CBER Seminar - Adrienne Etard, UCL

Abstract: Land-use and climate change are two of the most important drivers of current and projected biodiversity loss. Nevertheless, not all species respond similarly to these pressures. Species ability to cope with anthropogenic disturbances is dependent on their functional traits. By preferentially removing certain functional types, land-use and climate change are reshaping the functional composition of ecological communities. Understanding these impacts is key to assess the potential consequences for ecosystem functioning. Moreover, assessing whether and which traits influence species’ responses to these pressures can help put into place efficient conservation measures. In this talk, I investigate how traits influence species responses to land-use and climate change in terrestrial vertebrates.