1
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Evans MJ, MacGregor C, Lindenmayer D. A misleading tail: A long-term study of reptile responses to multiple disturbances undermined by a change in surveying techniques. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305518. [PMID: 38875283 PMCID: PMC11178227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-term ecological monitoring is crucial to understanding the complex dynamics of ecosystems, communities, and populations. Despite this, monitoring data are lacking or rare for the vast majority of biodiversity. Here we report the results of 19 years (2003-2022) of continuous annual monitoring of reptile species at Booderee National Park (BNP) on the east coast of south-eastern Australia. We tested the effects of time, habitat type, fire, and climate on detections of five reptile species. Our study revealed declines in detections of two skink species over time (Lampropholis delicata and Ctenotus taeniolatus), which we suspect was partly driven by weather conditions influencing activity of these species. We also identified broad vegetation type associations for two congeneric species with L. delicata being associated with forested sites, and Lampropholis guichenoti associated with more shrubby sites. Our results also demonstrated a clear association between Cryptophis nigrescens and L. delicata and fire, with the probabilities of detection of both species decreasing with time since fire in the short term. At about the midway point of our study (in 2011), we were forced to make a change in the way our data were collected. The change heavily influenced our findings, and so breached the integrity of the time series in our dataset. We acknowledge that a simple but crucial step to mitigate this breach would have been to conduct calibration that allowed subsequent analysis to control for a change in field survey methodology. Whilst improvements in the effectiveness of field survey methods might be possible through new technologies, it is crucial to maintain the integrity of long-term datasets as data collection continues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maldwyn John Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher MacGregor
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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2
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Farooq H, Harfoot M, Rahbek C, Geldmann J. Threats to reptiles at global and regional scales. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2231-2237.e2. [PMID: 38657609 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.007] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Reptiles are an important, yet often understudied, taxon in nature conservation. They play a significant role in ecosystems1 and can serve as indicators of environmental health, often responding more rapidly to human pressures than other vertebrate groups.2 At least 21% of reptiles are currently assessed as threatened with extinction by the IUCN.3 However, due to the lack of comprehensive global assessments until recently, they have been omitted from spatial studies addressing conservation or spatial prioritization (e.g., Rosauer et al.,4,5,6,7,8 Fritz and Rahbek,4,5,6,7,8 Farooq et al.,4,5,6,7,8 Meyer et al., 4,5,6,7,8 and Farooq et al.4,5,6,7,8). One important knowledge gap in conservation is the lack of spatially explicit information on the main threats to biodiversity,9 which significantly hampers our ability to respond effectively to the current biodiversity crisis.10,11 In this study, we calculate the probability of a reptile species in a specific location being affected by one of seven biodiversity threats-agriculture, climate change, hunting, invasive species, logging, pollution, and urbanization. We conducted the analysis at a global scale, using a 50 km × 50 km grid, and evaluated the impact of these threats by studying their relationship with the risk of extinction. We find that climate change, logging, pollution, and invasive species are most linked to extinction risk. However, we also show that there is considerable geographical variation in these results. Our study highlights the importance of going beyond measuring the intensity of threats to measuring the impact of these separately for various biogeographical regions of the world, with different historical contingencies, as opposed to a single global analysis treating all regions the same.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harith Farooq
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark; Faculty of Natural Sciences, Lúrio University, Pemba 958, Mozambique; Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden.
| | - Mike Harfoot
- Vizzuality, Calle de Fuencarral, Madrid 28010, Spain
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark; Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark; Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M 5230, Denmark
| | - Jonas Geldmann
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
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3
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Elmberg J, Palmheden L, Edelstam C, Hagman M, Kärvemo S. Climate change-induced shifts in survival and size of the worlds' northernmost oviparous snake: A 68-year study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300363. [PMID: 38512897 PMCID: PMC10956784 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Because of their dependence on ambient temperature ectothermic animals can serve as sentinels of conservation problems related to global warming. Reptiles in temperate areas are especially well suited to study such effects, as their annual and daily activity patterns directly depend on ambient temperature. This study is based on annual data spanning 68 years from a fringe population of Grass Snakes (Natrix natrix), which is the world's northernmost oviparous (egg-laying) reptile, and known to be constrained by temperature for reproduction, morphology, and behavior. Mark-recapture analyses showed that survival probability was generally higher in males than in females, and that it increased with body length. Body condition (scaled mass index) and body length increased over time, indicative of a longer annual activity period. Monthly survival was generally higher during winter (i.e., hibernation) than over the summer season. Summer survival increased over time, whilst winter survival decreased, especially during recent decades. Winter survival was lower when annual maximum snow depth was less than 15 cm, implying a negative effect of milder winters with less insulating snow cover. Our study demonstrates long-term shifts in body length, body condition and seasonal survival associated with a warming climate. Although the seasonal changes in survival ran in opposite directions and though changes were small in absolute terms, the trends did not cancel out, but total annual survival decreased. We conclude that effects of a warming climate can be diverse and pose a threat for thermophilic species in temperate regions, and that future studies should consider survival change by season, preferably in a long-term approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Elmberg
- Department of Environmental Science, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden
| | - Ludvig Palmheden
- Department of Environmental Monitoring and Research, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carl Edelstam
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mattias Hagman
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon Kärvemo
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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4
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Tarjuelo R, Aragón P. Assessing vulnerability of reptile hotspots through temporal trends of global change factors in the Iberian Peninsula. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 871:161917. [PMID: 36736406 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Habitat degradation and climate change are major threats to the long-term persistence of reptile populations. However, their roles on primary productivity instability remain unclear at certain scales. Besides, the design of protected areas has often overlooked reptiles or assumed that their ecological requirements are represented under the umbrella of more charismatic species. Here, we assess the vulnerability of areas of high diversity of reptiles in the Iberian Peninsula to global change using data from satellite imagery. We focused on primary productivity, climate and land-use change because they are indicators of environmental variability that might impair ecosystem functioning and alter wildlife communities. We used linear regressions to detect monotonic temporal trends in primary productivity (through the enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and climate (mean temperature and accumulated precipitation) at two spatial resolutions (10-km2 UTM squares and CORINE land-cover polygon level) over the period 2000-2020. We also determined how the strength of land-use and climate change affected the intensity of change in primary productivity at both spatial scales with multivariate linear regressions. We identified 339 hotspots (10-km2 UTM squares) and monotonic increments of temperature, EVI or both occurred in 43 %, 16 % and 22 % of them, respectively. Positive trends of the EVI were related to increasing temperatures and changes in shrubland and forest cover. Within the hotspots with monotonic increments in EVI and temperature, EVI increments occurred in 65 % of the CORINE polygons that did not change their land-cover type, with stronger increases in tree crops. Finally, the Natura 2000 network provides only moderate protection to reptile hotspots, being most of the vegetation types relatively underrepresented. The proportion of forest and shrubland protected by the Natura 2000 network was higher in hotspots where EVI changed. Our procedures are relevant to prioritize hotspots requiring ground monitoring that allows economic and time savings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Tarjuelo
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Gestión Forestal Sostenible (iuFOR), Universidad de Valladolid, Spain; Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain.
| | - Pedro Aragón
- Dpt. Biogeografía y Cambio Global, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Spain; Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain
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5
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Johnson JM, Bock SL, Smaga CR, Lambert MR, Rainwater TR, Wilkinson PM, Parrott BB. Relationships between maternally-transferred mercury and hatchling development, behavior, and survival in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:162010. [PMID: 36739038 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a toxic and pervasive environmental contaminant that can be transferred from mother to offspring during development. Consequences of maternally-transferred mercury have been observed in vertebrate taxa, including reduced clutch viability, reduced offspring size, and behavioral alterations. These sublethal effects have been assumed to decrease survivorship, though this is seldom assessed. Here, we examined how maternally-transferred mercury interacts with incubation temperature to influence reproductive success, offspring behavior, and subsequent survival in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). We collected nine clutches of eggs from a mercury contaminated reservoir on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, and incubated eggs at either female- or male-promoting temperatures. Clutch-averaged mercury in egg yolk was high relative to other studies in crocodilians and ranged from 0.248 to 0.554 ppm compared to 0.018-0.052 ppm at a site with low levels of mercury contamination; mercury levels in hatchling blood ranged from 0.090 to 0.490 ppm (x¯ = 0.240 ppm, n = 158). We found few, mostly negligible correlations between life history traits and mercury but noted a positive relationship with egg mass, possibly mediated by correlated maternal effects such as resource provisioning. Incubation temperature exerted strong effects on hatchling phenotypes, with warmer, male-promoting temperatures producing larger and bolder hatchlings. Presumptive females, produced from cooler incubation temperatures, spent more time in warm areas during behavior trials. Hatchlings were released 10-15 days post-hatch and surveyed over eight months to assess survival. Survivorship was positively correlated with hatchling size and negatively correlated with proportional time spent in warm areas. Presumptive females had much lower survival, and overall survivorship for the eight-month period was 0.185-0.208, depending on the modelling approach. Our study suggests that, within the range of concentrations we observed, incubation temperature has a stronger effect on offspring behavior and survival than maternally-transferred mercury pollution in American alligators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiah M Johnson
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States.
| | - Samantha L Bock
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Christopher R Smaga
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Max R Lambert
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Thomas R Rainwater
- Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, Georgetown, SC 29442, United States; Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Georgetown, SC 29440, United States
| | | | - Benjamin B Parrott
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
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6
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Kásler A, Holly D, Herczeg D, Ujszegi J, Hettyey A. Chytridiomycosis and climate change: exposure to
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
and mild winter conditions do not increase mortality in juvenile agile frogs during hibernation. Anim Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Kásler
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network Budapest Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - D. Holly
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network Budapest Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - D. Herczeg
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network Budapest Hungary
- ELKH‐ELTE‐MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group Budapest Hungary
| | - J. Ujszegi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network Budapest Hungary
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - A. Hettyey
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network Budapest Hungary
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
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7
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Knozowski P, Górski A, Stawicka AM, Nowakowski JJ. Long-term changes in the diversity of amphibian communities inhabiting small water bodies in the urban area of Olsztyn (NE Poland). THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2087773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- P. Knozowski
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - A. Górski
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - A. M. Stawicka
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - J. J. Nowakowski
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
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8
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Pequeno PACL, Franklin E, Norton RA. Hunger for sex: Abundant, heterogeneous resources select for sexual reproduction in the field. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1387-1395. [PMID: 36117406 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Major hypotheses on sex evolution predict that resource abundance and heterogeneity should either select for or against sexual reproduction. However, seldom have these predictions been explicitly tested in the field. Here, we investigated this question using soil oribatid mites, a diverse and abundant group of soil arthropods whose local communities can be dominated by either sexual or asexual species. First, we refined theoretical predictions by addressing how the effects of resource abundance, heterogeneity and abiotic conditions could modify each other. Then, we estimated the strength of selection for sexual species in local communities while controlling for phylogeny and neutral processes (ecological drift and dispersal), and tested its relation to resource and abiotic gradients. We show that sexual species tended to be favoured with increasing litter amount, a measure of basal resource abundance. Further, there was some evidence that this response occurred mainly under higher tree species richness, a measure of basal resource heterogeneity. This response to resources is unlikely to reflect niche partitioning between reproductive modes, as sexual and asexual species overlapped in trophic niche according to a comparative analysis using literature data on stable isotope ratios. Rather, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that sex facilitates adaptation by breaking unfavourable genetic associations, an advantage that should increase with effective population size when many loci are under selection and, thus, with resource abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Franklin
- Biodiversity Coordination, National Institute for Amazonia Research, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Roy A Norton
- College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York, USA
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9
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Falaschi M, Gibertini C, Lo Parrino E, Muraro M, Barzaghi B, Manenti R, Ficetola GF. Assessing Population Trends of Species with Imperfect Detection: Double Count Analyses and Simulations Confirm Reliable Estimates in Brown Frogs. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12162085. [PMID: 36009675 PMCID: PMC9405163 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162085] [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: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Most animal species are detected imperfectly and overlooking individuals can result in a biased inference of the abundance patterns and underlying processes. Several techniques can incorporate the imperfect detection process for a more accurate estimation of abundance, but most of them require repeated surveys, i.e., more sampling effort compared to single counts. In this study, we used the dependent double-observer approach to estimate the detection probability of the egg clutches of two brown frog species, Rana dalmatina and R. latastei. We then simulated the data of a declining population at different levels of detection probability in order to assess under which conditions the double counts provided better estimates of population trends compared to naïve egg counts, given the detectability of frog clutches. Both species showed a very high detection probability, with average values of 93% for Rana dalmatina and 97% for R. latastei. Simulations showed that not considering imperfect detection reduces the power of detecting population trends if detection probability is low. However, at high detection probability (>80%), ignoring the imperfect detection does not bias the estimates of population trends. This suggests that, for species laying large and easily identifiable egg clutches, a single count can provide useful estimates if surveys are correctly timed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Falaschi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Gibertini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Elia Lo Parrino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Muraro
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Benedetta Barzaghi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Laboratoire d’Écologie Alpine, University Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, F-38000 Grenoble, France
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10
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Grimm-Seyfarth A. Environmental and training factors affect canine detection probabilities for terrestrial newt surveys. J Vet Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2022.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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11
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Nania D, Lumbierres M, Ficetola GF, Falaschi M, Pacifici M, Rondinini C. Maps of area of habitat for Italian amphibians and reptiles. NATURE CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.49.82931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Planning conservation actions requires detailed information on species’ geographic distribution. Species distribution data are most needed in areas hosting unique or endangered biodiversity. Italy is one of the European countries with the highest levels of herpetological diversity and endemism and is home to several threatened species of amphibians and reptiles. Information on the distribution of species’ habitats can help identify sites where the species is most likely to thrive, as viable populations depend on it. Area of Habitat (AOH) maps reveal the distribution of the habitat available to the species within their geographic range. We produced high resolution, freely accessible global area of habitat maps for 60 species of reptiles and amphibians distributed in Italy, which represent 60% of all Italian amphibian and reptile species. We validated a total of 44 AOH maps through a presence-only based evaluation method, with 86% of these maps showing a performance better than expected by chance. AOH maps can be used as a reference for conservation planning, as well as to investigate macroecological patterns of Italian herpetofauna. Furthermore, AOH maps can help monitoring habitat loss, which is known to be a major threat to many reptile and amphibian species in Europe.
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12
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Smith GR, Lemos-Espinal JA. Factors related to species richness, endemism, and conservation status of the herpetofauna (Amphibia and Reptilia) of Mexican states. Zookeys 2022; 1097:85-101. [PMID: 35837582 PMCID: PMC9046365 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1097.80424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mexico is a megadiverse country with high endemicity in its herpetofauna. We examine how species richness, proportion of state and country endemic species, and proportion of species in a category of conservation concern using listings in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and the Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) in 27 of 32 Mexican states are related to environmental and human demographic and socioeconomic variables. Amphibian and reptile species richness were positively related to latitude range and number of physiographic regions and negatively related to latitude. The proportion of state endemic amphibian species in a state was negatively related to latitude whereas no variables influenced the proportion in reptiles. The proportion of country endemics in a state was positively related to human population density and the number of physiographic regions and negatively related to per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and latitude range for amphibians; it was positively related to human population density and elevation range and negatively related to latitude range for reptiles. The proportion of amphibian species in an IUCN category of concern in a state was positively related to human population density and negatively related to latitude; for reptiles, it was negatively related to human population density. The proportion of SEMARNAT-listed species in a state was positively related to human population density for both amphibians and reptiles and negatively related to latitude range for amphibians. Our analyses found that larger macroecological patterns (e.g., latitudinal species gradient, heterogeneity-richness relationships) and human population density play important roles in determining the richness and conservation status of Mexican amphibians and reptiles.
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13
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Dalpasso A, Ficetola GF, Giachello S, Lo Parrino E, Manenti R, Muraro M, Falaschi M. Similar species, different fates: Abundance dynamics in spatially structured populations of common and threatened frogs. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Dalpasso
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy Università degli Studi di Milano Milan Italy
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy Università degli Studi di Milano Milan Italy
- Laboratoire d’Écologie Alpine Univ. Grenoble AlpesUniv. Savoie Mont BlancCNRSLECA Grenoble France
| | - Simone Giachello
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy Università degli Studi di Milano Milan Italy
| | - Elia Lo Parrino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy Università degli Studi di Milano Milan Italy
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy Università degli Studi di Milano Milan Italy
| | - Martina Muraro
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy Università degli Studi di Milano Milan Italy
| | - Mattia Falaschi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy Università degli Studi di Milano Milan Italy
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14
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Paterson JE, Pulfer T, Horrigan E, Sukumar S, Vezina BI, Zimmerling R, Davy CM. Individual and synergistic effects of habitat loss and roads on reptile occupancy. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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15
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Falaschi M, Giachello S, Lo Parrino E, Muraro M, Manenti R, Ficetola GF. Long-term drivers of persistence and colonization dynamics in spatially structured amphibian populations. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1530-1539. [PMID: 33355400 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many organisms live in networks of local populations connected by dispersing individuals, called spatially structured populations (SSPs), where the long-term persistence of the entire network is determined by the balance between 2 processes acting at the scale of local populations: extinction and colonization. When multiple threats act on an SSP, a comparison of the different factors determining local extinctions and colonizations is essential to plan sound conservation actions. We assessed the drivers of long-term population dynamics of multiple amphibian species at the regional scale. We used dynamic occupancy models within a Bayesian framework to identify the factors determining persistence and colonization of local populations. Because connectivity among patches is fundamental to SSPs dynamics, we considered 2 measures of connectivity acting on each focal patch: incidence of the focal species and incidence of invasive crayfish. We used meta-analysis to summarize the effect of different drivers at the community level. Persistence and colonization of local populations were jointly determined by factors acting at different scales. Persistence probability was positively related to the area and the permanence of wetlands, whereas it was negatively related to occurrence of fish. Colonization probability was highest in semipermanent wetlands and in sites with a high incidence of the focal species in nearby sites, whereas it showed a negative relationship with the incidence of invasive crayfish in the landscape. By analyzing long-term data on amphibian population dynamics, we found a strong effect of some classic features commonly used in SSP studies, such as patch area and focal species incidence. The presence of an invasive non-native species at the landscape scale emerged as one of the strongest drivers of colonization dynamics, suggesting that studies on SSPs should consider different connectivity measures more frequently, such as the incidence of predators, especially when dealing with biological invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Falaschi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Simone Giachello
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Elia Lo Parrino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Martina Muraro
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA (Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine), Grenoble, F-38000, France
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16
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Ogle K, Liu Y, Vicca S, Bahn M. A hierarchical, multivariate meta-analysis approach to synthesising global change experiments. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:2382-2394. [PMID: 34137037 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Meta-analyses enable synthesis of results from globally distributed experiments to draw general conclusions about the impacts of global change factors on ecosystem function. Traditional meta-analyses, however, are challenged by the complexity and diversity of experimental results. We illustrate how several key issues can be addressed by a multivariate, hierarchical Bayesian meta-analysis (MHBM) approach applied to information extracted from published studies. We applied an MHBM to log-response ratios for aboveground biomass (AB, n = 300), belowground biomass (BB, n = 205) and soil CO2 exchange (SCE, n = 544), representing 100 studies. The MHBM accounted for study duration, climate effects and covariation among the AB, BB and SCE responses to elevated CO2 (eCO2 ) and/or warming. The MHBM revealed significant among-study covariation in the AB and BB responses to experimental treatments. The MHBM imputed missing duration (4.2%) and climate (6%) data, and revealed that climate context governs how eCO2 and warming impact ecosystem function. Predictions identified biomes that may be particularly sensitive to eCO2 or warming, but that are under-represented in global change experiments. The MHBM approach offers a flexible and powerful tool for synthesising disparate experimental results reported across multiple studies, sites and response variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiona Ogle
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Yao Liu
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Sara Vicca
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Michael Bahn
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
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17
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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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18
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Climate and land-use changes drive biodiversity turnover in arthropod assemblages over 150 years. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1291-1300. [PMID: 34267365 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01513-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Long-term studies are essential to understand the impacts of global changes on the multiple facets of biological diversity. Here, we use distribution data for over 600 species of arthropods collected over 150 years from locations across Italy and test how multiple environmental stressors (climate, land use and human population density) influenced assemblage composition and functionality. By carefully reconstructing the temporal changes in these stressors, we explicitly tested how environmental changes can determine the observed changes in taxonomic and functional diversity. We found that rapid changes in precipitation destabilize the assemblages and maximize colonization and extinction rates, especially when coupled with changes in human population density (for taxonomy) or temperature (for functionality). Higher microclimatic heterogeneity increases the stability of biodiversity by reducing taxonomic and functional loss. Finally, changes in natural habitats increased colonization, influencing taxonomic nestedness and functional replacement. The integration of long-term datasets combining distributions, climate and traits may deepen our understanding of the processes underlying biodiversity responses to global-scale drivers.
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19
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Préau C, Bertrand R, Sellier Y, Grandjean F, Isselin‐Nondedeu F. Climate change would prevail over land use change in shaping the future distribution of
Triturus marmoratus
in France. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Préau
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale du Pinail GEREPI, Moulin de Chitré Vienne France
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions UMR CNRS 7267 Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose Poitiers Cedex France
- Département Aménagement et Environnement Ecole Polytechnique de l’Université de Tours CNRS UMR CNRS 7324 CITERES Tours France
| | - Romain Bertrand
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique UMR5174 Université de Toulouse III Paul Sabatier CNRS IRD Toulouse France
| | - Yann Sellier
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale du Pinail GEREPI, Moulin de Chitré Vienne France
| | - Frédéric Grandjean
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions UMR CNRS 7267 Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose Poitiers Cedex France
| | - Francis Isselin‐Nondedeu
- Département Aménagement et Environnement Ecole Polytechnique de l’Université de Tours CNRS UMR CNRS 7324 CITERES Tours France
- UMR CNRS/IRD 7263 IMBE Université d'Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse Avignon France
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20
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Raised by aliens: constant exposure to an invasive predator triggers morphological but not behavioural plasticity in a threatened species tadpoles. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02603-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDuring biotic invasions, native communities are abruptly exposed to novel and often severe selective pressures. The lack of common evolutionary history with invasive predators can hamper the expression of effective anti-predator responses in native prey, potentially accelerating population declines. Nonetheless, rapid adaptation and phenotypic plasticity may allow native species to cope with the new ecological pressures. We tested the hypothesis that phenotypic plasticity is fostered when facing invasive species and evaluated whether plasticity offers a pool of variability that might help the fixation of adaptive phenotypes. We assessed behavioural and morphological trait variation in tadpoles of the Italian agile frog (Rana latastei) in response to the invasive crayfish predator, Procambarus clarkii, by rearing tadpoles under different predation-risk regimes: non-lethal crayfish presence and crayfish absence. After two-month rearing, crayfish-exposed tadpoles showed a plastic shift in their body shape and increased tail muscle size, while behavioural tests showed no effect of crayfish exposure on tadpole behaviour. Furthermore, multivariate analyses revealed weak divergence in morphology between invaded and uninvaded populations, while plasticity levels were similar between invaded and uninvaded populations. Even if tadpoles displayed multiple plastic responses to the novel predator, none of these shifts underwent fixation after crayfish arrival (10–15 years). Overall, these findings highlight that native prey can finely tune their responses to invasive predators through plasticity, but the adaptive value of these responses in whitstanding the novel selective pressures, and the long-term consequences they can entail remain to be ascertained.
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21
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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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22
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Karlsson O, Svanholm S, Eriksson A, Chidiac J, Eriksson J, Jernerén F, Berg C. Pesticide-induced multigenerational effects on amphibian reproduction and metabolism. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 775:145771. [PMID: 33621874 PMCID: PMC7615066 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Underlying drivers of species extinctions need to be better understood for effective conservation of biodiversity. Nearly half of all amphibian species are at risk of extinction, and pollution may be a significant threat as seasonal high-level agrochemical use overlaps with critical windows of larval development. The potential of environmental chemicals to reduce the fitness of future generations may have profound ecological and evolutionary implications. This study characterized effects of male developmental exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the anti-androgenic pesticide linuron over two generations of offspring in Xenopus tropicalis frogs. The adult male offspring of pesticide-exposed fathers (F1) showed reduced body size, decreased fertility, and signs of endocrine system disruption. Impacts were further propagated to the grand-offspring (F2), providing evidence of transgenerational effects in amphibians. The adult F2 males demonstrated increased weight and fat body palmitoleic-to-palmitic acid ratio, and decreased plasma glucose levels. The study provides important cross-species evidence of paternal epigenetic inheritance and pollutant-induced transgenerational toxicity, supporting a causal and complex role of environmental contamination in the ongoing species extinctions, particularly of amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Karlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm 114 18, Sweden.
| | - Sofie Svanholm
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andreas Eriksson
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joseph Chidiac
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johanna Eriksson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Jernerén
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Berg
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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23
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Davy CM, Shirose L, Campbell D, Dillon R, McKenzie C, Nemeth N, Braithwaite T, Cai H, Degazio T, Dobbie T, Egan S, Fotherby H, Litzgus JD, Manorome P, Marks S, Paterson JE, Sigler L, Slavic D, Slavik E, Urquhart J, Jardine C. Revisiting Ophidiomycosis (Snake Fungal Disease) After a Decade of Targeted Research. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:665805. [PMID: 34136555 PMCID: PMC8200636 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.665805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are typically characterized by novelty (recent detection) and by increasing incidence, distribution, and/or pathogenicity. Ophidiomycosis, also called snake fungal disease, is caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (formerly “ophiodiicola”). Ophidiomycosis has been characterized as an EID and as a potential threat to populations of Nearctic snakes, sparking over a decade of targeted research. However, the severity of this threat is unclear. We reviewed the available literature to quantify incidence and effects of ophidiomycosis in Nearctic snakes, and to evaluate whether the evidence supports the ongoing characterization of ophidiomycosis as an EID. Data from Canada remain scarce, so we supplemented the literature review with surveys for O. ophidiicola in the Canadian Great Lakes region. Peer-reviewed reports of clinical signs consistent with ophidiomycosis in free-ranging, Nearctic snakes date back to at least 1998, and retrospective molecular testing of samples extend the earliest confirmed record to 1986. Diagnostic criteria varied among publications (n = 33), confounding quantitative comparisons. Ophidiomycosis was diagnosed or suspected in 36/121 captive snakes and was fatal in over half of cases (66.7%). This result may implicate captivity-related stress as a risk factor for mortality from ophidiomycosis, but could also reflect reporting bias (i.e., infections are more likely to be detected in captive snakes, and severe cases are more likely to be reported). In contrast, ophidiomycosis was diagnosed or suspected in 441/2,384 free-ranging snakes, with mortality observed in 43 (9.8 %). Ophidiomycosis was only speculatively linked to population declines, and we found no evidence that the prevalence of the pathogen or disease increased over the past decade of targeted research. Supplemental surveys and molecular (qPCR) testing in Ontario, Canada detected O. ophidiicola on 76 of 657 free-ranging snakes sampled across ~136,000 km2. The pathogen was detected at most sites despite limited and haphazard sampling. No large-scale mortality was observed. Current evidence supports previous suggestions that the pathogen is a widespread, previously unrecognized endemic, rather than a novel pathogen. Ophidiomycosis may not pose an imminent threat to Nearctic snakes, but further research should investigate potential sublethal effects of ophidiomycosis such as altered reproductive success that could impact population growth, and explore whether shifting environmental conditions may alter host susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Davy
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, ON, Canada.,Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Leonard Shirose
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative - Ontario/Nunavut, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Doug Campbell
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative - Ontario/Nunavut, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Rachel Dillon
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Christina McKenzie
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative - Ontario/Nunavut, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole Nemeth
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative - Ontario/Nunavut, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | | | - Hugh Cai
- Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Tammy Dobbie
- Point Pelee National Park, Leamington, ON, Canada
| | - Sean Egan
- Egan Fife Animal Hospital, Chatham, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Pilar Manorome
- Ontario Parks, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Steve Marks
- Essex County Field Naturalists' Club, c/o Ojibway Nature Centre, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - James E Paterson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Lynne Sigler
- Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Durda Slavic
- Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Emily Slavik
- Ontario Parks, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | | | - Claire Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative - Ontario/Nunavut, Guelph, ON, Canada
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24
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Haskins DL, Brown MK, Qin C, Xu X, Pilgrim MA, Tuberville TD. Multi-decadal trends in mercury and methylmercury concentrations in the brown watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 276:116722. [PMID: 33640654 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant that poses a threat to aquatic systems globally. Temporal evaluations of Hg contamination have increased in recent years, with studies focusing on how anthropogenic activities impact Hg bioavailability in a variety of aquatic systems. While it is common for these studies and ecological risk assessments to evaluate Hg bioaccumulation and effects in wildlife, there is a paucity of information regarding Hg dynamics in reptiles. The goal of this study was to investigate temporal patterns in total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations across a 36-year period, as well as evaluate relationships among and between destructive (kidney, liver, muscle) and non-destructive (blood, tail) tissue types in a common watersnake species. To accomplish this, we measured THg and MeHg concentrations in multiple tissues from brown watersnakes (Nerodia taxispilota) collected from Steel Creek on the Savannah River Site (SRS; Aiken, SC, USA) from two time periods (1983-1986 and 2019). We found significant and positive relationships between tail tips and destructive tissues. In both time periods, THg concentrations varied significantly by tissue type, and destructive tissues exhibited higher but predictable THg values relative to tail tissue. Methylmercury concentrations did not differ among tissues from the 1980s but was significantly higher in muscle compared to other tissues from snakes collected in 2019. Percent MeHg of THg in N. taxispilota tissues mirrored patterns reported in other reptiles, although the range of % MeHg in liver and kidney differed between time periods. Both THg and MeHg concentrations in N. taxispilota declined significantly from the 1980s to 2019, with average values 1.6 to 4-fold lower in contemporary samples. Overall, our data add further evidence to the utility of watersnakes to monitor Hg pollution in aquatic environments and suggest attenuation of this contaminant in watersnakes in our study system.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Haskins
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30605, USA; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30605, USA; Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA.
| | - M Kyle Brown
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30605, USA; Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA
| | - Chongyang Qin
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Xu
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA
| | - Melissa A Pilgrim
- Division of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of South Carolina Upstate, Spartanburg, SC, 29303, USA
| | - Tracey D Tuberville
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA
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25
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Teixido AL, Sehn H, Quintanilla LG, Gonçalves SRA, Férnandez‐Arellano GJ, Dáttilo W, Izzo TJ, Layme VMG, Moreira LFB. A meta‐analysis of the effects of fragmentation on the megadiverse herpetofauna of Brazil. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto L. Teixido
- Departamento de Botânica e Ecologia Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Cuiabá Brazil
| | - Heivanice Sehn
- Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Cuiabá Brazil
| | - Luis G. Quintanilla
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Madrid Spain
| | - Stela R. A. Gonçalves
- Departamento de Botânica e Ecologia Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Cuiabá Brazil
| | | | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología Instituto de Ecología A.C Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
| | - Thiago J. Izzo
- Departamento de Botânica e Ecologia Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Cuiabá Brazil
| | - Viviane M. G. Layme
- Departamento de Botânica e Ecologia Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Cuiabá Brazil
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26
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Falaschi M, Scali S, Sacchi R, Mangiacotti M. Data sharing among protected areas shows advantages in habitat suitability modelling performance. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr20196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
ContextMost of the effort dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity in the European Union is applied through the establishment and maintenance of the Natura 2000 network, the world’s most extensive network of conservation areas. European Member State must actively manage these sites and report the state of the species listed in the Annexes of the Habitat and Birds Directives. Fulfilling these duties is a challenging task, especially when money available for conservation is limited. Consequently, how to optimise the use of the available economic resources is a primary goal for reserve managers.
AimsIn the present study, we focussed on data-sharing, and we analysed whether data-sharing among institutions may boost the performance of habitat suitability models (HSMs).
MethodsWe collected presence data about three species of reptiles in three different protected areas of northern Italy. Then, we built HSMs under the following two different data-sharing policies: data-sharing of species’ occurrence among the different managers of the protected areas, and not sharing the occurrence data among the different managers. To evaluate how sharing the occurrence data influences the reliability of HSMs in various situations, we compared model performances under several sampling-effort levels.
Key resultsResults show that data-sharing is usually the best strategy. In most cases, models built under the data-sharing (DS) strategy showed better performance than did data-un-sharing (DU) models. The data-sharing strategy showed advantages in model performance, notably at low levels of sampling effort.
ConclusionsOvercoming administrative barriers and share data among different managers of protected areas allows obtaining more biologically meaningful results.
ImplicationsData-sharing among protected areas could allow improving the reliability of future management actions within the Natura 2000 network.
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27
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Falaschi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Andrea Melotto
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milano 20133, Italy
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28
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Schmidt BR, Brenneisen S, Zumbach S. Evidence-Based Amphibian Conservation: A Case Study on Toad Tunnels. HERPETOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1655/0018-0831-76.2.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt R. Schmidt
- Info Fauna Karch, UniMail, Bâtiment G, Bellevaux 51, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Brenneisen
- Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Grüental, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Zumbach
- Info Fauna Karch, UniMail, Bâtiment G, Bellevaux 51, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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