Linking habitat change to functional vulnerability in tropical dry forests of Colombia

Abstract

Tropical Dry Forests (TDF) remain among the most threatened ecosystems globally, yet much of what we know about biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships still comes from studies in other ecosystem types. In Colombia, land-use change has transformed extensive areas of potential TDF into pasturelands, croplands, and plantations, raising concerns about how these shifts may alter the functional basis of ecological processes. As countries report progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), there is an increasing need for indicators that capture not only forest loss but also the functional implications of biodiversity change. Importantly, aggregated national indicators risk overlooking regional dynamics that structure ecosystem functioning.

To address this gap, we used habitat outputs from the Species Habitat Index, a complementary indicator of the framework, to assess changes in the spatial distribution of plant traits for 282 TDF species. We compiled eight hydraulic traits measured for 98 0.1-ha plots spanning successional gradients across the Colombian TDF, and two dispersal traits compiled from the literature and complemented with information from the TRY database. By integrating species-level traits with habitat proxies, we quantified functional diversity, functional rarity (uniqueness and restrictedness), and community-weighted means under 2020 habitat conditions and evaluated how habitat change between 2000 and 2020 reshaped trait distributions.

In line with historical and a previous analysis of Colombia’s TDF species’ habitat, the natural regions within this ecosystem displayed distinct patterns, shaped by their differing disturbance histories and land-use pressures. The Norandean and Orinoco regions both experienced habitat loss over the 20-year period and showed the highest levels of functional rarity, indicating potential vulnerability of unique hydraulic and dispersal strategies to further habitat contraction. Conversely, the Caribbean region, despite having the largest remaining habitat area, did not exhibit correspondingly high functional diversity.

Our approach demonstrates how spatially explicit trait-habitat integration, enabled through the measurement of a KM-GBF indicator, can reveal region-specific functional vulnerabilities that remain invisible to national-scale reporting. By linking habitat change to shifts in the functional architecture of TDF communities, we can potentially identify where disruptions to trait-mediated ecosystem processes are likely to occur, and where the potential consequences for ecosystem functioning may be greatest.

Citation

Arce-Plata, M. I., Poisot, T., Salgado-Negret, B., Rodríguez-Buriticá, S., Burbano-Girón, J., Salinas Vargas, V., Muñoz, M., González-Martínez, R., Garzón Ramos, F., and Norden, N.: Linking habitat change to functional vulnerability in tropical dry forests of Colombia, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-905, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-905, 2026.