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Kotsakiozi P, Antoniou A, Psonis N, Sagonas Κ, Karameta E, Ilgaz Ç, Kumlutaş Y, Avcı A, Jablonski D, Darriba D, Stamatakis A, Lymberakis P, Poulakakis N. Cryptic diversity and phylogeographic patterns of Mediodactylus species in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 197:108091. [PMID: 38719080 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Cryptic diversity poses a great obstacle in our attempts to assess the current biodiversity crisis and may hamper conservation efforts. The gekkonid genus Mediodactylus, a well-known case of hidden species and genetic diversity, has been taxonomically reclassified several times during the last decade. Focusing on the Mediterranean populations, a recent study within the M. kotschyi species complex using classic mtDNA/nuDNA markers suggested the existence of five distinct species, some being endemic and some possibly threatened, yet their relationships have not been fully resolved. Here, we generated genome-wide SNPs (using ddRADseq) and applied molecular species delimitation approaches and population genomic analyses to further disentangle these relationships. Τhe most extensive nuclear dataset, so far, encompassing 2,360 loci and ∼ 699,000 bp from across the genome of Mediodactylus gecko, enabled us to resolve previously obscure phylogenetic relationships among the five, recently elevated, Mediodactylus species and to support the hypothesis that the taxon includes several new, undescribed species. Population genomic analyses within each of the proposed species showed strong genetic structure and high levels of genetic differentiation among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panayiota Kotsakiozi
- Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Avenue, Heraklion 71409, Greece; Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion 70013, Greece.
| | - Aglaia Antoniou
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Heraklion 71003, P.O. Box 2214, Crete, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Psonis
- Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Avenue, Heraklion 71409, Greece; Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion 70013, Greece
| | - Κostas Sagonas
- Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Avenue, Heraklion 71409, Greece; Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion 70013, Greece
| | - Emmanouela Karameta
- Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Avenue, Heraklion 71409, Greece; Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion 70013, Greece
| | - Çetin Ilgaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca/İzmir 35160, Türkiye
| | - Yusuf Kumlutaş
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca/İzmir 35160, Türkiye
| | - Aziz Avcı
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın 09010, Türkiye
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Diego Darriba
- Computer Architecture Group, Centro de investigación CITIC, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Alexandros Stamatakis
- Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Greece; Computational Molecular Evolution Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Informatics, Institute of Theoretical Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe 76128, Germany
| | - Petros Lymberakis
- Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Avenue, Heraklion 71409, Greece
| | - Nikos Poulakakis
- Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Avenue, Heraklion 71409, Greece; Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion 70013, Greece
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2
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Burriel-Carranza B, Mochales-Riaño G, Talavera A, Els J, Estarellas M, Al Saadi S, Urriago Suarez JD, Olsson PO, Matschiner M, Carranza S. Clinging on the brink: Whole genomes reveal human-induced population declines and severe inbreeding in the Critically Endangered Emirati Leaf-toed Gecko (Asaccus caudivolvulus). Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17451. [PMID: 38970417 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17451] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Human-mediated habitat destruction has had a profound impact on increased species extinction rates and population declines worldwide. The coastal development in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the last two decades, serves as an example of how habitat transformation can alter the landscape of a country in just a few years. Here, we study the genomic implications of habitat transformation in the Critically Endangered Emirati Leaf-toed Gecko (Asaccus caudivolvulus), the only endemic vertebrate of the UAE. We generate a high-quality reference genome for this gecko, representing the first reference genome for the family Phyllodactylidae, and produce whole-genome resequencing data for 23 specimens from 10 different species of leaf-toed geckos. Our results show that A. caudivolvulus has consistently lower genetic diversity than any other Arabian species of Asaccus, suggesting a history of ancient population declines. However, high levels of recent inbreeding are recorded among populations in heavily developed areas, with a more than 50% increase in long runs of homozygosity within a 9-year period. Moreover, results suggest that this species does not effectively purge deleterious mutations, hence making it more vulnerable to future stochastic threats. Overall, results show that A. caudivolvulus is in urgent need of protection, and habitat preservation must be warranted to ensure the species' survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernat Burriel-Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Adrián Talavera
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maria Estarellas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Zhang Y, Hou ML, Chen CQ, Liao ZY, Guan YF, Yuan YL, Zhang Y, Zhao MY, Tang TT. Attitude and willingness of biodiversity conservation in Chinese university students: Associated factors and the mediation of social support. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307510. [PMID: 39028726 PMCID: PMC11259281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In this cross-sectional study of 1475 Chinese university students, we explored associated factors of attitude and willingness of biodiversity conservation, analyzed the hypothesized mediation by social support in the association between attitude and willingness of biodiversity conservation. Multivariate logistic regression model revealed that major and social support were prominently related to both attitude and willingness of biodiversity conservation. Besides, path model identified a statistically significant mediation by social support, sex, race, and family residence presented noticeable effect modification on the mediation of social support. These major findings suggest that intervention measures which aiming at enhancing social support could be considered for elevating attitude and willingness of biodiversity conservation among Chinese university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Mo-Lin Hou
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Chang-Qi Chen
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhou-Yang Liao
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Yun-Fang Guan
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Yu-Lin Yuan
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Yin Zhang
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Min-Yan Zhao
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tian-Tian Tang
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
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Braz Pires M, Kougioumoutzis K, Norder S, Dimopoulos P, Strid A, Panitsa M. The future of plant diversity within a Mediterranean endemism centre: Modelling the synergistic effects of climate and land-use change in Peloponnese, Greece. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 947:174622. [PMID: 38992359 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Climate- and land-use change stand as primary threats to terrestrial biodiversity. Yet, their synergistic impacts on species distributions remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted the first-ever comprehensive species distribution analysis on an entire regional endemism centre within an eastern Mediterranean country, incorporating dynamic land-use/land-cover change data together with climate change scenarios. Specifically, we apply species distribution modelling and spatial data analysis techniques to compare the individual and synergistic effects of these environmental drivers on the endemic vascular flora of Peloponnese, focusing on potential range contractions, altitudinal shifts, and habitat fragmentation levels. Moreover, we identify fine-scale present and potential future endemism hotspots within our study area, incorporating taxonomic and phylogenetic information. Overall, we aim to enhance our current understanding of endemism patterns and contribute to the development of future-proof conservation strategies for safeguarding Greece's endangered endemic flora. The integration of land-use change projections with climate change yielded less severe impacts compared to the effects anticipated when considering climatic variables alone. Most taxa are expected to undergo significant range declines and nearly half might experience increased habitat fragmentation, due to the synergistic effects of climate- and land-use change. We identified endemism hotspots, which are concentrated in or along the main Peloponnesian mountain massifs. However, our predictions indicate that areas presently recognized as endemism hotspots will undergo a concerning area decline, across all future scenarios considered in this study. Our findings highlight the importance of including dynamic land-use variables alongside climatic predictors when projecting species distributions under global change. Moreover, we showed that endemism hotspots are not static and considering their potential geographic shifts is paramount to delineate effective forward-looking conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Braz Pires
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Sietze Norder
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Panayotis Dimopoulos
- Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.
| | | | - Maria Panitsa
- Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.
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5
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Gordon JD, Fagan B, Milner N, Thomas CD. Floristic diversity and its relationships with human land use varied regionally during the Holocene. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02457-x. [PMID: 38977831 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02457-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Humans have caused growing levels of ecosystem and diversity changes at a global scale in recent centuries but longer-term diversity trends and how they are affected by human impacts are less well understood. Analysing data from 64,305 pollen samples from 1,763 pollen records revealed substantial community changes (turnover) and reductions in diversity (richness and evenness) in the first ~1,500 to ~4,000 years of the Holocene epoch (starting 11,700 years ago). Turnover and diversity generally increased thereafter, starting ~6,000 to ~1,000 years ago, although the timings, magnitudes and even directions of these changes varied among continents, biomes and sites. Here, modelling these diversity changes, we find that most metrics of biodiversity change are associated with human impacts (anthropogenic land-cover change estimates for the last 8,000 years), often positively but the magnitudes, timings and sometimes directions of associations differed among continents and biomes and sites also varied. Once-forested parts of the world tended to exhibit biodiversity increases while open areas tended to decline. These regionally specific relationships between humans and floristic diversity highlight that human-biodiversity relationships have generated positive diversity responses in some locations and negative responses in others, for over 8,000 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Gordon
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK.
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK.
| | - Brennen Fagan
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Mathematics, University of York, York, UK
| | - Nicky Milner
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Chris D Thomas
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
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6
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Clark MI, Fitzpatrick SW, Bradburd GS. Pitfalls and windfalls of detecting demographic declines using population genetics in long-lived species. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13754. [PMID: 39006005 PMCID: PMC11246600 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Detecting recent demographic changes is a crucial component of species conservation and management, as many natural populations face declines due to anthropogenic habitat alteration and climate change. Genetic methods allow researchers to detect changes in effective population size (Ne) from sampling at a single timepoint. However, in species with long lifespans, there is a lag between the start of a decline in a population and the resulting decrease in genetic diversity. This lag slows the rate at which diversity is lost, and therefore makes it difficult to detect recent declines using genetic data. However, the genomes of old individuals can provide a window into the past, and can be compared to those of younger individuals, a contrast that may help reveal recent demographic declines. To test whether comparing the genomes of young and old individuals can help infer recent demographic bottlenecks, we use forward-time, individual-based simulations with varying mean individual lifespans and extents of generational overlap. We find that age information can be used to aid in the detection of demographic declines when the decline has been severe. When average lifespan is long, comparing young and old individuals from a single timepoint has greater power to detect a recent (within the last 50 years) bottleneck event than comparing individuals sampled at different points in time. Our results demonstrate how longevity and generational overlap can be both a hindrance and a boon to detecting recent demographic declines from population genomic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan I Clark
- Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University Hickory Corners Michigan USA
| | - Sarah W Fitzpatrick
- Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University Hickory Corners Michigan USA
| | - Gideon S Bradburd
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University Hickory Corners Michigan USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
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7
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Morris DW. Adaptive responses to habitat change: Theory and tests with field experiments. Ecology 2024; 105:e4333. [PMID: 38826028 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Habitat loss and change are often implicated as the primary causes of species extinction. Although any population can be instantly imperiled by catastrophe, most habitat loss occurs gradually, thus enabling affected individuals an adaptive advantage to occupy the best of their dwindling opportunities. I demonstrate how to infer the advantage between two habitats for any density and frequency-dependent strategy of habitat selection. I explore the concept of an Adaptive Dispersal Strategy Landscape to reveal the Evolutionarily Stable Strategy separately for ideal-free and ideal preemptive habitat selectors. Both solutions reveal an initially counterintuitive expectation that individuals living at high density gain insufficient adaptive advantage to disperse from a deteriorating habitat. Adaptive dispersal is constrained at high density because habitats of better quality are fully occupied. I test the theory with measures of movement and foraging in crossover experiments on a seminatural population of meadow voles. The experiment allowed the voles to choose among patches and between enclosures in which I differentially manipulated food and shelter. Although photographs from an infrared camera documented voles venturing from one habitat to the other, none became resident. Voles preferentially foraged in the richer of the two enclosures, even when I reversed treatments, and they foraged more in patches protected by mulched straw. The adaptive advantage of dispersal using a surrogate fitness proxy based on the voles' giving-up densities mirrored that generated by theory. The convergence between theory and experiment yields much-needed insight into our ability to test, predict, and hopefully resolve, the ecological, evolutionary, and conservation consequences of habitat loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas W Morris
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
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Gonçalves F, Farooq H, Harfoot M, Pires MM, Villar N, Sales L, Carvalho C, Bello C, Emer C, Bovendorp RS, Mendes C, Beca G, Lautenschlager L, Souza Y, Pedrosa F, Paz C, Zipparro VB, Akkawi P, Bercê W, Farah F, Freitas AVL, Silveira LF, Olmos F, Geldmann J, Dalsgaard B, Galetti M. A global map of species at risk of extinction due to natural hazards. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321068121. [PMID: 38885390 PMCID: PMC11214083 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321068121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
An often-overlooked question of the biodiversity crisis is how natural hazards contribute to species extinction risk. To address this issue, we explored how four natural hazards, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, overlapped with the distribution ranges of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles that have either narrow distributions or populations with few mature individuals. To assess which species are at risk from these natural hazards, we combined the frequency and magnitude of each natural hazard to estimate their impact. We considered species at risk if they overlapped with regions where any of the four natural hazards historically occurred (n = 3,722). Those species with at least a quarter of their range subjected to a high relative impact were considered at high risk (n = 2,001) of extinction due to natural hazards. In total, 834 reptiles, 617 amphibians, 302 birds, and 248 mammals were at high risk and they were mainly distributed on islands and in the tropics. Hurricanes (n = 983) and earthquakes (n = 868) affected most species, while tsunamis (n = 272), and volcanoes (n = 171) affected considerably fewer. The region with the highest number of species at high risk was the Pacific Ring of Fire, especially due to volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, while hurricane-related high-risk species were concentrated in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and northwestern Pacific Ocean. Our study provides important information regarding the species at risk due to natural hazards and can help guide conservation attention and efforts to safeguard their survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Gonçalves
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen1350, Denmark
| | - Harith Farooq
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen1350, Denmark
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Lúrio University, Pemba3200, Mozambique
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg41319, Sweden
| | - Mike Harfoot
- Vizzuality, Calle de Fuencarral, Madrid28010, Spain
| | - Mathias M. Pires
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo13083-862, Brazil
| | - Nacho Villar
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, PB6708, The Netherlands
| | - Lilian Sales
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, Irving K. Barber, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BCV1V 1V8, Canada
| | - Carolina Carvalho
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará66055-090, Brazil
| | - Carolina Bello
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich8092, Switzerland
| | - Carine Emer
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro22460-030, Brazil
| | - Ricardo S. Bovendorp
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia45662-900, Brazil
| | - Calebe Mendes
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Asean School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gabrielle Beca
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Subiaco, WA6008, Australia
| | - Laís Lautenschlager
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL33124
| | - Yuri Souza
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL33124
| | - Felipe Pedrosa
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
| | - Claudia Paz
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
| | - Valesca B. Zipparro
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
| | - Paula Akkawi
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
| | - William Bercê
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
| | - Fabiano Farah
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
| | - André V. L. Freitas
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo13083-862, Brazil
- Museu de Diversidade Biológica, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo13083-862, Brazil
| | - Luís Fábio Silveira
- Museu de Zoologia de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo04263-000, Brazil
| | - Fábio Olmos
- Permian Global, LondonW1G 0LB, United Kingdom
| | - Jonas Geldmann
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen1350, Denmark
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen1350, Denmark
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo13506-900, Brazil
- Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL33199
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9
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Zhang H, Chase JM, Liao J. Habitat amount modulates biodiversity responses to fragmentation. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02445-1. [PMID: 38914711 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02445-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic habitat destruction leads to habitat loss and fragmentation, both of which interact to determine how biodiversity changes at the landscape level. While the detrimental effects of habitat loss are clear, there is a long-standing debate about the role of habitat fragmentation per se. We identify the influence of the total habitat amount lost as a modulator of the relationship between habitat fragmentation and biodiversity. Using a simple metacommunity model characterized by colonization-competition (C-C) trade-offs, we show that the magnitude of habitat loss can induce a unimodal response of biodiversity to habitat fragmentation. When habitat loss is low, habitat fragmentation promotes coexistence by suppressing competitively dominant species, while habitat fragmentation at high levels of habitat loss can shape many smaller isolated patches that drive extinctions of superior competitors. While the C-C trade-off is not the only mechanism for biodiversity maintenance, the modulation of habitat fragmentation effects by habitat loss is probably common. Reanalysis of a globally distributed dataset of fragmented animal and plant metacommunities shows an overall pattern that supports this hypothesis, suggesting a resolution to the debate regarding the relative importance of positive versus negative fragmentation effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helin Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jinbao Liao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China.
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10
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Li Q, Shao W, Jiang Y, Yan C, Liao W. Assessing Reptile Conservation Status under Global Climate Change. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:436. [PMID: 38927316 PMCID: PMC11200438 DOI: 10.3390/biology13060436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Global climate change drives variations in species distribution patterns and affects biodiversity, potentially increasing the risk of species extinction. Investigating the potential distribution range of species under future global climate change is crucial for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. In this study, we collected distributional data for 5282 reptile species to assess their conservation status based on distributional ranges using species distribution models. Our predictions indicate that the potential distribution ranges for over half of these species are projected to decrease under different scenarios. Under future scenarios with relatively low carbon emissions, the increase in the number of threatened reptiles is significantly lower, highlighting the importance of human efforts. Surprisingly, we identified some endangered species that are projected to expand their distribution ranges, underscoring the potential positive effects of climate change on some special species. Our findings emphasize the increased extinction risk faced by reptile species due to climate change and highlight the urgent need to mitigate the effects of habitat degradation and human activities on their potential distribution in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Weijie Shao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chengzhi Yan
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Wenbo Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
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11
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Chen C, Granados A, Brodie JF, Kays R, Davies TJ, Liu R, Fisher JT, Ahumada J, McShea W, Sheil D, Mohd-Azlan J, Agwanda B, Andrianarisoa MH, Appleton RD, Bitariho R, Espinosa S, Grigione MM, Helgen KM, Hubbard A, Hurtado CM, Jansen PA, Jiang X, Jones A, Kalies EL, Kiebou-Opepa C, Li X, Lima MGM, Meyer E, Miller AB, Murphy T, Piana R, Quan RC, Rota CT, Rovero F, Santos F, Schuttler S, Uduman A, van Bommel JK, Young H, Burton AC. Combining camera trap surveys and IUCN range maps to improve knowledge of species distributions. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14221. [PMID: 37937455 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Reliable maps of species distributions are fundamental for biodiversity research and conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) range maps are widely recognized as authoritative representations of species' geographic limits, yet they might not always align with actual occurrence data. In recent area of habitat (AOH) maps, areas that are not habitat have been removed from IUCN ranges to reduce commission errors, but their concordance with actual species occurrence also remains untested. We tested concordance between occurrences recorded in camera trap surveys and predicted occurrences from the IUCN and AOH maps for 510 medium- to large-bodied mammalian species in 80 camera trap sampling areas. Across all areas, cameras detected only 39% of species expected to occur based on IUCN ranges and AOH maps; 85% of the IUCN only mismatches occurred within 200 km of range edges. Only 4% of species occurrences were detected by cameras outside IUCN ranges. The probability of mismatches between cameras and the IUCN range was significantly higher for smaller-bodied mammals and habitat specialists in the Neotropics and Indomalaya and in areas with shorter canopy forests. Our findings suggest that range and AOH maps rarely underrepresent areas where species occur, but they may more often overrepresent ranges by including areas where a species may be absent, particularly at range edges. We suggest that combining range maps with data from ground-based biodiversity sensors, such as camera traps, provides a richer knowledge base for conservation mapping and planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Chen
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alys Granados
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Felidae Conservation Fund, Mill Valley, California, USA
| | - Jedediah F Brodie
- Division of Biological Sciences and Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - T Jonathan Davies
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Runzhe Liu
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biology Department, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jason T Fisher
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jorge Ahumada
- Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | - William McShea
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA
| | - Douglas Sheil
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Akershus, Norway
- Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Jayasilan Mohd-Azlan
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
| | | | | | - Robyn D Appleton
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Spectacled Bear Conservation Society Peru, Lambayeque, Peru
| | - Robert Bitariho
- Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Santiago Espinosa
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Kristofer M Helgen
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andy Hubbard
- National Park Service, Sonoran Desert Network, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Cindy M Hurtado
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Patrick A Jansen
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Xuelong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Alex Jones
- Campus Natural Reserves, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | | | | | - Xueyou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | | | - Erik Meyer
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California, USA
| | - Anna B Miller
- Department of Environment and Society, Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Thomas Murphy
- Department of Anthropology, Edmonds College, Lynwood, Washington, USA
| | - Renzo Piana
- Spectacled Bear Conservation Society Peru, Lambayeque, Peru
| | - Rui-Chang Quan
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Christopher T Rota
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Francesco Rovero
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Trento, Italy
- MUSE - Museo delle Scienze, Trento, Italy
| | | | | | - Aisha Uduman
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joanna Klees van Bommel
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hilary Young
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - A Cole Burton
- Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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12
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Senior RA, Bagwyn R, Leng D, Killion AK, Jetz W, Wilcove DS. Global shortfalls in documented actions to conserve biodiversity. Nature 2024; 630:387-391. [PMID: 38839953 PMCID: PMC11168922 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07498-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Threatened species are by definition species that are in need of assistance. In the absence of suitable conservation interventions, they are likely to disappear soon1. There is limited understanding of how and where conservation interventions are applied globally, or how well they work2,3. Here, using information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and other global databases, we find that for species at risk from three of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss-habitat loss, overexploitation for international trade and invasive species4-many appear to lack the appropriate types of conservation interventions. Indeed, although there has been substantial recent expansion of the protected area network, we still find that 91% of threatened species have insufficient representation of their habitats within protected areas. Conservation interventions are not implemented uniformly across different taxa and regions and, even when present, have infrequently led to substantial improvements in the status of species. For 58% of the world's threatened terrestrial species, we find conservation interventions to be notably insufficient or absent. We cannot determine whether such species are truly neglected, or whether efforts to recover them are not included in major conservation databases. If they are indeed neglected, the outlook for many of the world's threatened species is grim without more and better targeted action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Senior
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK.
| | | | - Danyan Leng
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alexander K Killion
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Walter Jetz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David S Wilcove
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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13
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Golchin M, Di Marco M, Horwood PF, Paini DR, Hoskins AJ, Hickson R. Prediction of viral spillover risk based on the mass action principle. One Health 2024; 18:100737. [PMID: 38694617 PMCID: PMC11061335 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Infectious zoonotic disease emergence, through spillover events, is of global concern and has the potential to cause significant harm to society, as recently demonstrated by COVID-19. More than 70% of the 400 infectious diseases that emerged in the past five decades have a zoonotic origin, including all recent pandemics. There have been several approaches used to predict the risk of spillover through some of the known or suspected infectious disease emergence drivers, largely using correlative approaches. Here, we predict the spatial distribution of spillover risk by approximating general transmission through animal and human interactions. These mass action interactions are approximated through the multiplication of the spatial distribution of zoonotic virus diversity and human population density. Although our results indicate higher risk in regions along the equator and in Southeast Asia where both virus diversity and human population density are high, it should be noted that this is primarily a conceptual exercise. We compared our spillover risk map to key factors, including the model inputs of zoonotic virus diversity estimate map, human population density map, and the spatial distribution of species richness. Despite the limitations of this approach, this viral spillover map is a step towards developing a more comprehensive spillover risk prediction system to inform global monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Golchin
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Moreno Di Marco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Paul F. Horwood
- College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Dean R. Paini
- College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Andrew J. Hoskins
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - R.I. Hickson
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
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14
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Clarke SH, Lawrence ER, Matte JM, Gallagher BK, Salisbury SJ, Michaelides SN, Koumrouyan R, Ruzzante DE, Grant JWA, Fraser DJ. Global assessment of effective population sizes: Consistent taxonomic differences in meeting the 50/500 rule. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17353. [PMID: 38613250 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17353] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Effective population size (Ne) is a particularly useful metric for conservation as it affects genetic drift, inbreeding and adaptive potential within populations. Current guidelines recommend a minimum Ne of 50 and 500 to avoid short-term inbreeding and to preserve long-term adaptive potential respectively. However, the extent to which wild populations reach these thresholds globally has not been investigated, nor has the relationship between Ne and human activities. Through a quantitative review, we generated a dataset with 4610 georeferenced Ne estimates from 3829 populations, extracted from 723 articles. These data show that certain taxonomic groups are less likely to meet 50/500 thresholds and are disproportionately impacted by human activities; plant, mammal and amphibian populations had a <54% probability of reachingN ̂ e = 50 and a <9% probability of reachingN ̂ e = 500. Populations listed as being of conservation concern according to the IUCN Red List had a smaller medianN ̂ e than unlisted populations, and this was consistent across all taxonomic groups.N ̂ e was reduced in areas with a greater Global Human Footprint, especially for amphibians, birds and mammals, however relationships varied between taxa. We also highlight several considerations for future works, including the role that gene flow and subpopulation structure plays in the estimation ofN ̂ e in wild populations, and the need for finer-scale taxonomic analyses. Our findings provide guidance for more specific thresholds based on Ne and help prioritise assessment of populations from taxa most at risk of failing to meet conservation thresholds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon H Clarke
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Jean-Michel Matte
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Brian K Gallagher
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah J Salisbury
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Ramela Koumrouyan
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel E Ruzzante
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - James W A Grant
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dylan J Fraser
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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15
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Zhang C, Lu Z, Zhuang H, Zhou J, Zhang Y, Lv X, Chen M, Krzton A, Xia W. Identification of potential suitable areas and conservation priority areas for representative wild animals in the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11600. [PMID: 38903147 PMCID: PMC11187939 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Species geographic distribution and conservation priority areas are important bases for in situ biodiversity conservation and conservation decision-making. In view of the urgency of endangered species protection, eight representative endangered species in the typical forest ecosystem of the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains were studied. Based on 1127 occurrence points and environmental data collected from 2016 to 2021, used BIOMOD2 and Zonation to reconstruct the potential distribution area and identify conservation priority areas of eight species (Tetrao parvirostris, T. tetrix, Gulo gulo, Alces alces, Martes zibellina, Moschus moschiferus, Lynx lynx, Lutra lutra). The results showed potential distribution areas for almost all species concentrated in the northern part of the Greater Khingan Mountains (GKM) and the central part of the Lesser Khingan Mountains (LKM). The potential distribution areas of each species were as follows: black-billed capercaillie, 102,623 km2; black grouse, 162,678 km2; wolverine, 63,410 km2; moose, 140,287 km2; sable, 112,254 km2; Siberian musk deer, 104,787 km2; lynx, 139,912 km2; and Eurasian otter, 49,386 km2. Conservation priority areas (CPAs) clustered in the north GKM and central LKM and totaled 220,801 km2, and only 16.94% of the CPAs were currently protected by nature reserves. We suggest that the Chinese government accelerate the integration of existing protected areas in the northern GKM and establish a larger GKM National Park based on cost-effective multi-species protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- National Park (Protected Area) Development Center, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijingChina
| | - Zhongwei Lu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education)China West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Hongfei Zhuang
- First Institute of OceanographyMinistry of Natural ResourcesQingdaoChina
| | - Jiajie Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education)China West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education)China West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Xinyu Lv
- Baimaxueshan National Nature ReserveDiqingChina
| | - Minhao Chen
- Institute of eco‐Environmental ResearchGuangxi Academy of SciencesNanningChina
| | - Ali Krzton
- Auburn University LibrariesAuburn UniversityAuburnUSA
| | - Wancai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education)China West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
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16
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Li J, Jiang H, Xie M, Song C, He C, Bian H, Sheng L. Functional characteristics and habitat suitability of threatened birds in northeastern China. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11550. [PMID: 38932959 PMCID: PMC11199129 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Northeast China, rich in natural resources and diverse biodiversity, boasts a unique habitat for threatened bird species due to its remote location and perennial cold climate. An analysis assessed the adaptability of these species using data on their geographic distribution and functional traits collected through database queries. The results revealed that threatened bird species share similar functional traits and a stronger phylogenetic signal (Blomberg mean K = 0.39) compared to common species. The Biomod2 model analyzed potentially suitable ranges and environmental drivers under current and future climate scenarios, showing a pattern of larger suitable areas in southern regions and smaller suitable areas in the north. The most critically threatened species faced greater geographical constraints (0.989), with mean annual temperature being a key influence. Altitude and water system distribution were also key factors impacting the distribution of other threatened bird species. Simulated projections under different climate scenarios (RCP 45 and 85) indicated varying degrees of expansion in the suitable range for these species. This research sheds light on the functional traits and distribution of threatened bird species in Northeast China, providing a scientific foundation for future conservation and management efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Haibo Jiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Mingjun Xie
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Chuantao Song
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Chunguang He
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Hongfeng Bian
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Lianxi Sheng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of EnvironmentNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
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17
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Liu C, Van Meerbeek K. Predicting the responses of European grassland communities to climate and land cover change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230335. [PMID: 38583469 PMCID: PMC10999271 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0335] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
European grasslands are among the most species-rich ecosystems on small spatial scales. However, human-induced activities like land use and climate change pose significant threats to this diversity. To explore how climate and land cover change will affect biodiversity and community composition in grassland ecosystems, we conducted joint species distribution models (SDMs) on the extensive vegetation-plot database sPlotOpen to project distributions of 1178 grassland species across Europe under current conditions and three future scenarios. We further compared model accuracy and computational efficiency between joint SDMs (JSDMs) and stacked SDMs, especially for rare species. Our results show that: (i) grassland communities in the mountain ranges are expected to suffer high rates of species loss, while those in western, northern and eastern Europe will experience substantial turnover; (ii) scaling anomalies were observed in the predicted species richness, reflecting regional differences in the dominant drivers of assembly processes; (iii) JSDMs did not outperform stacked SDMs in predictive power but demonstrated superior efficiency in model fitting and predicting; and (iv) incorporating co-occurrence datasets improved the model performance in predicting the distribution of rare species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders 3001, Belgium
| | - Koenraad Van Meerbeek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders 3001, Belgium
- KU Leuven Plant Institute, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
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18
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Zhang P, Jiang H, Liu X. Diversity inhibits foliar fungal diseases in grasslands: Potential mechanisms and temperature dependence. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14435. [PMID: 38735857 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14435] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
A long-standing debate exists among ecologists as to how diversity regulates infectious diseases (i.e., the nature of diversity-disease relationships); a dilution effect refers to when increasing host diversity inhibits infectious diseases (i.e., negative diversity-disease relationships). However, the generality, strength, and potential mechanisms underlying negative diversity-disease relationships in natural ecosystems remain unclear. To this end, we conducted a large-scale survey of 63 grassland sites across China to explore diversity-disease relationships. We found widespread negative diversity-disease relationships that were temperature-dependent; non-random diversity loss played a fundamental role in driving these patterns. Our study provides field evidence for the generality and temperature dependence of negative diversity-disease relationships in grasslands, becoming stronger in colder regions, while also highlighting the role of non-random diversity loss as a mechanism. These findings have important implications for community ecology, disease ecology, and epidemic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Hongying Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P. R. China
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19
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Castillo-Argaez R, Sapes G, Mallen N, Lippert A, John GP, Zare A, Hammond WM. Spectral ecophysiology: hyperspectral pressure-volume curves to estimate leaf turgor loss. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:935-946. [PMID: 38482720 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Turgor loss point (TLP) is an important proxy for plant drought tolerance, species habitat suitability, and drought-induced plant mortality risk. Thus, TLP serves as a critical tool for evaluating climate change impacts on plants, making it imperative to develop high-throughput and in situ methods to measure TLP. We developed hyperspectral pressure-volume curves (PV curves) to estimate TLP using leaf spectral reflectance. We used partial least square regression models to estimate water potential (Ψ) and relative water content (RWC) for two species, Frangula caroliniana and Magnolia grandiflora. RWC and Ψ's model for each species had R2 ≥ 0.7 and %RMSE = 7-10. We constructed PV curves with model estimates and compared the accuracy of directly measured and spectra-predicted TLP. Our findings indicate that leaf spectral measurements are an alternative method for estimating TLP. F. caroliniana TLP's values were -1.62 ± 0.15 (means ± SD) and -1.62 ± 0.34 MPa for observed and reflectance predicted, respectively (P > 0.05), while M. grandiflora were -1.78 ± 0.34 and -1.66 ± 0.41 MPa (P > 0.05). The estimation of TLP through leaf reflectance-based PV curves opens a broad range of possibilities for future research aimed at understanding and monitoring plant water relations on a large scale with spectral ecophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard Sapes
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Nicole Mallen
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Alston Lippert
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Grace P John
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Alina Zare
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - William M Hammond
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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20
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Yang Z, Liang L, Xiang W, Wang L, Ma Q, Wang Z. Conservation genomics provides insights into genetic resilience and adaptation of the endangered Chinese hazelnut, Corylus chinensis. PLANT DIVERSITY 2024; 46:294-308. [PMID: 38798732 PMCID: PMC11119545 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2024.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Global climate change has increased concerns regarding biodiversity loss. However, many key conservation issues still required further research, including demographic history, deleterious mutation load, adaptive evolution, and putative introgression. Here we generated the first chromosome-level genome of the endangered Chinese hazelnut, Corylus chinensis, and compared the genomic signatures with its sympatric widespread C. kwechowensis-C. yunnanensis complex. We found large genome rearrangements across all Corylus species and identified species-specific expanded gene families that may be involved in adaptation. Population genomics revealed that both C. chinensis and the C. kwechowensis-C. yunnanensis complex had diverged into two genetic lineages, forming a consistent pattern of southwestern-northern differentiation. Population size of the narrow southwestern lineages of both species have decreased continuously since the late Miocene, whereas the widespread northern lineages have remained stable (C. chinensis) or have even recovered from population bottlenecks (C. kwechowensis-C. yunnanensis complex) during the Quaternary. Compared with C. kwechowensis-C. yunnanensis complex, C. chinensis showed significantly lower genomic diversity and higher inbreeding level. However, C. chinensis carried significantly fewer deleterious mutations than C. kwechowensis-C. yunnanensis complex, as more effective purging selection reduced the accumulation of homozygous variants. We also detected signals of positive selection and adaptive introgression in different lineages, which facilitated the accumulation of favorable variants and formation of local adaptation. Hence, both types of selection and exogenous introgression could have mitigated inbreeding and facilitated survival and persistence of C. chinensis. Overall, our study provides critical insights into lineage differentiation, local adaptation, and the potential for future recovery of endangered trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Lisong Liang
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Weibo Xiang
- National Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment Protection for Yangtze River Economic Belt, China Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
- Rare Plants Research Institute of Yangtze River, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang 443133, China
| | - Lujun Wang
- Research Institute of Economic Forest Cultivation and Processing, Anhui Academy of Forestry, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Qinghua Ma
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Zhaoshan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
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21
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Menajovsky MF, Espunyes J, Ulloa G, Calderon M, Diestra A, Malaga E, Muñoz C, Montero S, Lescano AG, Santolalla ML, Cabezón O, Mayor P. Toxoplasma gondii in a Remote Subsistence Hunting-Based Indigenous Community of the Peruvian Amazon. Trop Med Infect Dis 2024; 9:98. [PMID: 38787031 PMCID: PMC11125861 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed9050098] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects a wide variety range of warm-blooded animals. This study describes the epidemiological scenario of T. gondii in an indigenous community that relies on subsistence hunting in a well-conserved and isolated area of the Peruvian Amazon. The high seropositivity against T. gondii in humans (83.3% IgG and 6.1% IgM), wild mammals (30.45%, 17 species), peri-domestic rodents (10.0% Rattus sp.), and domestic animals (94.1% dogs and 100% cats) indicates the existence of a sylvatic cycle in the community under study. Individual age was found to be positively associated with IgG detection against T. gondii but not with IgM. It is estimated that each family consumed 5.67 infected animals per year with terrestrial species having higher infective rates than arboreal species. The main risk factors included improper handling and cooking of wild meat, poor hygiene practices, and feeding uncooked offal to domestic animals. This scenario results in a continuous process of infection and reinfection within the indigenous community with cats, dogs, and peri-domestic animals becoming infected through the ingestion of infected raw viscera. Our results emphasize the need to promote safe food handling practices and disposal of waste materials from hunted animals in such communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Fernanda Menajovsky
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
| | - Johan Espunyes
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (J.E.); (O.C.)
| | - Gabriela Ulloa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Belém 66077-830, PA, Brazil;
| | - Maritza Calderon
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15024, Peru; (M.C.); (A.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Andrea Diestra
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15024, Peru; (M.C.); (A.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Edith Malaga
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15024, Peru; (M.C.); (A.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Carmen Muñoz
- Servei de Microbiologia, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08041 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Stephanie Montero
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15015, Peru; (S.M.); (A.G.L.); (M.L.S.)
| | - Andres G. Lescano
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15015, Peru; (S.M.); (A.G.L.); (M.L.S.)
- Clima, Latin American Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Health, and Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15024, Peru
| | - Meddly L. Santolalla
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15015, Peru; (S.M.); (A.G.L.); (M.L.S.)
| | - Oscar Cabezón
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (J.E.); (O.C.)
- Unitat Mixta d’Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Pedro Mayor
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
- ComFauna, Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica, Iquitos 16006, Peru
- Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas, Iquitos 16006, Peru
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22
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Ahern A, Hughes DF. Citizen science initiatives document biodiversity baselines at an urban lake. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17209. [PMID: 38646485 PMCID: PMC11032101 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Changes to biodiversity from urbanization are occurring worldwide, and baseline data is vital to document the magnitude and direction of these alterations. We set out to document the biodiversity of an urban lake in Eastern Iowa that was devoid of baseline data prior to a renovation project that will convert the site into a major area for human recreation. Throughout the course of one year, we studied the biodiversity at Cedar Lake utilizing the citizen-science application iNaturalist coupled with semi-structured BioBlitz events, which we compared to previous opportunistic observations at the site. From a semi-structured approach to document biodiversity with citizen science, our analyses revealed more diverse community metrics over a shorter period compared to more than a decade of prior observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssah Ahern
- Department of Biology, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America
| | - Daniel F. Hughes
- Department of Biology, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America
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23
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Gross IP, Wilson AE, Wolak ME. The fitness consequences of wildlife conservation translocations: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:348-371. [PMID: 37844577 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Conservation translocation is a common strategy to offset mounting rates of population declines through the transfer of captive- or wild-origin organisms into areas where conspecific populations are imperilled or completely extirpated. Translocations that supplement existing populations are referred to as reinforcements and can be conducted using captive-origin animals [ex situ reinforcement (ESR)] or wild-origin animals without any captive ancestry [in situ reinforcement (ISR)]. These programs have been criticized for low success rates and husbandry practices that produce individuals with genetic and performance deficits, but the post-release performance of captive-origin or wild-origin translocated groups has not been systematically reviewed to quantify success relative to wild-resident control groups. To assess the disparity in post-release performance of translocated organisms relative to wild-resident conspecifics and examine the association of performance disparity with organismal and methodological factors across studies, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 821 performance comparisons from 171 studies representing nine animal classes (101 species). We found that translocated organisms have 64% decreased odds of out-performing their wild-resident counterparts, supporting claims of systemic issues hampering conservation translocations. To help identify translocation practices that could maximize program success in the future, we further quantified the impact of broad organismal and methodological factors on the disparity between translocated and wild-resident conspecific performance. Pre-release animal enrichment significantly reduced performance disparities, whereas our results suggest no overall effects of taxonomic group, sex, captive generation time, or the type of fitness surrogate measured. This work is the most comprehensive systematic review to date of animal conservation translocations in which wild conspecifics were used as comparators, thereby facilitating an evaluation of the overall impact of this conservation strategy and identifying specific actions to increase success. Our review highlights the need for conservation managers to include both sympatric and allopatric wild-reference groups to ensure the post-release performance of translocated animals can be evaluated. Further, our analyses identify pre-release animal enrichment as a particular strategy for improving the outcomes of animal conservation translocations, and demonstrate how meta-analysis can be used to identify implementation choices that maximize translocated animal contributions to recipient population growth and viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwo P Gross
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 120 W. Samford Avenue, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Alan E Wilson
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, 382 Mell Street, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Matthew E Wolak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 120 W. Samford Avenue, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
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24
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Button S, Borzée A. Estimates of the number of undescribed species should account for sampling effort. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:637-640. [PMID: 38383851 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02312-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Sky Button
- Department of Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA.
| | - Amaël Borzée
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
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25
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Clark MI, Fitzpatrick SW, Bradburd GS. Pitfalls and windfalls of detecting demographic declines using population genetics in long-lived species. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.27.586886. [PMID: 38585961 PMCID: PMC10996660 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.27.586886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Detecting recent demographic changes is a crucial component of species conservation and management, as many natural populations face declines due to anthropogenic habitat alteration and climate change. Genetic methods allow researchers to detect changes in effective population size (N e ) from sampling at a single timepoint. However, in species with long lifespans, there is a lag between the start of a decline in a population and the resulting decrease in genetic diversity. This lag slows the rate at which diversity is lost, and therefore makes it difficult to detect recent declines using genetic data. However, the genomes of old individuals can provide a window into the past, and can be compared to those of younger individuals, a contrast that may help reveal recent demographic declines. To test whether comparing the genomes of young and old individuals can help infer recent demographic bottlenecks, we use forward-time, individual-based simulations with varying mean individual lifespans and extents of generational overlap. We find that age information can be used to aid in the detection of demographic declines when the decline has been severe. When average lifespan is long, comparing young and old individuals from a single timepoint has greater power to detect a recent (within the last 50 years) bottleneck event than comparing individuals sampled at different points in time. Our results demonstrate how longevity and generational overlap can be both a hindrance and a boon to detecting recent demographic declines from population genomic data.
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26
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Liu Y, Ji X, Zhou L. Assessment of Waterbird Habitat Importance and Identification of Conservation Gaps in Anhui Province. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1004. [PMID: 38612243 PMCID: PMC11011108 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071004] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Wetlands are among the most important habitats of highly wetland-dependent waterbirds but are subject to ongoing habitat loss and degradation owing to intensified anthropogenic activities. The scarcity of human and natural resources makes effective habitat protection an important concern. Here, we aimed to investigate waterbird habitat protection methods for Anhui Province, China, a critical stopover and wintering area on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway that features rich wetland resources subject to significant habitat loss and degradation. We evaluated the status and importance of 306 wintering waterbird habitats and identified the key environmental influences and current protection gaps using the entropy weights method and generalized additive modeling. We found 73 important habitats for waterbirds in Anhui Province, which were classified into levels of importance (descending from I to V) according to the natural discontinuity method. Level I and Level II habitats were mainly located in the Yangtze River floodplain and Level IV habitats in the Huaihe River floodplain. The gap analysis showed that 42 important waterbird habitats had protection gaps, accounting for 57.53% of the total area. Waterbird habitat importance was significantly correlated with elevation, normalized vegetation index, lake area, and lake circumference but not with distance from roads or population density. The results of this study provide scientific information for waterbird habitat conservation planning, which is crucial for maintaining wetland ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (Y.L.); (X.J.)
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Chizhou 247230, China
| | - Xianglin Ji
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (Y.L.); (X.J.)
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Chizhou 247230, China
| | - Lizhi Zhou
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (Y.L.); (X.J.)
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Chizhou 247230, China
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27
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Fu C, Wang F, Zhao Y, Zhu Q, Luo Y, Li Y, Zhang Z, Yan X, Sun T, Liu Y, Li Z. Challenges and opportunities in human dimensions behind cat-wildlife conflict. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14253. [PMID: 38516741 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Because global anthropogenic activities cause vast biodiversity loss, human dimensions research is essential to forming management plans applicable to biodiversity conservation outside wilderness areas. Engaging public participation is crucial in this context to achieve social and environmental benefits. However, knowledge gaps remain in understanding how a balance between conservation and public demands can be reached and how complicated sociocultural contexts in the Anthropocene can be incorporated in conservation planning. We examined China's nationwide conflict between free-ranging cats (owned cats that are allowed to go outdoors or homeless cats living outdoors) and wildlife to examine how a consensus between compassion and biodiversity conservation can help in decision-making. We surveyed a random sample of people in China online. Over 9000 questionnaires were completed (44.2% response). In aggregate, respondents reported approximately 29 million free-ranging owned cats and that over 5 million domestic cats per year become feral in mainland China. Respondents who were cat owners, female, and religious were more likely to deny the negative impacts of cats on wildlife and ongoing management strategies and more supportive of stray cat shelters, adoption, and community-based fund raising than nonowners, male, and nonreligious respondents (p < 0.05). Free-ranging cat ownership and abandonment occurred less with owners with more knowledge of biodiversity and invasive species than with respondents with less knowledge of these subjects (p < 0.05). We recommend that cat enthusiasts and wildlife conservationists participate in community-based initiatives, such as campaigns to keep cats indoors. Our study provides a substantially useful framework for other regions where free-ranging cats are undergoing rapid expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjian Fu
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yumeng Zhao
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qin Zhu
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunchao Luo
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuhang Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ziye Zhang
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xueting Yan
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Taozhu Sun
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhongqiu Li
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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Elmberg J, Palmheden L, Edelstam C, Hagman M, Kärvemo S. Climate change-induced shifts in survival and size of the worlds' northernmost oviparous snake: A 68-year study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300363. [PMID: 38512897 PMCID: PMC10956784 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Because of their dependence on ambient temperature ectothermic animals can serve as sentinels of conservation problems related to global warming. Reptiles in temperate areas are especially well suited to study such effects, as their annual and daily activity patterns directly depend on ambient temperature. This study is based on annual data spanning 68 years from a fringe population of Grass Snakes (Natrix natrix), which is the world's northernmost oviparous (egg-laying) reptile, and known to be constrained by temperature for reproduction, morphology, and behavior. Mark-recapture analyses showed that survival probability was generally higher in males than in females, and that it increased with body length. Body condition (scaled mass index) and body length increased over time, indicative of a longer annual activity period. Monthly survival was generally higher during winter (i.e., hibernation) than over the summer season. Summer survival increased over time, whilst winter survival decreased, especially during recent decades. Winter survival was lower when annual maximum snow depth was less than 15 cm, implying a negative effect of milder winters with less insulating snow cover. Our study demonstrates long-term shifts in body length, body condition and seasonal survival associated with a warming climate. Although the seasonal changes in survival ran in opposite directions and though changes were small in absolute terms, the trends did not cancel out, but total annual survival decreased. We conclude that effects of a warming climate can be diverse and pose a threat for thermophilic species in temperate regions, and that future studies should consider survival change by season, preferably in a long-term approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Elmberg
- Department of Environmental Science, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden
| | - Ludvig Palmheden
- Department of Environmental Monitoring and Research, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carl Edelstam
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mattias Hagman
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon Kärvemo
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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29
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Donnelly JP, Collins DP, Knetter JM, Gammonley JH, Boggie MA, Grisham BA, Nowak MC, Naugle DE. Flood-irrigated agriculture mediates climate-induced wetland scarcity for summering sandhill cranes in western North America. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10998. [PMID: 38450315 PMCID: PMC10915483 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Information about species distributions is lacking in many regions of the world, forcing resource managers to answer complex ecological questions with incomplete data. Information gaps are compounded by climate change, driving ecological bottlenecks that can act as new demographic constraints on fauna. Here, we construct greater sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis tabida) summering range in western North America using movement data from 120 GPS-tagged individuals to determine how landscape composition shaped their distributions. Landscape variables developed from remotely sensed data were combined with bird locations to model distribution probabilities. Additionally, land-use and ownership were summarized within summer range as a measure of general bird use. Wetland variables identified as important predictors of bird distributions were evaluated in a post hoc analysis to measure long-term (1984-2022) effects of climate-driven surface water drying. Wetlands and associated agricultural practices accounted for 1.2% of summer range but were key predictors of occurrence. Bird distributions were structured by riparian floodplains that concentrated wetlands, and flood-irrigated agriculture in otherwise arid and semi-arid landscapes. Findings highlighted the role of private lands in greater sandhill crane ecology as they accounted for 78% of predicted distributions. Wetland drying observed in portions of the range from 1984 to 2022 represented an emerging ecological bottleneck that could limit future greater sandhill crane summer range. Study outcomes provide novel insight into the significance of ecosystem services provided by flood-irrigated agriculture that supported nearly 60% of wetland resources used by birds. Findings suggest greater sandhill cranes function as a surrogate species for agroecology and climate change adaptation strategies seeking to reduce agricultural water use through improved efficiency while also maintaining distinct flood-irrigation practices supporting greater sandhill cranes and other wetland-dependent wildlife. We make our wetland and sandhill crane summering distributions available as interactive web-based mapping tools to inform conservation design.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Patrick Donnelly
- Intermountain West Joint Venture—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird ProgramMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Daniel P. Collins
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | | | | | - Matthew A. Boggie
- Intermountain West Joint Venture—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird ProgramMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Blake A. Grisham
- Department of Natural Resources ManagementTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTexasUSA
| | - M. Cathy Nowak
- Oregon Department of Fish and WildlifeLadd Marsh Wildlife AreaLa GrandeOregonUSA
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceSouthwest Region Migratory Bird ProgramAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | - David E. Naugle
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
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30
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Garcias-Bonet N, Roik A, Tierney B, García FC, Villela HDM, Dungan AM, Quigley KM, Sweet M, Berg G, Gram L, Bourne DG, Ushijima B, Sogin M, Hoj L, Duarte G, Hirt H, Smalla K, Rosado AS, Carvalho S, Thurber RV, Ziegler M, Mason CE, van Oppen MJH, Voolstra CR, Peixoto RS. Horizon scanning the application of probiotics for wildlife. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:252-269. [PMID: 37758552 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The provision of probiotics benefits the health of a wide range of organisms, from humans to animals and plants. Probiotics can enhance stress resilience of endangered organisms, many of which are critically threatened by anthropogenic impacts. The use of so-called 'probiotics for wildlife' is a nascent application, and the field needs to reflect on standards for its development, testing, validation, risk assessment, and deployment. Here, we identify the main challenges of this emerging intervention and provide a roadmap to validate the effectiveness of wildlife probiotics. We cover the essential use of inert negative controls in trials and the investigation of the probiotic mechanisms of action. We also suggest alternative microbial therapies that could be tested in parallel with the probiotic application. Our recommendations align approaches used for humans, aquaculture, and plants to the emerging concept and use of probiotics for wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neus Garcias-Bonet
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anna Roik
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), Oldenburg, Germany; Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Braden Tierney
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Francisca C García
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Helena D M Villela
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashley M Dungan
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kate M Quigley
- Minderoo Foundation, Perth, WA, Australia; James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Michael Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Nature-based Solutions Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - Gabriele Berg
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria; University of Potsdam and Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lone Gram
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | - Blake Ushijima
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA
| | - Maggie Sogin
- Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Lone Hoj
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | - Gustavo Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; IMPG, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Heribert Hirt
- Center for Desert Agriculture (CDA), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Alexandre S Rosado
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; WorldQuant Initiative on Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | | | - Raquel S Peixoto
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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31
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Gao L, Mi C. Double jeopardy: global change and interspecies competition threaten Siberian cranes. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17029. [PMID: 38436031 PMCID: PMC10908270 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic global change is precipitating a worldwide biodiversity crisis, with myriad species teetering on the brink of extinction. The Arctic, a fragile ecosystem already on the frontline of global change, bears witness to rapid ecological transformations catalyzed by escalating temperatures. In this context, we explore the ramifications of global change and interspecies competition on two arctic crane species: the critically endangered Siberian crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) and the non-threatened sandhill crane (Grus canadensis). How might global climate and landcover changes affect the range dynamics of Siberian cranes and sandhill cranes in the Arctic, potentially leading to increased competition and posing a greater threat to the critically endangered Siberian cranes? To answer these questions, we integrated ensemble species distribution models (SDMs) to predict breeding distributions, considering both abiotic and biotic factors. Our results reveal a profound divergence in how global change impacts these crane species. Siberian cranes are poised to lose a significant portion of their habitats, while sandhill cranes are projected to experience substantial range expansion. Furthermore, we identify a growing overlap in breeding areas, intensifying interspecies competition, which may imperil the Siberian crane. Notably, we found the Anzhu Islands may become a Siberian crane refuge under global change, but competition with Sandhill Cranes underscores the need for enhanced conservation management. Our study underscores the urgency of considering species responses to global changes and interspecies dynamics in risk assessments and conservation management. As anthropogenic pressures continue to mount, such considerations are crucial for the preservation of endangered species in the face of impending global challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqiang Gao
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Chunrong Mi
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jercey, United States
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32
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Medina W, Pimm SL, Huang RM. Conservation gaps and priorities of range-restricted birds in the Northern Andes. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16893. [PMID: 38426143 PMCID: PMC10903353 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The ongoing destruction of habitats in the tropics accelerates the current rate of species extinction. Range-restricted species are exceptionally vulnerable, yet we have insufficient knowledge about their protection. Species' current distributions, range sizes, and protection gaps are crucial to determining conservation priorities. Here, we identified priority range-restricted bird species and their conservation hotspots in the Northern Andes. We employed maps of the Area of Habitat (AOH), that better reflect their current distributions than existing maps. AOH provides unprecedented resolution and maps a species in the detail essential for practical conservation actions. We estimated protection within each species' AOH and for the cumulative distribution of all 335 forest-dependent range-restricted birds across the Northern Andes. For the latter, we also calculated protection across the elevational gradient. We estimated how much additional protection community lands (Indigenous and Afro-Latin American lands) would contribute if they were conservation-focused. AOHs ranged from 8 to 141,000 km2. We identified four conservation priorities based on cumulative species richness: the number of AOHs stacked per unit area. These priorities are high-resolution mapped representations of Endemic Bird Areas for the Tropical Andes that we consider critically important. Protected areas cover only 31% of the cumulative AOH, but community lands could add 19% more protection. Sixty-two per cent of the 335 species have ranges smaller than their published estimates, yet IUCN designates only 23% of these as Threatened. We identified 50 species as top conservation priorities. Most of these concentrate in areas of low protection near community lands and at middle elevations where, on average, only 34% of the land is protected. We highlight the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders: governments should support private and community-based conservation practices to protect the region with the most range-restricted birds worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilderson Medina
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Stuart L. Pimm
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Ryan M. Huang
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Conservation Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
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33
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Wang R, Liu CN, Segar ST, Jiang YT, Zhang KJ, Jiang K, Wang G, Cai J, Chen LF, Chen S, Cheng J, Compton SG, Deng JY, Ding YY, Du FK, Hu XD, Hu XH, Kang L, Li DH, Lu L, Li YY, Tang L, Tong X, Wang ZS, Xu WW, Yang Y, Zang RG, Zu ZX, Zhang YY, Chen XY. Dipterocarpoidae genomics reveal their demography and adaptations to Asian rainforests. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1683. [PMID: 38395938 PMCID: PMC10891123 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45836-5] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Dipterocarpoideae species form the emergent layer of Asian rainforests. They are the indicator species for Asian rainforest distribution, but they are severely threatened. Here, to understand their adaptation and population decline, we assemble high-quality genomes of seven Dipterocarpoideae species including two autotetraploid species. We estimate the divergence time between Dipterocarpoideae and Malvaceae and within Dipterocarpoideae to be 108.2 (97.8‒118.2) and 88.4 (77.7‒102.9) million years ago, and we identify a whole genome duplication event preceding dipterocarp lineage diversification. We find several genes that showed a signature of selection, likely associated with the adaptation to Asian rainforests. By resequencing of two endangered species, we detect an expansion of effective population size after the last glacial period and a recent sharp decline coinciding with the history of local human activities. Our findings contribute to understanding the diversification and adaptation of dipterocarps and highlight anthropogenic disturbances as a major factor in their endangered status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Wang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Chao-Nan Liu
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Simon T Segar
- Agriculture & Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, United Kingdom
| | - Yu-Ting Jiang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Kai Jiang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Jing Cai
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Lu-Fan Chen
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan Chen
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Cheng
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Jun-Yin Deng
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Ding
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang K Du
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Di Hu
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xing-Hua Hu
- Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin, China
| | - Ling Kang
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Hai Li
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Ling Lu
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Li
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xin Tong
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng-Shi Wang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Wei Xu
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Run-Guo Zang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuo-Xin Zu
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan-Ye Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
| | - Xiao-Yong Chen
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Plant Innovation, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, China.
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, Shanghai, China.
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34
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Zhuo Y, Wang M, Liu Z, Xu W, Abdulnazar A, Rajabi AM, Davletbakov A, Haider J, Khan MZ, Loik N, Faryabi SP, Michel S, Ostrowski S, Moheb Z, Ruckstuhl K, da Silva AA, Alves J, Yang W. Border fences reduce potential for transboundary migration of Marco Polo Sheep (Ovis ammon polii) in the Pamir Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169298. [PMID: 38128653 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169298] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Border fences have severely impeded the transboundary migration of a number of large mammals worldwide, with central Asia being one of the most impacted. The Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii), an iconic species of Pamir, is threatened in its transboundary movement by increasing border fencing among their five distributed countries, including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. In this study, by building ensemble species distribution models, we found that eastern Tajikistan had the largest suitable Macro Polo sheep habitat (about 42 % of the total suitable habitat), followed by China (about 32 %). We used least-cost paths to identify 51 ecological corridors including 5 transboundary ecological corridors, which may be important to maintain connectivity in both domestic and transboundary regions. To assess the potential barrier effect of border fences, we assessed four scenarios (30, 40, 50 and 60°) corresponding to the upper limit of the slope for the construction of fences. In areas too steep for fencing, these could be used by wild sheep to cross barriers or borders and may represent migration or movement routes, defined as natural passages. In the most pessimistic Scenario 60, only 25 migratory passages along the border fences were identified, compared to 997 in the most optimistic scenario (Scenario 30), indicating a strong negative effect of intensive border fencing on the transboundary movement of Marco Polo sheep. The establishment of transnational conservation parks, and ensuring permeability is maintained in key areas, could have a positive impact on the connectivity and persistence of Marco Polo sheep populations, and provide important lessons for other large migratory mammals in transboundary regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; Sino-Tajikistan Joint Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Biological Resources, Urumqi 830011, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori 831900, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Muyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; Sino-Tajikistan Joint Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Biological Resources, Urumqi 830011, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori 831900, China.
| | - Zhongjun Liu
- Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Wenxuan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; Sino-Tajikistan Joint Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Biological Resources, Urumqi 830011, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori 831900, China
| | - Abdulnazarov Abdulnazar
- Pamir Biological Institute, the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, Khujand, Tajikistan
| | | | - Askar Davletbakov
- Institute for Biology and Soil Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Jibran Haider
- Gilgit-Baltistan Forest and Wildlife Management Department, Forest Complex, Jutial, Gilgit, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zafar Khan
- Department of Forestry, Range & Wildlife Management, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan
| | - Nabiev Loik
- Institute of Zoology and Parasitology, the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
| | | | | | | | - Zalmai Moheb
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Afghanistan
| | - Kathreen Ruckstuhl
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - António Alves da Silva
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE), TERRA Associate Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana Alves
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE), TERRA Associate Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Weikang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; Sino-Tajikistan Joint Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Biological Resources, Urumqi 830011, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori 831900, China.
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35
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Du B, Ye S, Gao P, Ren S, Liu C, Song C. Analyzing spatial patterns and driving factors of cropland change in China's National Protected Areas for sustainable management. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169102. [PMID: 38056649 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Farming in protected areas frequently challenges ecological conservation goals while supporting local livelihoods. To balance protection and agriculture, a comprehensive understanding of cropland dynamics in protected areas is of paramount importance. However, studies addressing this trade-off are relatively scarce, especially considering explicit Chinese government regulations on population relocation and cropland retirement in National Protected Areas (NPAs). Our study examined the spatial and temporal pattern of cropland in NPAs and explored the covariance between cropland density and species richness. Concurrently, the driving factors of cropland development in NPAs were analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression. The results indicate that the cropland area in NPAs continued to expand, growing from 1.93 to 2.34 million hectares in 2000-2020, with a cropland density of approximately 0.4. Cropland expansion in the northern NPAs, particularly in the resource-rich Northeast (28.12 %) and the Northwest with high marginal agricultural returns (38.26 %), have encroached upon species habitats and aggravated biodiversity loss. Moreover, cities with higher cropland densities in NPAs are usually located at borders, possibly due to decentralized management. The Multiple Linear Regression results show that high cropland density is usually associated with a high population density (β = 0.156) and lower levels of rural education (β = -0.101) and income (β = -0.122). To mitigate the issue of cropland development in NPAs, it is crucial to avoid one-size-fits-all management strategies, strengthen regional legal supervision, adjust fiscal incentives, and promote eco-friendly agriculture. In the north regions, the expansion of cropland in NPAs should be strictly controlled. For the southwest, the positive role of preserving cropland in NPAs for alleviating human-nature conflict and maintaining social stability should be emphasized. This study provides research support for China's exploration of geographically suitable strategies for controlling cropland in NPAs. Moreover, the findings could serve as a reference for the governance of NPAs in other countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Du
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Sijing Ye
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Peichao Gao
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shuyi Ren
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chenyu Liu
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Changqing Song
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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36
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Chowdhury S, Fuller RA, Ahmed S, Alam S, Callaghan CT, Das P, Correia RA, Di Marco M, Di Minin E, Jarić I, Labi MM, Ladle RJ, Rokonuzzaman M, Roll U, Sbragaglia V, Siddika A, Bonn A. Using social media records to inform conservation planning. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14161. [PMID: 37551776 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Citizen science plays a crucial role in helping monitor biodiversity and inform conservation. With the widespread use of smartphones, many people share biodiversity information on social media, but this information is still not widely used in conservation. Focusing on Bangladesh, a tropical megadiverse and mega-populated country, we examined the importance of social media records in conservation decision-making. We collated species distribution records for birds and butterflies from Facebook and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), grouped them into GBIF-only and combined GBIF and Facebook data, and investigated the differences in identifying critical conservation areas. Adding Facebook data to GBIF data improved the accuracy of systematic conservation planning assessments by identifying additional important conservation areas in the northwest, southeast, and central parts of Bangladesh, extending priority conservation areas by 4,000-10,000 km2 . Community efforts are needed to drive the implementation of the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets, especially in megadiverse tropical countries with a lack of reliable and up-to-date species distribution data. We highlight that conservation planning can be enhanced by including available data gathered from social media platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawan Chowdhury
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Richard A Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sultan Ahmed
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shofiul Alam
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Corey T Callaghan
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, Florida, USA
| | - Priyanka Das
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ricardo A Correia
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Moreno Di Marco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Di Minin
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Ivan Jarić
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Orsay, France
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Richard J Ladle
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos, Universidade Do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - M Rokonuzzaman
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Uri Roll
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Valerio Sbragaglia
- Department of Marine Renewable Resources, Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Asma Siddika
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Aletta Bonn
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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de Araujo HFP, Machado CCC, da Silva JMC. The distribution and conservation of areas with microendemic species in a biodiversity hotspot: a multi-taxa approach. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16779. [PMID: 38239293 PMCID: PMC10795537 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Microendemic species are species with very small geographic distributions (ranges). Their presence delimitates areas with microendemic species (AMs), denoting a spatial unit comprising at least one population of at least one microendemic species. AMs are assumed to be distributed distinctively and associated with specific ecological, historical, and anthropogenic attributes. However, the level of influence of these factors remains unclear. Thus, we studied the distribution patterns of microendemic species within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest to (a) identify the region's AMs; (b) evaluate whether ecological (latitude, altitude, distance from the coastline), historical (climate stability), and anthropogenic (ecological integrity) attributes distinguish AMs from non-AMs; and (c) assess the conservation status of the Atlantic Forest's AMs. Methods We mapped the ranges of 1,362 microendemic species of angiosperms, freshwater fishes, and terrestrial vertebrates (snakes, passerine birds, and small mammals) to identify the region's AMs. Further, spatial autoregressive logit regression models were used to evaluate whether latitude, altitude, distance from the coastline, Climate Stability Index, and ecological integrity can be used to discern AMs from non-AMs. Moreover, the AMs' conservation status was assessed by evaluating the region's ecological integrity and conservation efforts (measured as the proportion of AMs in protected areas). Results We identified 261 AMs for angiosperm, 205 AMs for freshwater fishes, and 102 AMs for terrestrial vertebrates in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, totaling 474 AMs covering 23.8% of the region. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a large and complex biogeographic mosaic where AMs represent islands or archipelagoes surrounded by transition areas with no microendemic species. All local attributes help to distinguish AMs from non-AMs, but their impacts vary across taxonomic groups. Around 69% of AMs have low ecological integrity and poor conservation efforts, indicating that most microendemic species are under threat. This study provides insights into the biogeography of one of the most important global biodiversity hotspots, creating a foundation for comparative studies using other tropical forest regions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Célia C. C. Machado
- Center of Applied Biological and Social Sciences, State University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - José Maria Cardoso da Silva
- Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
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Landrigan PJ, Britt M, Fisher S, Holmes A, Kumar M, Mu J, Rizzo I, Sather A, Yousuf A, Kumar P. Assessing the Human Health Benefits of Climate Mitigation, Pollution Prevention, and Biodiversity Preservation. Ann Glob Health 2024; 90:1. [PMID: 38186855 PMCID: PMC10768568 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has amassed great wealth and achieved unprecedented material prosperity. These advances have come, however, at great cost to the planet. They are guided by an economic model that focuses almost exclusively on short-term gain, while ignoring natural capital and human capital. They have relied on the combustion of vast quantities of fossil fuels, massive consumption of the earth's resources, and production and environmental release of enormous quantities of chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, and plastics. They have caused climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, the "Triple Planetary Crisis". They are responsible for more than 9 million premature deaths per year and for widespread disease - impacts that fall disproportionately upon the poor and the vulnerable. Goals To map the human health impacts of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. To outline a framework for assessing the health benefits of interventions against these threats. Findings Actions taken by national governments and international agencies to mitigate climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss can improve health, prevent disease, save lives, and enhance human well-being. Yet assessment of health benefits is largely absent from evaluations of environmental remediation programs. This represents a lost opportunity to quantify the full benefits of environmental remediation and to educate policy makers and the public. Recommendations We recommend that national governments and international agencies implementing interventions against climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss develop metrics and strategies for quantifying the health benefits of these interventions. We recommend that they deploy these tools in parallel with assessments of ecologic and economic benefits. Health metrics developed by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study may provide a useful starting point.Incorporation of health metrics into assessments of environmental restoration will require building transdisciplinary collaborations. Environmental scientists and engineers will need to work with health scientists to establish evaluation systems that link environmental and economic data with health data. Such systems will assist international agencies as well as national and local governments in prioritizing environmental interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Landrigan
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, MC
| | - Michael Britt
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Samantha Fisher
- City University of New York, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York City, NY, US
| | | | - Manasi Kumar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Kenya
- Institute for Excellence in Health Equity, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, US
| | - Jenna Mu
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Isabella Rizzo
- The George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs, Washington D.C., US
| | - Anna Sather
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
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Kim KR, Sung MS, Hwang Y, Jeong JH, Yu JN. Assessment of the Genetic Diversity and Structure of the Korean Endemic Freshwater Fish Microphysogobio longidorsalis (Gobioninae) Using Microsatellite Markers: A First Glance from Population Genetics. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:69. [PMID: 38254959 PMCID: PMC10815670 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010069] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Microphysogobio longidorsalis is endemic to South Korea and inhabits small areas of the Namhangang, Bukhangang, and Imjingang Rivers in the Hangang River water system. Endemic species usually are more vulnerable than species with a wide distribution. Notably, there is a lack of basic conservation data for M. longidorsalis. We analyzed 19 microsatellite loci in six populations of M. longidorsalis in South Korea to characterize their population structure and genetic diversity. The genetic diversity of the microsatellites was 0.741-0.779, which is lower than that of other freshwater fishes. The pairwise genetic differentiation of microsatellite (FST) values ranged from 0.007 to 0.041, suggesting low genetic differentiation between the populations. The Jojongicheon stream population (CP) had an effective population size of <100. Therefore, conservation efforts are required to prevent inbreeding depression in M. longidorsalis. Discriminant analysis of principal components showed that the Hangang River water system would be a single management unit (MU). Our findings provide fundamental genetic insights for the formulation of conservation strategies for M. longidorsalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Rae Kim
- Animal & Plant Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242, Republic of Korea; (K.-R.K.); (Y.H.); (J.H.J.)
| | - Mu-Sung Sung
- Muldeuli Research, Icheon 12607, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yujin Hwang
- Animal & Plant Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242, Republic of Korea; (K.-R.K.); (Y.H.); (J.H.J.)
| | - Ju Hui Jeong
- Animal & Plant Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242, Republic of Korea; (K.-R.K.); (Y.H.); (J.H.J.)
| | - Jeong-Nam Yu
- Animal & Plant Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242, Republic of Korea; (K.-R.K.); (Y.H.); (J.H.J.)
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Clause AG, Luna-Reyes R, Mendoza-Velázquez OM, Nieto-Montes de Oca A, Solano-Zavaleta I. Bridging the gap: A new species of arboreal Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Northern Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0295230. [PMID: 38170723 PMCID: PMC10763973 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The mountain forests of Middle America are renowned for their endemic biodiversity, and arboreal alligator lizards (genus Abronia) are high-profile vertebrates endemic to this region. In this work, we describe a new species of arboreal Abronia that is known only from the type locality in the Northern Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is diagnosed from all other members of the genus Abronia by the following combination of characters: lack of protuberant or spine-like supra-auricular scales, lack of protuberant or casque-like posterolateral head scales, dorsum of head pale yellow with distinct dark markings, 35-39 transverse dorsal scale rows, lateralmost row of ventral scales enlarged relative to adjacent medial row, and dorsum brown with darker crossbands that are sometimes reduced to rows of spots. We provisionally include the new species in the subgenus Lissabronia based on genomic and morphological evidence, but our results also suggest a close relationship to the subgenus Abaculabronia. The new species is geographically separated from the nearest Lissabronia and Abaculabronia species by the lowland Central Depression of Chiapas. Ongoing habitat loss and other factors imperil the new species, leading us to propose its listing under multiple threatened species frameworks. Because the Northern Highlands have poor coverage of protected areas, we briefly comment on the potential of this new species for stimulating conservation in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam G. Clause
- Department of Herpetology, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Roberto Luna-Reyes
- Dirección de Áreas Naturales y Vida Silvestre, Secretaría de Medio Ambiente e Historia Natural, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México
| | - Oscar M. Mendoza-Velázquez
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México
| | - Adrián Nieto-Montes de Oca
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Israel Solano-Zavaleta
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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Li WB, Teng Y, Zhang MY, Shen Y, Liu JW, Qi JW, Wang XC, Wu RF, Li JH, Garber PA, Li M. Human activity and climate change accelerate the extinction risk to non-human primates in China. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17114. [PMID: 38273577 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Human activity and climate change affect biodiversity and cause species range shifts, contractions, and expansions. Globally, human activities and climate change have emerged as persistent threats to biodiversity, leading to approximately 68% of the ~522 primate species being threatened with extinction. Here, we used habitat suitability models and integrated data on human population density, gross domestic product (GDP), road construction, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the location of protected areas (PAs), and climate change to predict potential changes in the distributional range and richness of 26 China's primate species. Our results indicate that both PAs and NDVI have a positive impact on primate distributions. With increasing anthropogenic pressure, species' ranges were restricted to areas of high vegetation cover and in PAs surrounded by buffer zones of 2.7-4.5 km and a core area of PAs at least 0.1-0.5 km from the closest edge of the PA. Areas with a GDP below the Chinese national average of 100,000 yuan were found to be ecologically vulnerable, and this had a negative impact on primate distributions. Changes in temperature and precipitation were also significant contributors to a reduction in the range of primate species. Under the expected influence of climate change over the next 30-50 years, we found that highly suitable habitat for primates will continue to decrease and species will be restricted to smaller and more peripheral parts of their current range. Areas of high primate diversity are expected to lose from 3 to 7 species. We recommend that immediate action be taken, including expanding China's National Park Program, the Ecological Conservation Redline Program, and the Natural Forest Protection Program, along with a stronger national policy promoting alternative/sustainable livelihoods for people in the local communities adjacent to primate ranges, to offset the detrimental effects of anthropogenic activities and climate change on primate survivorship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Bo Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yang Teng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ming-Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Shen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Wen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ji-Wei Qi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Chen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui-Feng Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Hua Li
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, Anhui, China
- School of Life Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Paul A Garber
- Department of Anthropology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- International Centre of Biodiversity and Primate Conservation, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Cooke R, Sayol F, Andermann T, Blackburn TM, Steinbauer MJ, Antonelli A, Faurby S. Undiscovered bird extinctions obscure the true magnitude of human-driven extinction waves. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8116. [PMID: 38114469 PMCID: PMC10730700 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43445-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds are among the best-studied animal groups, but their prehistoric diversity is poorly known due to low fossilization potential. Hence, while many human-driven bird extinctions (i.e., extinctions caused directly by human activities such as hunting, as well as indirectly through human-associated impacts such as land use change, fire, and the introduction of invasive species) have been recorded, the true number is likely much larger. Here, by combining recorded extinctions with model estimates based on the completeness of the fossil record, we suggest that at least ~1300-1500 bird species (~12% of the total) have gone extinct since the Late Pleistocene, with 55% of these extinctions undiscovered (not yet discovered or left no trace). We estimate that the Pacific accounts for 61% of total bird extinctions. Bird extinction rate varied through time with an intense episode ~1300 CE, which likely represents the largest human-driven vertebrate extinction wave ever, and a rate 80 (60-95) times the background extinction rate. Thus, humans have already driven more than one in nine bird species to extinction, with likely severe, and potentially irreversible, ecological and evolutionary consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Cooke
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden.
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden.
| | - Ferran Sayol
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Tobias Andermann
- Department of Organismal Biology, SciLifeLab, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tim M Blackburn
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Manuel J Steinbauer
- Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER) & Bayreuth Center of Sport Science (BaySpo), University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Alexandre Antonelli
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Søren Faurby
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
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Song X, Jiang Y, Zhao L, Jin L, Yan C, Liao W. Predicting the Potential Distribution of the Szechwan Rat Snake ( Euprepiophis perlacea) and Its Response to Climate Change in the Yingjing Area of the Giant Panda National Park. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3828. [PMID: 38136865 PMCID: PMC10740900 DOI: 10.3390/ani13243828] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is a significant driver of changes in the distribution patterns of species and poses a threat to biodiversity, potentially resulting in species extinctions. Investigating the potential distribution of rare and endangered species is crucial for understanding their responses to climate change and for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem management. The Szechwan rat snake (Euprepiophis perlacea) is an endemic and endangered species co-distributed with giant pandas, and studying its potential distribution contributes to a better understanding of the distribution pattern of endangered species. In this study, we confirmed seven presence points of this species in the Yingjing Area of the Giant Panda National Park, and selected eleven key factors to predict the potential distribution of E. perlacea under current and future scenarios using MaxEnt models. Our study consistently achieved AUC values exceeding 0.79, meeting the precision requirements of the models. The results indicated that the high potential distribution area of E. perlacea is mainly located near Yunwu mountain and the giant panda rewilding and reintroduction base, accounting for approximately 12% of the protected area. Moreover, we identified the primary environmental factors influencing the distribution of E. perlacea as the distance from streams and the slope degree, with their contribution rates exceeding 41% and 31%, respectively. In comparison to the current scenario, the potential habitat range for E. perlacea did not show an overall reduction in the context of future climate scenarios. To ensure the long-term preservation of E. perlacea, it is advisable to validate its actual distribution based on the models' results. Particular attention should be given to safeguarding its core distribution areas and raising awareness among residents within the potential distribution range about the conservation of E. perlacea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Song
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Daxiangling Provincial Nature Reserve, Ya’an 625200, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Long Jin
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Chengzhi Yan
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Wenbo Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Propagation and Utilization in Anurans of Nanchong City, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
- College of Panda, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
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Carlson SC, Vucetich JA, Elbroch LM, Perry S, Roe LA, Butler T, Bruskotter JT. The role of governance in rewilding the United States to stem the biodiversity crisis. Bioscience 2023; 73:879-884. [PMID: 38162572 PMCID: PMC10755707 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
A critical but underattended feature of the biodiversity crisis is the contraction of geographic range experienced by most studied terrestrial vertebrates. In the United States, the primary policy tool for mitigating the biodiversity crisis is a federal law, the Endangered Species Act (ESA). For the past two decades, the federal agencies that administer the ESA have interpreted the act in a manner that precludes treating this geographic element of the crisis. Therefore, the burden of mitigating the biodiversity crisis largely falls on wildlife agencies within state government, which are obligated to operate on behalf of the interests of their constituents. We present survey research indicating that most constituents expect state agencies to prioritize species restoration over other activities, including hunting. This prioritization holds even among self-identified hunters, which is significant because state agencies often take the provisioning of hunting opportunity as their top priority. By prioritizing rewilding efforts that restore native species throughout portions of their historic range, state agencies could unify hunting and nonhunting constituents while simultaneously stemming the biodiversity crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby C Carlson
- Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab, in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States
| | - John A Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, United States
| | | | - Shelby Perry
- Northeast Wilderness Trust, Montpelier, Vermont, United States
| | - Lydia A Roe
- Northeast Wilderness Trust, Montpelier, Vermont, United States
| | - Tom Butler
- Northeast Wilderness Trust, Montpelier, Vermont, United States
| | - Jeremy T Bruskotter
- Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab, in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
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Fagan B, Pitchford JW, Stepney S, Thomas CD. Increased dispersal explains increasing local diversity with global biodiversity declines. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6713-6726. [PMID: 37819684 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The narrative of biodiversity decline in response to human impacts is overly simplistic because different aspects of biodiversity show different trajectories at different spatial scales. It is also debated whether human-caused biodiversity changes lead to subsequent, accelerating change (cascades) in ecological communities, or alternatively build increasingly robust community networks with decreasing extinction rates and reduced invasibility. Mechanistic approaches are needed that simultaneously reconcile different aspects of biodiversity change, and explore the robustness of communities to further change. We develop a trophically structured, mainland-archipelago metacommunity model of community assembly. Varying the parameters across model simulations shows that local alpha diversity (the number of species per island) and regional gamma diversity (the total number of species in the archipelago) depend on both the rate of extirpation per island and on the rate of dispersal between islands within the archipelago. In particular, local diversity increases with increased dispersal and heterogeneity between islands, but regional diversity declines because the islands become biotically similar and local one-island and few-island species are excluded (homogenisation, or reduced beta diversity). This mirrors changes observed empirically: real islands have gained species (increased local and island-scale community diversity) with increased human-assisted transfers of species, but global diversity has declined with the loss of endemic species. However, biological invasions may be self-limiting. High-dispersal, high local-diversity model communities become resistant to subsequent invasions, generating robust species-community networks unless dispersal is extremely high. A mixed-up world is likely to lose many species, but the resulting ecological communities may nonetheless be relatively robust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennen Fagan
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Mathematics, University of York, York, UK
| | - Jon W Pitchford
- Department of Mathematics, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Susan Stepney
- Department of Computer Science, University of York, York, UK
| | - Chris D Thomas
- Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
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46
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Dominguez JS, Hauber ME, Tarwater CE, Williams E, MacDonald S, Strejc B, Pollock HS. Following the feeder: A global synthesis of disturbance-based foraging associations of birds. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:2263-2279. [PMID: 37916462 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14024] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Species interactions link animal behaviour to community structure and macroecological patterns of biodiversity. One common type of trophic species interaction is disturbance foraging-the act of obtaining food at a disturbance created by another organism. Disturbance foraging is widespread across the animal kingdom, especially among birds, yet previous research has been largely anecdotal and we still lack a synthetic understanding of how this behaviour varies geographically, phylogenetically and ecologically. To address these gaps, we conducted a comprehensive literature review to test focal hypotheses about disturbance foraging behaviour in birds. We found that avian disturbance foraging was geographically ubiquitous, occurring in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats across six continents and four oceans. Consistent with predictions based on established species diversity gradients in different habitat types, the majority of terrestrial observations occurred at tropical latitudes, whereas aquatic observations took place most frequently in temperate marine waters. Although disturbance foraging was widespread across the avian phylogeny, contrary to our prediction, the behaviour was also conserved phylogenetically (Pagel's λ = 0.7) and clustered within suboscine landbirds in terrestrial environments and seabirds in aquatic environments. Similarly, although disturbers were taxonomically diverse as we predicted, interactions were unexpectedly dominated by swarm-raiding ants in terrestrial environments and cetaceans in aquatic environments. Diet and body mass were also important predictors of disturbance foraging associations: Responders followed disturbers with similar diets and larger body sizes. Overall, our hypothesis-testing framework provides insight into the importance of geography, phylogeny and ecology as predictors of disturbance foraging behaviour. We anticipate that this comprehensive assessment of disturbance foraging will serve to generate additional hypotheses and spark future research and management considerations about this fascinating but poorly studied suite of species interactions, especially as biotic interactions face unprecedented risks in our rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonah S Dominguez
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Advanced Science Research Center and Program in Psychology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Corey E Tarwater
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Emily Williams
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Bridget Strejc
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Henry S Pollock
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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47
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Canright VR, Piaggio AJ, Chinn SM, Giglio RM, Craine JM, Beasley JC. DNA metabarcoding reveals consumption of diverse community of amphibians by invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in the southeastern United States. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20889. [PMID: 38017141 PMCID: PMC10684498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48139-9] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most widespread, destructive vertebrate species globally. Their success can largely be attributed to their generalist diets, which are dominated by plant material but also include diverse animal taxa. Wild pigs are demonstrated nest predators of ground-nesting birds and reptiles, and likely pose a threat to amphibians given their extensive overlap in wetland use. DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples from 222 adult wild pigs culled monthly from 2017 to 2018 revealed a diverse diet dominated by plant material, with 166 plant genera from 56 families and 18 vertebrate species identified. Diet composition varied seasonally with availability for plants and was consistent between sexes. Amphibians were the most frequent vertebrate group consumed and represented the majority of vertebrate species detected, suggesting amphibians are potentially vulnerable to predation by wild pigs in our study region. Mammal, reptile, and bird species were also detected in pig diets, but infrequently. Our results highlight the need for research on the impacts of wild pigs on amphibians to better inform management and conservation of imperiled species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vienna R Canright
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.
| | - Antoinette J Piaggio
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sarah M Chinn
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Rachael M Giglio
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - James C Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA
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48
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Edwards AW, Harrison XA, Smith MA, Chavarría Díaz MM, Sasa M, Janzen DH, Hallwachs W, Chaves G, Fernández R, Palmer C, Wilson C, North A, Puschendorf R. Amphibian diversity across three adjacent ecosystems in Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16185. [PMID: 38034867 PMCID: PMC10688307 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibians are the most threatened species-rich vertebrate group, with species extinctions and population declines occurring globally, even in protected and seemingly pristine habitats. These 'enigmatic declines' are generated by climate change and infectious diseases. However, the consequences of these declines are undocumented as no baseline ecological data exists for most affected areas. Like other neotropical countries, Costa Rica, including Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in north-western Costa Rica, experienced rapid amphibian population declines and apparent extinctions during the past three decades. To delineate amphibian diversity patterns within ACG, a large-scale comparison of multiple sites and habitats was conducted. Distance and time constrained visual encounter surveys characterised species richness at five sites-Murciélago (dry forest), Santa Rosa (dry forest), Maritza (mid-elevation dry-rain forest intersect), San Gerardo (rainforest) and Cacao (cloud forest). Furthermore, species-richness patterns for Cacao were compared with historic data from 1987-8, before amphibians declined in the area. Rainforests had the highest species richness, with triple the species of their dry forest counterparts. A decline of 45% (20 to 11 species) in amphibian species richness was encountered when comparing historic and contemporary data for Cacao. Conservation efforts sometimes focus on increasing the resilience of protected areas, by increasing their range of ecosystems. In this sense ACG is unique containing many tropical ecosystems compressed in a small geographic space, all protected and recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site. It thus provides an extraordinary platform to understand changes, past and present, and the resilience of tropical ecosystems and assemblages, or lack thereof, to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex W. Edwards
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Xavier A. Harrison
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - M. Alex Smith
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Mahmood Sasa
- School of Biology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Daniel H. Janzen
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Winnie Hallwachs
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Gerardo Chaves
- School of Biology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Roberto Fernández
- Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Caroline Palmer
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Chloe Wilson
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Alexandra North
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Robert Puschendorf
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
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Zhang W, Liao Z, Xiao Q, Zhou J, Shi X, Li C, Chen Y, Xu W. Habitat-specific conservation priorities of multidimensional diversity patterns of amphibians in China effectively contribute to the '3030' target. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 901:165959. [PMID: 37541511 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Amphibia is the most threatened animal group among all land vertebrates in the context of anthropogenic global change. Filling the conservation gaps for this taxonomic group could help achieve the ambitious target of covering 30 % of the land by 2030 ('3030' target) set by the 15-th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15). In this study, we compiled the most up-to-date occurrence records and corresponding species-specific traits and phylogenies of amphibians in China (particularly those newly described in the past decade) to explore the spatial distribution patterns of multidimensional diversity (including taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic) for different species groups (including all, endemic and threatened). Additionally, a new conservation gap index (CGI) was proposed and applied to the analysis of multi-objective conservation strategies. The results showed that the spatial distribution of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of amphibians in China is markedly geographically diverse, with common hotspots for all three concentrated in the humid mountainous regions of southern China. The CGI, which is independent of arbitrary threshold selection and grid cell size, showed that the conservation gap for amphibians in China is largest in biomes such as tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests. The multi-objective conservation analysis revealed that the Yangtze River basin, Pearl River basin and Southeast Basin in China have pivotal roles in achieving the '3030' target due to their high taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, relatively high proportion of threatened and endemic species, and low coverage of existing nature reserves. Notably, sustainable management of less-protected habitats, including farmlands and grasslands, can reduce the area requirement of strict protection for reaching the '3030' conservation goal. This study provides practical strategies for guiding amphibian conservation by systematically integrating multidimensional biodiversity information, habitat features and the spatial distributions of the existing natural reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyan Zhang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ziyan Liao
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Qi Xiao
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoqin Shi
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Cheng Li
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Youhua Chen
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Weihua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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50
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Closs LE, Royan MR, Sayyari A, Mayer I, Weltzien FA, Baker DM, Fontaine R. Artificial light at night disrupts male dominance relationships and reproductive success in a model fish species. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:166406. [PMID: 37597540 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166406] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Environmental light is perceived and anticipated by organisms to synchronize their biological cycles. Therefore, artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts both diurnal and seasonal biological rhythms. Reproduction is a complex physiological process involving integration of environmental signals by the brain, and release of endocrine signals by the pituitary that regulate gametogenesis and spawning. In addition, males from many species form a dominance hierarchy that, through a combination of aggressive and protective behavior, influences their reproductive success. In this study, we investigated the effect of ALAN and continuous daylight on the behavior and fitness of male fish within a dominance hierarchy using a model fish, the Japanese medaka. In normal light/dark cycles, male medaka establish a hierarchy with the dominant males being more aggressive and remaining closer to the female thus limiting the access of subordinate males to females during spawning. However, determination of the paternity of the progeny revealed that even though subordinate males spend less time with the females, they are, in normal light conditions, equally successful at producing progeny due to an efficient sneaking behavior. Continuous daylight completely inhibited the establishment of male hierarchy, whereas ALAN did not affect it. Nonetheless, when exposed to ALAN, subordinate males fertilize far fewer eggs. Furthermore, we found that when exposed to ALAN, subordinate males produced lower quality sperm than dominant males. Surprisingly, we found no differences in circulating sex steroid levels, pituitary gonadotropin levels, or gonadosomatic index between dominant and subordinate males, neither in control nor ALAN condition. This study is the first to report an effect of ALAN on sperm quality leading to a modification of male fertilization success in any vertebrate. While this work was performed in a model fish species, our results suggest that in urban areas ALAN may impact the genetic diversity of species displaying dominance behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Closs
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Muhammad Rahmad Royan
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Amin Sayyari
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Ian Mayer
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Finn-Arne Weltzien
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Dianne M Baker
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA, United States.
| | - Romain Fontaine
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
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