The impacts of extreme events on biodiversity : lessons from die-offs in flying-foxes

There is no doubt that extreme events will have an increasingly important impact on the structure of ecosystems and the sustainability of animal populations in a wide range of taxa (e.g., Parmesan et al. 2000); however, our knowledge of how biological systems respond to these events is limited. Examining the impacts of temperature extremes on flying-foxes shows that extreme events can cause selective die-offs with unexpected and complex ecological consequences. The keystone roles that flying-foxes play as seed dispersers and pollinators suggest that these bats could be useful bioindicators, but a broader suite of species is clearly needed to monitor the biological impacts of extreme events. Such indicator species will be particularly useful for analyses of the vulnerability of the world's biodiversity, and will help enhance our ability to predict ecological responses to climate change.