1
|
Lin JW, Liao CP, Chou CC, Clark RW, Tseng HY, Hsu JY, Huang WS. Loss of sea turtle eggs drives the collapse of an insular reptile community. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj7052. [PMID: 38091400 PMCID: PMC10848710 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj7052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Marine subsidies are vital for terrestrial ecosystems, especially low-productivity islands. However, the impact of losing these subsidies on the terrestrial food web can be difficult to predict. We analyzed 23 years of survey data from Orchid Island to assess the consequences of the abrupt loss of an important marine subsidy. After climate-driven beach erosion and predator exclusion efforts resulted in the abrupt loss of sea turtle eggs from the terrestrial food web, predatory snakes altered their foraging habitats. This increased predation on other reptile species in inland areas, resulting in population declines in most terrestrial reptile species. Comparisons with sea turtle-free locations where lizard populations remained stable supported these findings. Our study emphasizes the cascading effects of generalist predators and the unintended consequences of single-species conservation, highlighting the importance of understanding species interconnectedness and considering potential ripple effects in marine-dependent insular ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jhan-Wei Lin
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Chia Chou
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
- Master’s Program in Biodiversity, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Rulon W. Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Hui-Yun Tseng
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Ya Hsu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-San Huang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|