Nature Communications · 12 September 2026 · From issue 36
Widespread declines of formerly common species reshape local assemblages over time
Once-common species are declining faster than rare species on land and at sea.
Weiqiang Xu, Junfeng Gao et al.
Species that used to be common are shrinking in number faster than rare species. This pattern shows up on land and in the ocean. Freshwater habitats do not show a clear pattern either way. New species moving into an area help offset losses in the rarest groups, but common species keep losing ground overall.
The scale of the data used to compare trends in common versus rare species.
Past-data analysis only, cannot prove why common species decline faster.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 14 September 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Communications). Read the source
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