Abstract
When prioritizing regions for conservation protection, decisions are often based on the principle that a single large reserve should support more species than several small reserves of the same total area (SLOSS). This principle remains a central paradigm in conservation planning despite conflicting empirical evidence and methodological concerns. In urban areas where small parks tend to dominate and policies to promote biodiversity are becoming increasingly popular, determining the most appropriate prioritization method is critical. Here, we document the role of SLOSS in defining the seasonal diversity of birds in 475 parks in 21 US cities. Collections of small parks were consistently associated with higher species richness, spatial turnover and rarity. Collections of both small and large parks were associated with higher phylogenetic and functional diversity whose patterns varied across seasons and cities. Thus, collections of small parks are a reliable source of species richness driven by higher spatial turnover and rarity, whereas collections of both small and large parks contain the potential to support higher phylogenetic and functional diversity. The presence of strong intra-annual and geographical variation emphasizes the need for regional prioritization strategies, where multiple diversity metrics are examined across parks and seasons.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 20231424 |
Journal | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
Volume | 290 |
Issue number | 2006 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 13 2023 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Immunology and Microbiology
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Environmental Science
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Keywords
- functional diversity
- phylogenetic diversity
- seasonal bird assemblages
- single large or several small
- species richness
- urbanization