Aesthetic services convey express people’s opinion about natural word and are crucial to the planning of biodiversity-related environmental protection. This study presents a comprehensive approach for quantifying the aesthetic services provided by landscapes using integrated plant traits in Iran’s semiarid Iranian ecosystems. Using the opinion of expert, the significance of each plant trait for aesthetic services was examined. According to the structure equation model, the most important traits for a species’ ability to provide aesthetic services were flower, leaf, fruit, crown, and stem respectively (p < 0.01). The weighted traits and the frequency of observed species in field data were integrated to quantify aesthetic services provided by plant communities A strong synergy relationship existed between aesthetic services and forbs diversity in semiarid ecosystems (p < 0.001). The findings showed that the plain had less potential to supply aesthetic services than the mountain landscape which is a hotspot plant diversity with twice as much potential (p < 0.05). The approach described in this study, which is based on the quantification of aesthetic services and combined with biodiversity, helps to alter the way that nature is used and to advance conservation efforts, taking into account the crucial requirement for human participation in conservation plans.
{"title":"Exploring plant diversity and aesthetic service of mountain and plain landscapes in semiarid ecosystems","authors":"Azam Khosravi Mashizi , Mohsen Sharafatmandrad , Reza Alizadeh","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Aesthetic services convey express people’s opinion about natural word and are crucial to the planning of biodiversity-related environmental protection. This study presents a comprehensive approach for quantifying the aesthetic services provided by landscapes using integrated plant traits in Iran’s semiarid Iranian ecosystems. Using the opinion of expert, the significance of each plant trait for aesthetic services was examined. According to the structure equation model, the most important traits for a species’ ability to provide aesthetic services were flower, leaf, fruit, crown, and stem respectively (p < 0.01). The weighted traits and the frequency of observed species in field data were integrated to quantify aesthetic services provided by plant communities A strong synergy relationship existed between aesthetic services and forbs diversity in semiarid ecosystems (p < 0.001). The findings showed that the plain had less potential to supply aesthetic services than the mountain landscape which is a hotspot plant diversity with twice as much potential (p < 0.05). The approach described in this study, which is based on the quantification of aesthetic services and combined with biodiversity, helps to alter the way that nature is used and to advance conservation efforts, taking into account the crucial requirement for human participation in conservation plans.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 126740"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142274351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The presence of certain species in habitats and at altitudes different from their usual ecological requirements has great biogeographic importance. Such a situation was identified in 2023 on the middle and lower course of Eșelnița Valley, a Danube tributary in the Carpathian Mountains in southwestern Romania. Thus, in Eșelnița Valley, we identified Vaccinium myrtillus and Calluna vulgaris species in beech forests at low altitudes. The lowest altitude with V. myrtillus in Eșelnița Valley was 198 m (approximately 5 km upstream from the Danube). On Eșelnița Valley, other species related to mountain areas are also present at low altitudes, favored by the narrow shape and the cooler microclimate of the valley.
{"title":"Low altitude Vaccinium myrtillus L. populations in the Eșelnița Valley (Danube Gorge, Carpathian Mountains, Romania)","authors":"Adriana Petruș-Vancea , Diana Cupșa , Sára Ferenți , Amalia-Raluca Dumbravă , Severus-Daniel Covaciu-Marcov","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126730","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126730","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The presence of certain species in habitats and at altitudes different from their usual ecological requirements has great biogeographic importance. Such a situation was identified in 2023 on the middle and lower course of Eșelnița Valley, a Danube tributary in the Carpathian Mountains in southwestern Romania. Thus, in Eșelnița Valley, we identified <em>Vaccinium myrtillus</em> and <em>Calluna vulgaris</em> species in beech forests at low altitudes. The lowest altitude with <em>V. myrtillus</em> in Eșelnița Valley was 198 m (approximately 5 km upstream from the Danube). On Eșelnița Valley, other species related to mountain areas are also present at low altitudes, favored by the narrow shape and the cooler microclimate of the valley.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 126730"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1617138124001791/pdfft?md5=5eb50373cdb3b5499d7b3aa547f9a6c1&pid=1-s2.0-S1617138124001791-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142310933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126735
Y. Bunsy , R.Z. Oleksy , P. Bissessur , M.L.F. Monty , T. Gujudhur , M.O.D. Dupré , F.B.V. Florens
Bats (Chiroptera) constitute one-fifth of the global mammalian diversity, with over 1,450 species. Yet, 16.5 % of them are threatened with extinction, a situation exacerbated on islands, underscoring an urgent need for conservation efforts there. However, effective conservation action can only be as sound as the understanding of the basic ecology of such insular species. Mauritius harbours one endemic Endangered cave-roosting insectivorous bat, in recent decline, whose ecology is poorly known, hampering its conservation. We used Mormopterus acetabulosus as a model species to inform insectivorous island bat conservation in highly transformed habitats. We compared the species’ historical and current known roost distribution and sizes and estimated any change in its Area of Occupancy (AOO) and Extent of Occurrence (EOO) using GeoCAT. We also compiled the physical characteristics, environmental and anthropogenic variables of caves that are occupied and unoccupied by the bats to identify potential factors influencing roost occupancy. We found roosts in 17 of the recorded 130 lava cave tunnels, up from the nine previously recorded, including 11 permanent and six seasonal roosts, mostly (∼71 %) on privately owned land. Compared to the last surveys in 2017, the EOO remained stable at 818.9 km2, while the AOO increased by 33.3 %. This expansion may reflect previously undetected roosts or recent colonisation events or both. Cave dimensions in terms of entrance size and height as well as the number of chambers, relative humidity and distance to water best explained roost occupancy by M. acetabulosus. Caves with larger entrances may be preferred for roosting as this characteristic eases manoeuvrability and predator avoidance, and larger caves may be preferred for enhanced microclimatic stability. Occupied and unoccupied caves were found to differ in terms of physical characteristics, although cave microclimate did not vary notably. Based on their characteristics and their potential contributions to increasing the species’ EOO and AOO, six currently unoccupied caves were identified as priority sites for future conservation efforts. Legal protection of all caves, regardless of current bat occupancy is necessary to mitigate extinction risks and preserve their associated ecological functions.
{"title":"Cave-roosting specialisation of an oceanic island endemic microbat elevates extinction risks as caves face multiple threats","authors":"Y. Bunsy , R.Z. Oleksy , P. Bissessur , M.L.F. Monty , T. Gujudhur , M.O.D. Dupré , F.B.V. Florens","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bats (Chiroptera) constitute one-fifth of the global mammalian diversity, with over 1,450 species. Yet, 16.5 % of them are threatened with extinction, a situation exacerbated on islands, underscoring an urgent need for conservation efforts there. However, effective conservation action can only be as sound as the understanding of the basic ecology of such insular species. Mauritius harbours one endemic Endangered cave-roosting insectivorous bat, in recent decline, whose ecology is poorly known, hampering its conservation. We used <em>Mormopterus acetabulosus</em> as a model species to inform insectivorous island bat conservation in highly transformed habitats. We compared the species’ historical and current known roost distribution and sizes and estimated any change in its Area of Occupancy (AOO) and Extent of Occurrence (EOO) using GeoCAT. We also compiled the physical characteristics, environmental and anthropogenic variables of caves that are occupied and unoccupied by the bats to identify potential factors influencing roost occupancy. We found roosts in 17 of the recorded 130 lava cave tunnels, up from the nine previously recorded, including 11 permanent and six seasonal roosts, mostly (∼71 %) on privately owned land. Compared to the last surveys in 2017, the EOO remained stable at 818.9 km<sup>2</sup>, while the AOO increased by 33.3 %. This expansion may reflect previously undetected roosts or recent colonisation events or both. Cave dimensions in terms of entrance size and height as well as the number of chambers, relative humidity and distance to water best explained roost occupancy by <em>M. acetabulosus</em>. Caves with larger entrances may be preferred for roosting as this characteristic eases manoeuvrability and predator avoidance, and larger caves may be preferred for enhanced microclimatic stability. Occupied and unoccupied caves were found to differ in terms of physical characteristics, although cave microclimate did not vary notably. Based on their characteristics and their potential contributions to increasing the species’ EOO and AOO, six currently unoccupied caves were identified as priority sites for future conservation efforts. Legal protection of all caves, regardless of current bat occupancy is necessary to mitigate extinction risks and preserve their associated ecological functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 126735"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Freshwaters of the Balkan Peninsula show high levels of endemism and relict species, which are still little studied and are threatened by numerous anthropogenic stressors. Protected areas could give special opportunities to improve knowledge of their biodiversity and develop proper conservation measures for the most at-extinction risk species. The aims of this research were to: i) fill the knowledge gap regarding fish and crustaceans occurring in the main water bodies of the Blidinje Nature Park (Southwestern Bosnia-Herzegovina); ii) assess the population abundance and growth, for the species of conservational interest; iii) identify fish biodiversity hotspots in Bosnia-Herzegovina; iv) identify anthropogenic pressures and suggest proper conservation measures. Fish and crayfish data were collected in four sampling sites located on the main water bodies, using electrofishing and gillnets, in three sampling phases over the period July 2022-August 2023. The presence of three species at high extinction risk has been detected: Squalius tenellus, Aulopyge huegelii and Astacus astacus. Their populations were abundant, with balanced age structure and good growth performance. A spatial analysis allowed to quantify the fractions of the endemic species range covered by the Blidinje Nature Park, which were 6.1% and 2.3% for S. tenellus and A. huegelii, respectively. The presence of invasive Atlantic trout and overharvesting of crayfish seem to represent the main anthropogenic pressures on freshwater biota. The obtained information allowed to expand the knowledge on the distribution and population status of threatened species and to highlight diversity hotspots as valuable tools for their conservation and management.
{"title":"The role of protected areas in the Balkan freshwater biodiversity conservation: The case of Blidinje Nature Park (Southwestern Bosnia-Herzegovina)","authors":"Antonella Carosi , Francesca Lorenzoni , Fabrizio Oneto , Matteo Capurro , Jasmina Ovcina , Deborah Rezzoagli , Chiara Petroselli , Roberta Selvaggi , David Cappelletti , Nuria Sanz , Massimo Lorenzoni","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Freshwaters of the Balkan Peninsula show high levels of endemism and relict species, which are still little studied and are threatened by numerous anthropogenic stressors. Protected areas could give special opportunities to improve knowledge of their biodiversity and develop proper conservation measures for the most at-extinction risk species. The aims of this research were to: i) fill the knowledge gap regarding fish and crustaceans occurring in the main water bodies of the Blidinje Nature Park (Southwestern Bosnia-Herzegovina); ii) assess the population abundance and growth, for the species of conservational interest; iii) identify fish biodiversity hotspots in Bosnia-Herzegovina; iv) identify anthropogenic pressures and suggest proper conservation measures. Fish and crayfish data were collected in four sampling sites located on the main water bodies, using electrofishing and gillnets, in three sampling phases over the period July 2022-August 2023. The presence of three species at high extinction risk has been detected: <em>Squalius tenellus</em>, <em>Aulopyge huegelii</em> and <em>Astacus astacus</em>. Their populations were abundant, with balanced age structure and good growth performance. A spatial analysis allowed to quantify the fractions of the endemic species range covered by the Blidinje Nature Park, which were 6.1% and 2.3% for <em>S. tenellus</em> and <em>A. huegelii</em>, respectively. The presence of invasive Atlantic trout and overharvesting of crayfish seem to represent the main anthropogenic pressures on freshwater biota. The obtained information allowed to expand the knowledge on the distribution and population status of threatened species and to highlight diversity hotspots as valuable tools for their conservation and management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 126739"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1617138124001882/pdfft?md5=d9667c41ae5f23ea76c0ae055a6dc824&pid=1-s2.0-S1617138124001882-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142310203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126736
Giovanni Amori , Luca Luiselli
The geographic range is a critical factor in assessing species’ threatened status on the IUCN Red List. A smaller geographic range increases the likelihood of a species being classified as threatened. Taxonomic revisions, which can split a widely distributed taxon into multiple smaller-range species, may elevate the threatened status for these newly recognized species. While taxonomic splitting is thought to increase the perceived threatened status of species, data on birds suggest the opposite, with newly recognized species being less threatened. No similar analysis has been conducted for mammals until now. This study compares the relationship between the number of recognized and threatened species in four mammalian orders (Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, Chiroptera, and Rodentia) between 2005 and 2022. It was found that increases in species numbers due to taxonomic revisions correlated with increases in threatened species, particularly in Primates and Cetartiodactyla. The overall threatened status of these groups changed over time, with Primates and Cetartiodactyla becoming more threatened, while Rodentia became less threatened. We emphasize the need for consistent criteria in IUCN assessments to avoid biases, and we recommend that changes in the threatened status should only occur with robust evidence.
{"title":"Is the general threatened status of four mammal groups affected by taxonomic changes over time?","authors":"Giovanni Amori , Luca Luiselli","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The geographic range is a critical factor in assessing species’ threatened status on the IUCN Red List. A smaller geographic range increases the likelihood of a species being classified as threatened. Taxonomic revisions, which can split a widely distributed taxon into multiple smaller-range species, may elevate the threatened status for these newly recognized species. While taxonomic splitting is thought to increase the perceived threatened status of species, data on birds suggest the opposite, with newly recognized species being less threatened. No similar analysis has been conducted for mammals until now. This study compares the relationship between the number of recognized and threatened species in four mammalian orders (Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, Chiroptera, and Rodentia) between 2005 and 2022. It was found that increases in species numbers due to taxonomic revisions correlated with increases in threatened species, particularly in Primates and Cetartiodactyla. The overall threatened status of these groups changed over time, with Primates and Cetartiodactyla becoming more threatened, while Rodentia became less threatened. We emphasize the need for consistent criteria in IUCN assessments to avoid biases, and we recommend that changes in the threatened status should only occur with robust evidence.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 126736"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142274442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126724
Muhammad Zaman , Rodney Jackson , Shafqat Hussain
Apex predators are essential for maintaining ecosystem balance by controlling biotic communities. The spatio-temporal grazing of livestock in pastoral areas can pose threats to endangered carnivores and their prey resulting in resource competition, conflicts and increased disease transmission. Our research aimed to assess the spatio-temporal distribution of snow leopards and livestock determine factors causing snow leopard-livestock conflicts identify seasonal conflict zones through public claims and interviews and evaluate conservation benefits and challenges. In this study, camera traps were used in 20 villages of Baltistan from November to April resulting in 720 snow leopard sightings and 8277 livestock events. Snow leopards preyed on 195 livestock in the 2022–2023 period resulting in an estimated loss of $225,004.51 USD including sheeps, goats, cows and yaks.We utilized the Generalized Linear Regression Model to examine snow leopard attacks finding that the timing of attacks was not significant. Proximity to predator-proofed corrals, traditional corrals, bite marks and distance to the nearest village or shepherd huts were positively correlated with attacks, while small stock body size was not significant. Through 110 public interviews we discovered that awareness campaigns and avoidance strategies successfully mitigated human-snow leopard conflicts. In conclusion, our results found that livestock attacks occur in pastures during both day and night with the size and sex of the livestock affecting the likelihood of attacks. Snow leopard attacks were linked to increased grazing and poorly constructed corrals. Snow leopards targeted vulnerable areas of their prey including the neck, mouth, ears and anal region. Compensation claims and field visits were used to identify conflict areas and public perception. In the future research should prioritize the use of camera traps to study prey and snow leopard density, grazing effects, food habits using genetic tools and sex determination.
{"title":"Spatio-temporal human snow leopard (Panthera uncia) conflicts and mitigation measures in Baltistan - free-livestock grazing pastoral areas","authors":"Muhammad Zaman , Rodney Jackson , Shafqat Hussain","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126724","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126724","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Apex predators are essential for maintaining ecosystem balance by controlling biotic communities. The spatio-temporal grazing of livestock in pastoral areas can pose threats to endangered carnivores and their prey resulting in resource competition, conflicts and increased disease transmission. Our research aimed to assess the spatio-temporal distribution of snow leopards and livestock determine factors causing snow leopard-livestock conflicts identify seasonal conflict zones through public claims and interviews and evaluate conservation benefits and challenges. In this study, camera traps were used in 20 villages of Baltistan from November to April resulting in 720 snow leopard sightings and 8277 livestock events. Snow leopards preyed on 195 livestock in the 2022–2023 period resulting in an estimated loss of $225,004.51 USD including sheeps, goats, cows and yaks.We utilized the Generalized Linear Regression Model to examine snow leopard attacks finding that the timing of attacks was not significant. Proximity to predator-proofed corrals, traditional corrals, bite marks and distance to the nearest village or shepherd huts were positively correlated with attacks, while small stock body size was not significant. Through 110 public interviews we discovered that awareness campaigns and avoidance strategies successfully mitigated human-snow leopard conflicts. In conclusion, our results found that livestock attacks occur in pastures during both day and night with the size and sex of the livestock affecting the likelihood of attacks. Snow leopard attacks were linked to increased grazing and poorly constructed corrals. Snow leopards targeted vulnerable areas of their prey including the neck, mouth, ears and anal region. Compensation claims and field visits were used to identify conflict areas and public perception. In the future research should prioritize the use of camera traps to study prey and snow leopard density, grazing effects, food habits using genetic tools and sex determination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 126724"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142426509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126731
Ana Cecília Holler Del Prette , Rafael Félix de Magalhães , Priscila Lemes , Tiago Leite Pezzuti , Christine Strüssmann , Caroline Batistim Oswald , Jean Carlo Pedroso de Oliveira , Fabrício Rodrigues dos Santos , Reuber Albuquerque Brandão
Species-focused conservation requires accurate knowledge of geographic distribution to effectively categorize species in red lists, assess threats, and plan conservation initiatives. In this study, we describe a protocol used to identify potential occurrence locations for two habitat-specialist leaf frogs, Pithecopus ayeaye and P. oreades, by (1) creating species distribution models (SDMs) using climate data, and (2) utilizing natural history information to select potential occurrence points in high-resolution satellite images within high-suitable climate conditions determined in the previous step. Field validation of the protocol yielded a high success rate in discovering new populations for both species. As these species show morphological and reproductive similarities, we used molecular tools for taxonomic resolution. We documented 36 new records (22 for P. ayeaye and 14 for P. oreades). The commission error in the P. oreades SDM led to new records for P. ayeaye, indicating niche conservatism and suggesting a higher climatic tolerance than predicted by the P. ayeaye SDM. Furthermore, we identified a sympatric zone that may facilitate interspecific gene flow. Our protocol effectively addressed the Wallacean shortfall for these two species, and we propose similar approaches for predicting the potential distribution of rare species with mappable specific habitat preferences.
物种保护需要准确的地理分布知识，以便有效地对红色名录中的物种进行分类、评估威胁和规划保护措施。在本研究中，我们介绍了一种用于确定两种栖息地特化叶蛙（Pithecopus ayeaye 和 P. oreades）潜在出现地点的方案，具体方法是：（1）利用气候数据创建物种分布模型（SDM）；（2）利用自然历史信息在高分辨率卫星图像中选择前一步确定的高适宜气候条件下的潜在出现点。该方案的实地验证在发现这两个物种的新种群方面取得了很高的成功率。由于这两个物种在形态和繁殖方面具有相似性，我们使用了分子工具来解决分类问题。我们记录了 36 项新记录（22 项为 P. ayeaye，14 项为 P. oreades）。oreades SDM 中的错误导致了 P. ayeaye 的新记录，这表明了生态位的保守性，也表明了 P. ayeaye 比 P. oreades SDM 预测的更高的气候耐受性。此外，我们还发现了一个可能促进种间基因流动的同域。我们的方案有效地解决了这两个物种的华莱士短缺问题，我们建议采用类似的方法来预测具有可映射的特定栖息地偏好的稀有物种的潜在分布。
{"title":"Combining predictive distribution methods and life history to reduce geographic distribution shortfalls for two rocky Cerrado endemic leaf frogs","authors":"Ana Cecília Holler Del Prette , Rafael Félix de Magalhães , Priscila Lemes , Tiago Leite Pezzuti , Christine Strüssmann , Caroline Batistim Oswald , Jean Carlo Pedroso de Oliveira , Fabrício Rodrigues dos Santos , Reuber Albuquerque Brandão","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126731","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126731","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Species-focused conservation requires accurate knowledge of geographic distribution to effectively categorize species in red lists, assess threats, and plan conservation initiatives. In this study, we describe a protocol used to identify potential occurrence locations for two habitat-specialist leaf frogs, <em>Pithecopus ayeaye</em> and <em>P. oreades</em>, by (1) creating species distribution models (SDMs) using climate data, and (2) utilizing natural history information to select potential occurrence points in high-resolution satellite images within high-suitable climate conditions determined in the previous step. Field validation of the protocol yielded a high success rate in discovering new populations for both species. As these species show morphological and reproductive similarities, we used molecular tools for taxonomic resolution. We documented 36 new records (22 for <em>P. ayeaye</em> and 14 for <em>P. oreades</em>). The commission error in the <em>P. oreades</em> SDM led to new records for <em>P. ayeaye</em>, indicating niche conservatism and suggesting a higher climatic tolerance than predicted by the <em>P. ayeaye</em> SDM. Furthermore, we identified a sympatric zone that may facilitate interspecific gene flow. Our protocol effectively addressed the Wallacean shortfall for these two species, and we propose similar approaches for predicting the potential distribution of rare species with mappable specific habitat preferences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 126731"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142359249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-15DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126732
Matilde Martini , Sara Patelli , Francesca Maura Cassola , Jacopo Iaria , Martina Livornese , Sofia Prandelli , Francesco Santi , Duccio Rocchini , Martina Muraro , Pierangela Angelini , Gaetano Caricato , Achille Palma , Emanuela Carli , Laura Casella , Giuseppe Miraglia , Francesca Pretto , Roberto Cazzolla Gatti
Forestry seems to have a significant impact on the diversity and composition of forest small mammal communities. Coppicing is one of the most widely adopted silvicultural systems in Europe and its effect on the entire small mammals community remains unclear. Thus, our study aimed to preliminary assess the stand-level effect of different coppice woodland elements on community richness, focusing on forest small mammal species. Furthermore, a second aim was to assess the effect of these woodland stand elements on different small mammal taxonomic groups to evaluate possible differential responses within the community. We identified three different coppice age classes, and selected a total of 15 coppice-with-standards forest stands. Additionally, we collected data about understory shrub structure and composition. Fur samples were collected using the hair tube sampling method. We found a significant effect of the coppice age on the number of species detected in communities. Furthermore, we found a differential response between glirid and murid families, with glirid being positively affected by a higher shrub abundance, which is instead severely reduced by coppicing.
{"title":"A case study on the impact of coppicing on small mammal diversity: First evidence from the high Agri Valley in the Basilicata Region, Italy","authors":"Matilde Martini , Sara Patelli , Francesca Maura Cassola , Jacopo Iaria , Martina Livornese , Sofia Prandelli , Francesco Santi , Duccio Rocchini , Martina Muraro , Pierangela Angelini , Gaetano Caricato , Achille Palma , Emanuela Carli , Laura Casella , Giuseppe Miraglia , Francesca Pretto , Roberto Cazzolla Gatti","doi":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forestry seems to have a significant impact on the diversity and composition of forest small mammal communities. Coppicing is one of the most widely adopted silvicultural systems in Europe and its effect on the entire small mammals community remains unclear. Thus, our study aimed to preliminary assess the stand-level effect of different coppice woodland elements on community richness, focusing on forest small mammal species. Furthermore, a second aim was to assess the effect of these woodland stand elements on different small mammal taxonomic groups to evaluate possible differential responses within the community. We identified three different coppice age classes, and selected a total of 15 coppice-with-standards forest stands. Additionally, we collected data about understory shrub structure and composition. Fur samples were collected using the hair tube sampling method. We found a significant effect of the coppice age on the number of species detected in communities. Furthermore, we found a differential response between glirid and murid families, with glirid being positively affected by a higher shrub abundance, which is instead severely reduced by coppicing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54898,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Nature Conservation","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 126732"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S161713812400181X/pdfft?md5=347d3f7c18ad82ba89a9903efb3735ce&pid=1-s2.0-S161713812400181X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142310932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126710
Maria Letícia Silva-Santos , Paulo Cascon , Daniel C. Passos
The world has been going through a climate crisis that has led to a substantial increase in global temperatures. Consequently, amphibians, ectothermic animals that depend on water to survive/reproduce, are under increasing threat. In this research, we compared the influence of climate change on the geographic distribution between anuran species with occurrence restricted to the Brazilian semi-arid region (Caatinga domain) and widely distributed congeneric species, with occurrence in multiple biomes. We hypothesized that climate change would be more harmful for species of restricted distribution than for those widely distributed. For this purpose, using ecological niche modeling, we designed potential distribution models for current and four future climate scenarios, and compared two metrics (climatic suitability and index of extent of occurrence) between restricted and widely distributed species. The results revealed that the climatic suitability did not differ among current climatic conditions and those expected for 2050 and 2090, nor differed between species with distribution restricted to the Caatinga and widely distributed ones. On the other hand, contrary to our predictions, while species with wide distributions would tend to retract their extent of occurrence in future times, species with restricted distributions would expand their ranges. These results suggest that species with current distribution restricted to Caatinga biome might be relatively favored by the climate changes predicted for the next 80 years. However, we discuss that this result should be interpreted with very caution, because many ecological and conservation requirements need to be guaranteed so that these predictions can actually occur. Our findings contributed to the understanding of the effects of climate change on closely related taxa, with different distribution patterns, revealing particularities of the anuran amphibians that occur in semi-arid environments in response to climate changes predicted for this century.
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