1
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Pearman WS, Morales SE, Vaux F, Gemmell NJ, Fraser CI. Host population crashes disrupt the diversity of associated marine microbiomes. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16611. [PMID: 38519875 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Host-associated microbial communities are shaped by myriad factors ranging from host conditions, environmental conditions and other microbes. Disentangling the ecological impact of each of these factors can be particularly difficult as many variables are correlated. Here, we leveraged earthquake-induced changes in host population structure to assess the influence of population crashes on marine microbial ecosystems. A large (7.8 magnitude) earthquake in New Zealand in 2016 led to widespread coastal uplift of up to ~6 m, sufficient to locally extirpate some intertidal southern bull kelp populations. These uplifted populations are slowly recovering, but remain at much lower densities than at nearby, less-uplifted sites. By comparing the microbial communities of the hosts from disturbed and relatively undisturbed populations using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we observed that disturbed host populations supported higher functional, taxonomic and phylogenetic microbial beta diversity than non-disturbed host populations. Our findings shed light on microbiome ecological assembly processes, particularly highlighting that large-scale disturbances that affect host populations can dramatically influence microbiome structure. We suggest that disturbance-induced changes in host density limit the dispersal opportunities of microbes, with host community connectivity declining with the density of host populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- William S Pearman
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sergio E Morales
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Felix Vaux
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Ceridwen I Fraser
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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2
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Morphometrics of Xenopus laevis Kept as Laboratory Animals. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12212986. [PMID: 36359110 PMCID: PMC9653714 DOI: 10.3390/ani12212986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphometric data that provide information on body conditions can be used to monitor the health and well-being of animals. In laboratory animals, they can help to evaluate the stress due to experiments or treatments, following the 3R principles. The aim of the present study was to obtain morphometric data of male and female African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis, as the bases for body condition evaluations. Adult frogs (n = 198) were weighed and standardized photographs were taken. The photographs were used to determine several measurements (length, cranial width, caudal width, thigh width). In addition, a triangle was drawn to outline each frog’s simplified body form, and the triangle surface was calculated. In conclusion, the triangle surface drawn on the dorsal plane of each frog correlated with the body weight of the females. There were significant differences between the body weights and sizes of male and female frogs, with males being smaller (p < 0.001). Based on the morphometric data, females could be assigned to five groups in which an assessment of the animal’s well-being is feasible.
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3
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Where Land and Water Meet: Making Amphibian Breeding Sites Attractive for Amphibians. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14100834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The protection of wetlands is a cornerstone in the conservation of pond-breeding amphibians. Because protected wetlands are rarely natural areas, but are often man-made, at least in Europe, it is important that they are well managed to fulfill their intended function. Appropriate management requires knowledge of the ecology of the species, particularly habitat requirements. Here, we combine species monitoring data and habitat mapping data in an analysis where our goal was to describe the factors that determine the occupancy of amphibian species in federally protected amphibian breeding sites. As expected, every species had its own habitat requirements, often a combination of both a terrestrial and aquatic habitat (i.e., landscape complementation). In most species, occupancy was strongly positively affected with the amount of aquatic habitat, but predicted occupancy probabilities were low because the amount of aquatic habitat was low in most sites. The area or proportion of ruderal vegetation also had positive effects on multiple species, while other types of terrestrial habitat (e.g., meadows) led to low occupancy probabilities. The total area of the protected breeding sites was never included in a final model and connectivity was important only for one species (Triturus cristatus). The latter finding implies that the quality of the landscape between breeding sizes is more important than distance per se, while the former implies that the area of some specific habitats within breeding sites is crucial for high occupancies. Thus, increasing the amount of aquatic habitats and likewise terrestrial habitats within protected areas would make them more likely to achieve their conservation objectives. Our study is an example of how the joint analysis of monitoring data and habitat data (based on mapping in the field) can lead to evidence-based suggestions on how to improve conservation practice.
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4
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Unglaub B, Cayuela H, Schmidt BR, Preißler K, Glos J, Steinfartz S. Context-dependent dispersal determines relatedness and genetic structure in a patchy amphibian population. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5009-5028. [PMID: 34490661 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is a central process in ecology and evolution with far reaching consequences for the dynamics and genetics of spatially structured populations (SSPs). Individuals can adjust their decisions to disperse according to local fitness prospects, resulting in context-dependent dispersal. By determining dispersal rate, distance and direction, these individual-level decisions further modulate the demography, relatedness and genetic structure of SSPs. Here, we examined how context-dependent dispersal influences the dynamics and genetics of a great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) SSP. We collected capture-recapture data of 5564 individuals and genetic data of 950 individuals across an SSP in northern Germany. We added genetic data from six sites outside this SSP to assess genetic structure and gene flow at a regional level. Dispersal rates within the SSP were high but dispersal distances were short. Dispersal was context-dependent: individuals preferentially immigrated into high-quality ponds where breeding probabilities were higher. The studied SSP behaved like a patchy population, where subpopulations at each pond were demographically interdependent. High context-dependent dispersal led to weak but significant spatial genetic structure and relatedness within the SSP. At the regional level, a strong hierarchical genetic structure with very few first-generation migrants as well as low effective dispersal rates suggest the presence of independent demographic units. Overall, our study highlights the importance of habitat quality for driving context-dependent dispersal and therefore demography and genetic structure in SSPs. Limited capacity for long-distance dispersal seems to increase genetic structure within a population and leads to demographic isolation in anthropogenic landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Unglaub
- Institute of Biology, Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, Biocentre Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hugo Cayuela
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Benedikt R Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Info Fauna Karch, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Kathleen Preißler
- Institute of Biology, Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julian Glos
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, Biocentre Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Steinfartz
- Institute of Biology, Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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5
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Cruickshank SS, Bergamini A, Schmidt BR. Estimation of breeding probability can make monitoring data more revealing: a case study of amphibians. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02357. [PMID: 33870588 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring programs serve to detect trends in the distribution and abundance of species. To do so, monitoring programs often use static state variables. Dynamic state variables that describe population dynamics might be more valuable because they allow for a mechanistic understanding of the processes that lead to population trends. We fit multistate occupancy models to data from a country-wide multispecies amphibian occupancy monitoring program and estimated occupancy and breeding probabilities. If breeding probabilities are determinants of occupancy dynamics, then they may serve in monitoring programs as state variables that describe dynamic processes. The results showed that breeding probabilities were low and that a large proportion of the populations had to be considered to be non-breeding populations (i.e., populations where adults are present but no breeding occurs). For some species, the majority of populations were non-breeding populations. We found that non-breeding populations have lower persistence probabilities than populations where breeding occurs. Breeding probabilities may thus explain trends in occupancy but they might also explain other ecological phenomena, such as the success of invasive species, which had high breeding probabilities. Signs of breeding, i.e., the presence of eggs and larvae, were often hard to detect. Importantly, non-breeding populations also had low detection probabilities, perhaps because they had lower abundances. We suggest that monitoring programs should invest more in the detection of life history stages indicative of breeding, and also into the detection of non-breeding populations. We conclude that breeding probability should be used as a state variable in monitoring programs because it can lead to deeper insights into the processes driving occupancy dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam S Cruickshank
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Ariel Bergamini
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Benedikt R Schmidt
- Info Fauna Karch, UniMail, Bâtiment G, Bellevaux 51, Neuchâtel, 2000, Switzerland
- Institut für Evolutionsbiologie und Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
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6
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Cogălniceanu D, Stănescu F, Székely D, Topliceanu TS, Iosif R, Székely P. Age, size and body condition do not equally reflect population response to habitat change in the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11678. [PMID: 34316392 PMCID: PMC8286710 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization impacts biodiversity both directly through physical expansion over land, and indirectly due to land use conversion and human behaviors associated with urban areas. We assessed the response of a common spadefoot toad population (Pelobates fuscus) to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from urban development by studying changes in size, body condition and age parameters. We compared samples collected in the early 2000s (sample A) and later on during 2012-2014 (sample B). The terrestrial habitats in the study area were severely reduced and fragmented due to the expansion of the human settlement. We found no significant differences in the age parameters between the two sampling periods; the median lifespan shortened from 3.5 (sample A) to 3.0 years (sample B), while the other age parameters were similar in both samples. In contrast, snout-vent length, body mass and body condition experienced a significant decrease over time. Our results suggest that changes in body size and body condition, rather than age parameters, better reflect the response of the common spadefoot toad population to declining habitat quality. Therefore, body measurements can provide reliable estimates of the impact of habitat degradation in amphibian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Cogălniceanu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florina Stănescu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Black Sea Institute for Development and Security Studies, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,CEDMOG-Center for Morphological and Genetic Studies of Malignant Pathology, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania
| | - Diana Székely
- Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania.,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs Lab), Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Theodor-Sebastian Topliceanu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Black Sea Institute for Development and Security Studies, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,CEDMOG-Center for Morphological and Genetic Studies of Malignant Pathology, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania
| | - Ruben Iosif
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Paul Székely
- Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania.,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs Lab), Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
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7
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Abrahams C, Desjonquères C, Greenhalgh J. Pond Acoustic Sampling Scheme: A draft protocol for rapid acoustic data collection in small waterbodies. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7532-7543. [PMID: 34188832 PMCID: PMC8216941 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7585] [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: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater conservation is vital to the maintenance of global biodiversity. Ponds are a critical, yet often under-recognized, part of this, contributing to overall ecosystem functioning and diversity. They provide habitats for a range of aquatic, terrestrial, and amphibious life, often including rare and declining species.Effective, rapid, and accessible survey methods are needed to enable evidence-based conservation action, but freshwater taxa are often viewed as "difficult"-and few specialist surveyors are available. Datasets on ponds are therefore limited in their spatiotemporal coverage.With the advent of new recording technologies, acoustic survey methods are becoming increasingly available to researchers, citizen scientists, and conservation practitioners. They can be an effective and noninvasive approach for gathering data on target species, assemblages, and environmental variables. However, freshwater applications are lagging behind those in terrestrial and marine spheres, and as an emergent method, research studies have employed a multitude of different sampling protocols.We propose the Pond Acoustic Sampling Scheme (PASS), a simple protocol to allow a standardized minimal sample to be collected rapidly from small waterbodies, alongside environmental and methodological metadata. This sampling scheme can be incorporated into a variety of survey designs and is intended to allow access to a wide range of participants, without requiring complicated or prohibitively expensive equipment.Adoption of this sampling protocol would enable consistent sound recordings to be gathered by researchers and conservation organizations, and allow the development of landscape-scale surveys, data sharing, and collaboration within an expanding freshwater ecoacoustic community-rather than individual approaches that produce incompatible datasets. The compilation of standardized data would improve the prospects for effective research into the soundscapes of small waterbodies and aid freshwater conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Abrahams
- Baker Consultants LtdMatlockUK
- Nottingham Trent UniversityNottinghamUK
| | - Camille Desjonquères
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology GroupDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin‐MilwaukeeMilwaukeeWIUSA
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8
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Abstract
The evaluation of scale management suitability provides a comprehensive assessment of the various factors driving farmland management conditions. This research objectively evaluated the conditions for scale management suitability by applying the entropy-TOPSIS method with the aim of effectively balancing the space for agricultural production, the development of towns, and ecological protection. First, to ensure a balance between agricultural production, urban development, and ecological protection, 13 indexes were selected to represent the following three areas: natural factors, socioeconomic factors, and characteristics of cultivated land factors. The original matrix was standardized to evaluate the suitability of natural resources, the social economy, and cultivated land conditions, and a comprehensive suitability evaluation of scale management in the Jiangjin District of Chongqing was conducted. The research results divide the study area into four regions based on the level of scale management suitability. Examining the spatial distribution, the level of scale management suitability decreased gradually from north to south, regions at the high and middle levels of scale management suitability were concentrated in the northern area beside the Yangtze river, and the regions at a low level were concentrated in the southern mountain area. This research can provide a reference for the rational utilization of land resources and land use policymaking.
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9
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Gardner ST, Kepas M, Simons CR, Horne LM, Savitzky AH, Mendonça MT. Differences in morphology and in composition and release of parotoid gland secretion in introduced cane toads ( Rhinella marina) from established populations in Florida, USA. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1013-1022. [PMID: 33520183 PMCID: PMC7820141 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cane toads are highly toxic bufonids invasive in several locations throughout the world. Although physiological changes and effects on native predators for Australian populations have been well documented, Florida populations have received little attention. Cane toads were collected from populations spanning the invaded range in Florida to assess relative toxicity, through measuring morphological changes to parotoid glands, likelihood of secretion, and the marinobufagenin (MBG) content of secretion. We found that residual body indices increased in individuals from higher latitude populations, and relative parotoid gland size increased with increasing toad size. There was no effect of latitude on the allometric relationship between gland size and toad size. We observed an increase in likelihood of secretion by cane toads in the field with increasing latitude. Individuals from southern and northern populations did not vary significantly in the quantity of MBG contained in their secretion. Laboratory-acclimated cane toads receiving injections of epinephrine were more likely to secrete poison with increasing dose, although there was no difference in likelihood of secretion between southern and northern populations. This suggests that differences between populations in the quantities of epinephrine released in the field, due to altered hypothalamic sensitivity upon disturbance, may be responsible for the latitudinal effects on poison secretion. Our results suggest that altered pressures from northward establishment in Florida have affected sympathetic sensitivity and defensive mechanisms of cane toads, potentially affecting risk to native predators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megen Kepas
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Casey R. Simons
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Logan M. Horne
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Texas at El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
| | | | - Mary T. Mendonça
- Department of Biological SciencesAuburn UniversityAuburnAlabamaUSA
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10
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Cayuela H, Griffiths RA, Zakaria N, Arntzen JW, Priol P, Léna JP, Besnard A, Joly P. Drivers of amphibian population dynamics and asynchrony at local and regional scales. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1350-1364. [PMID: 32173904 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the drivers of population fluctuations in spatially distinct populations remains a significant challenge for ecologists. Whereas regional climatic factors may generate population synchrony (i.e. the Moran effect), local factors including the level of density dependence may reduce the level of synchrony. Although divergences in the scaling of population synchrony and spatial environmental variation have been observed, the regulatory factors that underlie such mismatches are poorly understood. Few previous studies have investigated how density-dependent processes and population-specific responses to weather variation influence spatial synchrony at both local and regional scales. We addressed this issue in a pond-breeding amphibian, the great crested newt Triturus cristatus. We used capture-recapture data collected through long-term surveys in five T. cristatus populations in Western Europe. In all populations-and subpopulations within metapopulations-population size, annual survival and recruitment fluctuated over time. Likewise, there was considerable variation in these demographic rates between populations and within metapopulations. These fluctuations and variations appear to be context-dependent and more related to site-specific characteristics than local or regional climatic drivers. We found a low level of demographic synchrony at both local and regional levels. Weather has weak and spatially variable effects on survival, recruitment and population growth rate. In contrast, density dependence was a common phenomenon (at least for population growth) in almost all populations and subpopulations. Our findings support the idea that the Moran effect is low in species where the population dynamics more closely depends on local factors (e.g. population density and habitat characteristics) than on large-scale environmental fluctuation (e.g. regional climatic variation). Such responses may have far-reaching consequences for the long-term viability of spatially structured populations and their ability to respond to large-scale climatic anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Cayuela
- Institut de Biologie Integrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Richard A Griffiths
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Nurul Zakaria
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Jan W Arntzen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jean-Paul Léna
- UMR 5023 LEHNA, Université de Lyon, Lyon1, CNRS, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Aurélien Besnard
- CNRS, PSL Research University, EPHE, UM, SupAgro, IRD, INRA, UMR 5175 CEFE, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Joly
- UMR 5023 LEHNA, Université de Lyon, Lyon1, CNRS, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France
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11
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Préau C, Grandjean F, Sellier Y, Gailledrat M, Bertrand R, Isselin-Nondedeu F. Habitat patches for newts in the face of climate change: local scale assessment combining niche modelling and graph theory. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3570. [PMID: 32107433 PMCID: PMC7046615 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60479-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Triturus cristatus and Triturus marmoratus are two protected and declining newts occurring in the administrative department of Vienne, in France. They have limited dispersal abilities and rely on the connectivity between habitats and their suitability. In a warming climate, the locations of suitable habitats are expected to change, as is the connectivity. Here, we wondered how climate change might affect shifts in habitat suitability and connectivity of habitat patches, as connectivity is a key element enabling species to realize a potential range shift. We used ecological niche modelling (ENM), combining large-scale climate suitability with local scale, high-resolution habitat features, to identify suitable areas for the two species, under low and high warming scenarios (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5). We associated it with connectivity assessment through graph theory. The variable 'small ponds' contributed most to land cover-only ENMs for both species. Projections with climate change scenarios revealed a potential impact of warming on suitable habitat patches for newts, especially for T. cristatus. We observed a decrease in connectivity following a decrease in patch suitability. Our results highlight the important areas for newt habitat connectivity within the study area, and define those potentially threatened by climate warming. We provide information for prioritizing sites for acquisition, protection or restoration, and to advise landscape policies. Our framework is a useful and easily reproducible way to combine global climate requirements of the species with detailed information on species habitats and occurrence when available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Préau
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale du Pinail, GEREPI, Moulin de Chitré, 86210, Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, France.
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose, Bâtiment B8-B35, 6, rue Michel Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex, France.
- Département Aménagement et Environnement Ecole Polytechnique de l'Université de Tours, CNRS; UMR CNRS 7324 CITERES, 33-35 Allée Ferdinand de Lesseps, 37200, Tours, France.
| | - Frédéric Grandjean
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose, Bâtiment B8-B35, 6, rue Michel Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex, France
| | - Yann Sellier
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale du Pinail, GEREPI, Moulin de Chitré, 86210, Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, France
| | | | - Romain Bertrand
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), IRD, CNRS, UPS, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Francis Isselin-Nondedeu
- Département Aménagement et Environnement Ecole Polytechnique de l'Université de Tours, CNRS; UMR CNRS 7324 CITERES, 33-35 Allée Ferdinand de Lesseps, 37200, Tours, France
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et Ecologie, UMR CNRS-IRD, Avignon Université, Aix-Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, 337 chemin des Mainajariés, Site Agroparc PB 61207, 84911, Avignon, cedex 09, France
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12
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Turlure C, Schtickzelle N, Dubois Q, Baguette M, Dennis RLH, Van Dyck H. Suitability and Transferability of the Resource-Based Habitat Concept: A Test With an Assemblage of Butterflies. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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13
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Climate change produces winners and losers: Differential responses of amphibians in mountain forests of the Near East. Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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14
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Lunghi E, Manenti R, Mulargia M, Veith M, Corti C, Ficetola GF. Environmental suitability models predict population density, performance and body condition for microendemic salamanders. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7527. [PMID: 29760473 PMCID: PMC5951833 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25704-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Species can show strong variation of local abundance across their ranges. Recent analyses suggested that variation in abundance can be related to environmental suitability, as the highest abundances are often observed in populations living in the most suitable areas. However, there is limited information on the mechanisms through which variation in environmental suitability determines abundance. We analysed populations of the microendemic salamander Hydromantes flavus, and tested several hypotheses on potential relationships linking environmental suitability to population parameters. For multiple populations across the whole species range, we assessed suitability using species distribution models, and measured density, activity level, food intake and body condition index. In high-suitability sites, the density of salamanders was up to 30-times higher than in the least suitable ones. Variation in activity levels and population performance can explain such variation of abundance. In high-suitability sites, salamanders were active close to the surface, and showed a low frequency of empty stomachs. Furthermore, when taking into account seasonal variation, body condition was better in the most suitable sites. Our results show that the strong relationship between environmental suitability and population abundance can be mediated by the variation of parameters strongly linked to individual performance and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Lunghi
- Biogeographie, Universität Trier Fachbereich VI, Raum- und Umweltwissenschaften, Trier, Germany. .,Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sezione di Zoologia "La Specola", Firenze, Italy. .,Natural Oasis, Prato, Italy.
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Michael Veith
- Biogeographie, Universität Trier Fachbereich VI, Raum- und Umweltwissenschaften, Trier, Germany
| | - Claudia Corti
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sezione di Zoologia "La Specola", Firenze, Italy
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.,University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), F-38000, Grenoble, France
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