1
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Lindken T, Anderson CV, Ariano-Sánchez D, Barki G, Biggs C, Bowles P, Chaitanya R, Cronin DT, Jähnig SC, Jeschke JM, Kennerley RJ, Lacher TE, Luedtke JA, Liu C, Long B, Mallon D, Martin GM, Meiri S, Pasachnik SA, Reynoso VH, Stanford CB, Stephenson PJ, Tolley KA, Torres-Carvajal O, Waldien DL, Woinarski JCZ, Evans T. What factors influence the rediscovery of lost tetrapod species? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30. [PMID: 38273552 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
We created a database of lost and rediscovered tetrapod species, identified patterns in their distribution and factors influencing rediscovery. Tetrapod species are being lost at a faster rate than they are being rediscovered, due to slowing rates of rediscovery for amphibians, birds and mammals, and rapid rates of loss for reptiles. Finding lost species and preventing future losses should therefore be a conservation priority. By comparing the taxonomic and spatial distribution of lost and rediscovered tetrapod species, we have identified regions and taxa with many lost species in comparison to those that have been rediscovered-our results may help to prioritise search effort to find them. By identifying factors that influence rediscovery, we have improved our ability to broadly distinguish the types of species that are likely to be found from those that are not (because they are likely to be extinct). Some lost species, particularly those that are small and perceived to be uncharismatic, may have been neglected in terms of conservation effort, and other lost species may be hard to find due to their intrinsic characteristics and the characteristics of the environments they occupy (e.g. nocturnal species, fossorial species and species occupying habitats that are more difficult to survey such as wetlands). These lost species may genuinely await rediscovery. However, other lost species that possess characteristics associated with rediscovery (e.g. large species) and that are also associated with factors that negatively influence rediscovery (e.g. those occupying small islands) are more likely to be extinct. Our results may foster pragmatic search protocols that prioritise lost species likely to still exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lindken
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher V Anderson
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
- IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Ariano-Sánchez
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales y Biodiversidad, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Notodden, Norway
| | - Goni Barki
- Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | | | - Philip Bowles
- IUCN SSC Snake and Lizard Red List Authority, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Ramamoorthi Chaitanya
- The School of Zoology and The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Jeschke
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Rosalind J Kennerley
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, UK
- IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Thomas E Lacher
- Re:wild, Austin, Texas, USA
- IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer A Luedtke
- Re:wild, Austin, Texas, USA
- IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Chunlong Liu
- College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | | | - David Mallon
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Gabriel M Martin
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP), Esquel, Argentina
- IUCN SSC New World Marsupials Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Shai Meiri
- The School of Zoology and The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Victor Hugo Reynoso
- Departamento de Zoología/Pabellón de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Craig B Stanford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, USA
- IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - P J Stephenson
- Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
- IUCN SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Krystal A Tolley
- IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
- Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Omar Torres-Carvajal
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - David L Waldien
- IUCN SSC Bat Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
- Christopher Newport University, Newport News, Virginia, USA
- Lubee Bat Conservancy, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Harrison Institute, Kent, UK
| | | | - Thomas Evans
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
- Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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2
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Dick C, Larson WA, Karpan K, Baetscher DS, Shi Y, Sethi S, Fangue NA, Henderson MJ. Prey ration, temperature, and predator species influence digestion rates of prey DNA inferred from qPCR and metabarcoding. Mol Ecol Resour 2023. [PMID: 37555692 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Diet analysis is a vital tool for understanding trophic interactions and is frequently used to inform conservation and management. Molecular approaches can identify diet items that are impossible to distinguish using more traditional visual-based methods. Yet, our understanding of how different variables, such as predator species or prey ration size, influence molecular diet analysis is still incomplete. Here, we conducted a large feeding trial to assess the impact that ration size, predator species, and temperature had on digestion rates estimated with visual identification, qPCR, and metabarcoding. Our trial was conducted by feeding two rations of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to two piscivorous fish species (largemouth bass [Micropterus salmoides] and channel catfish [Ictalurus punctatus]) held at two different temperatures (15.5 and 18.5°C) and sacrificed at regular intervals up to 120 h from the time of ingestion to quantify the prey contents remaining in the digestive tract. We found that ration size, temperature, and predator species all influenced digestion rate, with some indication that ration size had the largest influence. DNA-based analyses were able to identify salmon smolt prey in predator gut samples for much longer than visual analysis (~12 h for visual analysis vs. ~72 h for molecular analyses). Our study provides evidence that modelling the persistence of prey DNA in predator guts for molecular diet analyses may be feasible using a small set of controlling variables for many fish systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory Dick
- California Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, USA
| | - Wesley A Larson
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratories, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Juneau, Alaska, USA
| | - Kirby Karpan
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratories, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Juneau, Alaska, USA
| | - Diana S Baetscher
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratories, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Juneau, Alaska, USA
| | - Yue Shi
- Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Suresh Sethi
- U.S. Geological Survey, New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Nann A Fangue
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Mark J Henderson
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, USA
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3
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Food web of Mocha Island (Chile) reveals the interaction between the invasive Rattus rattus and the endemic anuran Eupsophus insularis. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02905-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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4
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Neidel V, Sint D, Wallinger C, Traugott M. RNA allows identifying the consumption of carrion prey. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2662-2671. [PMID: 35668675 PMCID: PMC9541938 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Facultative scavenging by predatory carnivores is a prevalent but frequently underestimated feeding strategy. DNA‐based methods for diet analysis, however, do not allow to distinguish between scavenging and predation, thus, the significance of scavenging on population dynamics and resource partitioning is widely unknown. Here, we present a methodological innovation to differentiate between scavenging and fresh prey consumption using prey RNA as a target molecule. We hypothesized that the rapid post‐mortem breakdown of RNA in prey tissue should lead to a significantly lower detection probability of prey RNA than DNA when carrion rather than fresh prey is consumed. To test this hypothesis, ground beetles (Pseudoophonus rufipes [De Geer]) were offered either fresh or 1‐day‐old dead Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies (carrion). The detectability of prey RNA and DNA in the beetles' regurgitates was assessed with diagnostic Drosophila‐specific RT‐PCR and PCR assays at 0, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h post‐feeding. After fresh fly consumption, prey RNA and DNA were detectable equally well at all times. When carrion prey was consumed, the detection strength of prey RNA immediately after feeding was significantly lower than that of prey DNA and reached zero in most samples within 6 h of digestion. Our findings provide evidence that prey RNA allows distinguishing between the consumption of fresh and scavenged prey, thereby overcoming a long‐known weakness of molecular diet analysis. The assessment of prey RNA offers a generally applicable approach for examining the importance of scavenging in food webs to unravel its functional consequences for populations, communities, and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Neidel
- Applied Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Daniela Sint
- Applied Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Corinna Wallinger
- Applied Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Traugott
- Applied Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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5
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McLennan EA, Wise P, Lee AV, Grueber CE, Belov K, Hogg CJ. DNA metabarcoding reveals a broad dietary range for Tasmanian devils introduced to a naive ecosystem. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8936. [PMID: 35600680 PMCID: PMC9120209 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Top carnivores are essential for maintaining ecosystem stability and biodiversity. Yet, carnivores are declining globally and current in situ threat mitigations cannot halt population declines. As such, translocations of carnivores to historic sites or those outside the species' native range are becoming increasingly common. As carnivores are likely to impact herbivore and small predator populations, understanding how carnivores interact within an ecosystem following translocation is necessary to inform potential remedial management and future translocations. Dietary analyses provide a preliminary assessment of the direct influence of translocated carnivores on a recipient ecosystem. We used a metabarcoding approach to quantify the diet of Tasmanian devils introduced to Maria Island, Tasmania, a site outside the species' native range. We extracted DNA from 96 scats and used a universal primer set targeting the vertebrate 12S rRNA gene to identify diet items. Tasmanian devils on Maria Island had an eclectic diet, with 63 consumed taxa identified. Cat DNA was detected in 14% of scats, providing the first instance of cats appearing as part of Tasmanian devil diets either via predation or scavenging. Short-tail shearwaters and little penguins were commonly consumed, corresponding with previous surveys showing sharp population declines in these species since the introduction of Tasmanian devils. Our results indicate that the introduction of carnivores to novel ecosystems can be very successful for the focal species, but that commonly consumed species should be closely monitored to identify any vulnerable species in need of remedial management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth A. McLennan
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Phil Wise
- Save the Tasmanian Devil ProgramNREHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Andrew V. Lee
- Save the Tasmanian Devil ProgramNREHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Catherine E. Grueber
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Carolyn J. Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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6
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Egeter B, Veríssimo J, Lopes-Lima M, Chaves C, Pinto J, Riccardi N, Beja P, Fonseca NA. Speeding up the detection of invasive bivalve species using environmental DNA: a Nanopore and Illumina sequencing comparison. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2232-2247. [PMID: 35305077 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Traditional detection of aquatic invasive species via morphological identification is often time-consuming and can require a high level of taxonomic expertise, leading to delayed mitigation responses. Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection approaches of multiple species using Illumina-based sequencing technology have been used to overcome these hindrances, but sample processing is often lengthy. More recently, portable nanopore sequencing technology has become available, which has the potential to make molecular detection of invasive species more widely accessible and substantially decrease sample turnaround times. However, nanopore-sequenced reads have a much higher error rate than those produced by Illumina platforms, which has so far hindered the adoption of this technology. We provide a detailed laboratory protocol and bioinformatic tools (msi package) to increase the reliability of nanopore sequencing to detect invasive species, and we test its application using invasive bivalves while comparing it with Illumina-based sequencing. We sampled water from sites with pre-existing bivalve occurrence and abundance data, and contrasting bivalve communities, in Italy and Portugal. Samples were extracted, amplified, and sequenced by the two platforms. The mean agreement between sequencing methods was 69% and the difference between methods was non-significant. The lack of detections of some species at some sites could be explained by their known low abundances. This is the first reported use of MinION to detect aquatic invasive species from eDNA samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Egeter
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,NatureMetrics, Bakeham Lane, Egham, Surrey, TW20 9TY, U.K
| | - Joana Veríssimo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Manuel Lopes-Lima
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IUCN SSC Mollusc Specialist Group, c/o 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, U.K
| | - Cátia Chaves
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Joana Pinto
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | | | - Pedro Beja
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,CIBIO/InBIO, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nuno A Fonseca
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
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7
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Muletz‐Wolz CR, Wilson Rankin E, McGrath‐Blaser S, Venkatraman M, Maldonado JE, Gruner DS, Fleischer RC. Identification of novel bacterial biomarkers to detect bird scavenging by invasive rats. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1814-1828. [PMID: 33614005 PMCID: PMC7882976 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid advances in genomic tools for use in ecological contexts and non-model systems allow unprecedented insight into interactions that occur beyond direct observation. We developed an approach that couples microbial forensics with molecular dietary analysis to identify species interactions and scavenging by invasive rats on native and introduced birds in Hawaii. First, we characterized bacterial signatures of bird carcass decay by conducting 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing on chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) tissues collected over an 11-day decomposition study in natural Hawaiian habitats. Second, we determined if field-collected invasive black rats (Rattus rattus; n = 51, stomach and fecal samples) had consumed birds using molecular diet analysis with two independent PCR assays (mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I and Cytochrome b genes) and Sanger sequencing. Third, we characterized the gut microbiome of the same rats using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and identified 15 bacterial taxa that were (a) detected only in rats that consumed birds (n = 20/51) and (b) were indicative of decaying tissue in the chicken decomposition experiment. We found that 18% of rats (n = 9/51) likely consumed birds as carrion by the presence of bacterial biomarkers of decayed tissue in their gut microbiome. One species of native bird (Myadestes obscurus) and three introduced bird species (Lophura leucomelanos, Meleagris gallopavo, Zosterops japonicus) were detected in the rats' diets, with individuals from these species (except L. nycthemera) likely consumed through scavenging. Bacterial biomarkers of bird carcass decay can persist through rat digestion and may serve as biomarkers of scavenging. Our approach can be used to reveal trophic interactions that are challenging to measure through direct observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly R. Muletz‐Wolz
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological ParkWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Erin Wilson Rankin
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological ParkWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMDUSA
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCAUSA
| | - Sarah McGrath‐Blaser
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological ParkWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Madhvi Venkatraman
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological ParkWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMDUSA
| | - Jesús E. Maldonado
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological ParkWashingtonDCUSA
| | | | - Robert C. Fleischer
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological ParkWashingtonDCUSA
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8
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Martins FMS, Porto M, Feio MJ, Egeter B, Bonin A, Serra SRQ, Taberlet P, Beja P. Modelling technical and biological biases in macroinvertebrate community assessment from bulk preservative using multiple metabarcoding markers. Mol Ecol 2020; 30:3221-3238. [PMID: 32860303 PMCID: PMC8359330 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
DNA metabarcoding from the ethanol used to store macroinvertebrate bulk samples is a convenient methodological option in molecular biodiversity assessment and biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems, as it preserves specimens and reduces problems associated with sample sorting. However, this method may be affected by errors and biases, which need to be thoroughly quantified before it can be mainstreamed into biomonitoring programmes. Here, we used 80 unsorted macroinvertebrate samples collected in Portugal under a Water Framework Directive monitoring programme, to compare community diversity and taxonomic composition metrics estimated through morphotaxonomy versus metabarcoding from storage ethanol using three markers (COI‐M19BR2, 16S‐Inse01 and 18S‐Euka02) and a multimarker approach. A preliminary in silico analysis showed that the three markers were adequate for the target taxa, with detection failures related primarily to the lack of adequate barcodes in public databases. Metabarcoding of ethanol samples retrieved far less taxa per site (alpha diversity) than morphotaxonomy, albeit with smaller differences for COI‐M19BR2 and the multimarker approach, while estimates of taxa turnover (beta diversity) among sites were similar across methods. Using generalized linear mixed models, we found that after controlling for differences in read coverage across samples, the probability of detection of a taxon was positively related to its proportional abundance, and negatively so to the presence of heavily sclerotized exoskeleton (e.g., Coleoptera). Overall, using our experimental protocol with different template dilutions, the COI marker showed the best performance, but we recommend the use of a multimarker approach to detect a wider range of taxa in freshwater macroinvertebrate samples. Further methodological development and optimization efforts are needed to reduce biases associated with body armouring and rarity in some macroinvertebrate taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa M S Martins
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Miguel Porto
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vila do Conde, Portugal.,CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria J Feio
- Departamento de Ciência da Vida, Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, MARE, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Bastian Egeter
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Aurélie Bonin
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Sónia R Q Serra
- Departamento de Ciência da Vida, Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, MARE, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Pierre Taberlet
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Tromsø Museum, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pedro Beja
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vila do Conde, Portugal.,CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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9
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Browett SS, O'Meara DB, McDevitt AD. Genetic tools in the management of invasive mammals: recent trends and future perspectives. Mamm Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S. Browett
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre School of Science, Engineering and Environment University of Salford Salford M5 4WTUK
| | - Denise B. O'Meara
- Molecular Ecology Research Group Eco‐Innovation Research Centre School of Science and Computing Waterford Institute of Technology Waterford Ireland
| | - Allan D. McDevitt
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre School of Science, Engineering and Environment University of Salford Salford M5 4WTUK
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10
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Woinarski JCZ, Legge SM, Woolley LA, Palmer R, Dickman CR, Augusteyn J, Doherty TS, Edwards G, Geyle H, McGregor H, Riley J, Turpin J, Murphy BP. Predation by introduced cats Felis catus on Australian frogs: compilation of species records and estimation of numbers killed. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/wr19182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
ContextWe recently estimated the numbers of reptiles, birds and mammals killed by cats (Felis catus) in Australia, with these assessments providing further evidence that cats have significant impacts on Australian wildlife. No previous studies have estimated the numbers of frogs killed by cats in Australia and there is limited comparable information from elsewhere in the world.
AimsWe sought to (1) estimate the numbers of frogs killed by cats in Australia and (2) compile a list of Australian frog species known to be killed by cats.
MethodsFor feral cats, we estimated the number of frogs killed from information on their frequency of occurrence in 53 cat dietary studies (that examined stomach contents), the mean number of frogs in dietary samples that contained frogs, and the numbers of cats in Australia. We collated comparable information for take of frogs by pet cats, but the information base was far sparser.
Key resultsFrogs were far more likely to be reported in studies that sampled cat stomachs than cat scats. The mean frequency of occurrence of frogs in cat stomachs was 1.5%. The estimated annual per capita consumption by feral cats in Australia’s natural environments is 44 frogs, and, hence, the annual total take is estimated at 92 million frogs. The estimated annual per capita consumption by pet cats is 0.26 frogs, for a total annual kill of one million frogs by pet cats. Thirty native frog species (13% of the Australian frog fauna) are known to be killed by cats: this tally does not include any of the 51 threatened frog species, but this may simply be because no cat dietary studies have occurred within the small ranges typical of threatened frog species.
ConclusionsThe present study indicated that cats in Australia kill nearly 100 million frogs annually, but further research is required to understand the conservation significance of such predation rates.
ImplicationsThe present study completed a set of reviews of the impacts of cats on Australian terrestrial vertebrates. Cat predation on Australian frogs is substantial, but is likely to be markedly less than that on Australian reptiles, birds and mammals.
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Taylor CM, Keppel G, O'Sullivan S, Peters S, Kerr GD, Williams CR. Indiscriminate feeding by an alien population of the spotted-thighed frog (Litoria cyclorhyncha) in southern Australia and potential impacts on native biodiversity. AUST J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/zo19042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Litoria cyclorhyncha (Hylidae) is native to southern Western Australia, but a naturalised population has established on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. We investigated the diet of this exotic population to assess potential impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems. Seventy-six frogs were collected from three different habitats and their diet items assigned to parataxonomic units (PU) within orders. Stomach contents were diverse, containing 467 prey items from 19 orders and 135 PU, with extrapolation suggesting a diet of ~200 PU. Shannon diversity estimates of prey items consumed produced different rankings for the three habitats at the PU and order level. Therefore, estimates at the order level may not be representative of the actual diversity of prey items. L. cyclorhyncha consumed mainly arthropods and low numbers of conspecific young frogs, geckos and a juvenile house mouse. This generalist, indiscriminate predatory diet is similar to that of other hylids and implies that the species poses a risk to native biodiversity and ecosystem processes by predation and competition. Therefore, further spread of this species needs to be prevented. Our findings can inform effective policies and management actions to mitigate future impacts of L. cyclorhyncha.
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