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Vásquez-Aguilar AA, Hernández-Rodríguez D, Martínez-Mota R. Predicting future climate change impacts on the potential distribution of the black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra): an endangered arboreal primate. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:392. [PMID: 38520558 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12543-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is one of the main factors affecting biodiversity worldwide at an alarming rate. In addition to increases in global extreme weather events, melting of polar ice caps, and subsequent sea level rise, climate change might shift the geographic distribution of species. In recent years, interest in understanding the effects of climate change on species distribution has increased, including species which depend greatly on forest cover for survival, such as strictly arboreal primates. Here, we generate a series of species distribution models (SDMs) to evaluate future projections under different climate change scenarios on the distribution of the black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra), an endemic endangered primate species. Using SDMs, we assessed current and future projections of their potential distribution for three Social Economic Paths (SSPs) for the years 2030, 2050, 2070, and 2090. Specifically, we found that precipitation seasonality (BIO15, 30.8%), isothermality (BIO3, 25.4%), and mean diurnal range (BIO2, 19.7.%) are the main factors affecting A. pigra distribution. The future climate change models suggested a decrease in the potential distribution of A. pigra by projected scenarios (from - 1.23 to - 12.66%). The highly suitable area was the most affected above all in the more pessimist scenario most likely related to habitat fragmentation. Our study provides new insights into the potential future distribution and suitable habitats of Alouatta pigra. Such information could be used by local communities, governments, and non-governmental organizations for conservation planning of this primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rodolfo Martínez-Mota
- Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales (CITRO), Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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Dai Y, Li D. Climate change and anthropogenic activities shrink the range and dispersal of an endangered primate in Sichuan Province, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:122921-122933. [PMID: 37979118 PMCID: PMC10724096 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31033-2] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is a rare and endemic species in China. The population of golden snub-nosed monkeys in Sichuan Province has an isolated genetic status, large population size, and low genetic diversity, making it highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Our study aimed to evaluate the potential impact of climate and land-use changes on the distribution and dispersal paths of the species in Sichuan Province. We used three general circulation models (GCMs), three greenhouse gas emission scenarios, and three land-use change scenarios suitable for China to predict the potential distributions of the golden snub-nosed monkey in the current and 2070s using the MaxEnt model. The dispersal paths were identified by the circuit theory. Our results suggested that the habitats of the golden snub-nosed monkey were reduced under all three GCM scenarios. The suitable habitats for the golden snub-nosed monkey would be reduced by 82.67%, 82.47%, and 75.17% under the RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, compared to the currently suitable habitat area. Additionally, we found that the density of future dispersal paths of golden snub-nosed monkeys would decrease, and the dispersal resistance would increase. Therefore, relevant wildlife protection agencies should prioritize the climatically suitable distributions and key dispersal paths of golden snub-nosed monkeys to improve their conservation. We identified key areas for habitat preservation and increased habitat connectivity under climate change, which could serve as a reference for future adaptation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunchuan Dai
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, Sichuan Province, China
- Institute for Ecology and Environmental Resources, Research Center for Ecological Security and Green Development, Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Dayong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, Sichuan Province, China.
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Ahmed AS, Chala D, Kufa CA, Atickem A, Bekele A, Svenning JC, Zinner D. Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:65. [PMID: 37919657 PMCID: PMC10623689 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02173-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change coupled with other anthropogenic pressures may affect the extent of suitable habitat for species and thus their distributions. This is particularly true for species occupying high-altitude habitats such as the gelada (Theropithecus gelada) of the Ethiopian highlands. To explore the impact of climate change on species distributions, Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) has been extensively used. Here we model the current and future extent of sutibale habitat for geladas. Our modelling was based on 285 presence locations of geladas, covering their complete current distribution. We used different techniques to generate pseudoabsence datasets, MaxEnt model complexities, and cut-off thresholds to map the potential distribution of gelada under current and future climates (2050 and 2070). We assembled maps from these techniques to produce a final composite map. We also evaluated the change in the topographic features of gelada over the past 200 years by comparing the topography in current and historical settings. RESULTS All model runs had high performances, AUC = 0.87-0.96. Under the current climate, the suitable habitat predicted with high certainty was 90,891 km2, but it decreased remarkably under future climates, -36% by 2050 and - 52% by 2070. However, since the habitats of geladas already extend to mountaintop grasslands, no remarkable range shifts across elevation gradients were predicted under future climates. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicated that climate change most likely results in a loss of suitable habitat for geladas, particularly south of the Rift Valley. Currently geladas are confined to higher altitudes and steep slopes compared to historical sightings, probably qualifying geladas as refugee species. The difference in topography is potentially associated with anthropogenic pressures that drove niche truncation to higher altitudes, undermining the climatic and topographic niche our models predicted. We recommend protecting the current habitats of geladas even when they are forecasted to become climatically unsuitable in the future, in particular for the population south of the Rift Valley.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Seid Ahmed
- Department of Biology, Hawassa University, P. O. Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box. 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Desalegn Chala
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P. O. Box 1172, Blindern, Oslo, NO-0318, Norway
| | - Chala Adugna Kufa
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box. 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Biology, Woldia University, P. O. Box 400, Woldia, Ethiopia
| | - Anagaw Atickem
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box. 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Afework Bekele
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box. 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus C, DK-8000, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, Aarhus C, DK-8000, Denmark
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ecology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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Zhu S, Li L, Slate TJ, Tang H, Wu G, Guo H, Li D. The Change in Habitat Quality for the Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey from 1975 to 2022. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:886. [PMID: 37372170 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
The reduction in habitat quality (as shown, in part, by the increase in habitat rarity) is an important challenge when protecting the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. We used the InVEST model to quantitatively analyze the dynamic changes in the habitat of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey from 1975 to 2022. The results show that in the study period, the degree of habitat degradation increased, with the degradation range at its widest in the south, and the degradation intensity highest in the north, especially along a center "spine" area in the north. Over the latter part of the study period, the habitat quality of most monkey groups improved, which is conducive to the survival and reproduction of the population. However, the habitat quality and monkey populations are still at significant risk. The results provide the basis for formulating the protection of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey and provide research cases for the protection of other endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxian Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana, China West Normal University of Sichuan Provence, Nanchong 637009, China
- Land Improvement Center of Heping County, Heyuan 517200, China
| | - Li Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana, China West Normal University of Sichuan Provence, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Timothy J Slate
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana, China West Normal University of Sichuan Provence, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Haixia Tang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Health Center, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China
| | - Gongsheng Wu
- Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Health Center, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China
| | - Hongyan Guo
- Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Health Center, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China
| | - Dayong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana, China West Normal University of Sichuan Provence, Nanchong 637009, China
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Kuang W, Zinner D, Li Y, Yao X, Roos C, Yu L. Recent Advances in Genetics and Genomics of Snub-Nosed Monkeys ( Rhinopithecus) and Their Implications for Phylogeny, Conservation, and Adaptation. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14050985. [PMID: 37239345 DOI: 10.3390/genes14050985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The snub-nosed monkey genus Rhinopithecus (Colobinae) comprises five species (Rhinopithecus roxellana, Rhinopithecus brelichi, Rhinopithecus bieti, Rhinopithecus strykeri, and Rhinopithecus avunculus). They are range-restricted species occurring only in small areas in China, Vietnam, and Myanmar. All extant species are listed as endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, all with decreasing populations. With the development of molecular genetics and the improvement and cost reduction in whole-genome sequencing, knowledge about evolutionary processes has improved largely in recent years. Here, we review recent major advances in snub-nosed monkey genetics and genomics and their impact on our understanding of the phylogeny, phylogeography, population genetic structure, landscape genetics, demographic history, and molecular mechanisms of adaptation to folivory and high altitudes in this primate genus. We further discuss future directions in this research field, in particular how genomic information can contribute to the conservation of snub-nosed monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Kuang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yuan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Xueqin Yao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Christian Roos
- Gene Bank of Primates, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
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Zhu S, Li L, Wu G, Liu J, Slate TJ, Guo H, Li D. Assessing the Impact of Village Development on the Habitat Quality of Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkeys Using the INVEST Model. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11101487. [PMID: 36290390 PMCID: PMC9598982 DOI: 10.3390/biology11101487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey is one of the most endangered species on the IUCN Red List. The study of its population and habitat quality is important in identifying opportunities for balancing socio-economic development against species conservation in the area’s villages. Such balances are important to protecting and improving habitat diversity and biodiversity. Our habitat quality analysis indicates that increases in socio-economic developments in the villages around the habitat area have decreased both the habitat area and the habitat quality over time. This has resulted in a decline in biodiversity persistence, resilience, and breadth. It also has exacerbated the risk of declining species populations, potentially to extinction. Though focused on the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, our approach toward the assessment of habitat quality based on species habitat suitability introduces a new perspective for assessing village development impacts on the habitat quality for the conservation of other species. Abstract The habitats of the already endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) are degrading as village economies develop in and around these habitat areas, increasing the depopulation and biodiversity risk of the monkey. The paper aims to show the areas of these monkeys’ high-quality habitats that are at highest risk of degradation by continued village development and hence be the focus of conservation efforts. Our analysis leveraged multiple tools, including primary component analysis, the InVEST Habitat-Quality model, and GIS spatial analysis. We enhanced our analysis by looking at habitat quality as it relates to the habitat suitability for the monkey specifically, instead of general habitat quality. We also focused on the impact of the smallest administrative scale in China—the village. These foci produced a clearer picture of the monkeys’ and villages’ situations, allowing for more targeted discussions on win–win solutions for both the monkeys and the village inhabitants. The results show that the northern habitat for the monkey is currently higher quality than the southern habitat, and correspondingly, the village development in the north is lower than in the south. Hence, we recommend conservation efforts be focused on the northern areas, though we also encourage the southern habitats to be protected from further degradation lest they degrade beyond the point of supporting any monkeys. We encourage developing a strategy that balances ecological protection and economic development in the northern region, a long-term plan for the southern region to reduce human disturbance, increase effective habitat restoration, and improve corridor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxian Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637001, China
- Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Health Center, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China
- Natural Resources Bureau of Heping County, Heyuan 517200, China
| | - Li Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637001, China
- Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Health Center, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (D.L.)
| | - Gongsheng Wu
- Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Health Center, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China
| | - Jialan Liu
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Timothy J. Slate
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637001, China
| | - Hongyan Guo
- Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Health Center, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China
| | - Dayong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637001, China
- Wildlife Management and Ecosystem Health Center, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (D.L.)
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Santos JM, Capinha C, Rocha J, Sousa CA. The current and future distribution of the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) on Madeira Island. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010715. [PMID: 36094951 PMCID: PMC9499243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the main vector for several diseases of global importance, such as dengue and yellow fever. This species was first identified on Madeira Island in 2005, and between 2012 and 2013 was responsible for an outbreak of dengue that affected several thousand people. However, the potential distribution of the species on the island remains poorly investigated. Here we assess the suitability of current and future climatic conditions to the species on the island and complement this assessment with estimates of the suitability of land use and human settlement conditions. We used four modelling algorithms (boosted regression trees, generalized additive models, generalized linear models and random forest) and data on the distribution of the species worldwide and across the island. For both climatic and non-climatic factors, suitability estimates predicted the current distribution of the species with good accuracy (mean area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve = 0.88 ±0.06, mean true skill statistic = 0.72 ±0.1). Minimum temperature of coldest month was the most influential climatic predictor, while human population density, residential housing density and public spaces were the most influential predictors describing land use and human settlement conditions. Suitable areas under current climates are predicted to occur mainly in the warmer and densely inhabited coastal areas of the southern part of the island, where the species is already established. By mid-century (2041–2060), the extent of climatically suitable areas is expected to increase, mainly towards higher altitudes and in the eastern part of the island. Our work shows that ongoing efforts to monitor and prevent the spread of Ae. aegypti on Madeira Island will have to increasingly consider the effects of climate change. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an invasive species on Madeira Island and recently responsible for a dengue outbreak that affected more than 2000 people. To help control the activity of this mosquito, the local health authorities have an entomological surveillance program in place throughout the island. However, the full extent of the areas that can be colonized by this species remains unknown. We estimate the current and future potential distribution of Ae. aegypti on Madeira Island accounting for climatic, land use and human settlement conditions. Our results suggest that suitable conditions are predominantly distributed along the southern coast of the island. However, as climate change progresses, climatically suitable areas are expected to increase, particularly at mid-altitudes and in eastern part of the island. Minimum temperature of the coldest month was the most influential predictor variable in climatic suitability models, while human population density, housing density and public spaces were the most influential in models of land use and human settlement suitability. Our work provides valuable insight on the potential distribution of Ae. aegypti on Madeira Island, which can be used to inform ongoing and future monitoring and prevention initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Maurício Santos
- Centre for Geographical Studies, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Associated Laboratory TERRA, Lisbon, Portugal
- * E-mail: (JMS); (CC)
| | - César Capinha
- Centre for Geographical Studies, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Associated Laboratory TERRA, Lisbon, Portugal
- * E-mail: (JMS); (CC)
| | - Jorge Rocha
- Centre for Geographical Studies, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carla Alexandra Sousa
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Bioclimatic and local drivers modulating the expansion of an introduced temperate reptile in a subtropical island. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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9
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Sales LP, Galetti M, Carnaval A, Monsarrat S, Svenning JC, Pires MM. The effect of past defaunation on ranges, niches, and future biodiversity forecasts. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3683-3693. [PMID: 35246902 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Humans have reshaped the distribution of biodiversity across the globe, extirpating species from regions otherwise suitable and restricting populations to a subset of their original ranges. Here, we ask if anthropogenic range contractions since the Late Pleistocene led to an under-representation of the realized niches for megafauna, an emblematic group of taxa often targeted for restoration actions. Using reconstructions of past geographic distributions (i.e., natural ranges) for 146 extant terrestrial large-bodied (>44 kg) mammals, we estimate their climatic niches as if they had retained their original distributions and evaluate their observed niche dynamics. We found that range contractions led to a sizeable under-representation of the realized niches of several species (i.e., niche unfilling). For 29 species, more than 10% of the environmental space once seen in their natural ranges has been lost due to anthropogenic activity, with at least 12 species undergoing reductions of more than 50% of their realized niches. Eighteen species may now be confined to low-suitability locations, where fitness and abundance are likely diminished; we consider these taxa 'climatic refugees'. For those species, conservation strategies supported by current ranges risk being misguided if current, suboptimal habitats are considered baseline for future restoration actions. Because most climate-based biodiversity forecasts rely exclusively on current occurrence records, we went on to test the effect of neglecting historical information on estimates of species' potential distribution - as a proxy of sensitivity to climate change. We found that niche unfilling driven by past range contraction leads to an overestimation of sensitivity to future climatic change, resulting in 50% higher rates of global extinction, and underestimating the potential for megafauna conservation and restoration under future climate change. In conclusion, range contractions since the Late Pleistocene have also left imprints on megafauna realized climatic niches. Therefore, niche truncation driven by defaunation can directly affect climate and habitat-based conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian P Sales
- Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Ana Carnaval
- Department of Biology and Biology Ph.D. Program, The Graduate Center of CUNY, The City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Sophie Monsarrat
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) and Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) and Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mathias M Pires
- Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
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Loss of Migratory Traditions Makes the Endangered Patagonian Huemul Deer a Year-Round Refugee in Its Summer Habitat. CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/conservation2020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) is endangered, with 1500 deer split into >100 subpopulations along 2000 km of Andes. Currently occupied areas are claimed-erroneously, to be critical prime habitats. We analyzed historical spatiotemporal behavior since current patterns represent only a fraction of pre-Columbian ones. Given the limited knowledge, the first group (n = 6) in Argentina was radio-marked to examine spatial behavior. Historically, huemul resided year-round in winter ranges, while some migrated seasonally, some using grasslands >200 km east of their current presence, reaching the Atlantic. Moreover, huemul anatomy is adapted to open unforested habitats, also corroborated by spotless fawns. Extreme naivety towards humans resulted in early extirpation on many winter ranges—preferentially occupied by humans, resulting in refugee huemul on surrounding mountain summer ranges. Radio-marked huemul remained in small ranges with minimal altitudinal movements, as known from other subpopulations. However, these resident areas documented here are typical summer ranges as evidenced by past migrations, and current usage for livestock. The huemul is the only cervid known to use mountain summer ranges year-round in reaction to anthropogenic activities. Losing migratory traditions is a major threat, and may explain their presently prevalent skeletal diseases, reduced longevity, and lacking recolonizations for most remaining huemul subpopulations.
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Pang SEH, Zeng Y, De Alban JDT, Webb EL. Occurrence–habitat mismatching and niche truncation when modelling distributions affected by anthropogenic range contractions. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sean E. H. Pang
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
| | - Yiwen Zeng
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Centre for Nature‐Based Climate Solutions National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
| | - Jose Don T. De Alban
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Centre for Nature‐Based Climate Solutions National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
| | - Edward L. Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Department of Forest Sciences Viikki Tropical Resources Institute University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) Helsinki Finland
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Kufa CA, Bekele A, Atickem A. Impacts of climate change on predicted habitat suitability and distribution of Djaffa Mountains Guereza (Colobus guereza gallarum, Neumann 1902) using MaxEnt algorithm in Eastern Ethiopian Highland. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Shiva Torabian, Ranaie M, Feizabadi HA, Chisholm L. Integrating Gap Analysis and Corridor Design with Less Used Species Distribution Models to Improve Conservation Network for Two Rare Mammal Species (Gazella bennettii and Vulpes cana) in Central Iran. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425521050103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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14
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Wang M, Ma YF, You XY. An innovative approach to identify environmental variables with conservation priorities in habitat patches. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 292:112788. [PMID: 34023787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Conservation of habitat patches and the related environment benefits both the focal species and human well-being. Many indices use the dispersal range to identify habitat patches with conservation priorities. However, there lacks approaches to identify environmental variables with conservation priorities (noted as target variables) in those identified patches. Therefore, this paper proposes an approach to identify environmental variables with conservation priorities in habitat patches using perception range and introduces the related assumption. It is assumed the agents select habitats based on their prior preference and perceived information in their perception ranges, which avoids the omniscient assumption of agents. Based on such assumptions, the proposed approach identifies the target variables by approximating how animals identify their habitats. It highlights the use of perception range and identifies target variables using the maximum information gain. The variables that contribute the largest reduction of uncertainty are regarded as the target variables in the habitat patches. Taking the Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) living in Tianjin, China as the case, different scenarios with 100 m, 250 m and 500 m perception ranges are designed to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. The proposed approach identifies the normalized vegetation index, rather than the distance to water surface, is the target variable in 42.3%, 58.9% and 72.1% habitat patches with given perception ranges. Adjustments are made on areas within the given perception range of each patch. More grid cells that has increased suitability index can be found in scenarios given 250 m perception range, which indicates the conservation area is not always the large the better. Optimizations are expected on both a better approximation method and a more thorough hypothesis of using perception range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyang Wang
- Tianjin Engineering Center of Urban River Eco-Purification Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Yi-Fei Ma
- Tianjin Engineering Center of Urban River Eco-Purification Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Xue-Yi You
- Tianjin Engineering Center of Urban River Eco-Purification Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
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Dong X, Zhang J, Gu X, Wang Y, Bai W, Huang Q. Evaluating habitat suitability and potential dispersal corridors across the distribution landscape of the Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani) in Sichuan, China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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16
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Thiery G, Gibert C, Guy F, Lazzari V, Geraads D, Spassov N, Merceron G. From leaves to seeds? The dietary shift in late Miocene colobine monkeys of southeastern Europe. Evolution 2021; 75:1983-1997. [PMID: 34131927 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Extant colobine monkeys are specialized leaf eaters. But during the late Miocene, western Eurasia was home to colobines that were less efficient at chewing leaves than they were at breaking seed shells. To understand the link between folivory and granivory in this lineage, the dietary niche of Mesopithecus delsoni and Mesopithecus pentelicus was investigated in southeastern Europe, where a major environmental change occurred during the late Miocene. We combined dental topographic estimates of chewing efficiency with dental microwear texture analysis of enamel wear facets. Mesopithecus delsoni was more efficient at chewing leaves than M. pentelicus, the dental topography of which matches an opportunistic seed eater. Concurrently, microwear complexity increases in M. pentelicus, especially in the northernmost localities corresponding to present-day Bulgaria. This is interpreted as a dietary shift toward hard foods such as seeds or tubers, which is consistent with the savanna and open mixed forest biomes that covered Bulgaria during the Tortonian. The fact that M. delsoni was better adapted to folivory and consumed a lower amount of hard foods than M. pentelicus suggests that colobines either adapted to folivory before their dispersal to Europe or evolved adaptations to leaf consumption in multiple occurrences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghislain Thiery
- Palevoprim UMR 7262 CNRS, Université de Poitiers UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Poitiers, 86022, France
| | - Corentin Gibert
- Palevoprim UMR 7262 CNRS, Université de Poitiers UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Poitiers, 86022, France
| | - Franck Guy
- Palevoprim UMR 7262 CNRS, Université de Poitiers UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Poitiers, 86022, France
| | - Vincent Lazzari
- Palevoprim UMR 7262 CNRS, Université de Poitiers UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Poitiers, 86022, France
| | - Denis Geraads
- UMR 7207 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Nikolai Spassov
- National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 1000, Bulgaria
| | - Gildas Merceron
- Palevoprim UMR 7262 CNRS, Université de Poitiers UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Poitiers, 86022, France
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17
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Guo K, Zhong J, Xie F, Zhu L, Qu Y, Ji X. Climate warming will increase chances of hybridization and introgression between two Takydromus lizards (Lacertidae). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8573-8584. [PMID: 34257917 PMCID: PMC8258214 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Coexisting species may experience population and range changes alone or jointly in response to environmental change. Here, we used six climate variables and ten modeling algorithms to predict the distribution of two Takydromus species (T. septentrionalis and T. sexlineatus) in China. We identified the sympatric and allopatric areas by comparing projections between the two species based on habitat suitability under present and future climate scenarios. We constructed the hypervolumes of six climate variables for the two species and then evaluated overlaps between hypervolumes. From this study, we know the following. First, minimum temperature of coldest month contributes the most to the prediction of habitat suitability. Second, habitats suitable for the two species will shift northward in response to climate warming. Third, the range of T. sexlineatus will expand across the four future time intervals before 2,100, namely the 2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100 intervals, under both Shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 245 and SSP585 scenarios, and the range of T. septentrionalis will also expand in the future except at the 2081-2100 interval under the SSP585 scenario. Fourth, the sympatric areas will contract or expand under the SSP245 scenario and expand across the four future time intervals before 2,100 under the SSP585 scenario. Fifth, the niche hypervolumes of the two species partially overlapped, and the differences in niche centroid show some degree of niche differentiation between the two species. These results allow to conclude that climate warming will not only drive the northward drift of sympatric areas but also increase the size of these areas if nothing is done to limit the emission of greenhouse gases. Given the existence of hybridization and introgression between T. septentrionalis and T. sexlineatus in the field where they coexist, we also conclude that climate warming will increase chances of hybridization and introgression between the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesWenzhou UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Jun Zhong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesWenzhou UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Fan Xie
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Lin Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yan‐Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xiang Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesWenzhou UniversityWenzhouChina
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18
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Helenbrook WD, Valdez JW. Species distribution and conservation assessment of the black-headed night monkey (Aotus nigriceps): a species of Least Concern that faces widespread anthropogenic threats. Primates 2021; 62:817-825. [PMID: 34117595 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00922-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon have been steadily increasing since 2007. Recent government policy, the projected growth of agriculture, and the expansion of the cattle industry are expected to further pressure primates within the Amazon basin. In this study, we examined the anthropogenic impact on the widely distributed black-headed night monkey, Aotus nigriceps, whose distribution and population status have yet to be assessed. We (1) modeled potential species distribution in A. nigriceps, (2) estimated the impact of habitat loss on population trends, and (3) highlight landscape-based conservation actions that maximize the potential for their long-term sustainability. We found the black-headed night monkey to be restricted by several biotic and environmental factors including forest cover, isothermality, precipitation, temperature, and elevation. Over the last two decades, over 132,908 km2 of tree cover (18%) has been lost within their currently recognized range based on satellite imagery. Based on a balance training omission, predicted area, and threshold values (BPTP), suitable habitat was only 67% (1,069,948 km2) of their hypothesized range, a loss of 16.5% from 2000, with just nearly a third of suitable habitat currently within protected areas. Over the last two decades, an estimated minimum 1.6 million individuals have been lost due to loss of suitable habitat. Projected deforestation rates equate to an additional loss of 94,458 km2 of suitable habitat over the next decade. Although classified as a species of Least Concern, we suggest that A. nigriceps may likely be more at risk than previously described. The future impact of the continued expansion of monoculture crops, cattle ranching, and wildfires is still unknown. However, we outline several steps to ensure the long-term viability of this nocturnal primate and other sympatric species throughout the Amazon Basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Helenbrook
- Neotropical Division, Tropical Conservation Fund, 760 Parkside Trl NW, Marietta, GA, 30064, USA. .,State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
| | - Jose W Valdez
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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19
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Kuang W, Hu J, Wu H, Fen X, Dai Q, Fu Q, Xiao W, Frantz L, Roos C, Nadler T, Irwin DM, Zhou L, Yang X, Yu L. Genetic Diversity, Inbreeding Level, and Genetic Load in Endangered Snub-Nosed Monkeys ( Rhinopithecus). Front Genet 2020; 11:615926. [PMID: 33384722 PMCID: PMC7770136 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.615926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The snub-nosed monkey genus (Rhinopithecus) comprises five closely related species (R. avunculus, R. bieti, R. brelichi, R. roxellana, and R. strykeri). All are among the world's rarest and most endangered primates. However, the genomic impact associated with their population decline remains unknown. We analyzed population genomic data of all five snub-nosed monkey species to assess their genetic diversity, inbreeding level, and genetic load. For R. roxellana, R. bieti, and R. strykeri, population size is positively correlated with genetic diversity and negatively correlated with levels of inbreeding. Other species, however, which possess small population sizes, such as R. brelichi and R. avunculus, show high levels of genetic diversity and low levels of genomic inbreeding. Similarly, in the three populations of R. roxellana, the Shennongjia population, which possesses the lowest population size, displays a higher level of genetic diversity and lower level of genomic inbreeding. These findings suggest that although R. brelichi and R. avunculus and the Shennongjia population might be at risk, it possess significant genetic diversity and could thus help strengthen their long-term survival potential. Intriguingly, R. roxellana with large population size possess high genetic diversity and low level of genetic load, but they show the highest recent inbreeding level compared with the other snub-nosed monkeys. This suggests that, despite its large population size, R. roxellana has likely been experiencing recent inbreeding, which has not yet affected its mutational load and fitness. Analyses of homozygous-derived deleterious mutations identified in all snub-nosed monkey species indicate that these mutations are affecting immune, especially in smaller population sizes, indicating that the long-term consequences of inbreeding may be resulting in an overall reduction of immune capability in the snub-nosed monkeys, which could provide a dramatic effect on their long-term survival prospects. Altogether, our study provides valuable information concerning the genomic impact of population decline of the snub-nosed monkeys. We revealed multiple counterintuitive and unexpected patterns of genetic diversity in small and large population, which will be essential for conservation management of these endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Kuang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jingyang Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Hong Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaotian Fen
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, IVPP, CAS, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingyan Dai
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, IVPP, CAS, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiaomei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, IVPP, CAS, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Xiao
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Laurent Frantz
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- The Palaeogenomics and Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Department of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Roos
- Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - David M. Irwin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Linchun Zhou
- Lushui Management and Conservation Branch of Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve, Nujiang, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Lushui Forestry and Grassland Council, Nujiang, China
| | - Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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20
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Kerley GIH, Beest M, Cromsigt JPGM, Pauly D, Shultz S. The Protected Area Paradox and refugee species: The giant panda and baselines shifted towards conserving species in marginal habitats. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Graham I. H. Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Mariska Beest
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Daniel Pauly
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Susanne Shultz
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Manchester Manchester UK
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21
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Hunter‐Ayad J, Ohlemüller R, Recio MR, Seddon PJ. Reintroduction modelling: A guide to choosing and combining models for species reintroductions. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mariano R. Recio
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry Unit of Biodiversity and Conservation Rey Juan Carlos University Móstoles Madrid Spain
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22
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Hansen MF, Nawangsari VA, van Beest FM, Schmidt NM, Stelvig M, Dabelsteen T, Nijman V. Habitat suitability analysis reveals high ecological flexibility in a "strict" forest primate. Front Zool 2020; 17:6. [PMID: 32095154 PMCID: PMC7027213 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-020-00352-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research of many mammal species tends to focus on single habitats, reducing knowledge of ecological flexibility. The Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) is considered a strict forest primate, and little is known about populations living in savannah. In 2017-2018, we investigated the density and distribution of Javan lutung in Baluran National Park, Indonesia. We conducted ad libitum follows and line transect distance sampling with habitat suitability analysis of Javan lutung. Results Estimated density was 14.91 individuals km- 2 (95% CI 7.91-28.08), and estimated population size was 3727 individuals (95% CI 1979 - 7019). Long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) habitat suitability was the main driver of lutung habitat suitability as the probability of lutung occurrence increased greatly with macaque habitat suitability. Distance to roads, and distance to secondary forest had a negative relationship with lutung occurrence. Lutung habitat suitability decreased with increasing elevation, however, Mt Baluran and the primary forest on Mt Baluran was under-sampled due to treacherous conditions. Follows of six focus groups revealed considerable use of savannah, with terrestrial travel. The follows also revealed polyspecific associations with long-tailed macaques through shared sleeping sites and inter-specific vocalisations. Conclusions Our study provides new knowledge on the general ecology of Javan lutung, such as use of savannah habitats, underlining our need to branch out in our study sites to understand the flexibility and adaptability of our study species. Another undocumented behaviour is the polyspecific association with long-tailed macaques. We encourage more research on this subject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene Friis Hansen
- 1Research and Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo, Roskildevej 38, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark.,2Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Mikkel Stelvig
- 1Research and Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo, Roskildevej 38, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Torben Dabelsteen
- 2Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vincent Nijman
- 4Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
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23
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Jensen DA, Ma K, Svenning J. Steep topography buffers threatened gymnosperm species against anthropogenic pressures in China. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1838-1855. [PMID: 32128120 PMCID: PMC7042744 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
China is one of the most species-rich countries in the world, harboring many rare gymnosperms. Following recent human-led loss of forests, China is now experiencing increases in forest cover resulting from efforts of reforestation schemes. As anthropogenic activities have previously been found to interact with topography in shaping forest cover in China and considering the large human population and the ongoing population increase of the country, it is important to understand the role of anthropogenic pressures relative to environmental drivers for shaping species distributions here. Based on the well-established relationship between human population density and topography, we propose a hypothesis for explaining species distributions in a country dominated by human activities, predicting that species are more likely to occur in areas of steep topography under medium human population densities compared to low and high human population densities. Using species occurrence data from the Chinese Vascular Plant Distribution Database along with a common SDM method (maximum entropy modeling), we tested this hypothesis. Our results show that steep topography has the highest importance for predicting Chinese gymnosperm species occurrences in general, and threatened species specifically, in areas of medium human population densities. Consequently, these species are more often found in areas of steep terrain, supporting the proposed hypothesis. Results from this study highlight the need to include topographically heterogeneous habitats when planning new protected areas for species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ditte Arp Jensen
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE)Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and BiodiversityDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
- Sino‐Danish Center for Education and Research (SDC)Water and Environment Programme, Eastern Yanqihu CampusUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jens‐Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE)Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and BiodiversityDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
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24
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Monsarrat S, Jarvie S, Svenning JC. Anthropocene refugia: integrating history and predictive modelling to assess the space available for biodiversity in a human-dominated world. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190219. [PMID: 31679484 PMCID: PMC6863493 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
During periods of strong environmental change, some areas may serve as refugia, where components of biodiversity can find protection, persist and potentially expand from should conditions again become favourable. The refugia concept has previously been used in the context of climatic change, to describe climatically stable areas in which taxa survived past Quaternary glacial-interglacial oscillations, or where they might persist in the future under anthropogenic climate change. However, with the recognition that Earth has entered the Anthropocene, an era in which human activities are the dominant driving force on ecosystems, it is critical to also consider human pressures on the environment as factors limiting species distributions. Here, we present a novel concept, Anthropocene refugia, to refer to areas that provide spatial and temporal protection from human activities and that will remain suitable for a given taxonomic unit in the long-term. It integrates a deep-time perspective on species biogeography that provides information on the natural rather than current-day relictual distribution of species, with spatial information on modern and future anthropogenic threats. We define the concept and propose a methodology to effectively identify and map realized and potential current and future refugia, using examples for two megafaunal species as a proof of concept. We argue that identifying Anthropocene refugia will improve biodiversity conservation and restoration by allowing better prediction of key areas for conservation and potential for re-expansions today and in the future. More generally, it forms a new conceptual framework to assess and manage the impact of anthropogenic activities on past, current and future patterns of species distributions. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The past is a foreign country: how much can the fossil record actually inform conservation?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Monsarrat
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Scott Jarvie
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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25
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Dong X, Chu YMR, Gu X, Huang Q, Zhang J, Bai W. Suitable habitat prediction of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) and its implications for conservation in Baihe Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:32374-32384. [PMID: 31602599 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06369-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
As an endemic primate species with one of the highest priorities in wildlife conservation in China, Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) have undergone a sharp decline and range reduction in recent centuries. Here, we used maximum entropy modelling (MaxEnt) integrated with four types of environmental variables, including three biological climate variables (Bio17, precipitation of the driest quarter; Bio6, min. temperature of the coldest month; and Bio2, mean diurnal range), three topographic variables (altitude, slope, and aspect), two anthropogenic variables (Human Footprint Index and human disturbance), and three vegetation-related variables (enhanced vegetation index, normalized difference vegetation index, and Wet Index) to identify the spatial distribution of suitable habitats for Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys in Baihe Nature Reserve (BNR), which is located in the Minshan Mountains. The average training AUC of our model performance is 0.929 ± 0.003. The model predicted 9.6 km2 of high suitability habitats and 14.1 km2 of moderate suitability habitats for Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys, adding up to only 11.7% of the total area of concern for the study in the BNR. The top four variables ranked in the model (altitude, Human Footprint Index, human disturbance, and Bio17) accounted for relative gain contributions of 23.3%, 19.3%, 14.2%, and 13.4%, respectively. The predicted suitable habitats were confined to an altitude range of 1971-3198 m, Human Footprint Index of mainly 3-5 values, low human disturbance (mainly livestock), and precipitation of the driest (or coldest) quarter of 9-22 mm. Additionally, the suitable habitats were mainly distributed in the core zone (36.1%), buffer zone (26.8%), and experimental zone (29.5%). The remaining habitats (7.6%) were distributed in the 0.5-km buffer zone of the reserve border. The predicted suitable habitats indicated limited suitable habitat space for the Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys, with most of the suitable habitat distributed outside the core zone in the BNR. Our findings highlighted that human activities in all three functional zones could be the most negative factor on suitable habitat distribution of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys in the BNR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Dong
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
| | - Yuan-Meng-Ran Chu
- School of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Gu
- Wildlife Resource Conservation and Management Station of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiongyu Huang
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology, Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Jindong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Wenke Bai
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
- Institute of Ecology, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China.
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26
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Hansen MF, Nawangsari VA, Beest FM, Schmidt NM, Fuentes A, Traeholt C, Stelvig M, Dabelsteen T. Estimating densities and spatial distribution of a commensal primate species, the long‐tailed macaque (
Macaca fascicularis
). CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Malene F. Hansen
- Research and Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo Frederiksberg Denmark
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Agustin Fuentes
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Notre Dame Notre Dame Indiana
| | - Carl Traeholt
- Research and Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo Frederiksberg Denmark
| | - Mikkel Stelvig
- Research and Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo Frederiksberg Denmark
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27
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Wang H, Xu H, Li Y, Xu Z, Ding W, Xiao W, Ye H. New distribution records for the endangered black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) in Yunnan, China. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.069.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haohan Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; e-mail:
| | - Huiming Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Biodiversity and Conservation in the Three Parallel Rivers Region of China, Dali, Yunnan 671003, China
| | - Yanpeng Li
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan 671003, China; e-mail:
| | - Zeming Xu
- School of Life and Geography Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China
| | - Wei Ding
- Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Institute of Biodiversity, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan 655011, China
| | - Wen Xiao
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan 671003, China; e-mail:
| | - Hui Ye
- College of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; e-mail:
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