Biodiversity technologies: tools as change agents

A meeting on Biodiversity Technologies was held by the Biodiversity Institute, Oxford on the 27–28 of September 2012 at the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. The symposium brought together 36 speakers from North America, Australia and across Europe, presenting the latest research on emerging technologies in biodiversity science and conservation. Here we present a perspective on the general trends emerging from the symposium.     

Is Port Stephens,eastern Australia,a global hotspot for biodiversity of Aplysiidae (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia)?

Port Stephens, a large natural harbour on the central New South Wales (NSW) coast, provides ideal oceanographic and benthic conditions for the growth of marine algae and seagrasses, and this promotes a suite of herbivorous heterobranch sea slugs such as sea hares and sap-sucking sea slugs. In this article we document both historic and recent observations of sea hares (family Aplysiidae) from Port Stephens with the intention of recording species diversity. The western South Pacific region has the richest aplysiid fauna in the world, with 16 species now recorded in Port Stephens. This location is the most taxonomically diverse for this family in Australia. Despite this hotspot of aplysiid diversity, the taxonomy and nomenclature of 12 species is uncertain, a fact highlighted by a series of nomenclatural notes included in this article. We herein report the first observation of Petalifera sp. in Australian waters. Dolabrifera jacksoniensis Pilsbry, 1896 Pilsbry, H. (1896) Genus III. Dolabrifera Gray, 1847. Manual of Conchology series 1, volume 16, part 63, 113–160, pls 32–43. [Google Scholar] is newly synonymised with D. brazieri G.B. Sowerby II, 1870. Recent reports of southern range extensions for other heterobranch sea slugs, both in Port Stephens and elsewhere in NSW, highlight the importance of recording the existing aplysiid diversity in the port. Thus, any future alteration to species composition and range shifts driven by climate change may be detected.     

Torch-light Transect Surveys for Moths

The use of light traps in sampling moth populations is an established technique used by entomologists and ecologists. However, trap data partly reflect the variable attractiveness of UV light to different species of moth. There are also potential problems of the practicality and expense of running traps in certain locations.An alternative method of recording moth populations is developed, using a modification of the transect count technique used for butterflies (Pollard and Yates, 1993) and recently applied to moths (Spalding, 1997). During transects, moths were observed by torch-light in a 5 by 5 m box, before the recorder walked on for 10 paces, and recorded moths in the next 5 m box. The transect approach was tested in the field, alongside traditional light trap and sugar methods.Transects recorded moth species for relatively little effort, produced repeatable measures of relative density, and provided habitat-specific data. This approach is likely to provide a valuable addition to light trapping in biodiversity inventories, species surveys, and in monitoring the effects of habitat management for conservation.     

Population density of primates in a large fragment of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

We performed a line transect survey (352.4 km) of primates in the Serra de Paranapiacaba, at one of the largest relatively undisturbed fragments of the Atlantic rainforest of Southeastern Brazil (ca. 1400 km²), in August 1998. The brown capuchin, Cebus apella nigritus, was the most common species found in the area (20 groups, density estimate: 5.31 ± 2.05 individuals per km², mean ± SE). Nine groups of the brown howler monkey, Alouatta guariba clamitans, and eight of the woolly spider monkey, Brachyteles arachnoides arachnoides, were also recorded, with preliminary density estimates of 0.79 ± 0.40 and 2.33 ± 1.37 individuals per km², respectively. Density estimates for these species in other fragments of Atlantic rainforest are reviewed, showing that densities in Paranapiacaba are among the lowest reported. It is suggested that the higher densities reported for isolated populations in small forest patches (<50 km²) is related to the absence of main primate predators, the density compensation phenomenon and the ecological plasticity of some primate species. In contrast, local extinction in many small patches is probably related to hunting pressure. Given the important primate populations found in the Paranapiacaba fragment, conservation strategies for the studied species should give priority to effective protection of the largest remnant fragments from illegal hunting and deforestation, rather than translocation of individuals or captive breeding programs to introduce monkeys in small forest fragments vulnerable to hunting and of uncertain future.     

Comparative performance of four survey methods for assessing Lilian’s Lovebird abundance in Liwonde National Park,Malawi

Monitoring abundance of threatened species is important for conservation planning. Lilian’s Lovebird Agapornis lilianae is a near-threatened small parrot found in mopane Colophospermum mopane woodland. Its population has not been investigated in any part of its range. We investigated the abundance and density of the Lilian’s Lovebird in Liwonde National Park, Malawi. Both distance sampling (line and point transects) methods and total counts (waterhole and flyway counts) were applied. The point count method gave very low numbers and was discontinued after the first year. Line transects conducted during the wet season had the highest density estimates of 17 ± 4.8 lovebirds km?2 of mopane woodland. However, number of observations per transect in each year were low. Waterhole counts had the lowest density estimates (10 ± 3.5 lovebirds km?2). Flyway counts gave an intermediate estimate (13 ± 3.0 lovebirds km?2). The total population of Lilian’s Lovebirds in Liwonde National Park is therefore estimated to be about 4 000 individuals. The use of line transect counts at the end of the rainy season is recommended for continued monitoring of Lilian’s Lovebirds abundance in Liwonde National Park.     

Censusing primates by transect in a forest of known primate density

A series of four transect or strip censuses of primates was carried out in a forest in eastern Colombia where the absolute density of the three diurnal species had been previously calculated during long-term studies. The diurnal species were Alouatta seniculus, Callicebus torquatus,and Cebus apella.Techniques were identical, except for a few variables tested for their effect on the experimental results;these included three different types of detection distances. Variable results were obtained for the two species having the smallest home ranges (A. seniculusand C. torquatus)with the most consistently accurate densities being calculated using the drop in the frequency distribution of sighting distances as a measure of the detection distance. Grossly inflated results were obtained for almost all calculations of C. apelladensity. The stimulus leading to the detection of particular primate groups was usually their vocalizations. Counts of recognized group members were inaccurate and short of the actual number of individuals in each group. Problems of censusing primates are discussed and some recommendations are made with respect to the use of the transect census method.