Species traits mediate terrestrial mammal density responses to human impacts
Abstract
Human activities are reshaping ecosystems, but their effects on species population density remain poorly understood. Most studies focus on species presence–absence, thus limiting insight into how anthropogenic pressures affect population density. Emerging evidence suggests that responses of natural populations to human disturbance are highly variable, often contingent on species‐specific traits. Here, we test how species traits mediate the density responses of terrestrial mammal populations to different forms of human impact. We quantified the correlations between mammalian population densities and urban cover, cropland cover, and human population abundance, using 7785 population density estimates across 263 species belonging to 18 taxonomic orders. Using Bayesian inference, we then conducted three phylogenetically corrected correlation meta‐analyses, and subsequently tested the effects of body mass, diet, and life history traits on the correlations using meta‐regression models. We found no overall directional effect on mammal population density with any of the three human impact variables, however, responses to impact gradients deviated from these overall effects depending on species' traits. Omnivores and large‐bodied species density was positively correlated with agricultural cover, herbivores and frugivores density declined with urbanization and human population density. We also found weaker evidence that large carnivores declined with human population abundance and urbanization, while reproductive strategy and velocity mediated responses to urbanization and cropland. Anthropogenic landscapes, where natural habitat is interspersed with anthropogenic land use and human settlements, do not support lower population density on average, but alter species relative abundance by favouring some species over others. Higher densities can result from multiple factors, including resource supplementation, ecological release effects due to the decrease or disappearance of competitor or predator species, or density compensation associated with shifts toward smaller‐bodied assemblages. This study underscores the complexity of human–nature interactions and the importance of species traits in mediating ecological outcomes.
Related
- How does soil texture mediate the impacts of antibiotic residues in manure on soil nitrogen cycling communities and nitrogen dynamics?
- MarILCA characterization factors for microplastics, tire particles and cellulosic fibers in life cycle assessment: the PEBBLE method for regionalized physical impacts in marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems
- Asymmetric impacts and legacy effects of dry–wet abrupt alternation on global terrestrial vegetation productivity
- The uncertain impacts of an 1.5 °C overshoot-and-decline scenario on carbon stocks and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems
- Regional impacts of irrigation on the atmospheric and terrestrial water cycle of the Iberian Peninsula in a climate model
BibTeX
@article{santini2026species,
title = {{Species traits mediate terrestrial mammal density responses to human impacts}},
author = {Luca Santini and Diana E Bowler and Roberto Salguero‐gómez and Inês S Martins and Franziska Schrodt and Romain Frelat and Mickael Hedde and Naia Morueta‐holme and Pierre Gaüzère and Cyrille Violle and Romain Goury and Joaquim Estopinan and Miriam Beck and Wilfried Thuiller},
journal = {Ecography},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/ecog.08694},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05796349v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Species traits mediate terrestrial mammal density responses to human impacts
AU - Luca Santini
AU - Diana E Bowler
AU - Roberto Salguero‐gómez
AU - Inês S Martins
AU - Franziska Schrodt
AU - Romain Frelat
AU - Mickael Hedde
AU - Naia Morueta‐holme
AU - Pierre Gaüzère
AU - Cyrille Violle
AU - Romain Goury
AU - Joaquim Estopinan
AU - Miriam Beck
AU - Wilfried Thuiller
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Ecography
DO - 10.1002/ecog.08694
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05796349v1
AB - Human activities are reshaping ecosystems, but their effects on species population density remain poorly understood. Most studies focus on species presence–absence, thus limiting insight into how anthropogenic pressures affect population density. Emerging evidence suggests that responses of natural populations to human disturbance are highly variable, often contingent on species‐specific traits. Here, we test how species traits mediate the density responses of terrestrial mammal populations to different forms of human impact. We quantified the correlations between mammalian population densities and urban cover, cropland cover, and human population abundance, using 7785 population density estimates across 263 species belonging to 18 taxonomic orders. Using Bayesian inference, we then conducted three phylogenetically corrected correlation meta‐analyses, and subsequently tested the effects of body mass, diet, and life history traits on the correlations using meta‐regression models. We found no overall directional effect on mammal population density with any of the three human impact variables, however, responses to impact gradients deviated from these overall effects depending on species' traits. Omnivores and large‐bodied species density was positively correlated with agricultural cover, herbivores and frugivores density declined with urbanization and human population density. We also found weaker evidence that large carnivores declined with human population abundance and urbanization, while reproductive strategy and velocity mediated responses to urbanization and cropland. Anthropogenic landscapes, where natural habitat is interspersed with anthropogenic land use and human settlements, do not support lower population density on average, but alter species relative abundance by favouring some species over others. Higher densities can result from multiple factors, including resource supplementation, ecological release effects due to the decrease or disappearance of competitor or predator species, or density compensation associated with shifts toward smaller‐bodied assemblages. This study underscores the complexity of human–nature interactions and the importance of species traits in mediating ecological outcomes.
SN - 1600-0587
ER -