Scientists are calling for an integration of biogeography and behavioural ecology to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how biodiversity responds to environmental change. In a perspective article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of interdisciplinary researchers at the University of Oklahoma contend that finding solutions to prevent large-scale extinction requires addressing critical questions about biodiversity dynamics that have been challenging to answer.
Biogeography is the study of how and why biological diversity varies across Earth's geography, while behavioural ecology is concerned with the evolution of behaviour in relation to ecological pressures. While these two fields have been studied separately, the researchers argue that combining them can provide a more complete understanding of how biodiversity will respond to environmental change.
Climate change is a significant threat to biodiversity, but it is not the only threat. Habitat loss and degradation, direct overharvest of some species, and other factors also contribute to biodiversity loss. These threats are a unique crisis that must be considered on equal footing with climate change.
According to article co-author Katharine Marske, assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, "The ways that we respond to climate change also have a big impact on outcomes for biodiversity, which is also a critical part of how the global climate system works."
By integrating biogeography and behavioural ecology, researchers can gain a better understanding of how biodiversity has been shaped by past geographic events, as well as the day-to-day activities of animals. This knowledge can help predict where biodiversity will be in the future and inform strategies for protecting it.
Laura Stein, another article co-author and an assistant professor of biology, explains, "I think in many cases, biogeographers are not thinking about day-to-day activities of animals as much as behavioural ecologists are, and behavioural ecologists are not necessarily considering differences and overlaps in both current and historical ranges and how behaviours have been shaped by past geographic events that might help predict where they will be in the future."
