Secondary foundation species enhance biodiversity.

摘要: It has long been recognized that primary foundation species (FS), such as trees and seagrasses, enhance biodiversity. Among the facilitated are secondary FS, including mistletoes epiphytes. Case studies have demonstrated FS can further modify habitat-associated organisms (‘inhabitants’), but their net effects remain unknown. Here we assess how inhabitants, globally, affected by FS. We extracted calculated 2,187 abundance 397 richness Hedges’ g effect sizes from 91 50 publications, respectively. A weighted meta-analysis revealed significantly enhanced of inhabitants compared to alone. This indirect facilitation arising through sequential habitat formation was consistent across environmental experimental conditions. Complementary unweighted analyses on log response ratios magnitude these similar global average strength direct greater than trophic cascades, a widely type consumption. The finding important implications for understanding mechanisms regulate Integrating into conservation practice will improve our ability protect biodiversity ecosystem function. Secondary species, epiphytes, form structurally complex habitats species. shows they