ABSTRACT
Species range contractions are important contributors to biological annihilation, yet typically do not receive the same attention as extinctions. Range contractions can lead to marked impacts on populations but are often only characterized by measurements of reduced extent. For effective conservation efforts, it is critical to recognize that not all range contractions are the same. We propose four distinct patterns of range contraction: shrinkage, amputation, hollow, and fragmentation. We tested their impact on populations of a generic generalist species using forward-time simulations. Results showed that all four patterns differentially reduced population abundance (declines of 60-80%) and significantly increased average relatedness, with differing patterns in nucleotide diversity (π) declines relative to the contraction pattern. The fragmentation pattern resulted in the strongest effects on post-contraction genetic diversity and structure. Defining and quantifying range contraction patterns and their consequences for the planet’s biodiversity provides necessary information to combat biological annihilation in the Anthropocene.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
Mailing address: Jordan Rogan, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., TAMU 2258, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2258 Phone: 610-316-1306
Data accessibility statement: Code for all models and analyses can be found at https://github.com/hancockzb.