| Text | 388507 2018 10.1038/s41586 018 0140 0 Scopus 2 s2.0 85048247258 ISI Web of Science WOS 000434273300047 Body size Urban communities Ecological networks Urban ecosystem function Body size shifts in aquatic and terrestrial urban communities Merckx T.; Souffreau C.; Kaiser A.; Baardsen L.F.; Backeljau T.; Bonte D.; Brans K.I.; Cours M.; Dahirel M.; Debortoli N.; De Wolf K.; Engelen J.M.T.; Fontaneto D.; Gianuca A.T.; Govaert L.; Hendrickx F.; Higuti J.; Lens L.; Martens K.; Matheve H.; Matthysen E.; Piano E.; Sablon R.; Schon I.; Van Doninck K.; De Meester L.; Van Dyck H. Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Louvain la Neuve, , , Belgium; Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Louvain la Neuve, , , Belgium; Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, , Belgium; Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, , Belgium; Department Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, , Belgium; Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, , Belgium; Department Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, , Belgium; ECOBIO Ecosystemes Biodiversite, Évolution , CNRS, Universite de Rennes, Rennes, , , France; ECOBIO Ecosystemes Biodiversite, Évolution , CNRS, Universite de Rennes, Rennes, , , France; Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Ecology, URBE, NAXYS, University of Namur, Namur, , Belgium; National Research Council, Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, , Italy; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research IDiv , Halle Jena Leipzig, , Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ , Department of Community Ecology, Halle, , Germany; Centre of Research in Limnology, Ichthyology and Aquaculture/PEA, State University of Maringa, Maringa, , Brazil; Limnology Research Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, , Belgium; Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, , Italy; Zoology Research Group, University of Hasselt, Hasselt, , Belgium Body size is intrinsically linked to metabolic rate and life history traits, and is a crucial determinant of food webs and community dynamics1,2. The increased temperatures associated with the urban heat island effect result in increased metabolic costs and are expected to drive shifts to smaller body sizes3. Urban environments are, however, also characterized by substantial habitat fragmentation4, which favours mobile species. Here, using a replicated, spatially nested sampling design across ten animal taxonomic groups, we show that urban communities generally consist of smaller species. In addition, although we show urban warming for three habitat types and associated reduced community weighted mean body sizes for four taxa, three taxa display a shift to larger species along the urbanization gradients. Our results show that the general trend towards smaller sized species is overruled by filtering for larger species when there is positive covariation between size and dispersal, a process that can mitigate the low connectivity of ecological resources in urban settings5. We thus demonstrate that the urban heat island effect and urban habitat fragmentation are associated with contrasting community level shifts in body size that critically depend on the association between body size and dispersal. Because body size determines the structure and dynamics of ecological networks1, such shifts may affect urban ecosystem function. 558 Published version http //www.scopus.com/inward/record.url eid=2 s2.0 85048247258 partnerID=q2rCbXpz Articolo 2018_Nature.pdf Articolo in rivista Macmillan Publishers Ltd.. 1476 4687 Nature Basingstoke, Online Nature Basingstoke, Online Nature Basingstoke, Online diego.fontaneto FONTANETO DIEGO |
