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Jiang H, Cheng H, Wu S, Li H, Chen H, Li Z, Yao X, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Chen S, Chen S, Zheng L, Sui Y, Shao R. Microplastics footprint in nature reserves-a case study on the microplastics in the guano from Yancheng Wetland Rare Birds National Nature Reserve, China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 256:119252. [PMID: 38815716 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Bio-ingestion of microplastics poses a global threat to ecosystems, yet studies within nature reserves, crucial habitats for birds, remain scarce despite the well-documented ingestion of microplastics by avian species. Located in Jiangsu Province, China, the Yancheng Wetland Rare Birds Nature Reserve is home to diverse bird species, including many rare ones. This study aimed to assess the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in common bird species within the reserve, investigate microplastic enrichment across different species, and establish links between birds' habitat types and microplastic ingestion. Microplastics were extracted from the feces of 110 birds, with 84 particles identified from 37.27% of samples. Among 8 species studied, the average microplastic abundance ranged from 0.97 ± 0.47 to 43.43 ± 61.98 items per gram of feces, or 1.5 ± 0.87 to 3.4 ± 1.50 items per individual. The Swan goose (Anser cygnoides) exhibited the highest microplastic abundance per gram of feces, while the black-billed gull (Larus saundersi) had the highest abundance per individual. The predominant form of ingested microplastics among birds in the reserve was fibers, with polyethylene being the most common polymer type. Significant variations in plastic exposure were observed among species and between aquatic and terrestrial birds. This study represents the first quantitative assessment of microplastic concentrations in birds within the reserve, filling a crucial gap in research and providing insights for assessing microplastic pollution and guiding bird conservation efforts in aquatic and terrestrial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Jiang
- College of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China; State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai Cheng
- Yancheng National Nature Reserve for Rare Birds, Administrative Bureau, Yancheng, China
| | - Shiyue Wu
- College of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China
| | - Hongshan Li
- College of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Yancheng National Nature Reserve for Rare Birds, Administrative Bureau, Yancheng, China
| | - Zhenghao Li
- Yancheng National Nature Reserve for Rare Birds, Administrative Bureau, Yancheng, China
| | - Xinyun Yao
- College of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China
| | - Yanan Zhang
- Yancheng National Nature Reserve for Rare Birds, Administrative Bureau, Yancheng, China
| | - Yaqin Chen
- Yancheng National Nature Reserve for Rare Birds, Administrative Bureau, Yancheng, China
| | - Shuyi Chen
- College of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China
| | - Shihao Chen
- College of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China
| | - Liang Zheng
- East China Sea Fishery Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanming Sui
- College of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China; Department of Marine Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Rong Shao
- College of Marine and Biological Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China.
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Bell KL, Turo KJ, Lowe A, Nota K, Keller A, Encinas‐Viso F, Parducci L, Richardson RT, Leggett RM, Brosi BJ, Burgess KS, Suyama Y, de Vere N. Plants, pollinators and their interactions under global ecological change: The role of pollen DNA metabarcoding. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6345-6362. [PMID: 36086900 PMCID: PMC10947134 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities are triggering global changes in the environment, causing entire communities of plants, pollinators and their interactions to restructure, and ultimately leading to species declines. To understand the mechanisms behind community shifts and declines, as well as monitoring and managing impacts, a global effort must be made to characterize plant-pollinator communities in detail, across different habitat types, latitudes, elevations, and levels and types of disturbances. Generating data of this scale will only be feasible with rapid, high-throughput methods. Pollen DNA metabarcoding provides advantages in throughput, efficiency and taxonomic resolution over traditional methods, such as microscopic pollen identification and visual observation of plant-pollinator interactions. This makes it ideal for understanding complex ecological networks and their responses to change. Pollen DNA metabarcoding is currently being applied to assess plant-pollinator interactions, survey ecosystem change and model the spatiotemporal distribution of allergenic pollen. Where samples are available from past collections, pollen DNA metabarcoding has been used to compare contemporary and past ecosystems. New avenues of research are possible with the expansion of pollen DNA metabarcoding to intraspecific identification, analysis of DNA in ancient pollen samples, and increased use of museum and herbarium specimens. Ongoing developments in sequencing technologies can accelerate progress towards these goals. Global ecological change is happening rapidly, and we anticipate that high-throughput methods such as pollen DNA metabarcoding are critical for understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that support biodiversity, and predicting and responding to the impacts of change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Bell
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity and CSIRO Land & WaterFloreatWAAustralia
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Katherine J. Turo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural ResourcesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | | | - Kevin Nota
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Alexander Keller
- Organismic and Cellular Networks, Faculty of BiologyBiocenter, Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenPlaneggGermany
| | - Francisco Encinas‐Viso
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity ResearchCSIROBlack MountainAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Laura Parducci
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Department of Environmental BiologySapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Rodney T. Richardson
- Appalachian LaboratoryUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental ScienceFrostburgMarylandUSA
| | | | - Berry J. Brosi
- Department of BiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Kevin S. Burgess
- Department of BiologyCollege of Letters and Sciences, Columbus State University, University System of GeorgiaAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Yoshihisa Suyama
- Field Science CenterGraduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku UniversityOsakiMiyagiJapan
| | - Natasha de Vere
- Natural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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Woodrow C, Rosca AT, Fletcher R, Hone A, Ruta M, Hamer KC, Dunn JC. Haemoproteus parasites and passerines: the effect of local generalists on inferences of host-parasite co-phylogeny in the British Isles. Parasitology 2023; 150:1307-1315. [PMID: 37395052 PMCID: PMC10941225 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000628] [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: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Host–parasite associations provide a benchmark for investigating evolutionary arms races and antagonistic coevolution. However, potential ecological mechanisms underlying such associations are difficult to unravel. In particular, local adaptations of hosts and/or parasites may hamper reliable inferences of host–parasite relationships and the specialist–generalist definitions of parasite lineages, making it problematic to understand such relationships on a global scale. Phylogenetic methods were used to investigate co-phylogenetic patterns between vector-borne parasites of the genus Haemoproteus and their passeriform hosts, to infer the ecological interactions of parasites and hosts that may have driven the evolution of both groups in a local geographic domain. As several Haemoproteus lineages were only detected once, and given the occurrence of a single extreme generalist, the effect of removing individual lineages on the co-phylogeny pattern was tested. When all lineages were included, and when all singly detected lineages were removed, there was no convincing evidence for host–parasite co-phylogeny. However, when only the generalist lineage was removed, strong support for co-phylogeny was indicated, and ecological interactions could be successfully inferred. This study exemplifies the importance of identifying locally abundant lineages when sampling host–parasite systems, to provide reliable insights into the precise mechanisms underlying host–parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Woodrow
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Adina Teodora Rosca
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Rachel Fletcher
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Abigail Hone
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Marcello Ruta
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Keith C Hamer
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Clarendon Way, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jenny Claire Dunn
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Clarendon Way, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Esmaeili S, King SRB, Schoenecker KA. Browsers or Grazers? New Insights into Feral Burro Diet Using a Non-Invasive Sampling and Plant DNA Metabarcoding Approach. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2683. [PMID: 37627474 PMCID: PMC10451565 DOI: 10.3390/ani13162683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Ungulates play a large role in shaping ecosystems and communities by influencing plant composition, structure, and productivity. We investigated the summer diets of feral burros in two ecosystems in which they are found in the United States: a subtropical desert in Arizona and a temperate juniper shrubland in Utah. Between 24 June and 16 July of 2019, we gathered 50 burro fecal samples from each location and used plant DNA metabarcoding to determine the burros' diets. We found that during our sampling period the burros in the Sonoran Desert consumed a higher proportion of woody browse and had a narrower dietary niche breadth and lower degree of diet diversity compared to the burros in the juniper shrubland ecosystem, where the burros consumed higher proportions of graminoids and forbs and had a higher diet diversity index and broader dietary niche breadth. The burros in the Sonoran Desert relied primarily on Prosopis spp. (mesquite) and Poaceae grasses, whereas the burros in the juniper shrubland relied on a wider variety of forb and grass species, likely due to the greater variability in the forage species temporally and spatially available in that temperate ecosystem. We found that feral burros are highly adaptable with respect to diet and appear to be employing a mixed feeding strategy, similar to their ancestor, the African wild ass, to meet their nutritional needs in whichever ecosystem they are found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeideh Esmaeili
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, and in Cooperation with USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;
| | - Sarah R. B. King
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, and in Cooperation with USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;
| | - Kathryn A. Schoenecker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;
- Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Schumm YR, Masello JF, Vreugdenhil-Rowlands J, Fischer D, Hillerich K, Quillfeldt P. Diet composition of wild columbiform birds: next-generation sequencing of plant and metazoan DNA in faecal samples. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 110:38. [PMID: 37480393 PMCID: PMC10363069 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01863-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Accurate knowledge of a species' diets is fundamental to understand their ecological requirements. Next-generation sequencing technology has become a powerful and non-invasive tool for diet reconstruction through DNA metabarcoding. Here, we applied those methods on faecal samples of Common Woodpigeons Columba palumbus, European Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur, and Stock Doves C. oenas to investigate their dietary composition. By applying primer pairs targeting both the ITS2 region of plant nuclear DNA and the mitochondrial COI region of metazoan DNA, we provide a complete picture of the food ingested and estimate the dietary overlap between the columbiform species during the breeding season. Animal DNA was present very rarely, and a diverse range of plants from the class Spermatopsida dominated the diet, with Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae as the most frequently represented families. Generally, we detected a variability between species but also amongst individual samples. Plant species already known from previous studies, mainly visual analyses, could be confirmed for our individuals sampled in Germany and the Netherlands. Our molecular approach revealed new plant taxa, e.g. plants of the families Malvaceae for Woodpigeons, Lythraceae for Turtle Doves, and Pinaceae for Stock Doves, not found in previous studies using visual analyses. Although most of the plant species observed were of wild origin, the majority of cultivated plants found were present in higher frequencies of occurrence, suggesting that cultivated food items likely constitute an important part of the diet of the studied species. For Turtle Doves, a comparison with previous studies suggested regional differences, and that food items (historically) considered as important part of their diet, such as Fumitory Fumaria sp. and Chickweed Stellaria media, were missing in our samples. This indicates that regional variations as well as historic and current data on diet should be considered to plan tailored seed mixtures, which are currently proposed as an important management measure for conservation of the rapidly declining Turtle Dove.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne R Schumm
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Juan F Masello
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Dominik Fischer
- Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Veterinary Faculty, Justus Liebig University, Frankfurter Strasse 114, 35392, Giessen, Germany
- Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117, Wuppertal, Germany
| | | | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
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Masello JF, Rast W, Schumm YR, Metzger B, Quillfeldt P. Year-round behavioural time budgets of common woodpigeons inferred from acceleration data using machine learning. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03306-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Accelerometers capture rapid changes in animal motion, and the analysis of large quantities of such data using machine learning algorithms enables the inference of broad animal behaviour categories such as foraging, flying, and resting over long periods of time. We deployed GPS-GSM/GPRS trackers with tri-axial acceleration sensors on common woodpigeons (Columba palumbus) from Hesse, Germany (forest and urban birds) and from Lisbon, Portugal (urban park). We used three machine learning algorithms, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Extreme Gradient Boosting, to classify the main behaviours of the birds, namely foraging, flying, and resting and calculated time budgets over the breeding and winter season. Woodpigeon time budgets varied between seasons, with more foraging time during the breeding season than in winter. Also, woodpigeons from different sites showed differences in the time invested in foraging. The proportion of time woodpigeons spent foraging was lowest in the forest habitat from Hesse, higher in the urban habitat of Hesse, and highest in the urban park in Lisbon. The time budgets we recorded contrast to previous findings in woodpigeons and reaffirm the importance of considering different populations to fully understand the behaviour and adaptation of a particular species to a particular environment. Furthermore, the differences in the time budgets of Woodpigeons from this study and previous ones might be related to environmental change and merit further attention and the future investigation of energy budgets.
Significance statement
In this study we took advantage of accelerometer technology and machine learning methods to investigate year-round behavioural time budgets of wild common woodpigeons (Columba palumbus). Our analysis focuses on identifying coarse-scale behaviours (foraging, flying, resting) using various machine learning algorithms. Woodpigeon time budgets varied between seasons and among sites. Particularly interesting is the result showing that urban woodpigeons spend more time foraging than forest conspecifics. Our study opens an opportunity to further investigate and understand how a successful bird species such as the woodpigeon copes with increasing environmental change and urbanisation. The increase in the proportion of time devoted to foraging might be one of the behavioural mechanisms involved but opens questions about the costs associated to such increase in terms of other important behaviours.
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Masello JF, Schumm YR, Griep S, Quillfeldt P. Using Next-Generation Sequencing to Disentangle the Diet and Incidence of Intestinal Parasites of Falkland Flightless Steamer Duck Tachyeres brachypterus and Patagonian Crested Duck Lophonetta specularioides Sharing a South Atlantic Island. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030731. [PMID: 36981002 PMCID: PMC10048246 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Species overlapping in habitat use can cohabit depending on how they exploit resources. To understand segregation in resource use, an exhaustive knowledge of the diet is required. We aimed to disentangle the diet composition of the Falkland Flightless Steamer Duck Tachyeres brachypterus and the Patagonian Crested Duck Lophonetta specularioides sharing a coastal environment. Using DNA extracted from scats and Illumina sequencing, we generated a list of molecular operational taxonomic units. Both ducks consumed a variety of invertebrates, frequently overlapping in the taxa consumed. However, only the Falkland Flightless Steamer Ducks consumed fish, which might be indicative of dietary specialization and inter-specific segregation in the restricted space that these birds share. Moreover, the female and male Falkland Flightless Steamer Ducks consumed different fish prey, with almost one-third of the fish taxa being consumed by females only and another similar number consumed by males only. This result might suggest a case of intra-specific competition, triggering sexual segregation. Additionally, we detected parasitic Platyelminthes (Cestoda and Trematoda), with different frequencies of occurrence, probably related to the different diet compositions of the ducks. This study provides the necessary baseline for future investigations of the ecological segregation of these ducks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F. Masello
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Yvonne R. Schumm
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Sven Griep
- Institute for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
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Schumm YR, Masello JF, Cohou V, Mourguiart P, Metzger B, Rösner S, Quillfeldt P. Should I stay or should I fly? Migration phenology, individual-based migration decision and seasonal changes in foraging behaviour of Common Woodpigeons. Naturwissenschaften 2022; 109:44. [PMID: 35976443 PMCID: PMC9385845 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-022-01812-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Migration is used by many species as a strategy to deal with a seasonally changing environment. For some species, migration patterns can vary across different or even within the same breeding area. The Common Woodpigeon Columba palumbus, an abundant and widespread Palearctic species, exhibits three migratory strategies (strictly migratory, partially migratory and resident) across its European breeding grounds. Based on ring recoveries and satellite tracking data, we investigated the migration and foraging behaviour of Woodpigeons breeding in Southwestern Europe (Portugal) and Central Europe (Germany). We found that individuals could be classified as residents (Portugal) or partial migrants (Germany), with migrating individuals following the European sector of the East Atlantic flyway, and mainly wintering in France. In addition to general data on migration phenology, we provide evidence for different migration strategies (migration of varying distances or resident behaviour), low wintering site fidelity and the use of multiple wintering sites. Furthermore, tracking data provided information on migratory behaviour in consecutive years, clearly showing that individuals may switch migratory strategies (resident vs. migrant) between years, i.e. are facultative partial migrants. While individuals from Portugal mainly stayed within a large park (‘green urban area’) year-round, Woodpigeons from the city of Giessen (Germany) regularly left the urban area to forage on surrounding farmland (with an average distance covered of 5.7 km), particularly from July to September. Overall, our results highlight the behavioural plasticity in Woodpigeons in terms of foraging and migration strategies within and amongst individuals as well as populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne R Schumm
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Juan F Masello
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Valerie Cohou
- GIFS France (Groupe d'investigations Sur La Faune Sauvage, France) - 111, Chemin de L'Herté, BP 10, 40465, Pontonx-sur-Adour, France
| | - Philippe Mourguiart
- GIFS France (Groupe d'investigations Sur La Faune Sauvage, France) - 111, Chemin de L'Herté, BP 10, 40465, Pontonx-sur-Adour, France
| | | | - Sascha Rösner
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
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Marx M, Schumm YR, Kardynal KJ, Hobson KA, Rocha G, Zehtindjiev P, Bakaloudis D, Metzger B, Cecere JG, Spina F, Cianchetti-Benedetti M, Frahnert S, Voigt CC, Lormée H, Eraud C, Quillfeldt P. Feather stable isotopes (δ2Hf and δ13Cf) identify the Sub-Saharan wintering grounds of turtle doves from Europe. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01567-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractConservation of migratory birds requires knowledge of breeding and nonbreeding ranges and the connections between them. European turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur) are Palearctic-African long-distance migrants with wintering areas in the Sub-Saharan belt that are classed as vulnerable due to strong population declines. However, detailed non-breeding locations of individuals from different migratory flyways are unknown. To identify wintering regions of turtle doves, we measured stable isotopes of feathers grown on the wintering grounds and used a dual-isotope (hydrogen (δ2Hf) and carbon (δ13Cf)) probabilistic assignment to analyse origins of individuals migrating through the western and central/eastern flyways. The most probable wintering areas for turtle dove samples from both flyways were in the western and central Sub-Sahara. However, we found differences in δ2Hf and δ13Cf values between turtle doves following different migratory routes (western vs central/eastern flyway). This result suggests a higher likelihood of origins in the central Sub-Sahara for central and eastern migrants, while turtle doves using the western flyway originated primarily in the western Sub-Sahara, highlighting the importance of both regions for the future conservation of turtle doves from European breeding populations. The establishment of migratory connectivity of populations requires sampling from birds from the European as well as Asian continent; however, we provide important results that can be used to test hypotheses regarding population declines resulting from factors experienced over the full annual cycle for some populations.
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Thomas RC, Dunn JC, Dawson DA, Hipperson H, Horsburgh GJ, Morris AJ, Orsman C, Mallord J, Grice PV, Hamer KC, Eraud C, Hervé L, Goodman SJ. Assessing rates of parasite coinfection and spatiotemporal strain variation via metabarcoding: insights for the conservation of European Turtle Doves
Streptopelia turtur. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2730-2751. [PMID: 35253301 PMCID: PMC9325524 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the frequency, spatiotemporal dynamics and impacts of parasite coinfections is fundamental to developing control measures and predicting disease impacts. The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is one of Europe's most threatened bird species. High prevalence of infection by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae has previously been identified, but the role of this and other coinfecting parasites in turtle dove declines remains unclear. Using a high‐throughput sequencing approach, we identified seven strains of T. gallinae, including two novel strains, from ITS1/5.8S/ITS2 ribosomal sequences in turtle doves on breeding and wintering grounds, with further intrastrain variation and four novel subtypes revealed by the iron‐hydrogenase gene. High spatiotemporal turnover was observed in T. gallinae strain composition, and infection was prevalent in all populations (89%–100%). Coinfection by multiple Trichomonas strains was rarer than expected (1% observed compared to 38.6% expected), suggesting either within‐host competition, or high mortality of coinfected individuals. In contrast, coinfection by multiple haemosporidians was common (43%), as was coinfection by haemosporidians and T. gallinae (90%), with positive associations between strains of T. gallinae and Leucocytozoon suggesting a mechanism such as parasite‐induced immune modulation. We found no evidence for negative associations between coinfections and host body condition. We suggest that longitudinal studies involving the recapture and investigation of infection status of individuals over their lifespan are crucial to understand the epidemiology of coinfections in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C. Thomas
- School of Biology Irene Manton Building University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Western Bank Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - Jenny C. Dunn
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Lodge Potton Road, Sandy Bedfordshire SG19 2DL UK
- School of Life Sciences University of Lincoln Joseph Banks Laboratories Lincoln LN6 7TS UK
| | - Deborah A. Dawson
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Western Bank Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - Helen Hipperson
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Western Bank Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - Gavin J. Horsburgh
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Western Bank Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - Antony J. Morris
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Lodge Potton Road, Sandy Bedfordshire SG19 2DL UK
| | - Chris Orsman
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Lodge Potton Road, Sandy Bedfordshire SG19 2DL UK
| | - John Mallord
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Lodge Potton Road, Sandy Bedfordshire SG19 2DL UK
| | - Philip V. Grice
- Natural England, Suite D Unex House Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough PE1 1NG UK
| | - Keith C. Hamer
- School of Biology Irene Manton Building University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Cyril Eraud
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage. Unité Avifaune migratrice Réserve de Chizé 405 Carrefour de la Canauderie 79360 Villiers‐en‐Bois France
| | - Lormée Hervé
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage. Unité Avifaune migratrice Réserve de Chizé 405 Carrefour de la Canauderie 79360 Villiers‐en‐Bois France
| | - Simon J. Goodman
- School of Biology Irene Manton Building University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
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11
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Moorhouse‐Gann RJ, Vaughan IP, Cole NC, Goder M, Tatayah V, Jones CG, Mike D, Young RP, Bruford MW, Rivers MC, Hipperson H, Russo IM, Stanton DWG, Symondson WOC. Impacts of herbivory by ecological replacements on an island ecosystem. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary J. Moorhouse‐Gann
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Les Augrès Manor Trinity Jersey
- Cardiff University Cardiff UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis FacilityDepartment of Animal & Plant Sciences Sheffield UK
| | | | - Nik C. Cole
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Les Augrès Manor Trinity Jersey
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation Vacoas Mauritius
| | | | | | - Carl G. Jones
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Les Augrès Manor Trinity Jersey
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation Vacoas Mauritius
| | | | - Richard P. Young
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Les Augrès Manor Trinity Jersey
| | | | | | - Helen Hipperson
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis FacilityDepartment of Animal & Plant Sciences Sheffield UK
| | | | - David W. G. Stanton
- Cardiff University Cardiff UK
- Queen Mary University of London School of Biological and Chemical Sciences London UK
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12
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Dunn JC, Hamer KC, Morris AJ, Grice PV, Smith M, Corton C, Oliver K, Skelton J, Betteridge E, Dolucan J, Quail MA, McCarthy SA, Uliano-Silva M, Howe K, Torrance J, Chow W, Pelan S, Sims Y, Challis R, Threlfall J, Mead D, Blaxter M. The genome sequence of the European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur Linnaeus 1758. Wellcome Open Res 2021; 6:191. [PMID: 39021440 PMCID: PMC11252641 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17060.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
We present a genome assembly from an individual female Streptopelia turtur (the European turtle dove; Chordata; Aves; Columbidae). The genome sequence is 1.18 gigabases in span. The majority of the assembly is scaffolded into 35 chromosomal pseudomolecules, with the W and Z sex chromosomes assembled.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Keith C. Hamer
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Antony J. Morris
- Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK
| | | | - Michelle Smith
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Craig Corton
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Karen Oliver
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Jason Skelton
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Emma Betteridge
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Jale Dolucan
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
- Achilles Therapeutics plc, London, W6 8PW, UK
| | - Michael A. Quail
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Shane A. McCarthy
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambrudge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | | | - Kerstin Howe
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - James Torrance
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - William Chow
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Sarah Pelan
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ying Sims
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Richard Challis
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
| | | | - Daniel Mead
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
- Owlstone Medical, Cambridge, CB4 0GJ, UK
| | - Mark Blaxter
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK
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13
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Saâd N, Hanane S, El Hak Khemis MD, Farhi K. Landscape composition governs the abundance patterns of native and invasive Columbidae species along an urban–rural gradient and contribute to their partitioning. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02489-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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14
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Evens R, Conway G, Franklin K, Henderson I, Stockdale J, Beenaerts N, Smeets K, Neyens T, Ulenaers E, Artois T. DNA diet profiles with high-resolution animal tracking data reveal levels of prey selection relative to habitat choice in a crepuscular insectivorous bird. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13044-13056. [PMID: 33304515 PMCID: PMC7713983 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the global decline of many invertebrate food resources, it is fundamental to understand the dietary requirements of insectivores. We give new insights into the functional relationship between the spatial habitat use, food availability, and diet of a crepuscular aerial insectivore, the European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) by relating spatial use data with high-throughput sequencing (HTS) combined with DNA metabarcoding. Our study supports the predictions that nightjars collect a substantial part of their daily nourishment from foraging locations, sometimes at considerable distance from nesting sites. Lepidopterans comprise 65% of nightjars' food source. Nightjars tend to select larger species of Lepidoptera (>19 mm) which suggests that nightjars optimize the efficiency of foraging trips by selecting the most energetically favorable-larger-prey items. We anticipate that our findings may shed additional light on the interactions between invertebrate communities and higher trophic levels, which is required to understand the repercussions of changing food resources on individual- and population-level processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Evens
- Max Planck Institute for OrnithologyEberhard‐Gwinner‐StraßeStarnbergGermany
- Centre for Environmental SciencesResearch Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and ToxicologyHasselt UniversityDiepenbeekBelgium
| | | | - Kirsty Franklin
- Cardiff School of BiosciencesCardiffUK
- Norwich Research ParkUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | | | - Jennifer Stockdale
- Cardiff School of BiosciencesCardiffUK
- Faculty of Medicine & Health SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Natalie Beenaerts
- Centre for Environmental SciencesResearch Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and ToxicologyHasselt UniversityDiepenbeekBelgium
| | - Karen Smeets
- Centre for Environmental SciencesResearch Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and ToxicologyHasselt UniversityDiepenbeekBelgium
| | - Thomas Neyens
- Centre for Environmental SciencesResearch Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and ToxicologyHasselt UniversityDiepenbeekBelgium
| | - Eddy Ulenaers
- Agentschap Natuur en BosRegio Noord‐LimburgBrusselsBelgium
| | - Tom Artois
- Centre for Environmental SciencesResearch Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and ToxicologyHasselt UniversityDiepenbeekBelgium
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15
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Tellería JL, Carbonell R, Fandos G, Tena E, Onrubia A, Qninba A, Aguirre JI, Hernández-Téllez I, Martín CA, Ramírez Á. Distribution of the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) at the edge of the South-Western Palaearctic: transboundary differences and conservation prospects. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-01414-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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16
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Insights into aphid prey consumption by ladybirds: Optimising field sampling methods and primer design for high throughput sequencing. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235054. [PMID: 32609728 PMCID: PMC7329105 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the diets of insect predators is important in basic and applied ecology, such as for improving the effectiveness of conservation biological control measures to promote natural enemies of crop pests. Here, we investigated the aphid diet of two common aphid predators in Central European agroecosystems, the native Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus) and the invasive Harmonia axyridis (Pallas; Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) by means of high throughput sequencing (HTS). For acquiring insights into diets of mobile flying insects at landscape scale minimizing trapping bias is important, which imposes methodological challenges for HTS. We therefore assessed the suitability of three field sampling methods (sticky traps, pan traps and hand-collection) as well as new aphid primers for identifying aphid prey consumption by coccinellids through HTS. The new aphid primers facilitate identification to species level in 75% of the European aphid genera investigated. Aphid primer specificity was high in silico and in vitro but low in environmental samples with the methods used, although this could be improved in future studies. For insect trapping we conclude that sticky traps are a suitable method in terms of minimizing sampling bias, contamination risk and trapping success, but compromise on DNA-recovery rate. The aphid diets of both field-captured ladybird species were dominated by Microlophium carnosum, the common nettle aphid. Another common prey was Sitobion avenae (cereal aphid), which got more often detected in C. septempunctata compared to H. axyridis. Around one third of the recovered aphid taxa were common crop pests. We conclude that sampling methodologies need constant revision but that our improved aphid primers offer currently one of the best solutions for broad screenings of coccinellid predation on aphids.
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17
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Moorhouse‐Gann RJ, Kean EF, Parry G, Valladares S, Chadwick EA. Dietary complexity and hidden costs of prey switching in a generalist top predator. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6395-6408. [PMID: 32724521 PMCID: PMC7381573 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in predator diet is a critical aspect of food web stability, health, and population dynamics of predator/ prey communities. Quantifying diet, particularly among cryptic species, is extremely challenging, however, and differentiation between demographic subsets of populations is often overlooked.We used prey remains and data taken postmortem from otter Lutra lutra to determine the extent to which dietary variation in a top predator was associated with biotic, spatial, and temporal factors.Biotic data (e.g., sex, weight, and length) and stomach contents were taken from 610 otters found dead across England and Wales between 1994 and 2010. Prey remains were identified to species where possible, using published keys and reference materials. Multi-model inference followed by model prediction was applied to test for and visualize the nature of associations.Evidence for widespread decline in the consumption of eels (Anguilla anguilla) reflected known eel population declines. An association between eel consumption and otter body condition suggested negative consequences for otter nutrition. Consumption of Cottus gobio and stickleback spp. increased, but was unlikely to compensate (there was no association with body condition). More otters with empty stomachs were found over time. Otter sex, body length, and age-class were important biotic predictors of the prey species found, and season, region, and distance from the coast were important abiotic predictors.Our study is unique in its multivariate nature, broad spatial scale, and long-term dataset. Inclusion of biotic data allowed us to reveal important differences in costs and benefits of different prey types, and differences between demographic subsets of the population, overlaid on spatial and temporal variation. Such complexities in otter diet are likely to be paralleled in other predators, and detailed characterization of diet should not be overlooked in efforts to conserve wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gareth Parry
- Gloucestershire Wildlife TrustThe Conservation CentreGloucesterUK
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18
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Lennon RJ, Isaac NJB, Shore RF, Peach WJ, Dunn JC, Pereira MG, Arnold KE, Garthwaite D, Brown CD. Using long-term datasets to assess the impacts of dietary exposure to neonicotinoids on farmland bird populations in England. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223093. [PMID: 31574132 PMCID: PMC6772096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last 20 years, a new group of systemic insecticides-the neonicotinoids-has gained prominence in arable systems, and their application globally has risen year on year. Previous modelling studies using long-term data have suggested that neonicotinoid application has had a detrimental impact on bird populations, but these studies were either limited to a single species or neglected to analyse specific exposure pathways in conjunction with observed population trends. Using bird abundance data, neonicotinoid usage records and cropping data for England at a 5x5 km resolution, generalised linear mixed models were used to test for spatio-temporal associations between neonicotinoid use and changes in the populations of 22 farmland bird species between 1994 and 2014, and to determine whether any associations were explained by dietary preferences. We assigned farmland bird species to three categories of dietary exposure to neonicotinoids based on literature data for species diets and neonicotinoid residues present in dietary items. Significant estimates of neonicotinoid-related population change were obtained for 13 of the 22 species (9 positive effects, 4 negative effects). Model estimates for individual species were not collectively explained by dietary risk categories, so dietary exposure to neonicotinoids via ingestion of treated seeds and seedlings could not be confirmed as a causal factor in farmland bird declines. Although it is not possible to infer any generic effect of dietary exposure to neonicotinoids on farmland bird populations, our analysis identifies three species with significant negative estimates that may warrant further research (house sparrow Passer domesticus, skylark Alauda arvensis and red-legged partridge Alectoris rufa). We conclude that there was either no consistent effect of dietary exposure to neonicotinoids on farmland bird populations in England, or that any over-arching effect was not detectable using our study design. The potential for indirect effects of insecticide use on bird populations via reduced food availability was not considered here and should be a focus for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosie J. Lennon
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, England, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Nick J. B. Isaac
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom
| | - Richard F. Shore
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, England, United Kingdom
| | - Will J. Peach
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny C. Dunn
- School of Life Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England, United Kingdom
| | - M. Glória Pereira
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, England, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn E. Arnold
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, England, United Kingdom
| | - David Garthwaite
- Fera Science Ltd., National Agri-food Innovation Campus, Sand Hutton, York, England, United Kingdom
| | - Colin D. Brown
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, England, United Kingdom
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19
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Marx M, Quillfeldt P. Species distribution models of European Turtle Doves in Germany are more reliable with presence only rather than presence absence data. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16898. [PMID: 30442997 PMCID: PMC6237818 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35318-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Species distribution models (SDMs) can help to describe potential occurrence areas and habitat requirements of a species. These data represent key information in ecology and conservation, particularly for rare or endangered species. Presence absence (PA) and presence only (PO) records of European Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur in Germany were used to run SDMs, whilst climate and land coverage variables provided environmental information. GLM (Generalised Linear model), GBM (Generalised Boosted model), CTA (Classification Tree analysis), SRE (Surface Range Envelope) and RF (Random Forests) algorithms were run with both datasets. Best model quality was obtained with PO in the RF algorithm (AUC 0.83). PA and PO probability maps differed substantially, but both excluded mountainous regions as potential occurrence areas. However, PO probability maps were more discriminatory and highlighted a possible distribution of Turtle Doves near Saarbrucken, west of Dusseldorf, in the Black Forest lowlands and Lusatia. Mainly, the climate variables 'minimum temperature in January' and 'precipitation of the warmest quarter' shaped these results, but variables like soil type or agricultural management strategy could improve future SDMs to specify local habitat requirements and develop habitat management strategies. Eventually, the study demonstrated the utility of PO data in SDMs, particularly for scarce species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Marx
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich- Buff-Ring 38, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich- Buff-Ring 38, 35392, Giessen, Germany
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