Variable responses of individual species to tropical forest degradation
Authors: Ewers Robert M. , Pearse William D. , Orme C. David L. , Amarasekare Priyanga , De Lorm Tijmen , Granville Natasha , Adzhar Rahayu , Aldridge David C. , Ancrenaz Marc , Atton Georgina , Barclay Holly , Barclay Maxwell V. L. , Bernard Henry , Bicknell Jake E. , Bishop Tom R. , Blackman Joshua , Both Sabine , Boyle Michael J. W. , Brant Hayley , Brasington Ella , Burslem David F.R.P. , Bush Emma R. , Calloway Kerry , Carbone Chris , Cator Lauren , Chapman Philip M. , Chey Vun Khen , Chung Arthur , Clare Elizabeth L. , Cusack Jeremy , Dančák Martin , Davies Zoe G. , Davison Charles W. , Dawood Mahadimenakbar M. , Deere Nicolas J. , Dickinson Katharine J. M. , Didham Raphael K. , Döbert Timm F. , Dow Rory A. , Drinkwater Rosie , Edwards David P. , Eggleton Paul , Faruk Aisyah , Fayle Tom M. , Fikri Arman Hadi , Fletcher Robert J. , Folkard-Tapp Hollie , Foster William A. , Fraser Adam , Gill Richard , Gray Ross E. J. , Gray Ryan , Gregory Nichar , Hardwick Jane , Harianja Martina F. , Haysom Jessica K. , Hemprich-Bennett David R. , Heon Sui Peng , Hroneš Michal , Jebrail Evyen W. , Jones Nick , Jotan Palasiah , Kemp Victoria A. , Kinneen Lois , Kitching Roger , Konopik Oliver , Kueh Boon Hee , Lane-Shaw Isolde , Lewis Owen T. , Luke Sarah H. , Mackintosh Emma , Maclean Catherine S. , Majalap Noreen , Malhi Yadvinder , Martin Stephanie , Massam Michael , Matula Radim , Maunsell Sarah , Mckinlay Amelia R. , Mitchell Simon , Mullin Katherine E. , Nilus Reuben , Noble Ciar D. , Parrett Jonathan M. , Pfeifer Marion , Pianzin Annabel , Picinali Lorenzo , Pillay Rajeev , Poznansky Frederica , Prairie Aaron , Qie Lan , Rahman Homathevi , Riutta Terhi , Rossiter Stephen J. , Rowcliffe J. Marcus , Roxby Gabrielle Briana , Seaman Dave J. I. , Sethi Sarab S. , Shabrani Adi , Sharp Adam , Slade Eleanor M. , Sleutel Jani , Stork Nigel , Struebig Matthew , Svátek Martin , Swinfield Tom , Tan Heok Hui , Teh Yit Arn , Thorley Jack , Turner Edgar C. , Twining Joshua P. , Vollans Maisie , Wearn Oliver , Webber Bruce L. , Wiederkehr Fabienne , Wilkinson Clare L , Williamson Joseph , Wong Anna , Yeo Darren C. J. , Yoh Natalie , Yusah Kalsum M. , Yvon-Durocher Genevieve , Zulkifli Nursyamin , Daniel Olivia , Reynolds Glen , Banks-Leite Cristina 
Published: February 2024

The functional stability of ecosystems depends greatly on interspecific differences in responses to environmental perturbation. However, responses to perturbation are not necessarily invariant among populations of the same species, so intraspecific variation in responses might also contribute. Such inter-population response diversity has recently been shown to occur spatially across species ranges, but we lack estimates of the extent to which individual populations across an entire community might have perturbation responses that vary through time. We assess this using 524 taxa that have been repeatedly surveyed for the effects of tropical forest logging at a focal landscape in Sabah, Malaysia. Just 39 % of taxa – all with non-significant responses to forest degradation – had invariant responses. All other taxa (61 %) showed significantly different responses to the same forest degradation gradient across surveys, with 6 % of taxa responding to forest degradation in opposite directions across multiple surveys. Individual surveys had low power (< 80 %) to determine the correct direction of response to forest degradation for one-fifth of all taxa. Recurrent rounds of logging disturbance increased the prevalence of intra-population response diversity, while uncontrollable environmental variation and/or turnover of intraspecific phenotypes generated variable responses in at least 44 % of taxa. Our results show that the responses of individual species to local environmental perturbations are remarkably flexible, likely providing an unrealised boost to the stability of disturbed habitats such as logged tropical forests.