Using a goal programming approach to design and evaluate protected areas for the conservation of multiple dimensions of biodiversity

The decline and loss of biodiversity provoked by human activities have caused ecologists and conservationists to center their attention on the design of conservation priority areas (PAs), focusing mainly on species conservation in terms of richness, rarity and/or vulnerability. However, biodiversity has multiple dimensions, evolutionary processes have recently been labeled the ‘missing component’ of conservation strategies, and increasingly more authors are suggesting that the ecological, evolutionary and historical aspects of biodiversity are key components of conservation planning. In this study we develop a prioritization system to design conservation PAs using the wild terrestrial mammals of the Iberian Peninsula as an example. We aim to contribute to the design of more suitable PAs by integrating ecological components of biodiversity (species richness, vulnerability and rarity), evolutionary aspects (accumulated genetic diversification) and historical information relevant to the study area. After selecting a set of biodiversity indicators, we applied a multi-objective technique (extended goal programming) to construct a combined index, where values in the top 90th percentile were then used to select the PAs. According to our most efficient and satisfactory results, some areas highlighted for their conservation are currently categorized as PAs, however, we found that it would be necessary to reconsider their extent, especially in northern Spain, where the historical aspects of biodiversity (the missing component) are more widely present. The need to determine PAs is unquestionable. However, it should also be a priority to move towards a model of sustainable and fair development.     

Pest management services through conservation of biological control agents: review,case studies and field experiences

ABSTRACT

Conservation biological control is an approach to enhance the efficacy of natural enemies by ensuring their availability in an agro-ecosystem on a long temporal scale. An increased survival often leads to better fecundity and improved behaviour of the natural enemies, which in turn ensures sustainable pest management. This paper, apart from being a concise review of conservation biological control, deals with selected India-specific case studies and field experiences on habitat manipulation and refugia. Results from a Bengaluru-based study during 2012–2015 on conservation biological control in an organic mango ecosystem are also presented. It also dwells briefly on conservation of insectivorous birds and touches upon conservation biocontrol with respect to entomopathogenic microorganisms and plant disease antagonists.     

The impacts of drought on freshwater ecosystems: an Australian perspective

Southeastern Australia is presently experiencing one of the worst droughts observed in the region in the last 200 years. The consequences of drought have been far reaching both for human consumptive uses and for aquatic ecosystems, and serve to highlight several important aspects of the nature of droughts, their ecological impacts, and how humans respond to them. Running water ecosystems are the dominant form of freshwater ecosystem in Australia, yet, despite the high frequency of drought we lack a basic understanding of the consequences of long-term droughts (as distinct from seasonal droughts) as an ecosystem disturbance, and more is known about drought effects on flowing than on standing waters. Drought is well defined and characterised meteorologically, but hydrologically its characterisation is equivocal. While drought severely impacts natural aquatic ecosystems, its effects have been and are exacerbated by direct and indirect anthropogenic modifications to streams and their catchments. In streams the major impacts are the loss of water and habitat availability, and the reduction, if not severing, of connectivity (lateral, longitudinal and vertical). Despite the relative frequency of drought in Australia we have failed to develop long-term management strategies capable of contending with droughts and their impacts, particularly in catchments where human disturbances have reduced the natural resistance and resilience of aquatic ecosystems, and where the demand for consumptive water use is high and rising. Here, we provide a commentary on drought and its implications for the management of freshwater ecosystems. We begin with a general discussion of drought and its impacts on streams and rivers before discussing some of the more specific management issues and response strategies that have arisen in response to the current drought in Australia. Throughout we consider global as well as local examples. We conclude by highlighting important knowledge gaps and by providing some general principles for better incorporating droughts and their impacts into river management strategies. Handling editor: K. Martens     

The response of perennial and temporary headwater stream invertebrate communities to hydrological extremes

The headwaters of karst rivers experience considerable hydrological variability, including spates and streambed drying. Extreme summer flooding on the River Lathkill (Derbyshire, UK) provided the opportunity to examine the invertebrate community response to unseasonal spate flows, flow recession and, at temporary sites, streambed drying. Invertebrates were sampled at sites with differing flow permanence regimes during and after the spates. Following streambed drying at temporary sites, dewatered surface sediments were investigated as a refugium for aquatic invertebrates. Experimental rehydration of these dewatered sediments was conducted to promote development of desiccation-tolerant life stages. At perennial sites, spate flows reduced invertebrate abundance and diversity, whilst at temporary sites, flow reactivation facilitated rapid colonisation of the surface channel by a limited number of invertebrate taxa. Following streambed drying, 38 taxa were recorded from the dewatered and rehydrated sediments, with Oligochaeta being the most abundant taxon and Chironomidae (Diptera) the most diverse. Experimental rehydration of dewatered sediments revealed the presence of additional taxa, including Stenophylax sp. (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) and Nemoura sp. (Plecoptera: Nemouridae). The influence of flow permanence on invertebrate community composition was apparent despite the aseasonal high-magnitude flood events. Flow permanence was also critical in determining the community response to the spate flows. Following streambed drying at temporary sites, the surficial sediments overlying the karstic bedrock functioned as an effective refugium for several taxa. The development of aquatic insects following experimental rehydration indicated that these taxa survived in dewatered sediments as desiccation-resistant eggs. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Handling editor: Sonja Stendera     

Comparative phylogeography of two closely related <Emphasis Type="Italic">Viola</Emphasis> species occurring in contrasting habitats in the Japanese archipelago

Similar distribution ranges shared by closely related plant species may have been shaped through different migration histories if those species have differing habitat preference. To test this hypothesis, phylogeographical patterns and population genetic structures were compared between two sister Viola species: Viola eizanensis preferring woodland and V. chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana preferring grassland, both being native to the Japanese Archipelago. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was used for phylogenetic reconstruction, together with Bayesian ancestry analysis, AMOVA, analysis of genetic diversity statistics, and analysis of the relative contribution of each population to total diversity. The results indicated that V. eizanensis had two distinct lineages occurring in the western and eastern part of Japan, but such lineages are not distinct in V. chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana. Both species exhibited the low genetic diversity and high between-population differentiation typical of selfing plants. In V. chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana, one particular population made a significantly higher contribution to the total heterozygosity (H _T), whereas in V. eizanensis, no population was identified as making a particularly higher contribution to H _T. These findings suggest that V. eizanensis had been isolated in two large glacial refugia, whereas populations of V. chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana were restricted to a single small refuge. Different light requirements between these two closely related species probably caused these differing responses to climatic change during the last ice age. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Factors underlying party size differences between chimpanzees and bonobos: a review and hypotheses for future study

Differences in party size and cohesiveness among females have been primary topics in socio-ecological comparisons of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). This paper aims to review previous studies that attempted to explain these differences and propose some hypotheses to be tested in future studies. Comparisons of recent data show that relative party size (expressed as a percentage of total group size) is significantly larger for bonobos than chimpanzees. Although the prolonged estrus of females, close association between mother and adult sons, female social relationships including unique homosexual behavior, and high female social status might be related to the increased party size and female cohesiveness of bonobos, these social and behavioral factors alone do not appear to explain the differences between the two species. Differences in ecological factors, including fruit-patch size, density of terrestrial herbs, and the availability of scattered foods that animals forage as they travel between large fruit patches could also contribute to the differences between chimpanzees and bonobos. However, these factors cannot fully account for the increased party size and female cohesiveness of bonobos. The higher female cohesiveness in bonobos may be explained by socio-ecological systems that reduce the cost in feeding efficiency incurred by attending mixed-sex parties. These systems may include female initiatives for party ranging movements as well as the factors mentioned above. Because of their geographical isolation, the two species probably evolved different social systems. Chimpanzees, whose habitats became very dry during some periods in the Pleistocene, likely evolved more flexible fission–fusion social systems to cope with seasonal and annual variation in food availability. On the other hand, bonobos had a large refugia forest in the middle of their range even during the driest periods in the Pleistocene. Therefore bonobos, whose habitats had more abundant food and smaller variation in food availability, probably evolved systems that help females stay in mixed parties without incurring large costs from contest and scramble competition.     

The influence of plant cover on surfperch abundance at an offshore temperate reef

Synopsis At an offshore reef near Santa Barbara, southern California, young-of-year (young) of five surfperch species (Embiotocidae: Embiotoca jacksoni, E. lateralis, Hypsurus caryi, Rhacochilus toxotes, Damalichthys vacca) once thrived in a dense kelp understory of Pterygophora californica and Laminaria farlowii, but disappeared after a severe storm in February, 1980 deforested their habitat. Measurements of fish density and kelp cover made before deforestation indicated that the young surfperch appeared in the spring and disappeared in the fall as cover increased and declined. Adult surfperch and large kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus), which can eat young but not adult surfperch, remained all year. We tested to see if kelp cover was an essential refuge for the young by pruning back (thinning) kelp blades from one of two transects. The thinning caused a significant redistribution of young which clearly avoided open spaces, but not of adults which are less vulnerable to predation. Measurements of fish density made after the storm-induced deforestation showed that adult surfperch and kelp bass still remained abundant even after the young surfperch were gone. Only after an abrupt reforestation in 1983, more than a year after the present study was terminated, were young once again seen on the reef. Although young surfperch may seek tiny prey living on kelp blades, most lines of evidence indicated that the distribution of the young is more a response to risk of predation. Hence the extent of kelp understory was probably the main determinant of the survival of young surfperch on the reef.     

The relative importance of refugia in determining the drift and habitat selection of predaceous stoneflies in a sandy-bottomed stream

Patch structure in sandy, compared to rocky streams, is characterized by isolated snags that can only be colonized by drifting. By measuring drift from patches (snags) of various quality we determined the factors that influence habitat selection and drift of the predaceous stoneflies Acroneuria abnormis and Paragnetina fumosa. The presence of refugia (loose bark and leaf packs) was more important than hunger level and modified the effects of increased predator densities and aggressive interactions. Stoneflies concentrated to 8x natural densities with access to refugia remained longer on snags than a single stonefly without access to refugia. During periods of activity, refugia were defended with larger stoneflies always displacing smaller nymphs. During long periods of inactivity, two and sometimes three nymphs would rest side-by-side sharing the same refuge. Hunger level (starved versus satiated stoneflies), an indirect measure of a predator's response to prey availability, had no significant effect on drift or habitat selection regardless of the presence of refugia. Stonefly predators had a uniform distribution while their prey were clumped. Drift was deliberate and almost always delayed until night, usually at dusk or dawn. An examination of previous research plus the results of this study suggest that non-predatory intra- and interspecific interactions can be an important mechanism causing drift in streams.     

Haplotype richness in refugial areas: phylogeographical structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saxifraga callosa</Emphasis>

This paper illustrates the phylogeographical structure of Saxifraga callosa in order to describe its genetic richness in refugial areas and to reconstruct its glacial history. S. callosa is a species spread throughout south-east France and Italy with a high distribution in the Maritime Alps. Four chloroplast microsatellite and AFLP markers were analyzed in populations of S. callosa. The size variants of all tested loci amount to 11 different haplotypes. Intrapopulational haplotype variation was found in two of the populations analyzed: on the Mt. Toraggio in the Maritime Alps, and in the Apuan Alps. On the other hand, no intrapopulational variation was found in 25 populations, most of which were sampled from isolated areas. Analysis of the haplotype distribution showed that population subdivision across all populations was high (G _ST = 0.899). Moreover, its genetic structure was studied using AMOVA and STRUCTURE analysis. The study legitimated inferred conclusions about the phylogeographical structure of the species and identified centers of diversity. Considerations concerning genetic structure and divergence among three major clades (Maritime Alps, Apuan Alps and Apennines), the patchy distribution of haplotypes, and the high number of private haplotypes support the proposal that S. callosa survived in some refugia within the Italian Peninsula refugium, and that mainly northern populations of refugia were involved in postglacial recolonization.     

The origins of postmating reproductive isolation: testing hypotheses in the grasshopper <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chorthippus parallelus</Emphasis>

 Although there are several well-established hypotheses for the origins of postmating isolation during allopatric divergence, there have been very few attempts to determine their relative importance in nature. We have developed an approach based on knowledge of the differing evolutionary histories of populations within species that allows systematic comparison of the predictions of these hypotheses. In previous work, we have applied this methodology to mating signal variation and premating reproductive isolation between populations of the meadow grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus. Here we review the principles behind our approach and report a study measuring postmating isolation in the same set of populations. The populations have known and differing evolutionary histories and relationships resulting from the colonization of northern Europe following the last glaciation. We use a maximum-likelihood analysis to compare the observed pattern of postmating isolation with the predictions of the hypotheses that isolation primarily evolves either as a result of gradual accumulation of mutations in allopatry, or through processes associated with colonization, such as founder events. We also quantify the extent to which degree of postmating isolation can be predicted by genetic distance. Our results suggest that although there is only a weak correlation between genetic distance and postmating isolation, long periods of allopatry do lead to postmating isolation. In contrast to the pattern of premating isolation described in our previous study, colonization does not seem to be associated with increased postmating isolation. Received: January 24, 2002 / Accepted: July 26, 2002 Acknowledgments Numerous people helped with collecting and rearing grasshoppers. We are grateful to NERC for funding. Correspondence to:R.K. Butlin