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.
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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
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“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
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Sorted by citations
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Towards systematic and evidence‐based conservation planning for western chimpanzees
Heinicke, S., Mundry, R., Boesch, C., Hockings, K. J., Kormos, R., Ndiaye, P. I., Tweh, C. G., Williamson, E. A., & Kühl, H. S. (2019) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/ajp.23042 · Cited by 12
“The result has been a decline in species diversity and abundance, which can subsequently lead to deleterious changes in ecosystem function (Dirzo et al., 2014).”
BackgroundHabitat heterogeneity and social factors drive behavioral plasticity in giraffe herd-size dynamics
Hart, E. E., Fennessy, J., Chari, S., & Ciuti, S. (2019) · Journal of Mammalogy · doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyz191 · Cited by 14
Hazelwood, K., Paine, C. E. T., Valverde, F. C., Pringle, E., Beck, H., & Terborgh, J. (2020) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.6133 · Cited by 12
“These difficulties render long-term studies such as this one essential to the understanding of changing ecological processes in natural systems that are becoming rapidly more susceptible to defaunation and other human-induced impacts (Abernethy et al., 2013; Dirzo et al., 2014; Peres, 2000).”
Wood, B. M., Millar, R. S., Wright, N. S., Baumgartner, J., Holmquist, H. M., & Kiffner, C. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0251076 · Cited by 14
Trends in Wildlife Connectivity Science from the Biodiverse and Human-Dominated South Asia
Thatte, P., Tyagi, A., Neelakantan, A., Natesh, M., Sen, M., & Thekaekara, T. (2021) · Journal of the Indian Institute of Science · doi:10.1007/s41745-021-00240-6 · Cited by 14
“2 Eligibility Criteria The eligibility criteria for inclusion in the review were (1) study region is within the terrestrial realm of South Asia (209 papers tagged with “Indian Ocean” were also captured with the above search string, while a further 287 mentioned a South Asian country though the study was from elsewhere…”
BackgroundInfluentialA new species of South America marsh rat ( Holochilus , Cricetidae) from northeastern Brazil
do Prado, J. R., Knowles, L. L., & Percequillo, A. R. (2021) · Journal of Mammalogy · doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyab104 · Cited by 15
Emergent effects of temperature and salinity on mortality of a key herbivore
Cuthbert, R. N., Sidow, A., Frost, K. F., et al. (2021) · Journal of Sea Research · doi:10.1016/j.seares.2021.102126 · Cited by 13
Thornton, S. A. (2017) · Leicester Research Archive (University of Leicester) · Cited by 13
Towards a taxonomically unbiased EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030Preprint
Mammola, S., Riccardi, N., Prié, V., Correia, R. A., Cardoso, P., Lopes‐Lima, M., & Sousa, R. (2020) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2020.07.06.189027 · Cited by 13
Farooq, M. O., Khan, U., Adnan, M. Y., Younas, W., Qureshi, N. B., Yasir, Q. M., Cai, Q., & Chiu, M. (2025) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111181 · Cited by 14
Keystone taxa play a critical role in regulating soil multifunctionality in Eucalyptus plantations
Lu, Y., Chen, L., Peñuelas, J., Wang, H., Cao, J., Ren, S., & Wu, L. (2025) · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · doi:10.1016/j.agee.2025.109988 · Cited by 14
Vladić, Ž. J., & Jelaska, L. Š. (2020) · European Journal of Entomology · doi:10.14411/eje.2020.006 · Cited by 12
Dey, L., Simões, M. V. P., Hawlitschek, O., Sergeev, M. G., Xu, S., Lkhagvasuren, D., & Husemann, M. (2021) · Biodiversity and Conservation · doi:10.1007/s10531-021-02221-8 · Cited by 14
In the post-COVID-19 era, is the illegal wildlife trade the most serious form of trafficking?
Doody, J. S., Reid, J. A., Bilali, K., Diaz, J., & Mattheus, N. M. (2021) · Crime Science · doi:10.1186/s40163-021-00154-9 · Cited by 14
Amsten, K., Cromsigt, J. P. G. M., Kuijper, D. P. J., Loberg, J. M., Churski, M., & Niklasson, M. (2021) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13783 · Cited by 14
“Moreover, abandonment of rural areas has led to a reduced use of woodpastures for livestock and a general decline of large herbivorous mammals in the landscape (Bradshaw et al., 2003; Bradshaw & Mitchell, 1999; Ceballos, 2017; Dirzo et al., 2014; Estes et al., 2011; Ripple et al., 2015).”
BackgroundUrban habitat use and home ranges of fishing cats in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Ratnayaka, A. A. W., Serieys, L. E. K., Prasad, T., et al. (2021) · Mammalian Biology · doi:10.1007/s42991-021-00198-z · Cited by 12
Perl, R. G. B., Avidor, E., Roll, U., Malka, Y., Geffen, E., & Gafny, S. (2022) · Environmental DNA · doi:10.1002/edn3.276 · Cited by 13
Functional divergence from ecological baselines on Caribbean coral reefs
Melo‐Merino, S. M., Lira‐Noriega, A., González‐Barrios, F. J., Reyes‐Bonilla, H., & Álvarez‐Filip, L. (2022) · Ecography · doi:10.1111/ecog.05811 · Cited by 12
Omoniyi, G. E., Piscart, C., Pellan, L., & Bergerot, B. (2022) · Water · doi:10.3390/w14040553 · Cited by 14
Signals of adaptation to agricultural stress in the genomes of two European bumblebees
Hart, A. F., 繁多, 進., Ariza, D., Cejas, D., Ghisbain, G., Honchar, H. Y., Radchenko, V. G., Straka, J., Ljubomirov, T., Lecocq, T., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Genetics · doi:10.3389/fgene.2022.993416 · Cited by 12
Roadmap to recovery revealed through the reintroduction of an IUCN Red List species
Wilson, B. A., Evans, M. J., Gordon, I. J., et al. (2022) · Biodiversity and Conservation · doi:10.1007/s10531-022-02496-5 · Cited by 12
“Defaunation in the Anthropocene, driven by human-induced environmental change and destruction, threatens biodiversity, ecosystem function, and human health worldwide (Dirzo et al. 2014).”
BackgroundProtected areas effectively resisted 33.8% of urban development pressures in China during 2000–2018
Wang, N., Du, Y., Liang, F., Yi, J., Qian, J., Tu, W., Huang, S., & Luo, P. (2023) · Applied Geography · doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2023.103079 · Cited by 12
Explaining variation in plant‐herbivore associational effects in a tree biodiversity experiment
Leonard, S. J., Dirzo, R., Eisenhauer, N., Rebollo, R., Schädler, M., & Ferlian, O. (2023) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2745.14212 · Cited by 11
“In an era of widespread, accelerating global biodiversity loss (Ceballos et al., 2015 ; Dirzo et al., 2014 ), it is increasingly urgent to understand real-world, multi-trophic consequences.”
BackgroundSelf-citationNews and Perspectives: Words matter in primatology
Bezanson, M., Cortés‐Ortiz, L., Bicca‐Marques, J. C., Boonratana, R., Carvalho, S., Cords, M., de la Torre, S., Hobaiter, C., Humle, T., Izar, P., et al. (2023) · Primates · doi:10.1007/s10329-023-01104-6 · Cited by 13
“We agreed that primatology’s biggest challenge is preventing extinction (and population decline: see Dirzo et al. 2014; Estrada et al. 2017) of nonhuman primates.”
BackgroundThe effects of shrub encroachment on arthropod communities depend on grazing history
Losapio, G., Moraes, C. Μ. D., Nickels, V., Tscheulin, T., Zouros, N., & Mescher, M. C. (2024) · Global Ecology and Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e02819 · Cited by 11
Impacts of climate change and human activities on three Glires pests of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Wang, Z., Deng, Y., Kang, Y., Wang, Y., Bao, D., Tan, Y., An, K., & Su, J. (2024) · Pest Management Science · doi:10.1002/ps.8250 · Cited by 12
Zoonotic pathogens in wild Asian primates: a systematic review highlighting research gaps
Patouillat, L., Hambuckers, A., Subrata, S. A., Garigliany, M., & Brotcorne, F. (2024) · Frontiers in Veterinary Science · doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1386180 · Cited by 15
“While habitat alteration typically leads to biodiversity loss (17, 18), the risk of pathogen transmission is strongly linked to the diversity of host species in an ecosystem (19).”
BackgroundNussbaumer, R., Nussbaumer, A., Guchu, S., et al. (2024) · Diversity and Distributions · doi:10.1111/ddi.13935 · Cited by 12
“By ensuring that species at lower risk do not escalate to higher-risk categories, we can counteract the stark declines observed even among common species (Dirzo et al. 2014; Weeks et al. 2022).”
Evidence for bottom‐up effects of moth abundance on forest birds in the north‐boreal zone alone
Yazdanian, M., Kankaanpää, T., Merckx, T., Huikkonen, I., Itämies, J., Jokimäki, J., Lehikoinen, A. S., Leinonen, R., Pöyry, J., Sihvonen, P., et al. (2024) · Ecology Letters · doi:10.1111/ele.14467 · Cited by 15
Flexible risk metrics for identifying and monitoring conservation-priority species
Stanton, J. C., Semmens, B. X., McKann, P. C., Will, T. C., & Thogmartin, W. E. (2015) · Ecological Indicators · doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.10.020 · Cited by 12
La conservación en México: exploración de logros, retos y perspectivas desde la ecología terrestre
List, R., Rodríguez, P., Pelz-Serrano, K., et al. (2017) · Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad · doi:10.1016/j.rmb.2017.10.007 · Cited by 12
“…desaparición parcial o total de comunidades o oblaciones de algunos grupos como insectos, anfibios y repiles, aves y mamíferos (e.g., Cuarón, 2000; Dirzo y Miranda, 990; Suazo-Ortuño, Alvarado-Díaz y Martínez-Ramos, 2008) producir efectos cascada (Dirzo et al., 2014; Martínez-Ramos t al., 2016b).”
BackgroundThe combined impacts of experimental defaunation and logging on seedling traits and diversity
Granados, A., Bernard, H., & Brodie, J. F. (2018) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.2882 · Cited by 12
“Vertebrates are in decline across the tropics, driven by habitat loss and unsustainable hunting [1,2].”
BackgroundMaintaining historic disturbance regimes increases species' resilience to catastrophic hurricanes
Henry, E. H., Reiskind, M. O. B., Land, A. D., & Haddad, N. M. (2019) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.14932 · Cited by 12
“Urbanization, habitat loss, and climate change are contributing to biodiversity losses across the globe (Dirzo et al., 2014).”
BackgroundIdentifying priority areas for restoring mountain ungulates in the Caucasus ecoregion
Kuemmerle, T., Bluhm, H., Ghoddousi, A., Arakelyan, M., Askerov, E., Bleyhl, B., Ghasabyan, M., Gavashelishvili, A., Heidelberg, A., Malkhasyan, A., et al. (2020) · Conservation Science and Practice · doi:10.1111/csp2.276 · Cited by 12
“Defaunation is a characteristic of the Anthropocene and has been particularly drastic for the world's largest mammals (Dirzo et al., 2014).”
BackgroundDoctors and overpopulation 48 years later: a second notice
Greguš, J., & Guillebaud, J. (2020) · The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care · doi:10.1080/13625187.2020.1821356 · Cited by 12
da Silva, I. A., Dupas, F. A., Costa, C. W., Medeiros, G. D. O. R., & de Souza, A. R. (2021) · Environmental Challenges · doi:10.1016/j.envc.2021.100195 · Cited by 15
Barragán, F., Labastida, J., & Ramírez‐Hernández, A. (2021) · Journal of Arid Environments · doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104598 · Cited by 12
A standardised method for estimating the level of visible debris in bird nests
Grant, M. L., O’Hanlon, N. J., Lavers, J. L., et al. (2021) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112889 · Cited by 12
Evolutionary history of two rare endemic conifer species from the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Miao, J., Farhat, P., Wang, W., Ruhsam, M., MILNE, R. I., Yang, H., Tso, S., Li, J., Xu, J., Opgenoorth, L., et al. (2021) · Annals of Botany · doi:10.1093/aob/mcab114 · Cited by 12
Comparison of arthropod communities between high and low input maize farms in Mexico
del‐Val, E., Ramírez, E., & Astier, M. (2021) · CABI Agriculture and Bioscience · doi:10.1186/s43170-021-00060-9 · Cited by 15
Past, Current and Future of Fish Diversity in the Alakol Lakes (Central Asia: Kazakhstan)
Mamilov, N. S., Sharakhmetov, S. E., Амирбекова, Ф., Bekkozhayeva, D., Sapargaliyeva, N., Kegenova, G. B., Tanybayeva, A., & Abilkasimov, K. (2021) · Diversity · doi:10.3390/d14010011 · Cited by 12
“The modern alarming speed at which species disappear has been called the planet’s sixth mass extinction [7,8].”
BackgroundHabitat use and activity patterns of ungulates in a tropical rainforest of southern México
Falconi-Briones, F. A., Naranjo, E. J., Reyna-Hurtado, R., Spínola, M., Enríquez-Rocha, P. L., & Medellín, R. (2022) · Therya · doi:10.12933/therya-22-1167 · Cited by 12
Puri, M., Srivathsa, A., Karanth, K. K., Patel, I., & Kumar, N. S. (2023) · Biotropica · doi:10.1111/btp.13204 · Cited by 12
“While this hints at the incredible adaptive abilities of certain mammals and population recoveries or range expansions of others, it can be problematic for species that pose threats to human lives and livelihoods (Dirzo et al., 2014; Nyhus, 2016).”
BackgroundZhang, S., Xu, H., Jia, Y., Wen, Y., Wang, D., Fu, L., Wang, X., & Zhou, C. (2023) · Geoscience Data Journal · doi:10.1002/gdj3.186 · Cited by 12
Muñoz‐Gallego, R., Wiegand, T., Traveset, A., & Fedriani, J. M. (2023) · Oikos · doi:10.1111/oik.10002 · Cited by 15
Perfect storms shape biodiversity in time and space
Jablonski, D., & Edie, S. M. (2023) · Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society · doi:10.1093/evolinnean/kzad003 · Cited by 16
Pierson, J. C., Mortelliti, A., Barton, P. S., et al. (2015) · Ecological Indicators · doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.10.031 · Cited by 12
Cascading effects of defaunation on the coexistence of two specialized insect seed predators
Peguero, G., Muller‐Landau, H. C., Jansen, P. A., et al. (2016) · Journal of Animal Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12590 · Cited by 12
“…given the diversity of insects combined with global defaunation trends, that is the extirpation and population decline of native vertebrate species, which can increase the variability of local abundances producing many unanticipated cascade effects of biodiversity loss (Dirzo et al. 2014).”
BackgroundRiva, F., Acorn, J., & Nielsen, S. E. (2018) · Diversity · doi:10.3390/d10040112 · Cited by 13
Does nature matter? Arguing for a biophysical turn in the ecotourism narrative
Chakraborty, A. (2019) · Journal of Ecotourism · doi:10.1080/14724049.2019.1584201 · Cited by 13
“Over the years the concept has been linked to anthropogenic mass extinction (Dirzo et al., 2014; Kolbert, 2014), alteration of geomorphic processes (Goudie & Viles, 2016) and nutrient cycles (Eiser, 2011), climate change (Angus, 2016), and an unprecedented increase of the resource footprint of Homo…”
BackgroundMolina, C. V., Heinemann, M. B., Kierulff, M. C. M., Pissinatti, A., da Silva, T. F., de Freitas, D. G., de Souza, G. O., Miotto, B. A., Cortéz, A., Semensato, B. D. P., et al. (2019) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/ajp.22961 · Cited by 12
“…widespread phenomenon that causes profound environmental changes in ecosystem functioning, poten- tially leading to serious loss of balance in biodiversity ecology, species survival, ecology of diseases, and well‐being of human communities (Chapman, Gillespie, & Goldberg, 2005; Dirzo et al., 2014).”
BackgroundSoto, C. S., Giombini, M. I., Gómez, V. C. G., & Zurita, G. A. (2019) · Evolutionary Ecology · doi:10.1007/s10682-019-09987-y · Cited by 11
Avifauna local: una herramienta para la conservación, el ecoturismo y la educación ambiental
Perdomo, O., Salazar-Báez, P., & Fernández-L, L. (2018) · CIENCIA EN DESARROLLO · doi:10.19053/01217488.v9.n2.2018.7701 · Cited by 13
GMSE : An r package for generalised management strategy evaluation
Duthie, A. B., Cusack, J. J., Jones, I. L., et al. (2018) · Methods in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1111/2041-210x.13091 · Cited by 12
Variant maps for bat echolocation call identification algorithms
Heim, O., Heim, D. M., Marggraf, L. C., et al. (2019) · Bioacoustics · doi:10.1080/09524622.2019.1621776 · Cited by 12
Daoism and the Project of an Ecological Civilization or Shengtai Wenming 生态文明
Schönfeld, M., & Chen, X. (2019) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel10110630 · Cited by 14
“But now, biodiversity loss is joined by defaunation: a thinning of common species (Dirzo et al. 2014).9 (Biodiversity loss is counted in species; defaunation is counted in populations.)”
BackgroundInfluentialLandbird trends in protected areas using time‐to‐event occupancy models
Whittington, J., Shepherd, B., Forshner, A., et al. (2019) · Ecosphere · doi:10.1002/ecs2.2946 · Cited by 12
Tagg, N., Kuenbou, J. K., Laméris, D. W., Meigang, F. M. K., Kekeunou, S., Epanda, M. A., Dupain, J., Mbohli, D., Redmond, I., & Willie, J. (2019) · Biodiversity and Conservation · doi:10.1007/s10531-019-01899-1 · Cited by 14
Prado, H. M., da Silva, R. C., Schlindwein, M. N., & Murrieta, R. S. S. (2020) · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine · doi:10.1186/s13002-020-0359-3 · Cited by 16
Galbraith, S. M., Griswold, T., Price, W. J., & Bosque‐Pérez, N. A. (2020) · Journal of Insect Conservation · doi:10.1007/s10841-020-00274-8 · Cited by 12
“Biodiversity loss is occurring rapidly in the 21st century, with extinctions taking place at 100–1000 times the background rate (Dirzo et al. 2014; Pimm et al. 2014).”
BackgroundKearney, M., Hossain, M. A., Sinclair, S. J., et al. (2020) · Austral Entomology · doi:10.1111/aen.12515 · Cited by 12
Schirmel, J. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13052992 · Cited by 13
An overview of Neotropical arthropod conservation efforts using risk assessment lists
Barahona‐Segovia, R. M., & Zúñiga‐Reinoso, Á. (2021) · Journal of Insect Conservation · doi:10.1007/s10841-021-00306-x · Cited by 14
Calboli, F. C. F., Delahaut, V., Deflem, I. S., Hablützel, P. I., Hellemans, B., Kordas, A., Raeymaekers, J. A. M., Bervoets, L., Boeck, G. D., & VOLCKAERT, F. A. M. (2021) · Evolutionary Applications · doi:10.1111/eva.13298 · Cited by 12
“It is widely accepted that planet Earth is experiencing a period of dramatic biodiversity loss (Ceballos et al., 2015; Dirzo et al., 2014; Johnson et al., 2017).”
BackgroundFourcade, Y., & Alhajeri, B. H. (2022) · Global Ecology and Biogeography · doi:10.1111/geb.13622 · Cited by 13
Age and Sex Ratios in a High-Density Wild Red-Legged Partridge Population
Nadal, J., Ponz, C., & Margalida, A. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159765 · Cited by 12
“The annual extraction rate should be adjusted to the age ratio of that year [15,63,64].”
BackgroundTrolliet, F., Forget, P., Huynen, M., et al. (2017) · Biotropica · doi:10.1111/btp.12417 · Cited by 12
A comparative study of ant diversity under three coverages in a Neotropical coffee landscape
García-Cárdenas, D. R., Montoya‐Lerma, J., & Armbrecht, I. (2018) · Revista de Biología Tropical · doi:10.15517/rbt.v66i4.30610 · Cited by 12
“…technological advances, quantitative information is now available, and a compendium of images portrays the size, speed and extent of the patterns of deforestation; however, little is yet understood about the effect of fauna reduction on the functions and services of ecosystems (Dirzo et al., 2014).”
BackgroundThe Financialization of Nature Conservation?
Dempsey, J. (2017) · doi:10.1002/9781119051374.ch8 · Cited by 12
Long-Term Non-anthropocentric Ethics
Nolt, J. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190881931.013.14 · Cited by 12
Climate change and terrestrial biodiversity
Warren, R., Price, J. T., & Jenkins, R. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-822373-4.00025-2 · Cited by 19
Musilová, Z., Musil, P., Zouhar, J., et al. (2021) · Freshwater Biology · doi:10.1111/fwb.13842 · Cited by 11
Considering variation in bee responses to stressors can reveal potential for resilience
Cabirol, A., Gómez‐Moracho, T., Monchanin, C., et al. (2023) · Journal of Applied Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2664.14414 · Cited by 11
Torres, R. M., Kuemmerle, T., Baumann, M., Romero‐Muñoz, A., Altrichter, M., Boaglio, G. I., Cabral, H., Camino, M., Krauer, J. M. C., Cartes, J. L., et al. (2023) · Diversity and Distributions · doi:10.1111/ddi.13701 · Cited by 11
“Overexploitation (i.e. unsustainable hunting or collecting of animals and plants) is a second major threat, resulting in major waves of defaunation in habitat remnants, and leading to wildlife losses, particularly of larger-bodied species (Benítez-López et al., 2017 ; Dirzo et al., 2014).”
Contrasting effects of wooded and herbaceous semi-natural habitats on supporting wild bee diversity
Rivers‐Moore, J., Ouin, A., Vialatte, A., Carrié, R., Ladet, S., & Andrieu, É. (2023) · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · doi:10.1016/j.agee.2023.108644 · Cited by 10
Wildlife Use of Anthropogenic Structures: A Comprehensive Review of Bridge Use by Bats
Detweiler, L. W., & Bernard, R. F. (2023) · Acta Chiropterologica · doi:10.3161/15081109acc2023.25.1.008 · Cited by 11
“Anthropogenic alteration of landscapes and habitats are one of the primary contributors to habitat fragmentation and biodiversity decline (Fahrig, 2003; Dirzo et al., 2014; Haddad et al., 2015).”
BackgroundCattle aggregations at shared resources create potential parasite exposure hotspots for wildlife
Titcomb, G., Hulke, J. M., Mantas, J. N., Gituku, B. C., & Young, H. S. (2023) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2023.2239 · Cited by 12
“At the same time, wildlife numbers have dropped dramatically [3,4] such that wild mammals account for a mere 4% of mammal biomass [1].”
BackgroundSelf-citationKuchenbecker, J., Camarota, F., da Silva, P. G., Perillo, L. N., Beirão, M. D. V., de Castro, F. S., Fernandes, G. W., do Espírito-Santo, M. M., Santos, N. C., Cardoso, I. G. S., et al. (2023) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.10806 · Cited by 10
“…pop - ulation declines, some groups are of particular importance for the maintenance of ecosystem functioning and services, including bees (Potts et al., 2010), butterflies (Habel et al., 2016), hemipter-ans (Schuch et al., 2011), ants (Del Toro et al., 2012), and beetles (Dirzo et al., 2014).”
BackgroundJohansson, V., Säwenfalk, D. S., Bergman, K., Kindvall, O., Askling, J., & Franzén, M. (2024) · Insect Conservation and Diversity · doi:10.1111/icad.12734 · Cited by 11
“Global biodiversity loss is proceeding at an alarming rate (Dirzo et al., 2014; Newbold et al., 2015).”
Conservation implications of hibernation in mammals
Scopes, E. R., Broome, A., Walsh, K., et al. (2024) · Mammal Review · doi:10.1111/mam.12346 · Cited by 11
Hopkins, J., Santos-Elizondo, G. M., & Villablanca, F. X. (2024) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2024.1359201 · Cited by 16
Laner, P., Rossi, C., Luethi, R., Favilli, F., Bertoncelj, I., Plassmann, G., & Haller, R. M. (2024) · Ecological Indicators · doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112145 · Cited by 13
Modelling reveals the effect of climate and land use change on Madagascar’s chameleons fauna
Mondanaro, A., Febbraro, M. D., Castiglione, S., et al. (2024) · Communications Biology · doi:10.1038/s42003-024-06597-5 · Cited by 11
“The current biodiversity crisis is elicited by the combined effects of climate change and the other negative consequences deriving from human eco-nomicactivities 1 – 3 .”
BackgroundOkie, J. G., & Štorch, D. (2024) · The American Naturalist · doi:10.1086/733103 · Cited by 11
Birnbeck, S., Burmeister, J., Wolfrum, S., Panassiti, B., & Walter, R. (2024) · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · doi:10.1016/j.agee.2024.109300 · Cited by 10
Habitat edges decrease plant reproductive output in fragmented landscapes
Hulting, K. A., Brudvig, L. A., Damschen, E. I., Levey, D. J., Resasco, J., Tewksbury, J. J., & Haddad, N. M. (2024) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2745.14452 · Cited by 9
“Habitat loss is a major threat to biodiversity (Dirzo et al., 2014; Newbold et al., 2015 ; Tilman et al., 2017).”
Termites and ungulates affect arbuscular mycorrhizal richness and infectivity in a semiarid savanna
Petipas, R. H., & Brody, A. K. (2014) · Botany · doi:10.1139/cjb-2013-0223 · Cited by 11
Zhang, L., Ameca, E. I., & Jiang, Z. (2018) · Journal for Nature Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2018.02.014 · Cited by 11
The future of rewilding: fostering nature and people in a changing world
Durant, S. M., Pettorelli, N., & Toit, D. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108560962.020 · Cited by 12
Characterizing urban butterfly populations: the case for purposive point-count surveys
Lang, B. J., Dixon, P. M., Klaver, R. W., Thompson, J. R., & Widrlechner, M. P. (2019) · Urban Ecosystems · doi:10.1007/s11252-019-00880-8 · Cited by 12
Diversity of Ants and Termites of the Botanical Garden of the University of Lomé, Togo
Kasseney, B. D., N’tie, T. B., Nuto, Y., et al. (2019) · Insects · doi:10.3390/insects10070218 · Cited by 11
Xi, C., Chi, Y., Qian, T., Zhang, W., & Wang, J. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su12114601 · Cited by 11
“The extinction of mammals has become a global problem due to human activities [1,2].”
BackgroundNew solutions using natural products
Nicoletti, M. (2020) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818706-7.00007-3 · Cited by 11
Duthie, A. B., Minderman, J., Rakotonarivo, O. S., et al. (2020) · Conservation Biology · doi:10.1111/cobi.13633 · Cited by 11
McNeil, D. J., & Grozinger, C. M. (2020) · Journal of Insect Conservation · doi:10.1007/s10841-020-00273-9 · Cited by 11
Floren, A., von Rintelen, T., Hebert, P. D. N., de Araújo, B. C., Schmidt, S., Balke, M., Narakusumo, R. P., Peggie, D., Ubaidillah, R., von Rintelen, K., et al. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-73519-w · Cited by 11
“As a consequence of the incomplete knowledge of Indonesia’s biodiversity and the expected high number of unknown species 54 it is unsurprising that 99% of the BINs detected in this study were new to BOLD.”
BackgroundOptimizing pollinator conservation and crop yield among perennial bioenergy crops
Kemmerling, L. R., Griffin, S. R., & Haddad, N. M. (2021) · GCB Bioenergy · doi:10.1111/gcbb.12826 · Cited by 11
Nicasio‐Arzeta, S., Zermeño-Hernández, I. E., Maza‐Villalobos, S., & Benítez‐Malvido, J. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0253284 · Cited by 11
Research networks should improve connectivity for halting freshwater insect extinctions
Valente‐Neto, F., Borges, A. C. P., Urbieta, G. L., Samways, M. J., & Roque, F. D. O. (2021) · Ecological Entomology · doi:10.1111/een.13091 · Cited by 11
“The view that most freshwater biodiversity studies assessed threats to and status of biodiversity, while few analysed solutions to manage population decline and extinctions (Dudgeon et al., 2006; Sundar et al., 2020) were supported by our results.”
BackgroundResultPatterns of illegal and legal tiger parts entering the United States over a decade (2003–2012)
Khanwilkar, S., Sosnowski, M. C., & Guynup, S. (2022) · Conservation Science and Practice · doi:10.1111/csp2.622 · Cited by 11
“Illegal trade is a significant driver behind the current extinction crisis which threatens ecosystems worldwide (Dirzo et al., 2014; Symes et al., 2018) and is responsible for population declines of species ranging across plant and animal taxa (Ferreira et al.”
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
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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.
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