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Bucciarelli GM, Smith SJ, Choe JJ, Shin PD, Fisher RN, Kats LB. Native amphibian toxin reduces invasive crayfish feeding with potential benefits to stream biodiversity. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:51. [PMID: 37700256 PMCID: PMC10498594 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02162-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biodiversity is generally reduced when non-native species invade an ecosystem. Invasive crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, populate California freshwater streams, and in the Santa Monica Mountains (Los Angeles, USA), their introduction has led to trophic cascades due to omnivorous feeding behavior and a rapid rate of population growth. The native California newt, Taricha torosa, possesses a neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX), that affects freshwater animal behavior. Given P. clarkii has a limited evolutionary history with TTX, we hypothesized that TTX may affect crayfish feeding behaviors. To determine if TTX affects P. clarkii behavior, we measured cumulative movement and various feeding behaviors of P. clarkii exposed to (i) waterborne, ecologically realistic concentrations of TTX (~ 3.0 × 10- 8 moles/L), (ii) an anuran chemical cue to account for intraguild cues, or (iii) a T. torosa chemical cue with quantitated TTX in it (~ 6.2 × 10- 8 moles/L). RESULTS We found that the presence of TTX in any form significantly reduced crayfish movement and decreased the amount of food consumed over time. Crayfish responses to the anuran treatment did not significantly differ from controls. CONCLUSION Our laboratory results show that naturally occurring neurotoxin from native California newts limits invasive crayfish foraging and feeding rates, which may play a role in preserving local stream ecosystems by limiting invasive crayfish behaviors that are detrimental to biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary M Bucciarelli
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Sierra J Smith
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA
| | - Justin J Choe
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA
| | - Phoebe D Shin
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA
| | - Robert N Fisher
- Western Ecological Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA
| | - Lee B Kats
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA
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2
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Liu Y, Huang K, Wang X, Krzton A, Xia W, Li D. Research on Space Occupancy, Activity Rhythm and Sexual Segregation of White-Lipped Deer ( Cervus albirostris) in Forest Habitats of Jiacha Gorge on Yarlung Zangbo River Basin Based on Infrared Camera Technology. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:815. [PMID: 37372100 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
The white-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris) is a rare and endangered species found in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. To understand the space occupancy, activity rhythm, and sexual segregation of the white-lipped deer, 24,096 effective photos and 827 effective videos were captured using infrared cameras from February 2020 to January 2022. The ecology and behavior of the white-lipped deer in Jiacha Gorge were studied in more detail using site occupancy models, relative abundance index, and other technologies and methods. The results show that The occupancy predicted by the model exceeds or approaches 0.5. The occupancy increases with greater altitude and with larger EVI values, while the detection rate increases with altitude only during spring and decreases with EVI values only in summer. The daily activity peaks for white-lipped deer were observed from 7:00 to 11:00 and 17:00 to 22:00, with annual activity peaks occurring from April to June and from September to November. From July to the following January, white-lipped deer mostly move in mixed-sex groups, while during the remainder of the year, they predominantly associate with individuals of the same sex. Climate, vegetation coverage, food resources, and human disturbance collectively influenced the behavior and habitat utilization of white-lipped deer. The foundational research conducted on white-lipped deer over the past two years is expected to enhance the basic understanding of white-lipped deer in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and contribute to future protection and management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana at China West Normal University of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637001, China
| | - Kai Huang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana at China West Normal University of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637001, China
| | - Xueyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana at China West Normal University of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637001, China
| | - Ali Krzton
- Auburn University Libraries, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Wancai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana at China West Normal University of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637001, China
| | - Dayong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology of Rhinopithecus roxellana at China West Normal University of Sichuan Province, Nanchong 637001, China
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3
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Davis CL, Walls SC, Barichivich WJ, Brown ME, Miller DAW. Disentangling direct and indirect effects of extreme events on coastal wetland communities. J Anim Ecol 2022. [PMID: 36527172 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13874] [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: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
One of the primary ways in which climate change will impact coastal freshwater wetlands is through changes in the frequency, intensity, timing and distribution of extreme weather events. Disentangling the direct and indirect mechanisms of population- and community-level responses to extreme events is vital to predicting how species composition of coastal wetlands will change under future conditions. We extended static structural equation modelling approaches to incorporate system dynamics in a multi-year multispecies occupancy model to quantify the effects of extreme weather events on a coastal freshwater wetland system. We used data from an 8-year study (2009-2016) on St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, USA, to quantify species-specific and community-level changes in amphibian and fish occupancy associated with two flooding events in 2012 and 2013. We examine how physical changes to the landscape, including potential changes in salinity and increased wetland connectivity, may have contributed to or exacerbated the effects of these extreme weather events on the biota of isolated coastal wetlands. We provide evidence that the primary effects of flooding on the amphibian community were through indirect mechanisms via changes in the composition of the sympatric fish community that may have had lethal (i.e. through direct predation) or non-lethal (i.e. through direct or indirect competitive interactions) effects. In addition, we have shown that amphibian species differed in their sensitivity to direct flooding effects and indirect changes in the fish community and wetland-specific conductance, which led to variable responses across the community. These effects led to the overall decline in amphibian species richness from 2009 to 2016, suggesting that wetland-breeding amphibian communities on St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge may not be resilient to predicted changes in coastal disturbance regimes because of climate change. Understanding both direct and indirect effects, as well as species interactions, is important for predicting the effects of a changing climate on individual species, communities and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Davis
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Intercollege Graduate Ecology Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Susan C Walls
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - William J Barichivich
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Mary E Brown
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - David A W Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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4
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Hitchcock CJ, Gallegos EA, Backlin AR, Barabe R, Bloom PH, Boss K, Brehme CS, Brown CW, Clark DR, Clark ER, Cooper K, Donnell J, Ervin E, Famolaro P, Guilliam KM, Hancock JJ, Hess N, Howard S, Hubbartt V, Lieske P, Lovich R, Matsuda T, Meyer‐Wilkins K, Muri K, Nerhus B, Nordland J, Ortega B, Packard R, Ramirez R, Stewart SC, Sweet S, Warburton M, Wells J, Winkleman R, Winter K, Zitt B, Fisher RN. Range‐wide persistence of the endangered arroyo toad (
Anaxyrus californicus
) for 20+ years following a prolonged drought. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8796. [PMID: 35462981 PMCID: PMC9018349 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8796] [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: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolonged drought due to climate change has negatively impacted amphibians in southern California, U.S.A. Due to the severity and length of the current drought, agencies and researchers had growing concern for the persistence of the arroyo toad (Anaxyrus californicus), an endangered endemic amphibian in this region. Range‐wide surveys for this species had not been conducted for at least 20 years. In 2017–2020, we conducted collaborative surveys for arroyo toads at historical locations. We surveyed 88 of the 115 total sites having historical records and confirmed that the arroyo toad is currently extant in at least 61 of 88 sites and 20 of 25 historically occupied watersheds. We did not detect toads at almost a third of the surveyed sites but did detect toads at 18 of 19 specific sites delineated in the 1999 Recovery Plan to meet one of four downlisting criteria. Arroyo toads are estimated to live 7–8 years, making populations susceptible to prolonged drought. Drought is estimated to increase in frequency and duration with climate change. Mitigation strategies for drought impacts, invasive aquatic species, altered flow regimes, and other anthropogenic effects could be the most beneficial strategies for toad conservation and may also provide simultaneous benefits to several other native species that share the same habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia J. Hitchcock
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center Santa Ana California USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Gallegos
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center Santa Ana California USA
| | - Adam R. Backlin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center Santa Ana California USA
| | - Russell Barabe
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife San Diego California USA
| | | | - Kimberly Boss
- San Bernardino National Forest Idyllwild California USA
| | - Cheryl S. Brehme
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
| | - Christopher W. Brown
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
| | - Denise R. Clark
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Clark
- US Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett Fort Hunter Liggett California USA
| | - Kevin Cooper
- Los Padres National Forest Santa Barbara California USA
| | - Julie Donnell
- San Bernardino National Forest Fawnskin California USA
| | - Edward Ervin
- Merkel and Associates, Inc. San Diego California USA
| | | | - Kim M. Guilliam
- US Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett Fort Hunter Liggett California USA
| | | | | | - Steven Howard
- R2 Resource Consultants, Inc. Ventura California USA
| | | | | | - Robert Lovich
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest San Diego California USA
| | - Tritia Matsuda
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
| | | | | | - Barry Nerhus
- Endemic Environmental Huntington Beach California USA
| | - Jeff Nordland
- Southwest Field Herping Association San Diego California USA
| | | | - Robert Packard
- Western Riverside County MSHCP Biological Monitoring Program Riverside California USA
| | | | - Sam C. Stewart
- Southwest Aquatic and Terrestrial Biology Long Beach California USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Brian Zitt
- ECORP Consulting Inc. Santa Ana California USA
| | - Robert N. Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
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5
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Tofanelli S, Bertoncini S, Donati G. Early Human Colonization, Climate Change and Megafaunal Extinction in Madagascar: The Contribution of Genetics in a Framework of Reciprocal Causations. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.708345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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6
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Rogosch JS, Olden JD. Comparing opportunistic and strategic removal efforts to manage invasive fish species using a dynamic multi‐state occupancy model. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jane S. Rogosch
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Julian D. Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
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7
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Richmond JQ, Swift CC, Wake TA, Brehme CS, Preston KL, Kus BE, Ervin EL, Tremor S, Matsuda T, Fisher RN. Impacts of a Non-indigenous Ecosystem Engineer, the American Beaver (Castor canadensis), in a Biodiversity Hotspot. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.752400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-native species having high per capita impacts in invaded communities are those that modulate resource availability and alter disturbance regimes in ways that are biologically incompatible with the native biota. In areas where it has been introduced by humans, American beaver (Castor canadensis) is an iconic example of such species due to its capacity to alter trophic dynamics of entire ecosystems and create new invasional pathways for other non-native species. The species is problematic in several watersheds within the Southern California-Northern Baja California Coast Ecoregion, a recognized hotspot of biodiversity, due to its ability to modify habitat in ways that favor invasive predators and competitors over the region's native species and habitat. Beaver was deliberately introduced across California in the mid-1900s and generally accepted as non-native to the region up to the early 2000s; however, articles promoting the idea that beaver may be a natural resident have gained traction in recent years, due in large part to the species' charismatic nature rather than by presentation of sound evidence. Here, we discuss the problems associated with beaver disturbance and its effects on conserving the region's native fauna and flora. We refute arguments underlying the claim that beaver is native to the region, and review paleontological, zooarchaeological, and historical survey data from renowned field biologists and naturalists over the past ~160 years to show that no evidence exists that beaver arrived by any means other than deliberate human introduction. Managing this ecosystem engineer has potential to reduce the richness and abundance of other non-native species because the novel, engineered habitat now supporting these species would diminish in beaver-occupied watersheds. At the same time, hydrologic functionality would shift toward more natural, ephemeral conditions that favor the regions' native species while suppressing the dominance of the most insidious invaders.
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8
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Moore JF, Uzabaho E, Musana A, Uwingeli P, Hines JE, Nichols JD. What is the effect of poaching activity on wildlife species? ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02397. [PMID: 34212448 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2397] [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: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Poaching is a pervasive threat to wildlife, yet quantifying the direct effect of poaching on wildlife is rarely possible because both wildlife and threat data are infrequently collected concurrently. In this study, we used poaching data collected through the Management Information System (MIST) and wildlife camera trap data collected by the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) network from 2014 to 2017 in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. We implemented co-occurrence multi-season occupancy models that accounted for imperfect detection to investigate the effect of poaching on initial occupancy, colonization, and extinction of five mammal species. Specifically, we focused on two species of conservation concern (mountain gorilla [Gorilla beringei beringei] and golden monkey [Cercopithecus mitis kandti]), and three species targeted by poachers (black-fronted duiker [Cephalophus nigrifrons], bushbuck [Tragelaphus scriptus], and African buffalo [Syncerus caffer]). We found that the probability of local extinction was highest in sites with poaching activity for golden monkey and bushbuck. In addition, the probability of initial occupancy for golden monkey was highest in sites without poaching activity. We only found weak evidence of effects of poaching on parameters governing the occupancy dynamics of the other species. All species showed evidence of poaching presence affecting the probability of detection of the wildlife species. This is the first study to our knowledge to combine direct threat observations from ranger-based monitoring data with camera trap wildlife observations to quantify the effect of poaching on wildlife. Given the widespread collection of ranger-based monitoring and camera trap data, our approach is broadly applicable to numerous protected areas and has the potential to significantly improve conservation management. Specifically, the relationship between poaching activity and wildlife population dynamics can be combined with information on the relationship between ranger patrols and poaching activity to develop models useful for making wise decisions about ranger patrol deployment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer F Moore
- Department of Wildlife Conservation and Ecology, University of Florida, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Eustrate Uzabaho
- International Gorilla Conservation Programme, Seventh Day Adventist North Conference Building, Muhoza Sector, Musanze, Northern Province, Rwanda
| | - Abel Musana
- Rwanda Development Board, Volcanoes National Park, Kinigi Sector, Musanze, Northern Province, Rwanda
| | - Prosper Uwingeli
- Rwanda Development Board, Volcanoes National Park, Kinigi Sector, Musanze, Northern Province, Rwanda
| | - James E Hines
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, 20708, USA
| | - James D Nichols
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, 20708, USA
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9
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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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10
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MacKenzie DI, Lombardi JV, Tewes ME. A note on investigating co-occurrence patterns and dynamics for many species, with imperfect detection and a log-linear modeling parameterization. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8507-8515. [PMID: 34257913 PMCID: PMC8258208 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns in, and the underlying dynamics of, species co-occurrence is of interest in many ecological applications. Unaccounted for, imperfect detection of the species can lead to misleading inferences about the nature and magnitude of any interaction. A range of different parameterizations have been published that could be used with the same fundamental modeling framework that accounts for imperfect detection, although each parameterization has different advantages and disadvantages.We propose a parameterization based on log-linear modeling that does not require a species hierarchy to be defined (in terms of dominance) and enables a numerically robust approach for estimating covariate effects.Conceptually, the parameterization is equivalent to using the presence of species in the current, or a previous, time period as predictor variables for the current occurrence of other species. This leads to natural, "symmetric," interpretations of parameter estimates.The parameterization can be applied to many species, in either a maximum likelihood or Bayesian estimation framework. We illustrate the method using camera-trapping data collected on three mesocarnivore species in South Texas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darryl I. MacKenzie
- ProteusOutramNew Zealand
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Jason V. Lombardi
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research InstituteTexas A&M University‐KingsvilleKingsvilleTXUSA
| | - Michael E. Tewes
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research InstituteTexas A&M University‐KingsvilleKingsvilleTXUSA
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11
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Chaudhary V, Wisely SM, Hernández FA, Hines JE, Nichols JD, Oli MK. A multi‐state occupancy modelling framework for robust estimation of disease prevalence in multi‐tissue disease systems. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vratika Chaudhary
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Samantha M. Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
- School of Natural Resources and Environment University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Felipe A. Hernández
- Instituto de Medicina Preventiva VeterinariaFacultad de Ciencias VeterinariasEdificio Federico Saelzer Valdivia Chile
| | - James E. Hines
- U.S. Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center Beltsville MD USA
| | - James D. Nichols
- U.S. Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center Laurel MD USA
| | - Madan K. Oli
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
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12
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The impact of climate change induced alterations of streamflow and stream temperature on the distribution of riparian species. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242682. [PMID: 33232354 PMCID: PMC7685490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Distributions of riparian species will likely shift due to climate change induced alterations in temperature and rainfall patterns, which alter stream habitat. Spatial forecasting of suitable habitat in projected climatic conditions will inform management interventions that support wildlife. Challenges in developing forecasts include the need to consider the large number of riparian species that might respond differently to changing conditions and the need to evaluate the many different characteristics of streamflow and stream temperature that drive species-specific habitat suitability. In particular, in dynamic environments like streams, the short-term temporal resolution of species occurrence and streamflow need to be considered to identify the types of conditions that support various species. To address these challenges, we cluster species based on habitat characteristics to select habitat representatives and we evaluate regional changes in habitat suitability using short-term, temporally explicit metrics that describe the streamflow and stream temperature regime. We use stream-specific environmental predictors rather than climatic variables. Unlike other studies, the stream-specific environmental predictors are generated from the time that species were observed in a particular reach, in addition to long term trends, to evaluate habitat preferences. With species occurrence data from local monitoring surveys and streamflow and stream temperature modeled from downscaled Coupled Model Intercomparison Project - Phase 5 (CMIP5) climate projections, we predict change in habitat suitability at the end-of-century. The relative importance of hydrology and stream temperature varied by cluster. High altitudinal, cold water species' distributions contracted, while lower elevation, warm water species distributions expanded. Modeling with short-term temporally explicit environmental metrics did produce different end-of-century projections than using long-term averages for some of the representative species. These findings can help wildlife managers prioritize conservation efforts, manage streamflow, initiate monitoring of species in vulnerable clusters, and address stressors, such as passage barriers, in areas projected to be suitable in future climate conditions.
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13
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Nicholson EG, Manzo S, Devereux Z, Morgan TP, Fisher RN, Brown C, Dagit R, Scott PA, Shaffer HB. Historical museum collections and contemporary population studies implicate roads and introduced predatory bullfrogs in the decline of western pond turtles. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9248. [PMID: 32566396 PMCID: PMC7295021 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The western pond turtle (WPT), recently separated into two paripatrically distributed species (Emys pallida and Emys marmorata), is experiencing significant reductions in its range and population size. In addition to habitat loss, two potential causes of decline are female-biased road mortality and high juvenile mortality from non-native predatory bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). However, quantitative analyses of these threats have never been conducted for either species of WPT. We used a combination of historical museum samples and published and unpublished field studies shared with us through personal communications with WPT field researchers (B. Shaffer, P. Scott, R. Fisher, C. Brown, R. Dagit, L. Patterson, T. Engstrom, 2019, personal communications) to quantify the effect of roads and bullfrogs on WPT populations along the west coast of the United States. Both species of WPT shift toward increasingly male biased museum collections over the last century, a trend consistent with increasing, female-biased road mortality. Recent WPT population studies revealed that road density and proximity were significantly associated with increasingly male-biased sex ratios, further suggesting female-biased road mortality. The mean body size of museum collections of E. marmorata, but not E. pallida, has increased over the last 100 years, consistent with reduced recruitment and aging populations that could be driven by invasive predators. Contemporary WPT population sites that co-occur with bullfrogs had significantly greater average body sizes than population sites without bullfrogs, suggesting strong bullfrog predation on small WPT hatchlings and juveniles. Overall, our findings indicate that both species of WPT face demographic challenges which would have been difficult to document without the use of both historical data from natural history collections and contemporary demographic field data. Although correlational, our analyses suggest that female-biased road mortality and predation on small turtles by non-native bullfrogs are occurring, and that conservation strategies reducing both may be important for WPT recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Griffin Nicholson
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie Manzo
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zachary Devereux
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Paul Morgan
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert N Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christopher Brown
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rosi Dagit
- Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga, CA, USA
| | - Peter A Scott
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - H Bradley Shaffer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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14
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Baumberger KL, Backlin AR, Gallegos EA, Hitchcock CJ, Fisher RN. Mitigation Ponds Offer Drought Resiliency for Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) Populations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.3160/0038-3872-119.1.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L. Baumberger
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701
| | - Adam R. Backlin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701
| | - Elizabeth A. Gallegos
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701
| | - Cynthia J. Hitchcock
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701
| | - Robert N. Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 4165 Spruance Road, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92101
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15
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Green AW, Sofaer HR, Otis DL, Van Lanen NJ. Co‐Occurrence and Occupancy of Mourning Doves and Eurasian Collared‐Doves. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam W. Green
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies 230 Cherry Street, Suite 150 Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - Helen R. Sofaer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Centre Ave. Bldg. C. Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
| | - David L. Otis
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Nicholas J. Van Lanen
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies 230 Cherry Street, Suite 150 Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
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16
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O'Donnell KM, Fackler PL, Johnson FA, Bonneau MN, Martin J, Walls SC. Category count models for adaptive management of metapopulations: Case study of an imperiled salamander. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul L. Fackler
- Department of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina
| | - Fred A. Johnson
- Wetland and Aquatic Research CenterUnited States Geological Survey Gainesville Florida
| | - Mathieu N. Bonneau
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of Florida Gainesville Florida
| | - Julien Martin
- Wetland and Aquatic Research CenterUnited States Geological Survey Gainesville Florida
- St Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science CenterUnited States Geological Survey St. Petersburg Florida
| | - Susan C. Walls
- Wetland and Aquatic Research CenterUnited States Geological Survey Gainesville Florida
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17
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Morin DJ, Yackulic CB, Diffendorfer JE, Lesmeister DB, Nielsen CK, Reid J, Schauber EM. Is your ad hoc model selection strategy affecting your multimodel inference? Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dana J. Morin
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Box 9680 Mississippi State Mississippi 39762 USA
| | - Charles B. Yackulic
- Southwest Biological Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 2255 N. Gemini Drive Flagstaff Arizona 86001 USA
| | - Jay E. Diffendorfer
- Denver Federal Center U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center Denver Colorado 80225 USA
| | - Damon B. Lesmeister
- Pacific Northwest Research Station U.S. Forest Service and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University 3200 SW Jefferson Way Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Clayton K. Nielsen
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Forestry Southern Illinois University 251 Life Science II, Mail Code 6504 Carbondale Illinois 62901 USA
| | - Janice Reid
- Pacific Northwest Research Station U.S. Forest Service 777 NW Garden Valley Blvd Roseburg Oregon 97471 USA
| | - Eric M. Schauber
- Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign 1816 S. Oak Street Champaign Illinois 61820 USA
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18
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Fabritius H, Singer A, Pennanen J, Snäll T. Estimation of metapopulation colonization rates from disturbance history and occurrence-pattern data. Ecology 2019; 100:e02814. [PMID: 31290140 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Occurrence patterns of many sessile species in dynamic landscapes are not in equilibrium due to their slow rates of metapopulation colonization and extinction. Colonization-extinction data enable the estimation of colonization rates for such species, but collecting the necessary data may require long waiting times between sampling years. Methods for estimating colonization rates of nonequilibrium metapopulations from single occurrence-pattern data have so far relied on additional data on patch ages and on past patch connectivities. We present an approach where metapopulation colonization rates are estimated from occurrence-pattern data and from disturbance history data that inform of past patch dynamics and that can be collected together with occurrence-pattern data. We estimated parameter values regulating patch and metapopulation dynamics by simulating patch network and metapopulation histories that result in present-like patch network configurations and metapopulation occurrence patterns. We tested our approach using occurrence-pattern data of the epiphytic lichen Lobaria pulmonaria in Fennoscandian forests, and fire-scar data that inform of the 400-yr history of fires and host tree dynamics in the same landscapes. The estimated model parameters were similar to estimates obtained using colonization-extinction data. The projected L. pulmonaria occupancy into the future also agreed with the respective projections that were made using the model estimated from colonization-extinction data. Our approach accelerates the estimation of metapopulation colonization rates for sessile species that are not in metapopulation equilibrium with the current landscape structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Fabritius
- Swedish Species Information Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7007, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - A Singer
- Swedish Species Information Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7007, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - J Pennanen
- Independent Researcher, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Snäll
- Swedish Species Information Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7007, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
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19
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Dubart M, Pantel JH, Pointier J, Jarne P, David P. Modeling competition, niche, and coexistence between an invasive and a native species in a two‐species metapopulation. Ecology 2019; 100:e02700. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Dubart
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS ‐ Université de Montpellier ‐ Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – IRD ‐ EPHE 1919 route de Mende Montpellier 34293 France
| | - Jelena H. Pantel
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS ‐ Université de Montpellier ‐ Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – IRD ‐ EPHE 1919 route de Mende Montpellier 34293 France
- Department of Biology The College of William and Mary P.O. Box 8795 Williamsburg Virginia VA 23187‐8795 USA
| | | | - Philippe Jarne
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS ‐ Université de Montpellier ‐ Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – IRD ‐ EPHE 1919 route de Mende Montpellier 34293 France
| | - Patrice David
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS ‐ Université de Montpellier ‐ Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – IRD ‐ EPHE 1919 route de Mende Montpellier 34293 France
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20
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Amburgey SM, Miller DAW, Brand A, Dietrich A, Campbell Grant EH. Knowing your limits: estimating range boundaries and co‐occurrence zones for two competing plethodontid salamanders. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S. M. Amburgey
- Department of Ecosystem Sciences and Management The Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania 16802 USA
- Intercollege Graduate Ecology Program The Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania 16802 USA
| | - D. A. W. Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Sciences and Management The Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania 16802 USA
| | - A. Brand
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center SO Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center Turners Falls Massachusetts 01376 USA
| | - A. Dietrich
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Laurel Maryland 20708 USA
| | - E. H. Campbell Grant
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center SO Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center Turners Falls Massachusetts 01376 USA
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21
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Zylstra ER, Swann DE, Hossack BR, Muths E, Steidl RJ. Drought-mediated extinction of an arid-land amphibian: insights from a spatially explicit dynamic occupancy model. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01859. [PMID: 30680832 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how natural and anthropogenic processes affect population dynamics of species with patchy distributions is critical to predicting their responses to environmental changes. Despite considerable evidence that demographic rates and dispersal patterns vary temporally in response to an array of biotic and abiotic processes, few applications of metapopulation theory have sought to explore factors that explain spatiotemporal variation in extinction or colonization rates. To facilitate exploring these factors, we extended a spatially explicit model of metapopulation dynamics to create a framework that requires only binary presence-absence data, makes few assumptions about the dispersal process, and accounts for imperfect detection. We apply this framework to 22 yr of biannual survey data for lowland leopard frogs, Lithobates yavapaiensis, an amphibian that inhabits arid stream systems in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for factors that govern temporal variation in transition probabilities, as both extinction and colonization rates varied with hydrologic conditions. Specifically, local extinctions were more frequent during drought periods, particularly at sites without reliable surface water. Colonization rates increased when larval and dispersal periods were wetter than normal, which increased the probability that potential emigrants metamorphosed and reached neighboring sites. Extirpation of frogs from all sites in one watershed during a period of severe drought demonstrated the influence of site-level features, as frogs persisted only in areas where most sites held water consistently and where the amount of sediment deposited from high-elevation wildfires was low. Application of our model provided novel insights into how climate-related processes affected the distribution and population dynamics of an arid-land amphibian. The approach we describe has application to a wide array of species that inhabit patchy environments, can improve our understanding of factors that govern metapopulation dynamics, and can inform strategies for conservation of imperiled species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Zylstra
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
| | - Don E Swann
- National Park Service, Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona, 85730, USA
| | - Blake R Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, Montana, 59801, USA
| | - Erin Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Robert J Steidl
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
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22
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Miller DAW, Pacifici K, Sanderlin JS, Reich BJ. The recent past and promising future for data integration methods to estimate species’ distributions. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A. W. Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementPenn State University University Park Pennsylvania
| | - Krishna Pacifici
- Department of Forestry and Environmental ResourcesProgram in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina
| | | | - Brian J. Reich
- Department of StatisticsNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina
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23
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Fidino M, Simonis JL, Magle SB. A multistate dynamic occupancy model to estimate local colonization–extinction rates and patterns of co‐occurrence between two or more interacting species. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mason Fidino
- Urban Wildlife InstituteLincoln Park Zoo Chicago Illinois
| | | | - Seth B. Magle
- Urban Wildlife InstituteLincoln Park Zoo Chicago Illinois
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24
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Miller DAW, Grant EHC, Muths E, Amburgey SM, Adams MJ, Joseph MB, Waddle JH, Johnson PTJ, Ryan ME, Schmidt BR, Calhoun DL, Davis CL, Fisher RN, Green DM, Hossack BR, Rittenhouse TAG, Walls SC, Bailey LL, Cruickshank SS, Fellers GM, Gorman TA, Haas CA, Hughson W, Pilliod DS, Price SJ, Ray AM, Sadinski W, Saenz D, Barichivich WJ, Brand A, Brehme CS, Dagit R, Delaney KS, Glorioso BM, Kats LB, Kleeman PM, Pearl CA, Rochester CJ, Riley SPD, Roth M, Sigafus BH. Quantifying climate sensitivity and climate-driven change in North American amphibian communities. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3926. [PMID: 30254220 PMCID: PMC6156563 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06157-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Changing climate will impact species' ranges only when environmental variability directly impacts the demography of local populations. However, measurement of demographic responses to climate change has largely been limited to single species and locations. Here we show that amphibian communities are responsive to climatic variability, using >500,000 time-series observations for 81 species across 86 North American study areas. The effect of climate on local colonization and persistence probabilities varies among eco-regions and depends on local climate, species life-histories, and taxonomic classification. We found that local species richness is most sensitive to changes in water availability during breeding and changes in winter conditions. Based on the relationships we measure, recent changes in climate cannot explain why local species richness of North American amphibians has rapidly declined. However, changing climate does explain why some populations are declining faster than others. Our results provide important insights into how amphibians respond to climate and a general framework for measuring climate impacts on species richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A W Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Evan H Campbell Grant
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, SO Conte Anadromous Fish Lab, 1 Migratory Way, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, USA.
| | - Erin Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
| | - Staci M Amburgey
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Intercollege Graduate Ecology Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Michael J Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Maxwell B Joseph
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - J Hardin Waddle
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, 70506, USA
| | - Pieter T J Johnson
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Maureen E Ryan
- School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Conservation Science Partners, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
| | - Benedikt R Schmidt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
- Info Fauna Karch, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel L Calhoun
- U.S. Geological Survey, South Atlantic Water Science Center, Norcross, GA, 30093, USA
| | - Courtney L Davis
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Intercollege Graduate Ecology Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Robert N Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA
| | - David M Green
- Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C4, Canada
| | - Blake R Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Missoula, MT, 59801, USA
| | - Tracy A G Rittenhouse
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Susan C Walls
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA
| | - Larissa L Bailey
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Sam S Cruickshank
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Gary M Fellers
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Point Reyes Station, CA, 94956, USA
| | - Thomas A Gorman
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Carola A Haas
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | | | - David S Pilliod
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID, 83706, USA
| | - Steven J Price
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Andrew M Ray
- Greater Yellowstone Network, National Park Service, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Walt Sadinski
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI, 54603, USA
| | - Daniel Saenz
- U. S. Department of Agriculture, Southern Research Station, Forest Service, Nacogdoches, TX, 75965, USA
| | - William J Barichivich
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA
| | - Adrianne Brand
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, SO Conte Anadromous Fish Lab, 1 Migratory Way, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, USA
| | - Cheryl S Brehme
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA
| | - Rosi Dagit
- Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga, CA, 90290, USA
| | - Katy S Delaney
- National Park Service-Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360, USA
| | - Brad M Glorioso
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, 70506, USA
| | - Lee B Kats
- Natural Sciences Division, Seaver College, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA
| | - Patrick M Kleeman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Point Reyes Station, CA, 94956, USA
| | - Christopher A Pearl
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Carlton J Rochester
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA
| | - Seth P D Riley
- National Park Service-Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360, USA
| | - Mark Roth
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI, 54603, USA
| | - Brent H Sigafus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
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25
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Davis CL, Rich LN, Farris ZJ, Kelly MJ, Di Bitetti MS, Blanco YD, Albanesi S, Farhadinia MS, Gholikhani N, Hamel S, Harmsen BJ, Wultsch C, Kane MD, Martins Q, Murphy AJ, Steenweg R, Sunarto S, Taktehrani A, Thapa K, Tucker JM, Whittington J, Widodo FA, Yoccoz NG, Miller DAW. Ecological correlates of the spatial co-occurrence of sympatric mammalian carnivores worldwide. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1401-1412. [PMID: 30019409 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The composition of local mammalian carnivore communities has far-reaching effects on terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. To better understand how carnivore communities are structured, we analysed camera trap data for 108 087 trap days across 12 countries spanning five continents. We estimate local probabilities of co-occurrence among 768 species pairs from the order Carnivora and evaluate how shared ecological traits correlate with probabilities of co-occurrence. Within individual study areas, species pairs co-occurred more frequently than expected at random. Co-occurrence probabilities were greatest for species pairs that shared ecological traits including similar body size, temporal activity pattern and diet. However, co-occurrence decreased as compared to other species pairs when the pair included a large-bodied carnivore. Our results suggest that a combination of shared traits and top-down regulation by large carnivores shape local carnivore communities globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Davis
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Intercollege Degree Program in Ecology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Lindsey N Rich
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Zach J Farris
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.,Department of Health and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, 28608, USA
| | - Marcella J Kelly
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Mario S Di Bitetti
- Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS) - nodo Iguazú, Universidad Nacional de Misiones and CONICET, Bertoni 85, 3370, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina.,Asociación Civil Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico (CeIBA), Bertoni 85, 3370, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Bertoni 124, 3380, Eldorado, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Yamil Di Blanco
- Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS) - nodo Iguazú, Universidad Nacional de Misiones and CONICET, Bertoni 85, 3370, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina.,Asociación Civil Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico (CeIBA), Bertoni 85, 3370, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina
| | | | - Mohammad S Farhadinia
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Abingdon, OX13 5QL, UK.,Future4Leopards Foundation, No.4, Nour 2, Mahallati, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Sandra Hamel
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Bart J Harmsen
- Panthera, New York, NY, 10018, USA.,University of Belize, Environmental Research Institute (ERI), Price Centre Road, PO box 340, Belmopan, Belize
| | - Claudia Wultsch
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.,Panthera, New York, NY, 10018, USA.,Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | | | - Quinton Martins
- The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa.,Audubon Canyon Ranch, PO Box 1195, Glen Ellen, CA, USA
| | - Asia J Murphy
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Intercollege Degree Program in Ecology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Species at Risk, Resource Management, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, AB, Canada
| | | | | | - Kanchan Thapa
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.,World Wildlife Fund, Conservation Science Unit, Baluwatar, Nepal
| | - Jody M Tucker
- U.S. Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest, Porterville, CA, 93257, USA
| | - Jesse Whittington
- Parks Canada, Banff National Park Resource Conservation, Banff, AB, Canada
| | | | - Nigel G Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - David A W Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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26
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Mosher BA, Bailey LL, Muths E, Huyvaert KP. Host-pathogen metapopulation dynamics suggest high elevation refugia for boreal toads. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:926-937. [PMID: 29430754 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases are an increasingly common threat to wildlife. Chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is an emerging infectious disease that has been linked to amphibian declines around the world. Few studies exist that explore amphibian-Bd dynamics at the landscape scale, limiting our ability to identify which factors are associated with variation in population susceptibility and to develop effective in situ disease management. Declines of boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) in the southern Rocky Mountains are largely attributed to chytridiomycosis but variation exists in local extinction of boreal toads across this metapopulation. Using a large-scale historic data set, we explored several potential factors influencing disease dynamics in the boreal toad-Bd system: geographic isolation of populations, amphibian community richness, elevational differences, and habitat permanence. We found evidence that boreal toad extinction risk was lowest at high elevations where temperatures may be suboptimal for Bd growth and where small boreal toad populations may be below the threshold needed for efficient pathogen transmission. In addition, boreal toads were more likely to recolonize high elevation sites after local extinction, again suggesting that high elevations may provide refuge from disease for boreal toads. We illustrate a modeling framework that will be useful to natural resource managers striving to make decisions in amphibian-Bd systems. Our data suggest that in the southern Rocky Mountains high elevation sites should be prioritized for conservation initiatives like reintroductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Mosher
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Larissa L Bailey
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Erin Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Kathryn P Huyvaert
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
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27
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Fisher RN, Brehme CS, Hathaway SA, Hovey TE, Warburton ML, Stokes DC. Longevity and population age structure of the arroyo southwestern toad ( Anaxyrus californicus) with drought implications. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6124-6132. [PMID: 29988435 PMCID: PMC6024145 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Revised: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The arroyo southwestern toad is a specialized and federally endangered amphibian endemic to the coastal plains and mountains of central and southern California and northwestern Baja California. It is largely unknown how long these toads live in natural systems, how their population demographics vary across occupied drainages, and how hydrology affects age structure. We used skeletochronology to estimate the ages of adult arroyo toads in seven occupied drainages with varying surface water hydrology in southern California. We processed 179 adult toads with age estimates between 1 and 6 years. Comparisons between skeletochronological ages and known ages of PIT tagged toads showed that skeletochronology likely underestimated toad age by up to 2 years, indicating they may live to 7 or 8 years, but nonetheless major patterns were evident. Arroyo toads showed sexual size dimorphism with adult females reaching a maximum size of 12 mm greater than males. Population age structure varied among the sites. Age structure at sites with seasonally predictable surface water was biased toward younger individuals, which indicated stable recruitment for these populations. Age structures at the ephemeral sites were biased toward older individuals with cohorts roughly corresponding to higher rainfall years. These populations are driven by surface water availability, a stochastic process, and thus more unstable. Based on our estimates of toad ages, climate predictions of extreme and prolonged drought events could mean that the number of consecutive dry years could surpass the maximum life span of toads making them vulnerable to extirpation, especially in ephemeral freshwater systems. Understanding the relationship between population demographics and hydrology is essential for predicting species resilience to projected changes in weather and rainfall patterns. The arroyo toad serves as a model for understanding potential responses to climatic and hydrologic changes in Mediterranean stream systems. We recommend development of adaptive management strategies to address these threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert N. Fisher
- Western Ecological Research CenterUS Geological SurveySan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Cheryl S. Brehme
- Western Ecological Research CenterUS Geological SurveySan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Stacie A. Hathaway
- Western Ecological Research CenterUS Geological SurveySan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Tim E. Hovey
- California Department of Fish and WildlifeSanta ClaritaCalifornia
| | - Manna L. Warburton
- Western Ecological Research CenterUS Geological SurveySan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Drew C. Stokes
- Western Ecological Research CenterUS Geological SurveySan DiegoCalifornia
- Present address:
San Diego Natural History MuseumSan DiegoCalifornia
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28
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Chambert T, Grant EHC, Miller DAW, Nichols JD, Mulder KP, Brand AB. Two‐species occupancy modelling accounting for species misidentification and non‐detection. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Chambert
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementPennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
- Patuxent Wildlife Research CenterUnited States Geological Survey Laurel MD USA
| | - Evan H. Campbell Grant
- S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish LaboratoryPatuxent Wildlife Research CenterUnited States Geological Survey Turners Falls MA USA
| | - David A. W. Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementPennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
| | - James D. Nichols
- Patuxent Wildlife Research CenterUnited States Geological Survey Laurel MD USA
| | - Kevin P. Mulder
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological Park Washington DC USA
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesCIBIO/InBIO Vairão Portugal
| | - Adrianne B. Brand
- S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish LaboratoryPatuxent Wildlife Research CenterUnited States Geological Survey Turners Falls MA USA
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29
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Yackulic CB, Korman J, Yard MD, Dzul M. Inferring species interactions through joint mark-recapture analysis. Ecology 2018; 99:812-821. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles B. Yackulic
- U.S. Geological Survey; Southwest Biological Science Center; Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center; 2255 N. Gemini Drive Flagstaff Arizona 86001 USA
| | - Josh Korman
- Ecometric Research Inc.; 3560 West 22nd Avenue Vancouver British Columbia V6S 1J3 Canada
| | - Michael D. Yard
- U.S. Geological Survey; Southwest Biological Science Center; Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center; 2255 N. Gemini Drive Flagstaff Arizona 86001 USA
| | - Maria Dzul
- U.S. Geological Survey; Southwest Biological Science Center; Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center; 2255 N. Gemini Drive Flagstaff Arizona 86001 USA
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30
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Karanth KU, Srivathsa A, Vasudev D, Puri M, Parameshwaran R, Kumar NS. Spatio-temporal interactions facilitate large carnivore sympatry across a resource gradient. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.1860. [PMID: 28179511 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Species within a guild vary their use of time, space and resources, thereby enabling sympatry. As intra-guild competition intensifies, such behavioural adaptations may become prominent. We assessed mechanisms of facilitating sympatry among dhole (Cuon alpinus), leopard (Panthera pardus) and tiger (Panthera tigris) in tropical forests of India using camera-trap surveys. We examined population-level temporal, spatial and spatio-temporal segregation among them across four reserves representing a gradient of carnivore and prey densities. Temporal and spatial overlaps were higher at lower prey densities. Combined spatio-temporal overlap was minimal, possibly due to chance. We found fine-scale avoidance behaviours at one high-density reserve. Our results suggest that: (i) patterns of spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal segregation in sympatric carnivores do not necessarily mirror each other; (ii) carnivores are likely to adopt temporal, spatial, and spatio-temporal segregation as alternative mechanisms to facilitate sympatry; and (iii) carnivores show adaptability across a gradient of resource availability, a driver of inter-species competition. We discuss behavioural mechanisms that permit carnivores to co-occupy rather than dominate functional niches, and adaptations to varying intensities of competition that are likely to shape structure and dynamics of carnivore guilds.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Ullas Karanth
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA.,Centre for Wildlife Studies, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India.,National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560 065, India
| | - Arjun Srivathsa
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India.,Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India.,School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.,Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Divya Vasudev
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India .,Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India
| | - Mahi Puri
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India.,Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India.,Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ravishankar Parameshwaran
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India.,Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India
| | - N Samba Kumar
- Centre for Wildlife Studies, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India.,Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070, India
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31
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Chambert T, Waddle JH, Miller DAW, Walls SC, Nichols JD. A new framework for analysing automated acoustic species detection data: Occupancy estimation and optimization of recordings post‐processing. Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Chambert
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementPennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
- Patuxent Wildlife Research CenterU.S. Geological Survey Laurel MD USA
| | - J. Hardin Waddle
- Wetland and Aquatic Research CenterU.S. Geological Survey Lafayette LA USA
| | - David A. W. Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementPennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
| | - Susan C. Walls
- Wetland and Aquatic Research CenterU.S. Geological Survey Gainesville FL USA
| | - James D. Nichols
- Patuxent Wildlife Research CenterU.S. Geological Survey Laurel MD USA
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32
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Estevo CA, Nagy-Reis MB, Nichols JD. When habitat matters: Habitat preferences can modulate co-occurrence patterns of similar sympatric species. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179489. [PMID: 28746414 PMCID: PMC5528253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Disentangling the role of competition in regulating the distribution of sympatric species can be difficult because species can have different habitat preferences or time use that introduce non-random patterns that are not related to interspecific interactions. We adopted a multi-step approach to systematically incorporate habitat preferences while investigating the co-occurrence of two presumed competitors, morphologically similar, and closely related ground-dwelling birds: the brown tinamou (Crypturellus obsoletus) and the tataupa tinamou (C. tataupa). First, we used single-species occupancy models to identify the main landscape characteristics affecting site occupancy, while accounting for detection probability. We then used these factors to control for the effect of habitat while investigating species co-occurrence. In addition, we investigated species present-time partitioning by measuring the degree of overlap in their activity time. Both species were strictly diurnal and their activity time highly overlapped (i.e., the species are not present-time partitioning). The distribution of the two species varied across the landscape, and they seemed to occupy opposite portions of the study area, but co-occurrence models and species interaction factors suggested that the tinamous have independent occupancy and detection. In addition, co-occurrence models that accounted for habitat performed better than models without habitat covariates. The observed co-occurrence pattern is more likely related to habitat preferences, wherein species segregated by elevation. These results provide evidence that habitat characteristics can play a bigger role than interspecific interactions in regulating co-existence of some species. Therefore, exploring habitat preferences while analyzing co-occurrence patterns is essential, in addition to being a feasible approach to achieve more accurate estimation of parameters reflecting species interactions. Occupancy models can be a valuable tool in such modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James D. Nichols
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
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33
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Gutiérrez-González CE, López-González CA. Jaguar interactions with pumas and prey at the northern edge of jaguars' range. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2886. [PMID: 28133569 PMCID: PMC5248577 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We present the first study that evaluates jaguar-puma interactions in the arid lands of northern Mexico, where jaguars have their northernmost breeding population and both predators are persecuted for livestock depredation. We tested whether jaguars are the dominant species in this unique ecosystem, where: (1) pumas outnumber jaguars, (2) pumas are better adapted to arid environments, and (3) jaguars and pumas are of similar size. We analyzed four years of data with two approaches; a two species conditional occupancy model and an activity patterns analysis. We used camera location and prey presence as covariates for jaguar and puma detection and presence probabilities. We also explored overlap in activities of predators and prey. Where both species were detected, peccary presence was positively correlated with both jaguar and puma presence, whereas in areas where jaguars were detected but pumas were not, deer presence explained the probability of jaguar presence. We found that both predators were more likely to co-occur together than to be found independently, and so we rejected the hypothesis that jaguars were the dominant species in our study area. Predators were mainly nocturnal and their activity patterns overlapped by 60%. Jaguar, as compared with puma, overlapped more with deer and calves; puma overlapped with calves more than with other prey, suggesting a preference. We believe exploring predator relationships at different scales may help elucidate mechanisms that regulate their coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmina E Gutiérrez-González
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México.,Northern Jaguar Project, Tucson, AZ, USA
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34
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Life history plasticity does not confer resilience to environmental change in the mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum). Oecologia 2017; 183:739-749. [PMID: 28083660 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3810-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Plasticity in life history strategies can be advantageous for species that occupy spatially or temporally variable environments. We examined how phenotypic plasticity influences responses of the mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum, to disturbance events at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (SMNWR), FL, USA from 2009 to 2014. We observed periods of extensive drought early in the study, in contrast to high rainfall and expansive flooding events in later years. Flooding facilitated colonization of predatory fishes to isolated wetlands across the refuge. We employed multistate occupancy models to determine how this natural experiment influenced the occurrence of aquatic larvae and paedomorphic adults and what implications this may have for the population. We found that, in terms of occurrence, responses to environmental variation differed between larvae and paedomorphs, but plasticity (i.e. the ability to metamorphose rather than remain in aquatic environment) was not sufficient to buffer populations from declining as a result of environmental perturbations. Drought and fish presence negatively influenced occurrence dynamics of larval and paedomorphic mole salamanders and, consequently, contributed to observed short-term declines of this species. Overall occurrence of larval salamanders decreased from 0.611 in 2009 to 0.075 in 2014 and paedomorph occurrence decreased from 0.311 in 2009 to 0.121 in 2014. Although variation in selection pressures has likely maintained this polyphenism previously, our results suggest that continued changes in environmental variability and the persistence of fish in isolated wetlands could lead to a loss of paedomorphosis in the SMNWR population and, ultimately, impact regional persistence in the future.
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35
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Davis CL, Miller DAW, Walls SC, Barichivich WJ, Riley JW, Brown ME. Species interactions and the effects of climate variability on a wetland amphibian metacommunity. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:285-296. [PMID: 28052496 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Disentangling the role that multiple interacting factors have on species responses to shifting climate poses a significant challenge. However, our ability to do so is of utmost importance to predict the effects of climate change on species distributions. We examined how populations of three species of wetland-breeding amphibians, which varied in life history requirements, responded to a six-year period of extremely variable precipitation. This interval was punctuated by both extensive drought and heavy precipitation and flooding, providing a natural experiment to measure community responses to environmental perturbations. We estimated occurrence dynamics using a discrete hidden Markov modeling approach that incorporated information regarding habitat state and predator-prey interactions. This approach allowed us to measure how metapopulation dynamics of each amphibian species was affected by interactions among weather, wetland hydroperiod, and co-occurrence with fish predators. The pig frog, a generalist, proved most resistant to perturbations, with both colonization and persistence being unaffected by seasonal variation in precipitation or co-occurrence with fishes. The ornate chorus frog, an ephemeral wetland specialist, responded positively to periods of drought owing to increased persistence and colonization rates during periods of low-rainfall. Low probabilities of occurrence of the ornate chorus frog in long-duration wetlands were driven by interactions with predators due to low colonization rates when fishes were present. The mole salamander was most sensitive to shifts in water availability. In our study area, this species never occurred in short-duration wetlands and persistence probabilities decreased during periods of drought. At the same time, negative effects occurred with extreme precipitation because flooding facilitated colonization of fishes to isolated wetlands and mole salamanders did not colonize wetlands once fishes were present. We demonstrate that the effects of changes in water availability depend on interactions with predators and wetland type and are influenced by the life history of each of our species. The dynamic species occurrence modeling approach we used offers promise for other systems when the goal is to disentangle the complex interactions that determine species responses to environmental variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Davis
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
- Intercollege Graduate Ecology Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - David A W Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Susan C Walls
- Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Gainesville, Florida, 32653, USA
| | - William J Barichivich
- Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Gainesville, Florida, 32653, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Riley
- South Atlantic Water Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Norcross, Georgia, 30093, USA
| | - Mary E Brown
- Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions Contracted to the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Gainesville, Florida, 32653, USA
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36
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Jones JE, Kroll AJ. A joint model of species interaction dynamics for multistate processes incorporating imperfect detection. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jay E. Jones
- Weyerhaeuser Company 220 Occidental Avenue S Seattle Washington 98104 USA
| | - Andrew J. Kroll
- Weyerhaeuser Company 220 Occidental Avenue S Seattle Washington 98104 USA
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37
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Cruickshank SS, Ozgul A, Zumbach S, Schmidt BR. Quantifying population declines based on presence-only records for red-list assessments. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:1112-1121. [PMID: 26864587 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Accurate trend estimates are necessary for understanding which species are declining and which are most in need of conservation action. Imperfect species detection may result in unreliable trend estimates because this may lead to the overestimation of declines. Because many management decisions are based on population trend estimates, such biases could have severe consequences for conservation policy. We used an occupancy-modeling framework to estimate detectability and calculate nationwide population trends for 14 Swiss amphibian species both accounting for and ignoring imperfect detection. Through the application of International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List criteria to the different trend estimates, we assessed whether ignoring imperfect detection could affect conservation policy. Imperfect detection occurred for all species and detection varied substantially among species, which led to the overestimation of population declines when detectability was ignored. Consequently, accounting for imperfect detection lowered the red-list risk category for 5 of the 14 species assessed. We demonstrate that failing to consider species detectability can have serious consequences for species management and that occupancy modeling provides a flexible framework to account for observation bias and improve assessments of conservation status. A problem inherent to most historical records is that they contain presence-only data from which only relative declines can be estimated. A move toward the routine recording of nonobservation and absence data is essential if conservation practitioners are to move beyond this toward accurate population trend estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam S Cruickshank
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Zumbach
- karch, Passage Maximilien-de-Meuron 6, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Benedikt R Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
- karch, Passage Maximilien-de-Meuron 6, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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38
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Sarà M, Mascara R, López‐López P. Understanding the coexistence of competing raptors by Markov chain analysis enhances conservation of vulnerable species. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Sarà
- Section of Animal Biology Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies University of Palermo Palermo Italy
| | - R. Mascara
- Fondo Siciliano per la Natura Niscemi Italy
| | - P. López‐López
- Terrestrial Vertebrates Group Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
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39
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Roth T, Bühler C, Amrhein V. Estimating Effects of Species Interactions on Populations of Endangered Species. Am Nat 2016; 187:457-67. [PMID: 27028074 DOI: 10.1086/685095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Global change causes community composition to change considerably through time, with ever-new combinations of interacting species. To study the consequences of newly established species interactions, one available source of data could be observational surveys from biodiversity monitoring. However, approaches using observational data would need to account for niche differences between species and for imperfect detection of individuals. To estimate population sizes of interacting species, we extended N-mixture models that were developed to estimate true population sizes in single species. Simulations revealed that our model is able to disentangle direct effects of dominant on subordinate species from indirect effects of dominant species on detection probability of subordinate species. For illustration, we applied our model to data from a Swiss amphibian monitoring program and showed that sizes of expanding water frog populations were negatively related to population sizes of endangered yellow-bellied toads and common midwife toads and partly of natterjack toads. Unlike other studies that analyzed presence and absence of species, our model suggests that the spread of water frogs in Central Europe is one of the reasons for the decline of endangered toad species. Thus, studying population impacts of dominant species on population sizes of endangered species using data from biodiversity monitoring programs should help to inform conservation policy and to decide whether competing species should be subject to population management.
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40
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Bendik NF, McEntire KD, Sissel BN. Movement, demographics, and occupancy dynamics of a federally-threatened salamander: evaluating the adequacy of critical habitat. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1817. [PMID: 26998413 PMCID: PMC4797769 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Critical habitat for many species is often limited to occupied localities. For rare and cryptic species, or those lacking sufficient data, occupied habitats may go unrecognized, potentially hindering species recovery. Proposed critical habitat for the aquatic Jollyville Plateau salamander (Eurycea tonkawae) and two sister species were delineated based on the assumption that surface habitat is restricted to springs and excludes intervening stream reaches. To test this assumption, we performed two studies to understand aspects of individual, population, and metapopulation ecology of E. tonkawae. First, we examined movement and population demographics using capture-recapture along a spring-influenced stream reach. We then extended our investigation of stream habitat use with a study of occupancy and habitat dynamics in multiple headwater streams. Indications of extensive stream channel use based on capture-recapture results included frequent movements of >15 m, and high juvenile abundance downstream of the spring. Initial occupancy of E. tonkawae was associated with shallow depths, maidenhair fern presence and low temperature variation (indicative of groundwater influence), although many occupied sites were far from known springs. Additionally, previously dry sites were three times more likely to be colonized than wet sites. Our results indicate extensive use of stream habitats, including intermittent ones, by E. tonkawae. These areas may be important for maintaining population connectivity or even as primary habitat patches. Restricting critical habitat to occupied sites will result in a mismatch with actual habitat use, particularly when assumptions of habitat use are untested, thus limiting the potential for recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan F Bendik
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin , Austin, TX , United States of America
| | - Kira D McEntire
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America; Current affiliation: Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Blake N Sissel
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America; Current affiliation: Natural Resources, Travis County, Austin, TX, United States of America
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41
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Advancing Terrestrial Salamander Population Ecology: The Central Role of Imperfect Detection. J HERPETOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1670/14-100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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42
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Estimating Detectability and Biological Parameters of Interest with the Use of the R Environment. J HERPETOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1670/14-075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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43
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Treglia ML, Fisher RN, Fitzgerald LA. Integrating Multiple Distribution Models to Guide Conservation Efforts of an Endangered Toad. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131628. [PMID: 26125634 PMCID: PMC4488373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Species distribution models are used for numerous purposes such as predicting changes in species' ranges and identifying biodiversity hotspots. Although implications of distribution models for conservation are often implicit, few studies use these tools explicitly to inform conservation efforts. Herein, we illustrate how multiple distribution models developed using distinct sets of environmental variables can be integrated to aid in identification sites for use in conservation. We focus on the endangered arroyo toad (Anaxyrus californicus), which relies on open, sandy streams and surrounding floodplains in southern California, USA, and northern Baja California, Mexico. Declines of the species are largely attributed to habitat degradation associated with vegetation encroachment, invasive predators, and altered hydrologic regimes. We had three main goals: 1) develop a model of potential habitat for arroyo toads, based on long-term environmental variables and all available locality data; 2) develop a model of the species' current habitat by incorporating recent remotely-sensed variables and only using recent locality data; and 3) integrate results of both models to identify sites that may be employed in conservation efforts. We used a machine learning technique, Random Forests, to develop the models, focused on riparian zones in southern California. We identified 14.37% and 10.50% of our study area as potential and current habitat for the arroyo toad, respectively. Generally, inclusion of remotely-sensed variables reduced modeled suitability of sites, thus many areas modeled as potential habitat were not modeled as current habitat. We propose such sites could be made suitable for arroyo toads through active management, increasing current habitat by up to 67.02%. Our general approach can be employed to guide conservation efforts of virtually any species with sufficient data necessary to develop appropriate distribution models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Treglia
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Applied Biodiversity Science Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Robert N. Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego Field Station, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Lee A. Fitzgerald
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Applied Biodiversity Science Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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Miller DAW, Bailey LL, Grant EHC, McClintock BT, Weir LA, Simons TR. Performance of species occurrence estimators when basic assumptions are not met: a test using field data where true occupancy status is known. Methods Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A. W. Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Pennsylvania State University University Park PA 16802 USA
| | - Larissa L. Bailey
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Colorado State UniversityFort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Evan H. Campbell Grant
- U.S. Geological Survey – Patuxent Wildlife Research Center S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory 1 Migratory Way Turners Falls MA 01376 USA
| | - Brett T. McClintock
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA‐NMFS 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 USA
| | - Linda A. Weir
- U.S. Geological Survey – Patuxent Wildlife Research Center 12100 Beech Forest Rd Laurel MD 20708 USA
| | - Theodore R. Simons
- U.S. Geological Survey – North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Biology North Carolina State University Raleigh NC 27695 USA
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45
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Nicol S, Haynes TB, Fensham R, Kerezsy A. Quantifying the impact ofGambusia holbrookion the extinction risk of the critically endangered red-finned blue-eye. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00412.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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46
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Chambert T, Miller DAW, Nichols JD. Modeling false positive detections in species occurrence data under different study designs. Ecology 2015; 96:332-9. [DOI: 10.1890/14-1507.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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47
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Yackulic CB, Nichols JD, Reid J, Der R. To predict the niche, model colonization and extinction. Ecology 2015; 96:16-23. [DOI: 10.1890/14-1361.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles B. Yackulic
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001 USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708 USA
- Princeton University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - James D. Nichols
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708 USA
| | - Janice Reid
- U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Ricky Der
- Princeton University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
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48
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Amburgey S, Bailey L, Murphy M, Muths E, Funk W. The effects of hydropattern and predator communities on amphibian occupancy. CAN J ZOOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Complex, interactive ecological constraints regulate species distributions, and understanding these factors is crucial for predicting species persistence. We used occupancy analysis, which corrects for imperfect detection, to test the importance of abiotic and biotic habitat and landscape factors on probability of occupancy by Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata (Agassiz, 1850)) tadpoles. We hypothesized that hydropattern and predators are primarily important because they affect desiccation and predation risk and can interact in ways difficult to predict. We surveyed 62 wetland sites across an elevational gradient in Colorado, USA, and modeled patterns in P. maculata occupancy. Tadpoles were most frequently present in intermediate-length hydropattern systems with lower desiccation risk and no predatory fish because of occasional drying. Pseudacris maculata occupancy had a strong negative relationship with fish presence, while tadpoles, odonate larvae, and Barred Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium mavortium Baird, 1850) frequently co-occurred. Dry seasonal conditions will likely result in fewer intermediate-length hydropattern ponds available for amphibian breeding. We hypothesize that this will force P. maculata to breed in habitats with fish. As habitats shrink, predators that co-occur with P. maculata are expected to concentrate in the remaining habitat and increase predation risk for developing tadpoles (assuming predators are similarly constricted in their habitat use as amphibians are).
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Affiliation(s)
- S.M. Amburgey
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - L.L. Bailey
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, 1474 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1474, USA
| | - M. Murphy
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - E. Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - W.C. Funk
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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49
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Eaton MJ, Hughes PT, Hines JE, Nichols JD. Testing metapopulation concepts: effects of patch characteristics and neighborhood occupancy on the dynamics of an endangered lagomorph. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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50
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Yackulic CB, Reid J, Nichols JD, Hines JE, Davis R, Forsman E. The roles of competition and habitat in the dynamics of populations and species distributions. Ecology 2014; 95:265-79. [DOI: 10.1890/13-0012.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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