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A global synthesis of plant extinction rates in urban areas
Author(s) -
Hahs Amy K.,
McDonnell Mark J.,
McCarthy Michael A.,
Vesk Peter A.,
Corlett Richard T.,
Norton Briony A.,
Clemants Steven E.,
Duncan Richard P.,
Thompson Ken,
Schwartz Mark W.,
Williams Nicholas S. G.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01372.x
Subject(s) - extinction debt , extinction (optical mineralogy) , vegetation (pathology) , biodiversity , geography , ecology , local extinction , extinction event , urban ecology , urbanization , agroforestry , environmental science , biology , habitat destruction , biological dispersal , population , demography , medicine , paleontology , pathology , sociology
Plant extinctions from urban areas are a growing threat to biodiversity worldwide. To minimize this threat, it is critical to understand what factors are influencing plant extinction rates. We compiled plant extinction rate data for 22 cities around the world. Two‐thirds of the variation in plant extinction rates was explained by a combination of the city’s historical development and the current proportion of native vegetation, with the former explaining the greatest variability. As a single variable, the amount of native vegetation remaining also influenced extinction rates, particularly in cities > 200 years old. Our study demonstrates that the legacies of landscape transformations by agrarian and urban development last for hundreds of years, and modern cities potentially carry a large extinction debt. This finding highlights the importance of preserving native vegetation in urban areas and the need for mitigation to minimize potential plant extinctions in the future.