · Cited by 7,457
Global pollinator declines: trends, impacts and drivers
Potts, S. G., Biesmeijer, J. C., Kremen, C., Neumann, P., Schweiger, O., & Kunin, W. E. (2010) · Trends in Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.tree.2010.01.007 · Cited by 6,458
OERKE, E.-C. (2006) · The Journal of Agricultural Science · doi:10.1017/s0021859605005708 · Cited by 5,283
Global Biodiversity: Indicators of Recent Declines
Butchart, S. H. M., Walpole, M., Collen, B., van Strien, A., Scharlemann, J. P. W., Almond, R. E. A., Baillie, J. E. M., Bomhard, B., Brown, C., Bruno, J., et al. (2010) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1187512 · Cited by 4,892
Self-citationHas the Earth’s sixth mass extinction already arrived?
Barnosky, A. D., Matzke, N., Tomiya, S., Wogan, G. O. U., Swartz, B., Quental, T. B., Marshall, C., McGuire, J. L., Lindsey, E. L., Maguire, K. C., et al. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature09678 · Cited by 4,400
Trophic Downgrading of Planet Earth
Estes, J. A., Terborgh, J., Brashares, J. S., Power, M. E., Berger, J., Bond, W. J., Carpenter, S. R., Essington, T. E., Holt, R. D., Jackson, J. B. C., et al. (2011) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1205106 · Cited by 4,087
Status and Ecological Effects of the World’s Largest Carnivores
Ripple, W. J., Estes, J. A., Beschta, R. L., Wilmers, C. C., Ritchie, E. G., Hebblewhite, M., Berger, J., Elmhagen, B., Letnic, M., Nelson, M. P., et al. (2014) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1241484 · Cited by 3,667
The biodiversity of species and their rates of extinction, distribution, and protection
Pimm, S. L., Jenkins, C. N., Abell, R., Brooks, T. M., Gittleman, J. L., Joppa, L. N., Raven, P. H., Roberts, C. M., & Sexton, J. O. (2014) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1246752 · Cited by 3,542
Parallel Declines in Pollinators and Insect-Pollinated Plants in Britain and the Netherlands
Biesmeijer, J. C., Roberts, S. P. M., Reemer, M., Ohlemüller, R., Edwards, M., Peeters, T., Schaffers, A. P., Potts, S. G., Kleukers, R., Thomas, C. D., et al. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1127863 · Cited by 3,189
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 7
- Mora C., Rollo A., Tittensor D. P., Science 443, 295 (2013).
- Ceballos G., García A., Ehrlich P. R., J. Cosmol. 8, 1821 (2010).
- Myers N., Int. Wildl. 5, 5 (1975).
- 10.1017/S0030605300032105 · DOI
- Aebischer N., Potts G., Methods 38, 4 (1990).
- Moore N., Odonatologica 20, 203 (1991).
- Lyons S. K., Smith F. A., Brown J. H., Evol. Ecol. Res. 6, 339 (2004).
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth’s ecosystems
Haddad, N. M., Brudvig, L. A., Clobert, J., Davies, K. F., Gonzalez, A., Holt, R. D., Lovejoy, T. E., Sexton, J. O., Austin, M. P., Collins, C. D., et al. (2015) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500052 · Cited by 4,773
“Increasingly, the simple theoretical prediction that fragmentation reduces species richness is being modified to account for species identity through models that focus on how species vary in their traits ( 4 , 21 , 36 , 48 , 57 , 58 ).”
BackgroundAccelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction
Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P. R., Barnosky, A. D., García, A., Pringle, R. M., & Palmer, T. M. (2015) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.1400253 · Cited by 4,220
Self-citationMore than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas
Hallmann, C. A., Sorg, M., Jongejans, E., Siepel, H., Hofland, N., Schwan, H., Stenmans, W., Müller, A., Sumser, H., Hörren, T., et al. (2017) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0185809 · Cited by 3,499
Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers
Sánchez-Bayo, F., & Wyckhuys, K. A. G. (2019) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2019.01.020 · Cited by 3,462
Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P. R., & Dirzo, R. (2017) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1704949114 · Cited by 2,663
“This suggests that, even if there was not ample sign that the crisis extends far beyond that group of animals, today’s planetary defaunation of vertebrates will itself promote cascading catastrophic effects on ecosystems, worsening the annihilation of nature (2, 3, 46).”
BackgroundSelf-citationDecline of the North American avifauna
Rosenberg, K. V., Dokter, A. M., Blancher, P. J., Sauer, J. R., Smith, A. C., Smith, P. A., Stanton, J. C., Panjabi, A. O., Helft, L., Parr, M. J., et al. (2019) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aaw1313 · Cited by 2,266
Environmental DNA – An emerging tool in conservation for monitoring past and present biodiversity
Thomsen, P. F., & Willerslev, E. (2015) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2014.11.019 · Cited by 2,082
Insect decline in the Anthropocene: Death by a thousand cuts
Wagner, D. L., Grames, E. M., Forister, M. L., Berenbaum, M. R., & Stopak, D. (2021) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2023989118 · Cited by 2,051
How Should Beta-Diversity Inform Biodiversity Conservation?
Socolar, J. B., Gilroy, J. J., Kunin, W. E., & Edwards, D. P. (2016) · Trends in Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.tree.2015.11.005 · Cited by 1,414
Insect Declines in the Anthropocene
Wagner, D. L. (2019) · Annual Review of Entomology · doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-025151 · Cited by 1,442
“(34) analyzed more than 90 million occurrence records for four orders of UK insects: Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, and Odonata.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialArthropod decline in grasslands and forests is associated with landscape-level drivers
Seibold, S., Goßner, M. M., Simons, N. K., Blüthgen, N., Müller, J. C., Ambarlı, D., Ammer, C., Bauhus, J., Fischer, M., Habel, J. C., et al. (2019) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1684-3 · Cited by 1,333
Marine defaunation: Animal loss in the global ocean
McCauley, D. J., Pinsky, M. L., Palumbi, S. R., Estes, J. A., Joyce, F. H., & Warner, R. R. (2015) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1255641 · Cited by 1,305
“of “empty forests” where ecological extinctions of forest fauna alter tree recruitment, reshape plant dispersal, and cause population explosions of small mammals (1, 20, 21).”
InfluentialThe influence of human disturbance on wildlife nocturnality
Gaynor, K. M., Hojnowski, C. E., Carter, N., & Brashares, J. S. (2018) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aar7121 · Cited by 1,307
Collapse of the world’s largest herbivores
Ripple, W. J., Newsome, T. M., Wolf, C., Dirzo, R., Everatt, K. T., Galetti, M., Hayward, M. W., Kerley, G. I. H., Levi, T., Lindsey, P. A., et al. (2015) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.1400103 · Cited by 1,229
Self-citationUpham, N. S., Esselstyn, J. A., & Jetz, W. (2019) · PLoS Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000494 · Cited by 1,235
Meta-analysis reveals declines in terrestrial but increases in freshwater insect abundances
van Klink, R., Bowler, D. E., Gongalsky, K. B., Swengel, A. B., Gentile, A., & Chase, J. M. (2020) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aax9931 · Cited by 1,219
The exceptional value of intact forest ecosystems
Watson, J. E. M., Evans, T., Venter, O., Williams, B. A., TULLOCH, A. I. T., Stewart, C., Thompson, I. D., Ray, J. C., Murray, K. A., Salazar, Á., et al. (2018) · Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-018-0490-x · Cited by 1,279
McKinley, D. C., Miller-Rushing, A., Ballard, H. L., Bonney, R. E., Brown, H., Cook‐Patton, S. C., Evans, D. M., French, R. A., Parrish, J. K., Phillips, T., et al. (2016) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.05.015 · Cited by 1,256
Biodiversity losses and conservation responses in the Anthropocene
Johnson, C. N., Balmford, A. P., Brook, B. W., Buettel, J. C., Galetti, M., Guangchun, L., & Wilmshurst, J. M. (2017) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aam9317 · Cited by 1,115
Self-citationHuman–Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence
Nyhus, P. J. (2016) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-110615-085634 · Cited by 1,149
“Hundreds of terrestrial and marine vertebrate species have become extinct in recorded history, and populations of many remaining species have declined in abundance (19).”
BackgroundBeyond species loss: the extinction of ecological interactions in a changing world
Valiente‐Banuet, A., Aizen, M. A., Alcántara, J. M., Arroyo, J., Cocucci, A. A., Galetti, M., Garcia, M. B., Garcı́a, D., Gómez, J. M., Jordano, P., et al. (2014) · Functional Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12356 · Cited by 1,010
“…thus a major but often neglected component of biodiversity that needs to be considered in order to assess the ‘health’ of ecosystems and to define critical indicators providing early diagnosis of environmental problems (Tylianakis et al. 2010; Aizen, Sabatino & Tylianakis 2012; Dirzo et al. 2014).”
Self-citationVertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction
Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P. R., & Raven, P. H. (2020) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1922686117 · Cited by 926
“The effects of extinctions will worsen in the coming decades, as losses of functional units, redundancy, and genetic and cultural variability change entire ecosystems (14, 23, 24).”
InfluentialSelf-citationThe Sixth Mass Extinction: fact, fiction or speculation?
Cowie, R. H., Bouchet, P., & Fontaine, B. (2022) · Biological Reviews · doi:10.1111/brv.12816 · Cited by 874
Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass
Elhacham, E., Ben-Uri, L., Grozovski, J., Bar‐On, Y. M., & Milo, R. (2020) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-020-3010-5 · Cited by 961
Scientists' warning to humanity on insect extinctions
Cardoso, P., Barton, P. S., Birkhofer, K., Chichorro, F., Deacon, C., Fartmann, T., Fukushima, C. S., Gaigher, R., Habel, J. C., Hallmann, C. A., et al. (2020) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108426 · Cited by 926
Boivin, N. L., Zeder, M. A., Fuller, D. Q., Crowther, A., Larson, G., Erlandson, J. M., Denham, T., & Petraglia, M. D. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1525200113 · Cited by 837
Agricultural intensification and climate change are rapidly decreasing insect biodiversity
Raven, P. H., & Wagner, D. L. (2021) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2002548117 · Cited by 892
Linking the influence and dependence of people on biodiversity across scales
Isbell, F., Gonzalez, A., Loreau, M., Cowles, J., Díaz, S., Hector, A., Mace, G. M., Wardle, D. A., O'Connor, M. I., Duffy, J. E., et al. (2017) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature22899 · Cited by 745
The interaction of human population, food production, and biodiversity protection
Crist, E., Mora, C., & Engelman, R. (2017) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aal2011 · Cited by 733
The future of hyperdiverse tropical ecosystems
Barlow, J., França, F. M., Gardner, T. A., Hicks, C. C., Lennox, G. D., Berenguer, É., Castello, L., Economo, E. P., Ferreira, J., Guénard, B., et al. (2018) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0301-1 · Cited by 764
Shifting baseline syndrome: causes, consequences, and implications
Soga, M., & Gaston, K. J. (2018) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1002/fee.1794 · Cited by 778
“…over the past several decades, almost onequarter of all primary production has been appropriated for human consumption (Haberl et al. 2007), one- half of the planet’s wildlands have been lost (Ellis et al. 2010), and wildlife populations worldwide have fallen by onehalf (Dirzo et al. 2014).”
BackgroundArroyo‐Rodríguez, V., Melo, F. P. L., Martı́nez-Ramos, M., Bongers, F., Chazdon, R. L., Meave, J. A., Norden-M, N., Santos, B. A., Leal, I. R., & Tabarelli, M. (2015) · Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · doi:10.1111/brv.12231 · Cited by 698
Landscape simplification filters species traits and drives biotic homogenization
Gámez-Virués, S., Perović, D. J., Gossner, M. M., Börschig, C., Blüthgen, N., de Jong, H., Simons, N. K., Klein, A.-M., Krauss, J., Maier, G., et al. (2015) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms9568 · Cited by 666
Perino, A., Pereira, H. M., Navarro, L. M., Fernández, N., Bullock, J. M., Ceaușu, S., Cortés‐Avizanda, A., van Klink, R., Kuemmerle, T., Lomba, Â., et al. (2019) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aav5570 · Cited by 720
A review of the major threats and challenges to global bat conservation
Frick, W. F., Kingston, T., & Flanders, J. R. (2019) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.14045 · Cited by 734
The impact of hunting on tropical mammal and bird populations
Benítez-López, A., Alkemade, R., Schipper, A. M., Ingram, D. J., Verweij, P. A., Eikelboom, J. A. J., & Huijbregts, M. A. J. (2017) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aaj1891 · Cited by 663
“reaching cascading effects, including disruptions in seed dispersal mutualisms and a decline in total biomass (9, 10).”
BackgroundAbundance of common species, not species richness, drives delivery of a real‐world ecosystem service
Winfree, R., Fox, J. W., Williams, N. M., Reilly, J. R., & Cariveau, D. P. (2015) · Ecology Letters · doi:10.1111/ele.12424 · Cited by 652
Ecology in an anthropogenic biosphere
Ellis, E. C. (2015) · Ecological Monographs · doi:10.1890/14-2274.1 · Cited by 641
“Human societies have caused widespread species extinctions (Barnosky 2008, Dirzo et al. 2014, Pimm et al. 2014) and species invasions (Vitousek et al. 1997a, Ricciardi 2007, Lockwood et al. 2013), and changes in the local and global patterns of net primary production (Vitousek et al. 1986,…”
BackgroundBushmeat hunting and extinction risk to the world's mammals
Ripple, W. J., Abernethy, K. A., Betts, M. G., Chapron, G., Dirzo, R., Galetti, M., Levi, T., Lindsey, P. A., Macdonald, D. W., Machovina, B., et al. (2016) · Royal Society Open Science · doi:10.1098/rsos.160498 · Cited by 680
Self-citationPliocene and Eocene provide best analogs for near-future climates
Burke, K. D., Williams, J. W., Chandler, M. A., Haywood, A. M., Lunt, D. J., & Otto-Bliesner, B. L. (2018) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1809600115 · Cited by 624
“8 °C relative to 1986–2005 CE averages, with more warming expected for higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions (1) and substantial effects predicted for the cryospheric (2), hydrologic (3), biological (4, 5), and anthropogenic (6) components of the Earth system.”
BackgroundWorldwide occurrence records suggest a global decline in bee species richness
Zattara, E. E., & Aizen, M. A. (2021) · One Earth · doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2020.12.005 · Cited by 705
Science for a wilder Anthropocene: Synthesis and future directions for trophic rewilding research
Svenning, J., Pedersen, P. B. M., Donlan, C. J., Ejrnæs, R., Faurby, S., Galetti, M., Hansen, D. M., Sandel, B., Sandom, C. J., Terborgh, J., et al. (2015) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1502556112 · Cited by 620
Self-citationJetz, W., & Pyron, R. A. (2018) · Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-018-0515-5 · Cited by 607
A call for full annual cycle research in animal ecology
Marra, P. P., Cohen, E. B., Loss, S. R., Rutter, J. E., & Tonra, C. M. (2015) · Biology Letters · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0552 · Cited by 589
Megafauna and ecosystem function from the Pleistocene to the Anthropocene
Malhi, Y. S., Doughty, C. E., Galetti, M., Smith, F. A., Svenning, J., & Terborgh, J. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1502540113 · Cited by 616
Self-citationMacroevolutionary convergence connects morphological form to ecological function in birds
Pigot, A. L., Sheard, C., Miller, E. T., Bregman, T. P., Freeman, B. G., Roll, U., Seddon, N., Trisos, C. H., Weeks, B. C., & Tobias, J. A. (2020) · Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-019-1070-4 · Cited by 576
Advances in restoration ecology: rising to the challenges of the coming decades
Perring, M. P., Standish, R. J., Price, J. N., Craig, M., Erickson, T. E., Ruthrof, K. X., Whiteley, A. S., Valentine, L. E., & Hobbs, R. J. (2015) · Ecosphere · doi:10.1890/es15-00121.1 · Cited by 535
“…species can have complex and far-reaching effects on ecosystem composition and structure, particularly if these species are ecosystem engineers or top order predators (Dirzo et al. 2014, Ripple et al. 2014, Seddon et al. 2014, McCauley et al. 2015) (see also functional effects in next section).”
BackgroundBiodiversity conservation: The key is reducing meat consumption
Machovina, B., Feeley, K. J., & Ripple, W. J. (2015) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.07.022 · Cited by 597
The ecology, distribution, conservation and management of large old trees
Lindenmayer, D., & Laurance, W. (2017) · Biological Reviews of The Cambridge Philosophical Society · doi:10.1111/brv.12290 · Cited by 482
Patterns, Causes, and Consequences of Anthropocene Defaunation
Young, H. S., McCauley, D. J., Galetti, M., & Dirzo, R. (2016) · Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics · doi:10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-112414-054142 · Cited by 523
“Defaunation degrades or wholly eliminates myriad vital ecosystem functions, such as rates and patterns of pollination, seed predation, seed dispersal, trampling, bioerosion, nutrient movement, herbivory, and predation (see review in Dirzo et al. 2014).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationPlastic ingestion as an evolutionary trap: Toward a holistic understanding
Santos, R. G. D., Machovsky‐Capuska, G. E., & de Andrades, R. C. (2021) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.abh0945 · Cited by 501
Eco-evolutionary dynamics in an urbanizing planet
Alberti, M. (2014) · Trends in Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.tree.2014.11.007 · Cited by 513
Global nutrient transport in a world of giants
Doughty, C. E., Roman, J., Faurby, S., Wolf, A., Haque, A., Bakker, E. S., Malhi, Y., Dunning, J. B., & Svenning, J.-C. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1502549112 · Cited by 470
“These extinctions and range declines continued up through historical times and, in many cases, into the present (3).”
BackgroundDrones count wildlife more accurately and precisely than humans
Hodgson, J. C., Mott, R., Baylis, S. M., Pham, T. T., Wotherspoon, S. J., Kilpatrick, A. D., Segaran, R. R., Reid, I. D., Terauds, A., & Koh, L. P. (2018) · Methods in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1111/2041-210x.12974 · Cited by 502
“Wildlife populations are undergoing dramatic declines in response to a wide range of human-induced threats (Dirzo et al. 2014; Tilman et al. 2017).”
BackgroundMeta-analysis of multidecadal biodiversity trends in Europe
Pilotto, F., Kühn, I., Adrian, R., Alber, R., Alignier, A., Andrews, C., Bäck, J. K., Barbaro, L., Beaumont, D. A., Beenaerts, N., et al. (2020) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17171-y · Cited by 476
Scaling‐up camera traps: monitoring the planet's biodiversity with networks of remote sensors
Steenweg, R. W., Hebblewhite, M., Kays, R., Ahumada, J., Fisher, J. T., Burton, A. C., Townsend, S. E., Carbone, C., Rowcliffe, J. M., Whittington, J., et al. (2016) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1002/fee.1448 · Cited by 477
Defaunation affects carbon storage in tropical forests
Bello, C., Galetti, M., Pizo, M. A., Magnago, L. F. S., Rocha, M. F., de Lima, R. A. F., Peres, C. A., Ovaskainen, O., & Jordano, P. (2015) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501105 · Cited by 448
“htp:/ D ow nladed fom and soil erosion (34).”
BackgroundSelf-citationInterpreting insect declines: seven challenges and a way forward
Didham, R. K., Basset, Y., Collins, C. M., Leather, S. R., Littlewood, N. A., Menz, M. H. M., Müller, J. C., Packer, L., Saunders, M. E., Schönrogge, K., et al. (2020) · Insect Conservation and Diversity · doi:10.1111/icad.12408 · Cited by 456
Declining resilience of ecosystem functions under biodiversity loss
Oliver, T. H., Isaac, N. J. B., August, T., Woodcock, B. A., Roy, D. B., & Bullock, J. M. (2015) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms10122 · Cited by 467
Self-citationLinking plant phenology to conservation biology
Morellato, L. P. C., Alberton, B. D. C., Alvarado, S. T., Borges, B. D., Buisson, É., Camargo, M. G. G., Cancian, L. F., Carstensen, D., Escobar, D. F. E., Leite, P. T. D. P., et al. (2016) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.12.033 · Cited by 435
Orr, J. A., Vinebrooke, R. D., Jackson, M. C., Kroeker, K. J., Kordas, R. L., Mantyka‐Pringle, C., den Brink, P. J. V., Laender, F. D., Stoks, R., Holmstrup, M., et al. (2020) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.0421 · Cited by 470
“B 2870200421 2 climate change, pollution and invasive species [1,2].”
BackgroundBakker, E. S., Gill, J. L., Johnson, C. N., Vera, F. W. M., Sandom, C. J., Asner, G. P., & Svenning, J.-C. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1502545112 · Cited by 368
Light pollution is a driver of insect declines
Owens, A. C. S., Cochard, P., Durrant, J., Farnworth, B., Perkin, E. K., & Seymoure, B. (2019) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108259 · Cited by 476
Warren, R., Price, J. T., Graham, E., Forstenhäusler, N., & VanDerWal, J. J. (2018) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aar3646 · Cited by 425
Extinction risk is most acute for the world’s largest and smallest vertebrates
Ripple, W. J., Wolf, C., Newsome, T. M., Hoffmann, M., Wirsing, A. J., & McCauley, D. J. (2017) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1702078114 · Cited by 415
“Harvesting of the world’s largest vertebrates takes a variety of forms, including regulated and unregulated fishing, trapping, and hunting for meat consumption for subsistence, commercial purposes, or international trade; the use of body parts as medicine, delicacies, or trophies; and killing due to unintentional byca…”
BackgroundWhere Have All the Turtles Gone, and Why Does It Matter?
Lovich, J., Ennen, J., Agha, M., & Gibbons, J. W. (2018) · BioScience · doi:10.1093/biosci/biy095 · Cited by 374
Diversity and carbon storage across the tropical forest biome
Sullivan, M. J. P., Talbot, J., Lewis, S. L., Phillips, O. L., Qie, L., Begne, S. K., Chave, J., Cuní‐Sanchez, A., Hubau, W., López‐González, G., et al. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep39102 · Cited by 407
“This approach allows us to (1) examine basic patterns of diversity and carbon across the biome, (2) test if more diverse tropical forests are also in fact more carbon dense, and (3) explore whether relationships between diversity and carbon-storage, after accounting for the effect of potentially confounding variables,…”
BackgroundBlind spots in global soil biodiversity and ecosystem function research
Guerra, C. A., Heintz‐Buschart, A., Sikorski, J., Chatzinotas, A., Guerrero‐Ramírez, N. R., Cesarz, S., Beaumelle, L., Rillig, M. C., Maestre, F. T., Delgado‐Baquerizo, M., et al. (2020) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17688-2 · Cited by 424
Dispersal limitation induces long-term biomass collapse in overhunted Amazonian forests
Peres, C. A., Emilio, T., Schietti, J., Desmoulière, S. J. M., & Levi, T. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1516525113 · Cited by 337
“habitat fragmentation, and wildfires (7, 34).”
Animals and the zoogeochemistry of the carbon cycle
Schmitz, O. J., Wilmers, C. C., Leroux, S. J., Doughty, C. E., Atwood, T. B., Galetti, M., Davies, A. B., & Goetz, S. J. (2018) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aar3213 · Cited by 372
“Moreover, human impacts are increasingly causing multiple animal species to be lost from ecosystems—called defaunation (21)—as a result of poaching and overfishing, culling to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, illegal trade, logging, and habitat loss due to conversion to other land uses.”
BackgroundSelf-citationRecent shifts in the occurrence, cause, and magnitude of animal mass mortality events
Fey, S. B., Siepielski, A. M., Nusslé, S. C., Cervantes‐Yoshida, K., Hwan, J. L., Huber, E. R., Fey, M., Catenazzi, A., & Carlson, S. M. (2015) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1414894112 · Cited by 374
“Such a large-scale event precludes the occurrence of similarly large die-offs in the near future (25) and may be a precursor to local and regional defaunation (26, 27).”
BackgroundRewilding: Science, Practice, and Politics
Lorimer, J., Sandom, C. J., Jepson, P. R., Doughty, C. E., Barua, M., & KIRBY, K. J. (2015) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-102014-021406 · Cited by 367
“Overall, recent research supports the idea that animals perform several vital ecosystem services globally, and their absence would cause a reduction of these services (90, 91).”
BackgroundIncreased tolerance to humans among disturbed wildlife
Samia, D. S. M., Nakagawa, S., Nomura, F., Rangel, T. F., & Blumstein, D. T. (2015) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms9877 · Cited by 376
Global change biology: A primer
Sage, R. F. (2019) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.14893 · Cited by 380
“Populations of all major insect groups are decreasing, and numbers of all vertebrates globally declined by a third since 1970 and by 60% in the tropics (Dirzo et al., 2014; Global Biodiversity Outlook, 2019).”
BackgroundTurner, K. G., Anderson, S., González-Chang, M., Costanza, R., Courville, S., Dalgaard, T., Dominati, E., Ida Kubiszewski, A., Ogilvy, S., Porfirio, L. L., et al. (2015) · Ecological Modelling · doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.07.017 · Cited by 380
Environmental DNA illuminates the dark diversity of sharks
Boussarie, G., Bakker, J., Wangensteen, O. S., Mariani, S., Bonnin, L., Juhel, J., Kiszka, J. J., Kulbicki, M., Manel, S., Robbins, W. D., et al. (2018) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aap9661 · Cited by 368
“A substantial portion ofmegafaunal dark diversity is composed of mobile, rare, elusive, and threatened species that are highly challenging to detect (1).”
BackgroundBauer, H., Chapron, G., Nowell, K., Henschel, P., Funston, P. J., Hunter, L., Macdonald, D. W., & Packer, C. (2015) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1500664112 · Cited by 348
“This decline is consistent with a broader pattern of defaunation (31), with multiple megafauna species experiencing massive declines (32).”
ResultThe functional roles of mammals in ecosystems
Lacher, T. E., Davidson, A. D., Fleming, T. H., Gómez‐Ruiz, E., McCracken, G. F., Owen‐Smith, N., Peres, C. A., & Wall, S. B. V. (2019) · Journal of Mammalogy · doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyy183 · Cited by 381
An Anthropocene map of genetic diversity
Miraldo, A., Li, S., Borregaard, M. K., Flórez-Rodríguez, A., Gopalakrishnan, S., Rizvanovic, M., Wang, Z., Rahbek, C., Marske, K. A., & Nogués‐Bravo, D. (2016) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aaf4381 · Cited by 335
Validation of COI metabarcoding primers for terrestrial arthropods
Elbrecht, V., Braukmann, T., Ivanova, N. V., Prosser, S. W. J., Hajibabaei, M., Wright, M., Zakharov, E., Hebert, P. D. N., & Steinke, D. (2019) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.7745 · Cited by 346
“Over the past decade, twomethodological and technological advances havemade it possible to address the urgent need for the capacity to undertake large-scale surveys of biodiversity (Vörösmarty et al., 2010;Dirzo et al., 2014; Steffen et al., 2015).”
BackgroundClimate change‐mediated temperature extremes and insects: From outbreaks to breakdowns
Harvey, J. A., Heinen, R., Gols, R., & Thakur, M. P. (2020) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.15377 · Cited by 382
“There is increasing evidence that a mass extinction event is in its early stages across much of the biosphere (Ceballos et al., 2017; Dirzo et al., 2014; Pievani, 2014).”
BackgroundEffects of habitat disturbance on tropical forest biodiversity
Alroy, J. (2017) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1611855114 · Cited by 335
“Actual extinctions are well-documented only for vertebrates (13).”
BackgroundDeclines in insect abundance and diversity: We know enough to act now
Forister, M. L., Pelton, E. M., & Black, S. (2019) · Conservation Science and Practice · doi:10.1111/csp2.80 · Cited by 338
Soil Biodiversity and the Environment
Nielsen, U. N., Wall, D. H., & Six, J. (2015) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-102014-021257 · Cited by 352
Pettorelli, N., Wegmann, M., Skidmore, A., Mücher, S., Dawson, T. P., Fernandez, M., Lucas, R., Schaepman, M. E., Wang, T., O'Connor, B., et al. (2016) · Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation · doi:10.1002/rse2.15 · Cited by 295
“For example, it has been recently estimated that out of the conservatively estimated 5–9 million animal species inhabiting the planet, ~11,000–58,000 species are lost annually (Dirzo et al. 2014).”
BackgroundBody size downgrading of mammals over the late Quaternary
Smith, F. A., Smith, R. E. E., Lyons, S. K., & Payne, J. L. (2018) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aao5987 · Cited by 334
Global change, parasite transmission and disease control: lessons from ecology
Cable, J., Barber, I., Boag, B., Ellison, A., Morgan, E. R., Murray, K. A., Pascoe, E. L., Sait, S. M., Wilson, A. J., & Booth, M. (2017) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2016.0088 · Cited by 345
“Current extinction rates are estimated to be 100–1000 times greater than background levels [110], with biodiversity loss being one of the hallmarks of the Anthropocene [111].”
BackgroundCapitalismo e colapso ambiental
Marques, L. (2018) · Editora da Unicamp eBooks · doi:10.7476/9788526815032 · Cited by 314
Island Biodiversity in the Anthropocene
Russell, J. C., & Kueffer, C. (2019) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-101718-033245 · Cited by 320
Ecological and evolutionary legacy of megafauna extinctions
Galetti, M., Moleón, M., Jordano, P., Pires, M. M., Guimarães, P. R., Pape, T., Nichols, E., Hansen, D., Olesen, J. M., Munk, M., et al. (2018) · Biological Reviews · doi:10.1111/brv.12374 · Cited by 274
“The signatures of Anthropocene defaunation: cascading effects of the seed dispersal collapse.”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationInternational scientists formulate a roadmap for insect conservation and recovery
Harvey, J. A., Heinen, R., Armbrecht, I., Basset, Y., Baxter‐Gilbert, J. H., Bezemer, Т. M., Böhm, M., Bommarco, R., Borges, P. A. V., Cardoso, P., et al. (2020) · Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-019-1079-8 · Cited by 299
Pesticides and Soil Invertebrates: A Hazard Assessment
Gunstone, T., Cornelisse, T. M., Klein, K., Dubey, A., & Donley, N. (2021) · Frontiers in Environmental Science · doi:10.3389/fenvs.2021.643847 · Cited by 338
Recognizing the quiet extinction of invertebrates
Eisenhauer, N., Bonn, A., & Guerra, C. A. (2018) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-018-07916-1 · Cited by 303
Microbial richness and composition independently drive soil multifunctionality
Delgado‐Baquerizo, M., Trivedi, P., Trivedi, C., Eldridge, D. J., Reich, P. B., Jeffries, T. C., & Singh, B. K. (2017) · Functional Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12924 · Cited by 299
“The status of Earth’s biodiversity is in decline (Dirzo et al., 2014).”
BackgroundThe abundance, biomass, and distribution of ants on Earth
Schultheiss, P., Nooten, S. S., Wang, R., Wong, M. K. L., Brassard, F., & Guénard, B. (2022) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2201550119 · Cited by 340
Megafaunal Impacts on Structure and Function of Ocean Ecosystems
Estes, J. A., Heithaus, M. R., McCauley, D. J., Rasher, D. B., & Worm, B. (2016) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-110615-085622 · Cited by 308
Globally threatened vertebrates on islands with invasive species
Spatz, D. R., Zilliacus, K. M., Holmes, N. D., Butchart, S. H. M., Genovesi, P., Ceballos, G., Tershy, B. R., & Croll, D. A. (2017) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.1603080 · Cited by 306
Self-citationEcological impacts of human‐induced animal behaviour change
Wilson, M. W., Ridlon, A. D., Gaynor, K. M., Gaines, S. D., Stier, A. C., & Halpern, B. S. (2020) · Ecology Letters · doi:10.1111/ele.13571 · Cited by 299
Functional diversity: an overview of its history and applicability
Laureto, L. M. O., Cianciaruso, M. V., & Samia, D. S. M. (2015) · Natureza & Conservação · doi:10.1016/j.ncon.2015.11.001 · Cited by 282
The Concept of the Anthropocene
Malhi, Y. S. (2017) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-102016-060854 · Cited by 335
“” (“the anxious semiotics of sound in a human-dominated world”) (98), through to defaunation (99), tropical forests (100), plant diversity (101) or soil (102).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Dirzo, R., Young, H. S., Galetti, M., Ceballos, G., Isaac, N. J. B., & Collen, B.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) (BR)
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
- Natural Environment Research Council (GB)
- University College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Dirzo, Rodolfo
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2014-07-25
- Volume
- 345
- Issue
- 6195
- Pages
- 401-406
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2100135944
- Cited by
- 4,474
- References
- 164
- Citations by year
- 2026: 382 · 2025: 425 · 2024: 397 · 2023: 475 · 2022: 501 · 2021: 494 · 2020: 416 · 2019: 411 · 2018: 294 · 2017: 280 · 2016: 189 · 2015: 167 · 2014: 39
- FWCI
- 16.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- discovery.ucl.ac.uk
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Acervo Digital da Universidade Estadual Paulista (Universidade Estadual Paulista) (submittedVersion)
- UNESP Institutional Repository (São Paulo State University) (submittedVersion)
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Natural Environment Research Council (CEH010010)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Plant and animal studies
- Keywords
- defaunation, biodiversity loss, species abundance decline, extinction, invertebrates, terrestrial vertebrates, sixth mass extinction, ecosystem functioning, Anthropocene
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Birds, Humans, Human Activities, Insecta, Invertebrates, Mammals, Pest Control, Population, Biodiversity, Extinction, Biological, Pollination, Endangered Species
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-02, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-02 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
