1
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Tucker MR, Biffi D, Williams DA. Thermal refugia and persistence of Texas horned lizards ( Phrynosoma cornutum) in small towns. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10245. [PMID: 37424931 PMCID: PMC10329262 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Vegetation loss is a primary cause of habitat degradation and results in a decline in reptile species abundance due to loss of refuge from predators and hot temperatures, and foraging opportunities. Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) have disappeared from many areas in Texas, especially from urbanized areas, probably in large part due to loss of suitable habitat. This species still occurs in some small towns in Texas that still contain suitable habitat. Long-term data from Kenedy and Karnes City, Texas indicate that when study sites experienced significant shrub and vegetation removal horned lizards declined by 79%. We hypothesize the decline was due to the degradation of the thermal landscape for these lizards. We determined the preferred temperature range (T set25 - T set75) of lizards at our study sites and took field measurements of body temperature (T b). Temperature loggers were also placed in three microhabitats across our study sites. Shrubs and vegetation provided the highest quality thermal environment, especially for about 5 h midday when temperatures in the open and buried under the surface in the open exceeded the lizards' critical maximum temperature (CTmax) or were above their preferred temperature range. Horned lizard density was positively related to the thermal quality of the habitat across our sites. Texas horned lizards in these towns require a heterogeneous mix of closely spaced microhabitats and especially thermal refugia, such as shrubs and vegetation along fence lines and in open fields. Maintaining thermal refugia is one of the most important and practical conservation actions that can be taken to help small ectotherms persist in modified human landscapes and cope with increasing temperatures due to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary R. Tucker
- Department of BiologyTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
| | - Daniella Biffi
- Andrews Institute of Mathematics & Science EducationTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
| | - Dean A. Williams
- Department of BiologyTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
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2
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Veselka AJ, Aponte‐Gutiérrez A, Medina‐Báez OA, Watling JI. Upper thermal limits predict herpetofaunal responses to forest edge and cover. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Veselka
- Department of Biology John Carroll University University Heights Ohio USA
| | - Andrés Aponte‐Gutiérrez
- Grupo de Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Departamento de Biología Universidad Nacional de Colombia Bogotá Colombia
| | | | - James I. Watling
- Department of Biology John Carroll University University Heights Ohio USA
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3
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Large, old trees define the vertical, horizontal, and seasonal distributions of a poison frog. Oecologia 2022; 199:257-269. [PMID: 35112173 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05108-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In tropical forests, large, old trees (LOTs) can be considered keystone structures for provisioning unique habitats such as decaying wood, roots, cavities, and epiphytes, including those that hold water (phytotelmata). These habitats may also be stratified in vertical space, for example, root structures occur at ground level and below, whereas epiphytes occur above-ground. Canopy habitat is utilized by a diversity of amphibians, but canopy habitat may only be viable in the wet season when epiphytes and surfaces are sufficiently saturated. Here, we examine how the provisioning of microhabitats and structures by LOTs influence the horizontal, vertical, and seasonal distribution patterns of phytotelmata-breeding poison frogs. We conducted ground-to-canopy surveys over 4 years, constituting 6 seasons, in Panama and used mark-recapture techniques on a population of the yellow-bellied poison frog, Andinobates fulguritus. We found that A. fulguritus migrated vertically, tracking seasonal rainfall, and displayed strong philopatry to individual trees. Furthermore, A. fulguritus almost exclusively inhabited the largest trees at the study location, which provided disproportionately high-quality microhabitats and epiphytes compared to other trees. LOTs, and specifically Anacardium excelsum at our site, appear to serve as keystone structures with high conservation value due to their provisioning of unique habitats. We conclude that the distribution of A. fulguritus is defined vertically by the stratification of arboreal microhabitat resources, horizontally by the presence of LOTs providing the resources, and temporally by the seasonal viability of the resources.
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4
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Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Fahrig L, Tabarelli M, Watling JI, Tischendorf L, Benchimol M, Cazetta E, Faria D, Leal IR, Melo FPL, Morante-Filho JC, Santos BA, Arasa-Gisbert R, Arce-Peña N, Cervantes-López MJ, Cudney-Valenzuela S, Galán-Acedo C, San-José M, Vieira ICG, Slik JWF, Nowakowski AJ, Tscharntke T. Designing optimal human-modified landscapes for forest biodiversity conservation. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1404-1420. [PMID: 32537896 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Agriculture and development transform forest ecosystems to human-modified landscapes. Decades of research in ecology have generated myriad concepts for the appropriate management of these landscapes. Yet, these concepts are often contradictory and apply at different spatial scales, making the design of biodiversity-friendly landscapes challenging. Here, we combine concepts with empirical support to design optimal landscape scenarios for forest-dwelling species. The supported concepts indicate that appropriately sized landscapes should contain ≥ 40% forest cover, although higher percentages are likely needed in the tropics. Forest cover should be configured with c. 10% in a very large forest patch, and the remaining 30% in many evenly dispersed smaller patches and semi-natural treed elements (e.g. vegetation corridors). Importantly, the patches should be embedded in a high-quality matrix. The proposed landscape scenarios represent an optimal compromise between delivery of goods and services to humans and preserving most forest wildlife, and can therefore guide forest preservation and restoration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Lenore Fahrig
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Marcelo Tabarelli
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | | | - Lutz Tischendorf
- ELUTIS Modelling and Consulting Inc, Ottawa, ON, K2A 1X4, Canada
| | - Maíra Benchimol
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Eliana Cazetta
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Deborah Faria
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Felipe P L Melo
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Jose C Morante-Filho
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Bráulio A Santos
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Campus I, João Pessoa, Paraiba, 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Ricard Arasa-Gisbert
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Norma Arce-Peña
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Martín J Cervantes-López
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Sabine Cudney-Valenzuela
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Carmen Galán-Acedo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Miriam San-José
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Ima C G Vieira
- Coordenação de Botânica, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, CP 399, Belém, Pará, 66040-170, Brazil
| | - J W Ferry Slik
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong BE1410, Brunei, Darussalam
| | - A Justin Nowakowski
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada.,Working Land and Seascapes, Conservation Commons, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Dept. of Crop Sciences, Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
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5
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Ortiz-Ross X, Thompson ME, Salicetti-Nelson E, Vargas-Ramírez O, Donnelly MA. Oviposition Site Selection in Three Glass Frog Species. COPEIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1643/ce-19-243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle E. Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida; (MET) . Send reprint requests to MET
| | - Enrique Salicetti-Nelson
- La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica; (ESN) ; and (OVR)
| | - Orlando Vargas-Ramírez
- La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica; (ESN) ; and (OVR)
| | - Maureen A. Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida; (MET) . Send reprint requests to MET
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6
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Rivera‐Ordonez JM, Justin Nowakowski A, Manansala A, Thompson ME, Todd BD. Thermal niche variation among individuals of the poison frog,
Oophaga pumilio
, in forest and converted habitats. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - A. Justin Nowakowski
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | | | | | - Brian D. Todd
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
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7
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Cosset CCP, Gilroy JJ, Edwards DP. Impacts of tropical forest disturbance on species vital rates. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:66-75. [PMID: 29972268 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests are experiencing enormous threats from deforestation and habitat degradation. Much knowledge of the impacts of these land-use changes on tropical species comes from studies examining patterns of richness and abundance. Demographic vital rates (survival, reproduction, and movement) can also be affected by land-use change in a way that increases species vulnerability to extirpation, but in many cases these impacts may not be manifested in short-term changes in abundance or species richness. We conducted a literature review to assess current knowledge and research effort concerning how land-use change affects species vital rates in tropical forest vertebrates. We found a general paucity of empirical research on demography across taxa and regions, with some biases toward mammals and birds and land-use transitions, including fragmentation and agriculture. There is also considerable between-species variation in demographic responses to land-use change, which could reflect trait-based differences in species sensitivity, complex context dependencies (e.g., between-region variation), or inconsistency in methods used in studies. Efforts to improve understanding of anthropogenic impacts on species demography are underway, but there is a need for increased research effort to fill knowledge gaps in understudied tropical regions and taxa. The lack of information on demographic impacts of anthropogenic disturbance makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions about the magnitude of threats to tropical ecosystems under anthropogenic pressures. Thus, determining conservation priorities and improving conservation effectiveness remains a challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy C P Cosset
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K
| | - James J Gilroy
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR47TJ, U.K
| | - David P Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K
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8
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Changing Thermal Landscapes: Merging Climate Science and Landscape Ecology through Thermal Biology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40823-018-0034-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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9
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Thompson ME, Halstead BJ, Donnelly MA. Thermal quality influences habitat use of two anole species. J Therm Biol 2018; 75:54-61. [PMID: 30017052 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration of secondary forests on previously deforested or degraded land is one of the most dominant forms of land-use change in the tropics. However, the response of animal communities to forest regeneration is poorly understood. To evaluate support for thermal quality as a mechanism driving reptile species distributions during secondary forest succession, we measured operative temperatures and occupancy in three successional forest stages (pasture, secondary forest, and old growth forest) for two anole species common in the landscape (Norops humilis and Norops limifrons). We then measured thermal preference in laboratory experiments and used operative temperature and temperature preference measurements to determine how thermal quality of habitat changes over the course of secondary forest succession, and if occupancy varies as a function of thermal quality. We found that thermal quality was lowest in pasture habitat because of a large frequency of temperatures above the thermal preference range. However, in low thermal quality pasture sites, riparian habitats and remnant trees provided a thermal refuge for both lizard species. Our results support thermal quality as a mechanism for reptile species distributions in altered landscapes and highlight the importance of the maintenance of riparian corridors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
| | - Brian J Halstead
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA 95620, USA
| | - Maureen A Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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10
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Phylogenetic homogenization of amphibian assemblages in human-altered habitats across the globe. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E3454-E3462. [PMID: 29555733 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714891115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat conversion is driving biodiversity loss and restructuring species assemblages across the globe. Responses to habitat conversion vary widely, however, and little is known about the degree to which shared evolutionary history underlies changes in species richness and composition. We analyzed data from 48 studies, comprising 438 species on five continents, to understand how taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of amphibian assemblages shifts in response to habitat conversion. We found that evolutionary history explains the majority of variation in species' responses to habitat conversion, with specific clades scattered across the amphibian tree of life being favored by human land uses. Habitat conversion led to an average loss of 139 million years of amphibian evolutionary history within assemblages, high species and lineage turnover at landscape scales, and phylogenetic homogenization at the global scale (despite minimal taxonomic homogenization). Lineage turnover across habitats was greatest in lowland tropical regions where large species pools and stable climates have perhaps given rise to many microclimatically specialized species. Together, our results indicate that strong phylogenetic clustering of species' responses to habitat conversion mediates nonrandom structuring of local assemblages and loss of global phylogenetic diversity. In an age of rapid global change, identifying clades that are most sensitive to habitat conversion will help prioritize use of limited conservation resources.
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11
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Nowakowski AJ, Watling JI, Thompson ME, Brusch GA, Catenazzi A, Whitfield SM, Kurz DJ, Suárez-Mayorga Á, Aponte-Gutiérrez A, Donnelly MA, Todd BD. Thermal biology mediates responses of amphibians and reptiles to habitat modification. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:345-355. [PMID: 29314479 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Human activities often replace native forests with warmer, modified habitats that represent novel thermal environments for biodiversity. Reducing biodiversity loss hinges upon identifying which species are most sensitive to the environmental conditions that result from habitat modification. Drawing on case studies and a meta-analysis, we examined whether observed and modelled thermal traits, including heat tolerances, variation in body temperatures, and evaporative water loss, explained variation in sensitivity of ectotherms to habitat modification. Low heat tolerances of lizards and amphibians and high evaporative water loss of amphibians were associated with increased sensitivity to habitat modification, often explaining more variation than non-thermal traits. Heat tolerances alone explained 24-66% (mean = 38%) of the variation in species responses, and these trends were largely consistent across geographic locations and spatial scales. As habitat modification alters local microclimates, the thermal biology of species will likely play a key role in the reassembly of terrestrial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Justin Nowakowski
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - James I Watling
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Michelle E Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - George A Brusch
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | | | | | - David J Kurz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ángela Suárez-Mayorga
- Genetic Conservation and Biodiversity Group, Institute of Genetics, National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Andrés Aponte-Gutiérrez
- Genetic Conservation and Biodiversity Group, Institute of Genetics, National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Maureen A Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Brian D Todd
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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12
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Nowakowski AJ, Watling JI, Whitfield SM, Todd BD, Kurz DJ, Donnelly MA. Tropical amphibians in shifting thermal landscapes under land-use and climate change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:96-105. [PMID: 27254115 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Land-cover and climate change are both expected to alter species distributions and contribute to future biodiversity loss. However, the combined effects of land-cover and climate change on assemblages, especially at the landscape scale, remain understudied. Lowland tropical amphibians may be particularly susceptible to changes in land cover and climate warming because many species have narrow thermal safety margins resulting from air and body temperatures that are close to their critical thermal maxima (CTmax ). We examined how changing thermal landscapes may alter the area of thermally suitable habitat (TSH) for tropical amphibians. We measured microclimates in 6 land-cover types and CTmax of 16 frog species in lowland northeastern Costa Rica. We used a biophysical model to estimate core body temperatures of frogs exposed to habitat-specific microclimates while accounting for evaporative cooling and behavior. Thermally suitable habitat area was estimated as the portion of the landscape where species CTmax exceeded their habitat-specific maximum body temperatures. We projected changes in TSH area 80 years into the future as a function of land-cover change only, climate change only, and combinations of land-cover and climate-change scenarios representing low and moderate rates of change. Projected decreases in TSH area ranged from 16% under low emissions and reduced forest loss to 30% under moderate emissions and business-as-usual land-cover change. Under a moderate emissions scenario (A1B), climate change alone contributed to 1.7- to 4.5-fold greater losses in TSH area than land-cover change only, suggesting that future decreases in TSH from climate change may outpace structural habitat loss. Forest-restricted species had lower mean CTmax than species that occurred in altered habitats, indicating that thermal tolerances will likely shape assemblages in changing thermal landscapes. In the face of ongoing land-cover and climate change, it will be critical to consider changing thermal landscapes in strategies to conserve ectotherm species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Justin Nowakowski
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, U.S.A
| | - James I Watling
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, U.S.A
| | - Steven M Whitfield
- Conservation and Research Department, Zoo Miami, Miami, FL, 33177, U.S.A
| | - Brian D Todd
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| | - David J Kurz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Maureen A Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, U.S.A
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13
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Nowakowski AJ, Whitfield SM, Eskew EA, Thompson ME, Rose JP, Caraballo BL, Kerby JL, Donnelly MA, Todd BD. Infection risk decreases with increasing mismatch in host and pathogen environmental tolerances. Ecol Lett 2016; 19:1051-61. [PMID: 27339786 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has caused the greatest known wildlife pandemic, infecting over 500 amphibian species. It remains unclear why some host species decline from disease-related mortality whereas others persist. We introduce a conceptual model that predicts that infection risk in ectotherms will decrease as the difference between host and pathogen environmental tolerances (i.e. tolerance mismatch) increases. We test this prediction using both local-scale data from Costa Rica and global analyses of over 11 000 Bd infection assays. We find that infection prevalence decreases with increasing thermal tolerance mismatch and with increasing host tolerance of habitat modification. The relationship between environmental tolerance mismatches and Bd infection prevalence is generalisable across multiple amphibian families and spatial scales, and the magnitude of the tolerance mismatch effect depends on environmental context. These findings may help explain patterns of amphibian declines driven by a global wildlife pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Justin Nowakowski
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Evan A Eskew
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Michelle E Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Jonathan P Rose
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Benjamin L Caraballo
- Science Department, Renaissance Charter High School for Innovation, 410 E. 100 St., New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Jacob L Kerby
- Biology Department, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Maureen A Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Brian D Todd
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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14
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Whitfield SM, Lips KR, Donnelly MA. Amphibian Decline and Conservation in Central America. COPEIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1643/ch-15-300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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15
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Thompson ME, Nowakowski AJ, Donnelly MA. The importance of defining focal assemblages when evaluating amphibian and reptile responses to land use. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:249-258. [PMID: 26416506 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss and degradation are primary threats to amphibians and reptiles, but the relative effects of common land uses on assemblages and the mechanisms that underlie faunal responses are poorly studied. We reviewed the effects of four prevalent types of habitat alteration (urbanization, agriculture, livestock grazing, and silviculture) on amphibian and reptile species richness and abundance by summarizing reported responses in the literature and by estimating effect sizes across studies for species richness in each land-use type. We then used a multinomial model to classify species as natural habitat specialists, generalists, and disturbed habitat specialists and examined variation in effect sizes for each land-use type according to habitat specialization categories. There were mixed conclusions from individual studies, some reporting negative, neutral, or positive effects of land use on species richness and total abundance. A large proportion of studies reported species-specific effects of individual species abundance. However, in our analysis of effect sizes, we found a general trend of negative effects of land use on species richness. We also demonstrate that habitat associations of common species and species turnover can explain variation in the effect of land use on herpetofauna. Our review highlights the pervasive negative effects of common land uses on amphibians and reptiles, the importance of identifying groups vulnerable to land-use change (e.g., forest-associated species) in conservation studies, and the potential influence of disturbance-associated species on whole assemblage analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, U.S.A
| | - A Justin Nowakowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, U.S.A
| | - Maureen A Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, U.S.A
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Almeida-Gomes M, Rocha CFD, Vieira MV. Local and Landscape Factors Driving the Structure of Tropical Anuran Communities: Do Ephemeral Ponds have a Nested Pattern? Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Almeida-Gomes
- Departamento de Ecologia; Laboratório de Vertebrados; Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 Cidade Universitária CEP 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
| | - Carlos F. D. Rocha
- Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524 CEP 20550-900 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
| | - Marcus V. Vieira
- Departamento de Ecologia; Laboratório de Vertebrados; Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 Cidade Universitária CEP 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
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Nowakowski AJ, Veiman-Echeverria M, Kurz DJ, Donnelly MA. Evaluating connectivity for tropical amphibians using empirically derived resistance surfaces. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:928-942. [PMID: 26465034 DOI: 10.1890/14-0833.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural expansion continues to drive forest loss in species-rich tropical systems and often disrupts movement and distributions of organisms. The ability of species to occupy and move through altered habitats likely depends on the level of contrast between natural forest and surrounding land uses. Connectivity models, such as circuit theory models, are widely used in conservation biology, and their primary input consists of resistance surfaces representing movement costs associated with landscape features. Cost values are most frequently determined by expert opinion, which may not capture relevant levels of contrast among features. We developed resistance surfaces using experiments that represent different local mechanisms hypothesized to affect connectivity for two Neotropical amphibian species. Response ratios were calculated to translate experimental results to cost values used in connectivity modeling. We used relative abundance data in three land-cover types to generate resistance surfaces for evaluating independent support of models derived from experiments. Finally, we analyzed agreement among movement pathways predicted for each species and among three commonly used connectivity measures: Euclidean, least cost, and resistance distances. Experiments showed that extreme microclimates associated with altered habitats significantly increased desiccation and mortality risk for both species. Resistances estimated from microclimate experiments were concordant with those from survey data for both species. For one focal species, resistance estimates derived from predator encounter rates were also highly correlated with abundance-derived resistances. There was generally low agreement among the three alternative distance measures, which underscores the importance of choosing connectivity models that are most appropriate for the study objectives. Overall, similarity among linkages modeled for each species was high, but decreased with declining forest cover. Our results highlight the value of experiments for drawing inferences about processes in resistance modeling, as well as the need to consider model differences and species-specific responses when developing strategies to maintain connectivity.
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Nowakowski AJ, DeWoody JA, Fagan ME, Willoughby JR, Donnelly MA. Mechanistic insights into landscape genetic structure of two tropical amphibians using field-derived resistance surfaces. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:580-95. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Justin Nowakowski
- Department of Biological Sciences; Florida International University; Miami FL 33199 USA
| | - J. Andrew DeWoody
- Department of Forestry & Natural Resources; Purdue University; West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences; Purdue University; West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| | | | - Janna R. Willoughby
- Department of Forestry & Natural Resources; Purdue University; West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| | - Maureen A. Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences; Florida International University; Miami FL 33199 USA
- College of Arts and Sciences; Florida International University; Miami FL 33199 USA
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Farabaugh N, Nowakowski A. Behavioral responses of the Strawberry Poison Frog (Oophaga pumilio) to herbicide olfactory cues: possible implications for habitat selection and movement in altered landscapes. CAN J ZOOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has focused on the importance of behavior in mediating the effects of landscape change on amphibian populations and communities. Factors such as chemical contaminants may affect habitat selection and movement of amphibians in human-altered habitats and contribute to landscape-level patterns of distribution and abundance. The objective of this study was to determine if the Strawberry Poison Frog (Oophaga pumilio (Schmidt, 1857)) can use olfactory cues to detect and avoid the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup™. Fifty frogs were captured in the field in Costa Rica and tested in experimental arenas where they were given a choice between a control and an herbicide treatment. Analysis of time spent in treatment areas revealed a significant interaction between sex and treatment. Analyses of choice at the start and end of the trials indicated that sex and cardinal direction were important factors influencing orientation behavior. These results suggest that males and females differed in their behavioral responses, and that male O. pumilio may use olfactory cues to detect and avoid areas treated with glyphosate-based herbicide. However, the sampled population was male-biased, which resulted in a lower sample size and lower power to detect an effect for females. Further work is needed to better understand amphibian behavioral responses to herbicides, as well as the role of sex and individual variation in modifying these responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- N.F. Farabaugh
- College of Natural Resources and Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA
| | - A.J. Nowakowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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