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Temporal Lag in Ecological Responses to Landscape Change: Where Are We Now?

  • Landscape Change - Causes and Effects
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Abstract

Purpose of the Review

The loss or gain of biodiversity and/or ecosystem functions and services can occur with a substantial delay following landscape change. We have first revisited the key concepts used to refer to those delayed ecological responses to landscape change and then reviewed the literature aiming to summarize (i) methodological approaches used to empirically evaluate the existence of delayed ecological responses, (ii) empirical evidences of delayed ecological responses, and (iii) current understanding of the main mechanisms that can explain those delayed responses.

Recent Findings

We identified that key concepts used to refer to delayed ecological responses are very confusing as many different terms are used to refer to a single delayed ecological response. So, we propose here a unified vocabulary to support future research. Our review showed that there is plenty of empirical evidence that delayed ecological responses to landscape change are common in nature. However, current knowledge is mostly restricted to biodiversity responses to adverse landscape changes. Few studies have investigated for ecosystem functions and/or services delayed responses or delayed ecological gains after landscape structure improvements such as increase in habitat amount. We verified that some progress occurred in recent years. We identified the use of three new methodological approaches to empirically evaluate the existence of delayed ecological responses, and we also verified an increase in our understanding about the mechanisms that explain delayed ecological responses. As expected, we observed high levels of support for delayed ecological responses in landscapes that have undergone recent changes and for habitat specialist species. Other hypotheses have been less frequently tested. Some of them have a low level of support (no clear relationship between strength of landscape change and delayed responses), while others have a good level of support but still need more evidences (relationships between species longevity and dispersal capability with delayed responses).

Summary

Our understanding about delayed ecological responses to landscape change is still at an early stage and seems to be increasing slowly while human-altered landscapes are increasing rapidly worldwide. There are still important knowledge gaps to be filled. Beyond providing better support for some explanatory hypotheses, we still need to explore (1) ecosystem functions and services delayed responses to landscape change, and (2) the delayed ecological gains after positive landscape changes.

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Acknowledgments

JPM is supported by the Brazilian Science Council (CNPq) and by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rua Marquês de São Vicente 225, Gávea, CP 38097, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 22451-900, Brazil

    Paula Koeler Lira

  2. Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Rua do Matão 321, Travessa 14, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-090, Brazil

    Melina de Souza Leite & Jean Paul Metzger

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  1. Paula Koeler Lira
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  2. Melina de Souza Leite
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  3. Jean Paul Metzger
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Correspondence to Jean Paul Metzger.

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Lira, P.K., de Souza Leite, M. & Metzger, J.P. Temporal Lag in Ecological Responses to Landscape Change: Where Are We Now?. Curr Landscape Ecol Rep 4, 70–82 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40823-019-00040-w

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