Living on the edge: genetic structure and geographic distribution in the threatened Markham’s Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates markhami)

Migratory birds are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, illegal killings, ineffective conservation policies, knowledge gaps and climate change. These threats are particularly troubling in the Procellariiformes (Aves), one of the most endangered bird groups. For “storm-petrels”, their cryptic breeding behavior, asynchrony between populations, and light pollution pose additional threats that contribute to increased mortality.Markham’s Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates markhami), a poorly known migratory species, is a pelagic bird that breeds in dispersed colonies in the Sechura and Atacama Deserts, with asynchronous reproduction between colonies, and is highly affected by artificial lights. Considering its complex conservation scenario and singular breeding, we expected to find narrow habitat distribution conditions, strong geographic genetic structure, and spatially differentiation related to human population activities (e.g., light pollution) and the climate global change. To evaluate these predictions, we analyzed the phylogeography, current and future potential distribution based on mitochondrial gene ND1 and geographic records.The phylogeographic analyses revealed three well-supported clades (i.e., Paracas, Arica, and Salar Grande), and the geographical distribution modeled using an intrinsic conditional model (iCAR) suggests a positive relationship with the mean temperature of the wettest quarter and of the driest quarter, solar radiation, and anthropogenic disturbance. The future predictions under moderate and severe scenarios of global change indicated a drastic distribution area reduction, especially in the southern zone around Tarapacá and Antofagasta in Chile. These suggest a potential loss of unique genetic diversity and the need for conservation actions particularly focused at the edges of the H. markhami distribution.

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Deep genetic structure at a small spatial scale in the endangered land snail Xerocrassa montserratensis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87741-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cristina Català ◽

Vicenç Bros ◽

Xavier Castelltort ◽

Xavier Santos ◽

Marta Pascual

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Land Snail ◽

Snail Species ◽

Small Spatial Scale ◽

Geographic Ranges ◽

Genetic Groups ◽

Species Of Conservation Concern ◽

Conservation Actions ◽

Conservation Concern ◽

Single Locality

AbstractSpecies with small geographic ranges do not tend to have a high genetic structure, but some land snail species seem to be an exception. Xerocrassa montserratensis, an endangered land snail endemic to Catalonia (northeastern Iberian Peninsula), is an excellent model to study the processes affecting the phylogeography of specialized species of conservation concern. This species is restricted to xerophilous stony slopes and occurs within a small and fragmented area of ca. 500 km2. We sequenced the COI barcode region of 152 individuals from eight sites covering the entire range of the species. We found four genetic groups mostly coincident with their geographic distribution: a central ancestral group containing shared haplotypes among five localities and three groups restricted to a single locality each. Two of these derived groups were geographically and genetically isolated, while the third and most differentiated group was not geographically isolated. Geomorphologic and paleoclimatic processes during the Pleistocene can explain the divergence found between populations of this low dispersal species with historical fragmentation and secondary contacts. Nonetheless, recent passive large dispersal through streams was also detected in the central group. Overall, our study uncovered four evolutionary units, partially matching morphologically described subspecies, which should be considered in future conservation actions.

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Design and psychometric properties of BAtSS: A new tool to assess human attitudes towards bats.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-66342/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Beatriz Pérez ◽

Boris Álvarez ◽

Alex Boso ◽

Fulgencio Lisón

Keyword(s):

Psychometric Properties ◽

Item Response ◽

Content Validity ◽

Concurrent Validity ◽

Level Of Education ◽

Conservation Policies ◽

Standard Scale ◽

Conservation Actions ◽

Pilot Sample ◽

Adequate Internal Consistency

Abstract Despite the benefits that bats offer the ecosystem, these animals are feared due to mythological beliefs and their association with dirt and disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated this situation, exacerbating the already habitual attacks on these creatures. Today there is an urgent need to address the human-bat conflict in order to develop conservation policies. Understanding peoples' attitudes towards bats is a key part of this process. The object of this study was to design the Bats Attitudes Standard Scale (BAtSS) and analyse its psychometric properties. We developed an initial version of the scale in which we established the content validity; we analysed the items and structure in a pilot sample. In the next phase, we analysed psychometric properties in a sample of 1639 Chilean people. The final BAtSS consists of 34 Likert-type items configured in an oblique-hierarchical structure of 4 factors (Scientistic, Positivistic, Negativistic and Myths) and 3 facets (Negativistic-Emotional, Negativistic-Behavioural and Negativistic-Cognitive). It presents adequate internal consistency and the analysis of concurrent validity confirms the capacity of the scale to discriminate between groups. Women and participants with a lower level of education are more Negativistic and less Positivistic. People with a higher level of education have a less mythological view of bats. We also analysed the items which would be more/less difficult to change under the assumptions of Item Response Theory (IRT). Finally, BAtSS is a robust tool to assess the human attitudes and could help to understand and solve human-wildlife conflicts and therefore, improving the conservation actions

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Identifying social–ecological gaps to promote biocrust conservation actions

Web Ecology ◽

10.5194/we-20-117-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 117-132

Author(s):

María D. López-Rodríguez ◽

Sonia Chamizo ◽

Yolanda Cantón ◽

Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero

Keyword(s):

Management Strategies ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Social Dimension ◽

Ecological Functions ◽

Conservation Policies ◽

Research Areas ◽

Social Ecological ◽

The Social ◽

Conservation Actions ◽

New Research

Abstract. Globally, most bare-looking areas in dryland regions are covered by biocrusts which play a crucial role in modifying several soil surface properties and driving key ecosystem processes. These keystone communities face important threats (e.g. climate change) that place their conservation at risk and in turn the sustainability of the ecosystems they inhabit. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop ecosystem management strategies to ensure their protection. However, to provide a solid path towards biocrust conservation, the understanding by stakeholders and governance structures of the ecological functions of these communities, their role as benefit providers, and the pressures threatening their important effects are indispensable. Whereas the ecological scope of biocrust has been widely studied in the last decades, the social dimension of their role remained unexplored. By reviewing literature in biocrusts from a social–ecological approach, here we identified knowledge gaps and new research areas that need to be addressed in order to produce scientific knowledge that better guides dryland conservation policies and actions. This research agenda is a prerequisite to advance biocrust conservation.

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Global change affects differently at local scales animal populations: why Starlings still expands to the south while other temperate species go to the north?

10.1101/2021.08.05.455352 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra Rodriguez ◽

Giuseppe La Gioia ◽

Patricia Le Quilliec ◽

Damien Fourcy ◽

Philippe Clergeau

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Global Change ◽

Sturnus Vulgaris ◽

European Starling ◽

Distribution Area ◽

The South ◽

The North ◽

Animal Populations ◽

The World ◽

Landscape Transformations

Global change, which regroups global warming, landscape transformations and other anthropic modifications of ecosystems, has effects on populations and communities and produces modifications in the expansion area of species. While some species disappear, other ones are beneficiated by the new conditions and some of them evolve in new adapted forms or leave their ancient distribution area. As climate change tends to increase the temperature in several regions of the world, some species have been seen to leave areas in equatorial regions in order to join colder areas either towards the north of the northern hemisphere or towards the south of the southern one. Many birds as have moved geographically in direction to the poles and in many cases they have anticipated their laying dates. Actually, two tit species that use to lay their eggs in a period that their fledging dates synchronize with the emerging dates of caterpillars are now evolving to reproductive in periods earlier than before the climate change. Several species are reacting like that and other ones are moving to the north in Europe for example. Nevertheless, and very curiously, European starling, Sturnus vulgaris, populations are behaving on the contrary: their laying dates are moving towards later spring and their distribution area is moving towards the south. In this study we explore and discuss about different factors that may explain this difference from other birds.

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Diverging Genetic Structure of Coexisting Populations of the Black Storm-Petrel and the Least Storm-Petrel in the Gulf of California

Tropical Conservation Science ◽

10.1177/1940082920949177 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 194008292094917

Author(s):

Misael D. Mancilla-Morales ◽

Santiago Romero-Fernández ◽

Araceli Contreras-Rodríguez ◽

José J. Flores-Martínez ◽

Víctor Sánchez-Cordero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Population Genetic Structure ◽

Mate Selection ◽

Gulf Of California ◽

Population Genetic ◽

Life Histories ◽

Gene Diversity ◽

Isolation By Distance ◽

Storm Petrel

Estimations on the influence of evolutionary and ecological forces as drivers of population gene diversity and genetic structure have been performed on a growing number of colonial seabirds, but many remain poorly studied. In particular, the population genetic structure of storm-petrels (Hydrobatidae) has been evaluated in only a few of the 24 recognized species. We assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of the Black Storm-Petrel ( Hydrobates melania) and the Least Storm-Petrel ( Hydrobates microsoma) in the Gulf of California. The two species were selected because they are pelagic seabirds with comparable ecological traits and breeding grounds. Recent threats such as introduced species of predators and human disturbance have resulted in a decline of many insular vertebrate populations in this region and affected many different aspects of their life histories (ranging from reproductive success to mate selection), with a concomitant loss of genetic diversity. To elucidate to what extent the population genetic structure occurs in H. melania and H. microsoma, we used 719 base pairs from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I gene. The evaluation of their molecular diversity, genetic structure, and gene flow were performed through diversity indices, analyses of molecular and spatial variance, and isolation by distance (IBD) across sampling sites, respectively. The population genetic structure (via AMOVA and SAMOVA) and isolation by distance (pairwise p-distances and FST/1– FST (using ΦST) were inferred for H. microsoma. However, for H. melania evidence was inconclusive. We discuss explanations leading to divergent population genetic structure signatures in these species, and the consequences for their conservation.

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Population genetics of Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and implications for biological control

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/1519-6984.02014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 75 (4) ◽

pp. 878-885 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

T. C. Lavagnini ◽

A. C. Morales ◽

S. Freitas

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Agricultural Pests ◽

Citrus Orchard ◽

High Genetic Diversity ◽

Genetic Patterns ◽

Genetic Source ◽

Predatory Insects ◽

Amova Analysis

Abstract Green lacewings are insects with great potential to be use in the biological control of agricultural pests, but relatively few studies have attempted to understand the genetic structure of these agents, especially those of predatory insects. The purpose of this study was to characterize genetically populations of C. externa using sequences of subunit I of the cytochrome oxidase, a mitochondrial gene, and examine the population structure of this species in sampled areas in São Paulo state. The results indicate high genetic diversity but no genetic structure, detected by AMOVA analysis, and high levels of haplotype sharing in the network. These genetic patterns could be a consequence of environmental homogeneity provided by agroecosystem (citrus orchard), allowing gene flow among populations. Probably there is a unique population in the area sampled that could be used as a population (genetic) source for mass-reared and posterior release in these farms.

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Multilocus phylogeography of the world populations of Elaeidobius kamerunicus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), pollinator of the palm Elaeis guineensis

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485320000218 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 110 (5) ◽

pp. 654-662

Author(s):

Julien Haran ◽

Raphael François Xavier Ndzana Abanda ◽

Laure Benoit ◽

Claude Bakoumé ◽

Laurence Beaudoin-Ollivier

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Contact Zone ◽

Elaeis Guineensis ◽

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Central Africa ◽

Tropical Africa ◽

Late 20Th Century ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

The World ◽

Elaeidobius Kamerunicus

AbstractElaeidobius kamerunicus Faust (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) is one of the specific pollinators on inflorescences of the African oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacquin. This derelomine weevil is native to tropical Africa. During the late 20th century, it was introduced into all tropical regions where E. guineensis is grown, in order to improve its pollination and fruit set. Despite an overall success, a decline in pollination efficiency has been documented in several regions. In this study, we reconstructed a multilocus phylogeography of the world populations of E. kamerunicus, in order to explore its genetic diversity in its native and introduced ranges. Our results showed that African populations of E. kamerunicus are forming two differentiated mitochondrial clusters in West and central Africa, forming a contact zone along the Cameroon Volcanic Line. The existence of this sharp contact zone along this weak altitudinal barrier suggests that other parameters, such as climate, may be driving the distribution of populations. A differential genetic structure between mitochondrial and nuclear genes, and the strong level of genetic structure of the mitochondrial gene, also suggest sex-biased dispersal in this species, with males dispersing more than females. The genetic structure inferred from Asian and South American populations suggests that they originate from populations of both western and central tropical Africa and that a bottleneck has probably been experienced by these populations.

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Genetic structure of black rat populations in a rural plague focus in Madagascar

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z07-083 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 85 (9) ◽

pp. 965-972 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

A. Gilabert ◽

A. Loiseau ◽

J.-M. Duplantier ◽

S. Rahelinirina ◽

L. Rahalison ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Rattus Rattus ◽

Geographic Distance ◽

Distribution Area ◽

Clear Correlation ◽

Habitat Segregation ◽

Fine Spatial Scale ◽

Natural Systems ◽

Black Rat ◽

Indoor And Outdoor

The genetic structure of reservoir populations is a key characteristic in understanding the persistence of infectious diseases in natural systems. In the Highlands of Madagascar, where plague has persisted since 1920, the black rat, Rattus rattus (L., 1758), is the sole species acting as a reservoir of the disease. Ecological surveys have shown a clear correlation between the locations of the plague-persistence area in Madagascar (above 800 m elevation) and the distribution area of one endemic plague vector, the flea Synopsyllus fonquerniei , which is found exclusively on rats living outdoors. This clear habitat segregation has led to the suggestion that R. rattus populations in the central highlands are divided into indoor- and outdoor-dwelling populations. Using eight microsatellite markers, we analysed the genetic structure of R. rattus populations living within a human plague focus in relation to habitat and geographic distance. We found that habitat by itself was not a structuring factor, unlike geographic distance. Nevertheless, the significant genotypic differentiation of R. rattus populations that was found at a fine spatial scale might relate to differences in population dynamics between rats in indoor and outdoor habitats.

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Migration of Sogatella furcifera between the Greater Mekong Subregion and northern China revealed by mtDNA and SNP

BMC Evolutionary Biology ◽

10.1186/s12862-020-01722-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nan Yang ◽

Zhaoke Dong ◽

Aidong Chen ◽

Yanqiong Yin ◽

Xiangyong Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Geographic Location ◽

Northern China ◽

Snp Markers ◽

Shandong Province ◽

Migration Route ◽

Sogatella Furcifera ◽

Low Genetic Diversity ◽

Greater Mekong Subregion

Abstract Background The white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Hemiptera, Delphacidae), is a migratory pest of rice in Asia. Shandong Province, in northern China, is located on the migration pathway of WBPH between southern and northeast China. The potential sources of WBPH in northern China are poorly understood. We studied the sources of WBPH in Shandong Province by determining the population genetic structure of WBPH in 18 sites distributed in Shandong and in six regions of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). We used mitochondrial gene and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for analysis. Results All of the WBPH populations studied in the seven regions had low genetic diversity. Pairwise FST values based on mtDNA ranged from − 0.061 to 0.285, while FST based on SNP data ranged from − 0.007 to 0.009. These two molecular markers revealed that 4.40% (mtDNA) and 0.19% (SNP) genetic variation could be explained by the interpopulation variation, while the rest came from intrapopulation variation. The populations in the seven geographic regions comprised four hypothetical genetic clusters (K = 4) not associated with geographic location. Eighty-four of 129 individuals distributed across the given area were designated as recent migrants or of admixed ancestry. Although the substantial migration presented, a weak but significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances was found (r = 0.083, P = 0.004). Conclusion The Greater Mekong Subregion was the main genetic source of WBPH in Shandong, while other source populations may also exist. The genetic structure of WBPH is shaped by both migration and geographic barriers. These results help clarify the migration route and the source of WBPH in northern China.

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Photopollution impacts on the nocturnal behaviour of the Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps)

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc070171 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 171 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Shannon M. Barber-Meyer

Keyword(s):

Industrial Development ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Light Pollution ◽

Activity Levels ◽

High Luminosity ◽

Existing Problems ◽

Sugar Glider ◽

Dark Regime ◽

Petaurus Breviceps

Night light pollution is an important environmental problem impacting on many animals including a variety of insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. While some impacts of night light pollution are well-known such as misorientation of sea turtle hatchlings and deaths of migratory birds, other less obvious impacts on reproduction, communication, competition, and predation have recently been reported. As some natural areas in New Guinea and Australia face agricultural and industrial development, conflicts between wildlife and photopollution will add to existing problems of habitat fragmentation and degradation. I report on the photopollution impacts on the nocturnal behavior of the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps). Captive sugar gliders were monitored using a "super nightshot" camcorder for baseline nocturnal behaviour following a 12 hour dayligh/12 hour dark regime. Treatment consisted of 12 hour dayligh/12 hour simulated ambient low and high luminosity street light photopollution (average 7.0 and 12.0 lux). Over 575 sugar glider-hours were analyzed. The results show marked behavioural impacts under high luminosity treatment, even 7.0 lux reduced foraging time. This is the first report of photopollution impacts on sugar glider foraging and activity levels. Further research, particularly with wild populations, is needed to elucidate the extent of photopollution impacts on sugar gliders and their endangered and vulnerable relatives.

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