Disturbance impacts on large rain-forest vertebrates differ with edge type and regional context in Sulawesi, Indonesia

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 509-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graden Z.L. Froese ◽  
Adrienne L. Contasti ◽  
Abdul Haris Mustari ◽  
Jedediah F. Brodie
Keyword(s):  
Camera Trap ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Edge Type ◽  
Regional Context ◽  
Red Jungle Fowl ◽  
Local Abundance ◽  
Viverra Tangalunga ◽  
Landscape Level

Abstract:Anthropogenic edge effects, whereby disturbance strength increases in proximity to ecotone boundaries, are known to strongly affect individual species but we lack a general understanding of how they vary by species, disturbance type and regional context. We deployed 46 camera-trap stations for a total of 3545 trap-days at two sites in Sulawesi, Indonesia, obtaining 937 detections of five vertebrate species. Anoa (Bubalus spp.) were more abundant near edges, booted macaque (Macaca ochreata) and red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) were less abundant near edges, and edges did not impact Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis) or Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga). But the relative importance of habitat disturbance from agriculture, roads and villages differed for each species, and edge-induced disturbances varied not only in magnitude but also in direction between the study areas. In the strongest instance, macaque local abundance was 3.5 times higher near villages than it was 3 km into the forest in one reserve, but 2.8 times higher 3 km into the forest than near villages in the other reserve. Our results suggest that responses to habitat edges among species and edge types are idiosyncratic, and that landscape-level context can strongly alter the influence of local disturbance on biodiversity.

scholarly journals Habitat degradation and indiscriminate hunting differentially impact faunal communities in the Southeast Asian tropical biodiversity hotspot

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Tilker ◽  
Jesse F. Abrams ◽  
Azlan Mohamed ◽  
An Nguyen ◽  
Seth T. Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Tropical Biodiversity ◽  
Faunal Communities ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Functional Extinction ◽  
Conservation Interventions

Abstract Habitat degradation and hunting have caused the widespread loss of larger vertebrate species (defaunation) from tropical biodiversity hotspots. However, these defaunation drivers impact vertebrate biodiversity in different ways and, therefore, require different conservation interventions. We conducted landscape-scale camera-trap surveys across six study sites in Southeast Asia to assess how moderate degradation and intensive, indiscriminate hunting differentially impact tropical terrestrial mammals and birds. We found that functional extinction rates were higher in hunted compared to degraded sites. Species found in both sites had lower occupancies in the hunted sites. Canopy closure was the main predictor of occurrence in the degraded sites, while village density primarily influenced occurrence in the hunted sites. Our findings suggest that intensive, indiscriminate hunting may be a more immediate threat than moderate habitat degradation for tropical faunal communities, and that conservation stakeholders should focus as much on overhunting as on habitat conservation to address the defaunation crisis.

Effects of different attractants and human scent on mesocarnivore detection at camera traps

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 338
Author(s):  
Bracy W. Heinlein ◽  
Rachael E. Urbanek ◽  
Colleen Olfenbuttel ◽  
Casey G. Dukes
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Castor Oil ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Capture Success ◽  
Affect Detection ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract ContextCamera traps paired with baits and scented lures can be used to monitor mesocarnivore populations, but not all attractants are equally effective. Several studies have investigated the efficacy of different attractants on the success of luring mesocarnivores to camera traps; fewer studies have examined the effect of human scent at camera traps. AimsWe sought to determine the effects of human scent, four attractants and the interaction between attractants and human scent in luring mesocarnivores to camera traps. Methods We compared the success of synthetic fermented egg (SFE), fatty acid scent (FAS) tablets, castor oil, and sardines against a control of no attractant in luring mesocarnivores to camera traps. We deployed each attractant and the control with either no regard to masking human scent or attempting to restrict human scent for a total of 10 treatments, and replicated treatments eight to nine times in two different phases. We investigated whether: (1) any attractants increased the probability of capturing a mesocarnivore at a camera trap; (2) not masking human scent affected the probability of capturing a mesocarnivore at a camera trap; and (3) any attractants increased the probability of repeat detections at a given camera trap. We also analysed the behaviour (i.e. speed and distance to attractant) of each mesocarnivore in relation to the attractants. Key resultsSardines improved capture success compared with the control treatments, whereas SFE, castor oil, and FAS tablets had no effect when all mesocarnivores were included in the analyses. Masking human scent did not affect detection rates in the multispecies analyses. Individually, the detection of some species depended on the interactions between masking (or not masking) human scent and some attractants. ConclusionsSardines were the most effective as a broad-based attractant for mesocarnivores. Mesocarnivores approached traps baited with sardines at slower rates, which allows for a higher success of capturing an image of the animal. ImplicationsHuman scent may not need to be masked when deploying camera traps for multispecies mesocarnivore studies, but researchers should be aware that individual species respond differently to attractants and may have higher capture success with species-specific attractants.

scholarly journals Accounting for uncertainty in assessing the impact of climate change on biodiversity hotspots in Spain

2019 ◽  
pp. 355-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Romero ◽  
J. Olivero ◽  
R. Real
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspots ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Taxonomic Uncertainty ◽  
The Impact

Our limited understanding of the complexity of nature generates uncertainty in mathematical and cartographical models used to predict the effects of climate change on species’ distributions. We developed predictive models of distributional range shifts of threatened vertebrate species in mainland Spain, and in their accumulation in biodiversity hotspots due to climate change. We considered two relevant sources of climatological uncertainty that affect predictions of future climate: general circulation models and socio–economic scenarios. We also examined the relative importance of climate as a driver of species’ distribution and taxonomic uncertainty as additional biogeographical causes of uncertainty. Uncertainty was detected in all the forecasts derived from models in which climate was a significant explanatory factor, and in the species with taxonomic uncertainty. Uncertainty in forecasts was mainly located in areas not occupied by the species, and increased with time difference from the present. Mapping this uncertainty allowed us to assess the consistency of predictions regarding future changes in the distribution of hotspots of threatened vertebrates in Spain.

scholarly journals An experimental test of the area–heterogeneity tradeoff

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 4815-4822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyal Ben-Hur ◽  
Ronen Kadmon
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Competitive Exclusion ◽  
Fundamental Property ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Effective Area ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Average Area ◽  
Fixed Area ◽  
Positive Effect

A fundamental property of ecosystems is a tradeoff between the number and size of habitats: as the number of habitats within a fixed area increases, the average area per habitat must decrease. This tradeoff is termed the “area–heterogeneity tradeoff.” Theoretical models suggest that the reduction in habitat sizes under high levels of heterogeneity may cause a decline in species richness because it reduces the amount of effective area available for individual species under high levels of heterogeneity, thereby increasing the likelihood of stochastic extinctions. Here, we test this prediction using an experiment that allows us to separate the effect of the area–heterogeneity tradeoff from the total effect of habitat heterogeneity. Surprisingly, despite considerable extinctions, reduction in the amount of effective area available per species facilitated rather than reduced richness in the study communities. Our data suggest that the mechanism behind this positive effect was a decrease in the probability of deterministic competitive exclusion. We conclude that the area–heterogeneity tradeoff may have both negative and positive implications for biodiversity and that its net effect depends on the relative importance of stochastic vs. deterministic drivers of extinction in the relevant system. Our finding that the area–heterogeneity tradeoff may contribute to biodiversity adds a dimension to existing ecological theory and is highly relevant for understanding and predicting biodiversity responses to natural and anthropogenic variations in the environment.

Monitoring landscape-level distribution and migration Phenology of Raptors using a volunteer camera-trap network

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Jachowski ◽  
Todd Katzner ◽  
Jane L. Rodrigue ◽  
W. Mark Ford
Keyword(s):  
Camera Trap ◽  
Migration Phenology ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Landscape Level

Managing the risk of exotic vertebrate incursions in Australia

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Henderson ◽  
Mary Bomford ◽  
Phillip Cassey
Keyword(s):  
Communication Networks ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Pest Damage ◽  
Global Transport ◽  
Successful Establishment ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Context Biological invasions are a profound contribution to human-induced environmental change. Although intentional introductions of vertebrate species have largely declined, global transport and communication networks continue to increase. As a consequence, more goods are being traded and the type of species being transported has changed, as well as the associated risks. Aims To analyse the frequency, and provide risk assessments, for exotic vertebrate species detected by border and post-border Australian biosecurity agencies in the past decade (1999–2010). Methods We collated detection records by emailing or telephoning representatives from agencies responsible for implementing Australian biosecurity. We calculated the risk of successful establishment (low, moderate, serious, extreme) for 137 identified vertebrate species not currently established in Australia. Generalised linear models were constructed to test whether the frequency of increasing risk of establishment was associated with either differences between vertebrate classes and/or different detection categories. Key results The majority of species detected were reported from illegal keeping. Individual species risk assessments revealed that reptiles were more likely to be of greater risk for future establishment than were birds, mammals or amphibians. Controlling for taxonomy, high-risk species were not involved in larger (i.e. number of individuals) incidents than were lower-risk species. Across years, the number of novel exotic vertebrate species detected ‘at large’ in Australia has significantly increased. Conclusions Several of the species detected by biosecurity agencies have attributes that give them the potential to become pests in Australia. Preventing incursions is by far the most cost-effective way to prevent future pest damage. Implications It is clear that a nationally coordinated framework for data collection and data sharing among agencies is urgently required. We present a minimum framework for the future collection of inter-agency data, necessary to assess and monitor the ongoing risk of vertebrate pest incursions in Australia.

scholarly journals Of Necks, Trunks and Tails: Axial Skeletal Diversity among Vertebrates

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 289
Author(s):  
Moisés Mallo
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Vertebral Column ◽  
Axial Skeleton ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Genetic Origin ◽  
Vertebral Number ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Skeletal Diversity

The axial skeleton of all vertebrates is composed of individual units known as vertebrae. Each vertebra has individual anatomical attributes, yet they can be classified in five different groups, namely cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and caudal, according to shared characteristics and their association with specific body areas. Variations in vertebral number, size, morphological features and their distribution amongst the different regions of the vertebral column are a major source of the anatomical diversity observed among vertebrates. In this review I will discuss the impact of those variations on the anatomy of different vertebrate species and provide insights into the genetic origin of some remarkable morphological traits that often serve to classify phylogenetic branches or individual species, like the long trunks of snakes or the long necks of giraffes.

scholarly journals Camera trap survey of mammals in Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 14631-14642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paris N. Marler ◽  
Solomon Calago ◽  
Mélanie Ragon ◽  
Lyca Sandrea G Castro
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Critical Habitat ◽  
Palm Civet ◽  
Leopard Cat ◽  
Prionailurus Bengalensis ◽  
Viverra Tangalunga ◽  
Latrine Site

A camera trap survey was conducted in the recently protected Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat (CNCH) in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines from February to May 2015 at 39 camera trap sites.  A bait of common pig’s blood was used at 36 sites, while the three remaining sites were surveyed without a bait and monitored a stream with a latrine site or mud bath with tracks.  Seven native species were detected and three of these species were endemic to the island province.  Species included: Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus philippinensis, Palawan Porcupine Hystrix pumila, Collared Mongoose Urva semitorquata, Palawan Stink Badger Mydaus marchei, Palawan Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis heaneyi, Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus, and Malay Civet Viverra tangalunga.  Analysis of the activity patterns of the three most commonly captured species revealed predominantly nocturnal activity for the Common Palm Civet, Palawan Porcupine, and Palawan Stink Badger.  The Philippine Palm Civet showed occasional diurnal activity.  The seven photo-captured species appeared most common, or were at the least recorded, below 750m.  Five species (the Philippine Palm Civet, Palawan Porcupine, Collared Mongoose, Palawan Stink Badger, and Palawan Leopard Cat) were also recorded above 1000m.  The CNCH supports two threatened species, the Palawan Porcupine and the Asian Small-clawed Otter, which are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, and the Collared Mongoose is listed as Near Threatened.  The Palawan Leopard Cat is considered Vulnerable within the Philippines, although it has yet to be assessed by the IUCN.  This documentation highlights the biodiversity significance within the newly protected critical habitat and the need to support ongoing conservation efforts within the critical habitat.   

The Relative Importance of Small-Scale and Landscape-Level Heterogeneity in Structuring Small Mammal Distributions

1999 ◽  
pp. 175-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. William Schweiger ◽  
James E. Diffendorfer ◽  
Raymond Pierotti ◽  
Robert D. Holt
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Landscape Level

scholarly journals The relative importance of wetland area versus habitat heterogeneity for promoting species richness and abundance of wetland birds in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA

The Condor ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa H Elliott ◽  
Lawrence D Igl ◽  
Douglas H Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Prairie Pothole Region ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Prairie Pothole ◽  
Wetland Area ◽  
Habitat Area ◽  
Landscape Scales ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Abstract Recent work has suggested that a tradeoff exists between habitat area and habitat heterogeneity, with a moderate amount of heterogeneity supporting greatest species richness. Support for this unimodal relationship has been mixed and has differed among habitats and taxa. We examined the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and species richness after accounting for habitat area in glacially formed wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region in the United States at both local and landscape scales. We tested for area–habitat heterogeneity tradeoffs in wetland bird species richness, the richness of groups of similar species, and in species’ abundances. We then identified the habitat relationships for individual species and the relative importance of wetland area vs. habitat heterogeneity and other wetland characteristics. We found that habitat area was the primary driver of species richness and abundance. Additional variation in richness and abundance could be explained by habitat heterogeneity or other wetland and landscape characteristics. Overall avian species richness responded unimodally to habitat heterogeneity, suggesting an area–heterogeneity tradeoff. Group richness and abundance metrics showed either unimodal or linear relationships with habitat heterogeneity. Habitat heterogeneity indices at local and landscape scales were important for some, but not all, species and avian groups. Both abundance of individual species and species richness of most avian groups were higher on publicly owned wetlands than on privately owned wetlands, on restored wetlands than natural wetlands, and on permanent wetlands than on wetlands of other classes. However, we found that all wetlands examined, regardless of ownership, restoration status, and wetland class, supported wetland-obligate birds. Thus, protection of all wetland types contributes to species conservation. Our results support conventional wisdom that protection of large wetlands is a priority but also indicate that maintaining habitat heterogeneity will enhance biodiversity and support higher populations of individual species.

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