Severity of deforestation mediates biotic homogenisation in an island archipelago

Anthropogenic-driven species extinctions are radically changing the biosphere. Biological communities may become increasingly similar to or dissimilar from one another via processes of biotic homogenisation heterogenisation. A key question is how conversion native forests agriculture influence these by driving changes in occurrence patterns restricted-range endemic versus wide-ranging generalists. We examined and heterogenisation bird on Southeast Asian islands Borneo, Sulawesi, Seram, Buru, Talaud Sangihe. Each island characterised high levels avian endemism unique spatial configuration forest agriculture. Forest influenced five islands. Bird became reference relative localised deforestation. Turnover led with larger global range-sizes dominating at expense endemics ecological specialists. Within islands, did not result clear β-diversity, whereas between-island greater deforestation, implying that profoundly affect homogenisation. Our findings elucidate continued causing replacement a small cohort shared ubiquitous potentially strong negative consequences for ecosystem functioning resilience. Halting reorganisation biosphere loss range-restricted spread wide-ranged generalists will require improved efforts reduce impacts particularly regions endemism.