Biotic homogenization in tree communities of tropical forests: a systematic review

Abstract

A systematic literature review was conducted on biotic homogenization in tropical forests and its consequences for the diversity of tree communities. We evaluated articles indexed in Scopus® and Web of Science® from 1945 to 2022. The selection of publications was carried out using the Rayyan platform. The bibliometric method used for database mapping was co-word analysis in VOSviewer software. We distinguished three lines of research on biotic homogenization: invasion ecology of species; environmental and anthropogenic factors; and functional and phylogenetic diversity. The most studied and perhaps the most affected component was the taxonomic component. Biotic homogenization events are widely distributed throughout the tropical region, with the most affected forest type being tropical rainforest, and the main cause identified was land use change related to anthropogenic degradation. Studies on biotic homogenization in the tropics have intensified in the last decade and have resulted in significant advances in understanding this process, such as the realization that hyperdiverse environments are susceptible to biotic homogenization, which can be mediated by generalist native species. We observed the emergence of another component of diversity to be included in the homogenization concept: homogenization of ecological interactions.