Elena Pearce

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Forests before Homo sapiens: historical baselines of European vegetation

Abstract: European landscapes have changed dramatically since the arrival of Homo sapiens. The proliferation of our species has caused widespread ecological consequences, from the mass extinction of Europe’s megafauna during the Last Ice Age to the expansion of agriculture. Increasingly, restoration efforts seek to recover lost habitats, promote biodiversity, and restore functioning ecosystems. Historical reference points, or baselines, can provide much-needed context, allowing us to understand the landscapes in which current biodiversity evolved. Using pollen data, we reconstruct past vegetation structure and composition for the Last Interglacial, before the arrival of Homo sapiens to Europe. We found that the temperate forest biome had a more open, heterogeneous structure than traditionally believed. Additionally, landscapes appear to have been structurally and compositionally affected by natural disturbance factors beyond climate. We suggest an important role for natural disturbance regimes in temperate forests and advocate for a reimagining of the temperate forest biome to reflect the open and light woodland elements that are part of it.

Camille Magneville

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Apprehending the past and present drivers of functional and phylogenetic patterns in Euro-Mediterranean forests

Abstract: Studying the impact of past & present conditions in shaping biodiversity helps us comprehend the long & short-term implications of present Earth conditions for biodiversity's future. While it’s known that past & present environmental & anthropic factors separately impact current species richness patterns, the study of their relative impact is much less known, particularly while looking at functional and phylogenetic diversity facets. These facets are linked to ecosystem functioning, resilience & the potential to adapt to new environmental conditions. Understanding what drives these facets would help us to apprehend how to manage & conserve a functional biosphere. Moreover, the multiple drivers of diversity interact. The study of their interaction is of primary importance for diversity management as altering one driver could impact other diversity drivers which in turn can have varying effects on diversity. Here, using Structural Equation Modeling, we report how current patterns of functional and phylogenetic diversity of five taxa in Mediterranean forests are directly or indirectly determined by past and present climate and land use, present habitat characteristics and disturbances.

Matthew Kerr

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: The exposure of the biosphere to novel conditions

Abstract: The concept of novel ecosystems has been discussed for more than a decade to describe ecosystems that have an altered species composition and function, such that the community has crossed a threshold forbidding a return to its historical state.

Given that the abiotic and biotic drivers of novelty are in a state of rapid change, identifying novel ecosystems is a critical challenge, but difficult at scale. Here we identify and map three key dimensions of novelty - climate change, defaunation and globalization - and use them to identify the global distribution of novel conditions. We show that the biosphere is exposed to overwhelmingly novel conditions, and that vulnerable nature is just as exposed as unprotected space. In particular, highly intact areas are more exposed than low intactness areas. Understanding the distribution of novel conditions is critical for the future safeguarding of nature, and our results show that careful planning is needed to identify shifts and pathways leading to highly novel conditions.

Ming Ni

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Context-dependent ungulate effects on forest regeneration and plant invasions at a continental scale

Abstract: Understanding large herbivore impacts on forest ecosystems is crucial for effective management yet remains complex due to context-dependent interactions and scale-limitation in exclusion experiments. Leveraging continental-scale data, we first estimated the relative abundance of whitetail deer, mule deer and wild boar across the contiguous USA, and investigated deer and boar impacts on forest regeneration and plant invasions. Deer tended to reduce native seedling abundance at arid environments and promoted invasive plants at warm-moist habitats. Differently, wild boar generally had neutral effects on native seedlings, while inhibiting invasive plants. Both deer and boar had unimodal relationships with plant richness, while strongly influenced by underlying climate, topography and human pressure. Our findings highlight the importance of considering environmental contexts and species-specific behaviors in assessing top-down controls on forest ecosystems, emphasizing the need for adaptive approaches considering both natural and societal contexts in forest management.

Finote Gijsman

PhD student, Princeton University

Title: Collapse of dung beetle communities and functions in elephant-free African savannas

Abstract: Human activity has resulted in the degradation of many ecological communities. The connection of species through complex interaction networks means that the initial loss of a species can potentially trigger secondary declines (‘co-extinctions’) of dependent taxa and associated ecosystem services. Yet, while co-extinctions are believed to be among the leading drivers of biodiversity loss today, remarkably few experimental studies of this phenomenon exist. We combined data from long-term herbivore exclusion plots and dietary analyses at the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia, Kenya, to examine whether the experimental removal of large-bodied herbivores leads to the decline of dung beetles, which depend on herbivore dung for food and reproduction and provide key ecosystem services. We found strong associations between dung beetles and elephants and that the exclusion of megaherbivores (elephants and giraffes) reduced dung beetle abundance, diversity, biomass, and ecosystem services. Subsequent removals of smaller-bodied herbivores, however, had weaker effects on community composition, suggesting that elephants are critical food sources for dung beetles in African savannas.

Juraj Bergman

Tenure track assistant Professor, BiRC, Aarhus University

Title: The role of allometry, diet and reproduction in determining population dynamics varies across mammals

Abstract: Population density has been extensively studied as a function of body size, leading to fundamental insights into species’ ecology and evolutionary processes. However, density is a single population determinant thus providing a limited view of species’ population dynamics. We study additional population-level parameters that are based on genomic nucleotide variation, such as the effective population size of a species (Ne), and their dependence on causative networks comprising eleven phenotypic traits that characterize species’ allometry, diet and reproduction. While body mass had the most consistent effect on population density and Ne-based parameters, we find order-specific dependencies for all population-level parameters. Higher brain mass, especially in primates and carnivores, had a positive impact on Ne-based parameters, while a less-specialized diet and faster time to reproductive maturity had a positive impact on ungulate population density. We demonstrate that population dynamics are a product of multiple interacting traits, thus challenging classical models of population dynamics based on simpler, allometry-based paradigms.

Theodore Lefebvre

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Insight into the function and evolution of trunk spines in woody plants

Abstract: Large herbivorous mammals have been influencing vegetation evolution globally for millions of years, shaping modern ecosystems in which plants have adapted their architecture and traits in response to mammalian feeding behaviors. A well-known example is the emergence of spinescence in woody plants, which deters browsers and illustrates the coevolution between plants and mammalian large herbivores, and the role of leaf feeding in driving vegetation evolution. However, recent findings suggest that not all spines are identical in their ecological functioning and evolutionary history. Instead, spines from different plant tissues and spines on different parts of the plant may have evolved under distinct evolutionary pressures related to the biogeographic patterns in emergence and diversification of particular animal groups. Notably, trunk spines are a very intriguing and impressive plant adaptation, appearing on tree trunks where commonly defended edible parts are absent. Unlike most spiny species, trunk spines have been shown not to defend the leaves against ground-dwelling mammals, raising the question of their ecological significance. Which mammal feeding behaviour and animal groups these spines defend against? In which environment this feeding behaviour has been affecting tree vegetation adaptation? What are the implications of this feeding behaviour in vegetation evolution? This talk will present the probable functions of trunk spines, provide an overview of the diversity and biome preferences of spiny trunk species in the world, and present preliminary findings on the evolution of these species across different continents. This will provide you with a new insight into the fascinating adaptations of tropical vegetation and their historical interactions with megafauna.

Szymon Czyżewski

PhD student, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Temperate-forest plants prefer heterogenous semi-open canopy conditions shaped by large herbivores

Abstract: Traditionally natural temperate forest biome vegetation was characterized as closed-canopy forest. Recent studies show it to be more heterogeneous including open and semi-open canopy, likely maintained by now extirpated large herbivores. We asked which model do environmental preferences of forest plants match?

First, we selected all European native temperate forest plant species (following Heinken et al. 2022). We obtained published information on canopy-openness and large-herbivore density preferences and we explored patterns in these preferences across the forest species pool.

Semi-open to open canopies are preferred by 66.3% of forest plants. On average forest plants prefer large-herbivore densities between 10.6 and 19.4 t/km2. Forest plants preferring higher large-herbivore densities (p = 0.013, R2 = 0.17) and lower herbaceous biomass (p = 0.029, R2 = 0.17) are more at risk of extinction, indicating that the loss of large-herbivores from forests is driving extinction.

Thus, we show that environmental preferences of forest plants are consistent with the new temperate forest model and the reintroduction of large herbivores offers a solution to maintain forest-plant diversity.

Joe Atkinson

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Integrating plant functional traits and trophic rewilding

Abstract: The interest surrounding trophic rewilding as a nature conservation and restoration method is growing. However, there are still few detailed studies of the outcomes of rewilding on plant communities for a range of reasons, including its novelty as a method, the time it takes for community changes to occur, and the wide range of different combinations of large herbivores and densities used under the rewilding banner. Here, we explore the potential for plant functional traits (in combination with animal traits) to help build a more predictive and mechanistic basis for rewilding actions by building on taxonomic-based studies with a functional perspective. We present a set of hypotheses for rewilding outcomes based on functional traits and preliminary results of these hypotheses using data collated from grazing exclosure studies of plant traits at the community level. Briefly, we find that despite idiosyncratic results in the literature, there are general patterns in plant trait responses to large herbivores for a range of plant traits, but these are modified by abiotic conditions that act to simultaneously constrain plant life history strategies.

Silas Tanderup

PhD Student, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Genetic population structure feral horses in the US

Abstract: Feral populations of horses have spread across various parts of the North American continent. Which has in turn raised questions regarding their heritage. Population structure assays done between populations of feral horses sampled from North Dakota to Arizona and European breeds could reveal their heritage. Analyses on genetic variation and homozygosity would be direct measures of genetic fitness, thus giving an idea of how natural gene flow shape the populations. Demographic history measures of recent generations could uncover differences in expansion and founder effects of the populations, thus contributing to the understanding of how the inbred patterns seen. Finally a gene environment association will be used to assess the future genomic vulnerability of the different populations. This will give an estimate of future adaptability of the different populations.

Oliver Baines

Data scientist, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Conserving Nature’s Stage: Linking geodiversity to biodiversity under global change

Abstract: Biodiversity is under threat as a result of human activity. Land cover change and the ongoing climate emergency are driving rapid change across all parts of the Earth system. Conserving biodiversity is therefore a pressing concern and requires conservation strategies that recognise the dynamism of nature. A growing body of literature has proposed protecting diversity in the abiotic environment (i.e., geodiversity) as a coarse-filter tool for biodiversity conservation. Areas of higher geodiversity offer a greater variety of niches, and the abiotic environment in many cases changes much more slowly than species distributions. Conserving the abiotic ‘stage’ that species inhabit may therefore help to ensure the preservation of biodiversity through time. Here, I will provide an introduction to geodiversity and its relevance to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under global change. I will discuss the current state of geodiversity-biodiversity research, gaps in our current knowledge, and future directions for research. In doing so, I hope to highlight the utility of geodiversity to help design conservation strategies that value both biotic and abiotic nature.

Eva Moracho Martinez

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Seed dispersal interaction networks for sustainable vegetation restoration

Abstract: Ecosystem restoration, focusing not only on biodiversity but also on ecosystem functions, is a key objective as we enter the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). In particular, mutualistic interactions such as seed dispersal provide a key service for plant regeneration and thus long-term ecosystem stability. Similarly, the increase in plant diversity in its many facets provides fundamental resources for higher trophic levels. This study uses network modelling of species interactions to understand the dual effect that restoring plant diversity can have on the biodiversity of the animals that consume their seeds, and the effect of the animals on their dispersal across Denmark. This approach allows us to identify key species for ecosystem dynamics that play specific roles in the network of interactions (e.g. higher centrality), and to gain insights into how to implement vegetation restoration that promotes biodiversity at higher trophic levels.

Emma-Liina Marjakangas

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Fundamental interaction niches: towards a functional understanding of networks’ resilience

Abstract: The accelerating global change likely leads to reorganization of species interactions across ecological networks. This ‘interaction rewiring’ can occur both via the establishment of new or disappearance of existing interactions and the changes in interaction strengths between species. However, little is known about if, when and how networks will reorganize due to the ongoing reorganization of the biosphere. We propose a novel concept of rewiring potential to quantify the functional adaptability of species and networks. The potential of a species to rewire its interactions can be quantified as the interaction niche breadth, which is defined as the trait value range of interaction partners. We illustrate the use of the concepts and quantifiable measures with a plant-bird pollination metanetwork in the Americas. We quantify rewiring potential for each species and for local networks constructed based on species’ range maps. In the future, networks with high interaction rewiring potential will likely have a better ability to adapt to the intensifying effects of global change, so quantifying rewiring potential can shed light on the resilience and functioning of ecosystems.

Bernard Olivier

PhD Student, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Multidecadal impacts of trophic rewilding on vegetation dynamics in a European landscape

Abstract: Large-scale and effective implementation of rewilding requires a deeper understanding of the long-term impacts on ecosystem processes, based on directly observed, high-temporal frequency, empirical evidence. Modern tools and methodologies circumvent the restrictions usually associated with providing such long-term empirical evidence. This study describes the long-term impacts of rewilding on ecosystem processes in a European landscape, namely above-ground biomass, tree cover, vegetation heterogeneity, and vegetation phenology. This was achieved using 30 years of satellite-based remote-sensed imagery and annual herbivore population surveys. We show that herbivore introduction can result in increased vegetation productivity, decreased tree cover, vegetation homogenization, and significant changes in vegetation phonology, including herbivore species specific impacts, over a 30-year period. An in-depth, long-term understanding of the impacts of herbivore reintroduction on critical components of ecosystem function, such as presented here, is key for the effective implementation of rewilding and restoration.

Antti Miettinen

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Purging and the genetic paradox of invasions

Abstract: Invasive species threaten global biodiversity and human well-being. Understanding the drivers involved in their spread is critically important for preventing and mitigating future invasions. Using genomic approaches, we will address the “paradox” of biological invasions: how do species sometimes spread to new habitats so efficiently, when their invading populations should suffer from inbreeding and loss of genetic variation due to low numbers of founder individuals? To explain this, we propose a new hypothesis that genetic “purging” is a decisive factor in invasiveness. We assume that without purging of strongly deleterious variation, inbreeding depression frequently leads to failure of invasions. We test this by analysing levels of inbreeding and deleterious alleles in the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). We also study if its invasive populations show evidence for genetic adaptation to their novel environments. The improved understanding of genomic processes underlying invasions and the redistribution of biodiversity will be broadly relevant across taxa. This may help guide conservation actions to prevent and reduce the impact of invasive species.

Jonas Trepel

PhD Student, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Atmospheric nitrogen deposition and large herbivores shape woody cover change

Abstract: The increase of woody plant cover (“woody encroachment”) is leading to marked changes in many open and semi-open ecosystems, which has important consequences for biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and climate feedbacks. Various drivers including precipitation, elevated atmospheric CO2, herbivory and fire have been suggested to limit woody cover and explain woody plant expansion. However, the role of another global change driver - atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition - is surprisingly understudied. Moreover, the effects of large herbivores are difficult to assess at large scales due to a lack of accurate data on herbivore density and functional composition. To investigate the effects of large herbivores and N deposition on woody plant cover dynamics, we compiled a dataset of spatially explicit mammal communities (n = 396, distributed across bioclimatic gradients in South Africa). We found that woody cover increase may be strongly influenced by N deposition. Furthermore, we found that functionally diverse herbivore communities at high densities are associated with slower woody expansion and greater woody cover heterogeneity.

Saneesh Soman

PhD Student, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig

Title: Promoting tree diversity and growth by managing fire and dominant grasses

Abstract: Despite extensive research on fire and invasive grasses in non-native savannas, little is known about India's native grass-dominated ecosystems. Here, we examine the effects of fire exclusion and native dominant grass removal on seedling and sapling dynamics in a large-scale experiment. We found that both fire exclusion and Cymbopogon (a dominant grass) removal were necessary to increase seedling abundance and diversity, with positive effects only at low land-use intensity and large spatial scales. While we expected saplings to benefit from combined removal but face increased herbivory and water stress, they actually grew more and showed no signs of these threats. These similar responses across species suggest adaptations to savanna environments.  Our study highlights the importance of combined management, low land-use intensity, and multi-scale analysis for savanna conservation. We advocate for an inclusive approach involving communities, science, governments, and NGOs.

Runqiu Huang

PhD Student, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Rising sea levels and climatic warming increase potential blue carbon sequestration along China’s coastline

Abstract: Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) sustain the highest global rate of carbon sequestration contribution among all natural systems despite their limited coverage. However, quantifying changes in carbon sequestration by BCEs under future climate change remains challenging. Here, we estimate the patterns of carbon sequestration distribution from different organic carbon (OC) sources in China's BCEs. We employed an integrative approach that combines a meta-analysis of OC stocks along China's BCEs with predictions of coastal wetland changes, based on climate change scenarios, to quantify the impacts of sea level rise and global warming on carbon sequestration. Our findings indicate that the annual carbon sequestration rate in BCEs will increase by 7.4% due to sea level rise by 2100, and OC stocks will rise by 9.2% for every additional 1°C increase in temperature. Our results demonstrate that BCEs offer substantial carbon sequestration benefits and robustness to climate change, underscoring the importance of protecting and restoring BCEs.

Andrew Abraham

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Zoogeochemisty in novel ecosystems: Management headaches or a solution for climate change?

Abstract: By concentrating, redistributing, and leaching elements (e.g., C, N, P) wildlife shape the chemistry of their environments. Consequently, human activities such as hunting, animal introductions and fences may alter the chemical connectivity and heterogeneity of novel ecosystems.  

Focusing on a reserve in the Kalahari Desert, managers have altered wildlife-chemistry dynamics via i) off-site wildlife removal, (ii) provisioning of mineral licks and (iii) manipulation of predator guilds. For example, some herbivores obtain >50% of their Na from artificial mineral licks, while lions prevent P losses associated with wildlife removals. For some species (e.g., black rhino) these changes have contributed towards conservation success. But, are there broader costs to inter-species competition and vegetation degradation?

Zoogeochemistry links the biodiversity and climate crises. Theoretical models suggest that wildlife may help sequester large amounts of carbon. The example here, however, shows that managing wildlife for specific biogeochemical changes is extremely challenging, may create ethical dilemmas and could clash with alternative motives for conservation.

Jeppe Aagaard Kristensen

Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Trophic (re)wilding through the soil lens

Abstract: Rewilding restoration has mainly focused on aboveground processes and taxa. Hence, soils remain understudied in rewilding context, despite being a main foundation for ecosystem functioning. Through conceptional work and a series of case studies, I will demonstrate some key soil effects of trophic rewilding, and couple it to soil and ecosystem health. I will use examples of both chemical and physical engineering of soils and landscapes by animals from around the world, and use this to discuss the limits between rewilding and novel ecosystems.

Jana Tabea Schultz

PhD Student, Aquaculture and Fisheries Group & Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Wageningen University

Title: Shifting Sand – Shifting Species: Unravel the Impact of Sand Extraction on Macrobenthos

Abstract: Climate change-induced sea level rise will further causes dune erosion and reduced protection against storm surges, leading to an inevitably increase of the demand for sand. Extracting higher amounts of sand from our oceans will intensify the pressure on the marine environment. It physically alters the seabed habitat and thereby impacts of benthic communities. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive emphasizes the importance of benthic ecosystem integrity, calling for a balance between coastal protection demands and conservation of marine biodiversity. This study first examines species-habitat associations using a Bayesian multivariate spatial model and subsequently predicts changes in macrobenthos distributions and abundance due to novel environmental conditions caused by sand extractions. Preliminary results show that sand extractions pits are likely to decrease the abundance of those species reliant on courses sediment, such as Spisula subtruncata. Our research provides a framework for evaluating future sand extraction strategies, supporting informed decisions about sustainable resource management and conservation efforts.

M. Erdem Kabadayi

Professor, Koç University, Istanbul

Title: GeoAI-based Land Use Land Cover Segmentation to Analyse Rural Depopulation and Agricultural Land Abandonment in Bulgaria and Turkey, 1950-1980

Abstract: Rural depopulation and agricultural land abandonment are massive concerns for Europe and elsewhere today and our planet's future. These interlinked phenomena can be analysed using land use and land cover (LULC) maps combined with dynamics of population geography, especially regarding urban sprawl. Modern LULC and spatially disaggregated population datasets go back to the 1980s and 1970s. Although we have earlier population data, these are not geomatched to locations in LULC maps.

Within our recently completed European Research Council, Proof of Concept project, GeoAI_LULC_Seg (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101100837) we have semantically segmented aerial photos from the 1950s and photographic reconnaissance satellites from the 1980s and combined them with geotagged high spatial resolution demographic data to examine historical drivers of drastic LULC changes. With this presentation we would like to present selected project outcomes focusing on the impacts of differing economic and demographic policies of two neighboring national states on land use and population geography.

Charlie Davison

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Mapping functional rangeland types across Africa

Abstract: African rangelands sustain the livelihoods of millions and are important reservoirs of biodiversity. Increasing anthropogenic pressure therefore necessitates an understanding of the distribution and functioning of rangeland ecosystems. We propose a continental-scale system to map rangeland functional types using a new remotely sensed vegetation phenology time-series. Leveraging Sentinel 1-3 data to generate fused and gap-filled timeseries, we estimated Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and derived 14 phenological parameters at a high resolution (10m x 10m). We supplemented this phenology data with a recent high-resolution tree cover map generated using machine learning. Our classification system therefore integrates three key axes: productivity, phenology, and vegetation structure. Employing k-means clustering, we derived objective thresholds for five key variables, resulting in 36 unique rangeland-type combinations. The resulting classification captures the complexity of African rangelands by focusing on objective measures of vegetation functional and phenological characteristics, offering a transparent and practical classification system to support decision-making and sustainable management of these critical ecosystems.

Ninad Avinash Mungi

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Widespread ecological shifts and emergence of novel ecosystems across Indian sub-continent

Abstract: Human-led ecological novelty has become the hallmark of the Anthropocene. The potential risks and opportunities that it brings are least known. We bring insights from the most populous and biodiverse regions of the Global South, India, by sampling 257,000 km2 natural areas for 16 years. Leveraging ~45 million species records, we found rapid changes in species forms, composition, and interactions. Grassy ecosystems were seen transformed into woody ecosystems dominated by invasive plants, intense fire regime, depleted soil moisture, and altered herbivore-vegetation relationships. Conversely, wet tropical forests were seen gaining grassy cover with increased fire-invasion intensity and herbivore occurrence, hinting towards functional transformation. We project ~60% transformation to novel ecosystems by the end of this century. Conventional conservation and restoration could fall short to accommodate the emerging novelty. We highlight paradigm shift crucial for harnessing the potential of novel ecosystems to benefit both humanity and biodiversity in the Anthropocene.

Sean Pang

Postdoc, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Ecological Niche Disequilibrium and their drivers across European plants

Abstract: Past global changes can cause species’ ecological niches to exist at disequilibrium with prevailing environmental conditions, undermining global change research and conservation efforts. Here, we investigate ecological niche disequilibrium at a pan-European scale for >3000 plants species. We developed temporally dynamic species distributions models to assess temporal disequilibrium due to recent climate changes, while plot light and disturbance levels were included as predictors to assess habitat disequilibrium due to (in)direct anthropogenic impacts on natural habitats. We found significant temporal (47%) and habitat (99%) disequilibrium across species. Both disequilibria were greater among low elevation and cold distributed species. Temporal disequilibrium was greater for species with long-lived, slow growing life history traits. Habitat disequilibrium was greater for species with greater leaf investments and light and disturbance indicator values typical of grassland and woodland habitats. Our findings uncover the pervasiveness of habitat disequilibrium, emergence of temporal disequilibrium, and factors driving the distribution of disequilibrium across European plant species.

Rasmus Østergaard Pedersen

Data scientist, Department of Biology, Aarhus University

Title: Exploring Mammal Macroecology: PHYLACINE Unleashed

Abstract: Join us for a dive into PHYLACINE, the ultimate dataset for understanding mammal macroecology. With data on over 5,800 extant and extinct species, PHYLACINE streamlines access to phylogenies, current range maps, potential present range maps, traits, and threat statuses, all in easy-to-use formats.

We'll showcase a study that shows how PHYLACINE can be used to shed light on the impact of human-induced extinctions and extirpations on herbivore consumption rates. Here we've uncovered how these extinctions have drastically altered ecosystems, even in the wildest corners of the globe.

And the best part? PHYLACINE isn't static. It's a living database, constantly evolving from user contributions, and author updates. So, join us in unravelling the legacy of mammals in macroecology with PHYLACINE.