A global ecological signal of extinction risk in terrestrial vertebrates

To determine the distribution and causes of extinction threat across
functional groups of terrestrial vertebrates, we assembled a dataset on
ecological traits for 18,016 species and tested, using phylogenetic
comparative methods, which categories of habitat association, mode of
locomotion, and feeding mode best predict extinction risk. We found that
cave-dwelling amphibians, brachiating mammals (all of which are primates),
aerial and scavenging birds, and pedal squamates are all
disproportionately threatened with extinction. Across four vertebrate
classes, agriculture, followed by logging, and then invasive species and
disease are the most common risk factors of extinction. The most
endangered species show simultaneous risk from multiple threat types. The
disproportionate loss of species with certain functional traits, combined
with increasing anthropogenic pressures, is likely to disrupt ecosystem
functions globally if left unabated. A shift in focus from species- to
trait-centric conservation practices will allow for the protection of
at-risk functional diversity from regional to global scales.