| Title: |
Arthropod biodiversity loss from nitrogen deposition is buffered by natural and semi-natural habitats |
| Authors: |
Fan, Shunxiang; Newbold, Tim; Axmacher, Jan C; Outhwaite, Charlotte L; Zou, Yi; Yu, Zhenrong; Liu, Yunhui |
| Contributors: |
Lee, Tien Ming |
| Source: |
PLOS Biology , 23 (7) , Article e3003285. (2025) |
| Publisher Information: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Collection: |
University College London: UCL Discovery |
| Description: |
Nitrogen (N) deposition is known to strongly modify biogeochemical cycles and trophic interactions, in turn altering ecosystem functioning and plant diversity around the globe. However, our understanding of N deposition effects on arthropod diversity remains limited. Here, we investigate how N deposition impacts the diversity of arthropods by combining biodiversity data from the PREDICTS database with data on global N deposition and land cover using mixed-effects models. We then explore the potential for semi-natural and natural habitats (‘SNH’) to buffer against potential N deposition-linked biodiversity losses. N deposition has a negative effect on arthropod biodiversity. Both, species richness and abundance are significantly reduced in areas of high levels of N deposition when compared to areas of low N deposition, with responses varying across different land-use types. The strongest negative effects of N deposition on arthropod diversity were observed in locations where the local land use entails the least anthropogenic modification. At the same time, with the exception of cropland-dominated landscapes, increases in the amount of SNH in the surrounding landscape reduced arthropod biodiversity losses associated with N deposition. We conclude that SNH can play an important role in mitigating the negative effects of N deposition on arthropod diversity, with the conservation and creation of these habitats promoting arthropod diversity even under high levels of N deposition. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
application/pdf |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211620/1/Fan%20et%20al%202025%20PLOS%20Biology.pdf; https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211620/ |
| Availability: |
https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211620/1/Fan%20et%20al%202025%20PLOS%20Biology.pdf; https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211620/ |
| Rights: |
open |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.A0724645 |
| Database: |
BASE |