scholarly journals Diet and Life-History Traits of Savannah Dwelling Waterbirds in Southern Africa: Implications for Their Conservation Status

Birds ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-184
Author(s):  
Tawanda Tarakini ◽  
Innocent Mabika ◽  
Tongayi Mwedzi ◽  
Peter Mundy ◽  
Hervé Fritz
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Life History ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Waterbird Species ◽  
Declining Species

This study evaluates the relative contribution of reproduction-based life history traits and diet to the population trends in waterbirds from southern Africa. Life history traits (clutch size, incubation period, fledging time, body mass and generation length), diet (prey weight, body lengths and number of taxa represented in its diet (NTD)) and conservation status (declining/not declining) of 163 waterbird species were reviewed. An index of diet generalism was created based on NTD. Cluster analysis was applied on life history traits to define groups of waterbirds. Binomial regressions were used to test if population trends were different across cluster groups and diet variables. Four clusters of waterbirds were defined, with most waterfowl clustering together. Species that feed on small and large prey had higher probabilities of declining (0.17 and 0.26, respectively) compared to those feeding on medium-sized prey (0.08). Amphibians, coleopterans, crustacea, molluscs and tunicates were used by species in all clusters, and the risk of waterbird populations declining further are high given the current dwindling of the prey base. The large proportions of declining species (61%) in waterbirds, which have constrained habitats, calls for continued efforts to mitigate disturbances to wetlands.

scholarly journals Life-history traits inform on population trends when assessing the conservation status of a declining tiger shark population

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Brown ◽  
George Roff
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Tiger Shark ◽  
Full Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
The Status

AbstractThe assessment of the conservation status of wide ranging species depends on estimates of the magnitude of their population trends. The accuracy of trend estimates will depend on where and how many locations within a species’ range are sampled. We ask how the spatial extent of sampling interacts with non-linear patterns in long-term trends to affect estimates of decline in standardised catch of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) on the east coast of Australia. We apply a Bayesian trend model that uses prior information on life-history traits to estimate trends where we use data from all regions versus spatial subsets of the data. As more regions were included in the model the trend estimates converged towards an overall decline of 71% over three generations. Trends estimated from data only from northern regions or southern regions underestimated and overestimated the regional decline, respectively. When a subset of regions was modelled, rather than the full data-set, the prior informed by life-history traits performed well, as did a weakly informed prior that allowed for high variation. The rate of decline in tiger sharks is consistent with a listing East Coast Australia tiger sharks as endangered under local legislation. Monitoring programs that aim to estimate population trends should attempt to cover the extremes and mid-points of a population’s range. Life-history information can be used to inform priors for population variation and may give more accurate estimates of trends that can be justified in debates about the status of threatened species, particularly when sampling is limited.

scholarly journals Correction to: Incongruence between life-history traits and conservation status in reef corals

Coral Reefs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 493-493
Author(s):  
Tom C. L. Bridge ◽  
Osmar J. Luiz ◽  
Chao-Yang Kuo ◽  
Kristin Precoda ◽  
Elizabeth M. P. Madin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Reef Corals

scholarly journals Life-history traits and habitat availability shape genomic diversity in birds: implications for conservation

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1961) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Brüniche-Olsen ◽  
Kenneth F. Kellner ◽  
Jerrold L. Belant ◽  
J. Andrew DeWoody
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Genomic Variation ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Whole Genome Sequence ◽  
Habitat Availability

More than 25% of species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are threatened with extinction. Understanding how environmental and biological processes have shaped genomic diversity may inform management practices. Using 68 extant avian species, we parsed the effects of habitat availability and life-history traits on genomic diversity over time to provide a baseline for conservation efforts. We used published whole-genome sequence data to estimate overall genomic diversity as indicated by historical long-term effective population sizes ( N e ) and current genomic variability ( H ), then used environmental niche modelling to estimate Pleistocene habitat dynamics for each species. We found that N e and H were positively correlated with habitat availability and related to key life-history traits (body mass and diet), suggesting the latter contribute to the overall genomic variation. We found that H decreased with increasing species extinction risk, suggesting that H may serve as a leading indicator of demographic trends related to formal IUCN conservation status in birds. Our analyses illustrate that genome-wide summary statistics estimated from sequence data reflect meaningful ecological attributes relevant to species conservation.

scholarly journals Shallow seamounts represent speciation islands for circumglobal yellowtail Seriola lalandi

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Kerwath ◽  
Rouvay Roodt-Wilding ◽  
Toufiek Samaai ◽  
Henning Winker ◽  
Wendy West ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Shark Species ◽  
Heterogeneous Environments ◽  
Genetic Structuring ◽  
Yellowtail Kingfish ◽  
Seriola Lalandi

AbstractPhenotypic plasticity in life-history traits in response to heterogeneous environments has been observed in a number of fishes. Conversely, genetic structure has recently been detected in even the most wide ranging pelagic teleost fish and shark species with massive dispersal potential, putting into question previous expectations of panmixia. Shallow oceanic seamounts are known aggregation sites for pelagic species, but their role in genetic structuring of widely distributed species remains poorly understood. The yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi), a commercially valuable, circumglobal, epipelagic fish species occurs in two genetically distinct Southern Hemisphere populations (South Pacific and southern Africa) with low levels of gene-flow between the regions. Two shallow oceanic seamounts exist in the ocean basins around southern Africa; Vema and Walters Shoal in the Atlantic and Indian oceans, respectively. We analysed rare samples from these remote locations and from the South African continental shelf to assess genetic structure and population connectivity in S. lalandi and investigated life-history traits by comparing diet, age, growth and maturation among the three sites. The results suggest that yellowtail from South Africa and the two seamounts are genetically and phenotypically distinct. Rather than mere feeding oases, we postulate that these seamounts represent islands of breeding populations with site-specific adaptations.

scholarly journals Life history traits and reproductive ecology of North American chorus frogs of the genus Pseudacris (Hylidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Ethier ◽  
Aurore Fayard ◽  
Peter Soroye ◽  
Daeun Choi ◽  
Marc J. Mazerolle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
North America ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Reproductive Ecology ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Chorus Frogs ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Chorus Frog

AbstractAmphibian biodiversity is declining globally, with over 40% of species being considered threatened to become extinct. Crucial to the success of conservation initiatives are a comprehensive understanding of life history and reproductive ecology of target species. Here we provide an overview of the Pseudacris genus, including breeding behaviour, reproduction, development, survival and longevity. We present an updated distribution map of the 18 species found throughout North America. We also summarize the conservation status at the national and subnational (state, provincial, and territorial) levels, in Canada, USA, and Mexico, to evaluate the relationship between life history traits and extinction risk. Results show a high degree of consistency in the life history traits of Pseudacris species considering their relative diversity and wide distribution in North America. However, data are lacking for several species, particularly in the Fat Frog and West Coast clades, causing some uncertainties and discrepancies in the literature. We also found that the most threatened populations of chorus frog were located in the east coast of the USA, potentially as a result of increased levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We suggest that the similarities in life history traits among chorus frog species provides an opportunity for collaboration and united efforts for the conservation of the genus.

Incongruence between life-history traits and conservation status in reef corals

Coral Reefs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom C. L. Bridge ◽  
Osmar J. Luiz ◽  
Chao-Yang Kuo ◽  
Kristin Precoda ◽  
Elizabeth M. P. Madin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Reef Corals

scholarly journals Species Traits Drive Long-Term Population Trends of Common Breeding Birds in Northern Italy

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3426
Author(s):  
Pietro Tirozzi ◽  
Valerio Orioli ◽  
Olivia Dondina ◽  
Leila Kataoka ◽  
Luciano Bani
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Conservation Priorities

Long-term population trends are considerable sources of information to set wildlife conservation priorities and to evaluate the performance of management actions. In addition, trends observed in functional groups (e.g., trophic guilds) can provide the foundation to test specific hypotheses about the drivers of the observed population dynamics. The aims of this study were to assess population trends of breeding birds in Lombardy (N Italy) from 1992 to 2019 and to explore the relationships between trends and species sharing similar ecological and life history traits. Trends were quantified and tested for significance by weighted linear regression models and using yearly population indices (median and 95% confidence interval) predicted through generalized additive models. Results showed that 45% of the species increased, 24% decreased, and 31% showed non-significant trends. Life history traits analyses revealed a general decrease of migrants, of species with short incubation period and of species with high annual fecundity. Ecological traits analyses showed that plant-eaters and species feeding on invertebrates, farmland birds, and ground-nesters declined, while woodland birds increased. Further studies should focus on investigation of the relationship between long-term trends and species traits at large spatial scales, and on quantifying the effects of specific drivers across multiple functional groups.

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