Disturbance does not have a significant impact on waders in an estuary close to conurbations: importance of overlap between birds and people in time and space

Disturbance of wildlife is a potential cause of conservation concern, not least to overwintering waders Charadrii inhabiting estuaries close to conurbations where human recreational and economic activities are often concentrated. Disturbance from people on and alongside intertidal foraging areas could make it more difficult for birds to survive until spring in good condition by reducing the time available for foraging, increasing energy requirements and displacing birds to poorer foraging areas. We adopted a two-part approach to testing whether such significant impacts occurred in a Special Protection Area where disturbance risk was high because of its small size and close proximity to conurbations. In part one, we recorded over the whole estuary during stages of the tidal cycle when part or all of the intertidal zone was exposed and so accessible to waders (i.e. on receding, low and advancing tides): (1) the numbers and activities of people on the intertidal flats and on the adjacent land in those places where people were visible to waders in the intertidal zone and (2) the numbers of waders present and disturbed into flight, the flight distance and flight duration in the ‘overlap’ areas where people did disturb waders. People occurred on < 25% of the 938 ha of intertidal flats, but most waders foraged on mudflats, whereas most people were on sandflats. People on land were visible to foraging waders along < 35% of the 16.5 km of shoreline. Waders and people were therefore substantially separated in space. Within overlap areas, people and waders were often frequently separated in time: for example, people on land mostly disturbed waders when only the upper shore levels were exposed. The average overwintering wader spent < 0.1% of its foraging time during daylight flying away from people and the additional energy expenditure was equivalent to < 0.02% of its daily requirements. The comparison made in part two between our study area and two comparable estuaries showed that the number of visits each day to the overlap areas would need to be 29 or 43 times greater for disturbance to have lowered the birds’ body condition and winter survival. Both parts of the study therefore suggested strongly that the amount of disturbance was too trivial to have a significant impact on waders. It is concluded that: (1) to properly assess disturbance risk to waders, both extensive and intensive observations must be made on the behaviour of people and birds to quantify the extent to which they overlap in space and time, and (2) it should not be assumed that an estuary's close proximity to conurbations, and the presence of large numbers of people in the vicinity of the SPA, necessarily implies a significant disturbance risk to waders.     

The importance of seasonal environmental factors in the foraging habitat selection of Alpine Ring Ouzels Turdus torquatus alpestris

Species inhabiting mountain ecosystems are expected to be particularly vulnerable to environmental change, yet information on their basic ecology is often lacking. Knowledge from field-based empirical studies remains essential to refine our understanding of the impact of current habitat alterations and for the consequential development of meaningful conservation management strategies. This study focuses on a poorly investigated and vulnerable mountain bird species in Europe, the Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus. Our aim was to identify the species’ key ecological requirements during the crucial period of nestling provisioning in the context of environmental change. We radiotracked and observed Alpine Ring Ouzels in a high-density population, investigating their pattern of foraging habitat selection in 2015 and 2017, and evaluated the transferability of these results over a wider geographical range across the SW Swiss Alps. Foraging birds selected, consistently in space and time, short grass swards (< 10 cm) with interspersed patches of accessible and penetrable soils, at intermediate moisture levels (around 40–65% volumetric water content). In Alpine ecosystems, this microhabitat configuration is typically widespread during the spring snowmelt, but extremely seasonal, with a rapid decrease in its availability over the course of the breeding season. This underlines the high vulnerability of the Ring Ouzel to environmental change: an earlier snowmelt could generate a temporal mismatch between the peak of the breeding effort and optimal foraging conditions; however, abandoning grazing activities on semi-wooded Alpine pastures may further decrease foraging habitat suitability through taller and denser grass swards, and subsequent woody vegetation encroachment. This study provides a mechanistic appraisal of the challenges Ring Ouzels will face in the future, as well as initial guidelines for targeted habitat management within timberline ecotones.     

The influence of environmental instability on the reproductive strategy of the critically endangered Acıgöl killifish (Aphanius transgrediens)

To investigate the variability in the reproductive tactics of Acıgöl killifish (Aphanius transgrediens), one of the most seriously threatened freshwater teleost species, this study compared its reproductive ecology in two contrasting habitats that differ substantially in terms of stability of environmental parameters, particularly salinity regime (stable vs. unstable). Fish were sampled monthly from October 2013 to September 2014 with the aim of testing whether the reproductive life-history response of fish to stable and unstable conditions differed. The reproductive effort (gonad weight) of both sexes did not differ significantly between the two habitats, but females in the unstable habitat had significantly lower fecundity and larger eggs. The relationship between fecundity and fish size was stronger in the stable habitat, whereas the relationship was quite variable and uncertain in the unstable habitat. Fish born in the unstable habitat reached their first maturity at a smaller size than those in the stable habitat. The gonado-somatic index and the duration of hydrated eggs showed that reproduction continued from February to May in both habitats; nonetheless, a second spawning event occurred during July and August in the unstable habitat, which included the reproductive contributions of YOY individuals and older generations. This study’s results suggest that A. transgrediens employs varying reproductive strategies against environmental instability in its restricted unique range. This may have further implications for the ways in which habitat-specific conservation methods are used.     

Morphological and molecular identification to secure cultivar maintenance and management of self-sterile Rubus arcticus

Background and Aims

Preservation of cultivar purity creates a particular challenge for plants that are self-incompatible, require insects for cross-pollination, and have easily germinating seeds and vigorously spreading rhizomes. As the fields must be planted with mixed populations, and a balance must be maintained between the cultivars to achieve effective pollination, methods for field monitoring of the relative density of different cultivars must be practical. Furthermore, a DNA-based method is needed for cultivar verification in the collections and outside of the growing season. The aim of this study was to develop both types of methods for Rubus arcticus (arctic bramble).

Methods

Morphological parameters were measured from six cultivars grown on three farms. Observations from the flowers and fruits included: petal and sepal number, flower diameter, arrangement of petals, size of calyx in relation to corolla, fruit weight, yield and soluble sugars. Observations from the leaves included: width and height of middle leaflet, shape of the base of terminal leaflet, shape of terminal leaflet, leaf margin serration and fingertip touch. The applicability of simple sequence repeat (SSR) or microsatellite DNA markers developed for red raspberry was tested on eight arctic bramble cultivars.

Key Results and Conclusions

Morphological and molecular identification methods were developed for R. arcticus. The best morphological characteristics were the length-to-width ratio of the middle leaflet and leaf margin serration. A particular characteristic, fingertip touch, was shown by electron microscopy to be related to the density and quality of the leaf hairs. Red raspberry SSR marker no. 126 proved to be applicable for differentiation of the eight arctic bramble cultivars tested. These identification methods are critical to secure the maintenance and management of R. arcticus. However, the challenges faced and approaches taken are equally applicable to other species with similar biology.     

Phylogeography sheds light on the central–marginal hypothesis in a Mediterranean narrow endemic plant

Background and Aims

Understanding the factors that shape variation in genetic diversity across the geographic ranges of species is an important challenge in the effort to conserve evolutionary processes sustaining biodiversity. The historical influences leading to a central–marginal organization of genetic diversity have been explored for species whose range is known to have expanded from refugia after glacial events. However, this question has rarely been addressed for Mediterranean endemic plants of azonal habitats such as rocky slopes or screes. In this context, this comprehensive study examined molecular and field data from Arenaria provincialis (Caryophyllaceae), a narrow endemic plant of south-eastern France.

Methods

Across the whole geographic range, an investigation was made of whether high levels of abundance and genetic diversity (estimated from amplified fragment length polymorphism markers) are centrally distributed, to evaluate the relevance of the central–marginal hypothesis. Phylogeographic patterns inferred from chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) were used, applying Bayesian methods to test the influence of past biogeographic events. Multivariate analysis combining phylogeographic and ecological data was used to reveal the historical and ecological distinctiveness of populations.

Key Results

Despite the narrow distribution of A. provincialis, a high level of nucleotide variation is found within cpDNA loci, supporting its persistence throughout the Pleistocene period. The area characterized by the highest genetic diversity is centrally located. Structured phylogeography and Bayesian factor analysis supported the hypothesis that the central area of the distribution was the source of both westward and eastward migrations, probably during arid periods of the Pleistocene, and more recently was a crossroads of backward migrations. By contrast, the two areas located today at the range limits are younger, have reduced genetic diversity and are marginal in the ecological gradients.

Conclusions

This study highlights a case of strong population distinctiveness within a narrow range. Phylogeography sheds light on the historical role of the areas centrally situated in the distribution. The current range size and abundance patterns are not sufficient to predict the organization of genetic diversity.     

A review of the allozyme data set for the Canarian endemic flora: causes of the high genetic diversity levels and implications for conservation

Background and Aims

Allozyme and reproductive data sets for the Canarian flora are updated in order to assess how the present levels and structuring of genetic variation have been influenced by the abiotic island traits and by phylogenetically determined biotic traits of the corresponding taxa; and in order to suggest conservation guidelines.

Methods

Kruskal–Wallis tests are conducted to assess the relationships of 27 variables with genetic diversity (estimated by A, P, H_o and H_e) and structuring (G_ST) of 123 taxa representing 309 populations and 16 families. Multiple linear regression analyses (MLRAs) are carried out to determine the relative influence of the less correlated significant abiotic and biotic factors on the genetic diversity levels.

Key Results and Conclusions

The interactions between biotic features of the colonizing taxa and the abiotic island features drive plant diversification in the Canarian flora. However, the lower weight of closeness to the mainland than of (respectively) high basic chromosome number, partial or total self-incompatibility and polyploidy in the MLRAs indicates substantial phylogenetic constraint; the importance of a high chromosome number is feasibly due to the generation of a larger number of linkage groups, which increase gametic and genotypic diversity. Genetic structure is also more influenced by biotic factors (long-range seed dispersal, basic chromosome number and partial or total self-incompatibility) than by distance to the mainland. Conservation-wise, genetic structure estimates (F_ST/G_ST) only reflect endangerment under intensive population sampling designs, and neutral genetic variation levels do not directly relate to threat status or to small population sizes. Habitat protection is emphasized, but the results suggest the need for urgent implementation of elementary reproductive studies in all cases, and for ex situ conservation measures for the most endangered taxa, even without prior studies. In non-endangered endemics, multidisciplinary research is needed before suggesting case-specific conservation strategies. The molecular information relevant for conservation should be conserved in a standardized format to facilitate further insight.     

Conservation strategies for threatened medicinal plant – Barleria prionitis L. – using in vitro and ex vitro propagation techniques

Over-utilisation and continuous depletion of medicinal plants have affected their supply and loss of genetic diversity. Hence the current study is based on conservation strategies for threatened medicinal plants with special reference to Barleria prionitis L. using in vitro and ex vitro propagation techniques. We have developed here a protocol for plant regeneration of Barleria prionitis L. We have also developed an efficient system of vegetative propagation of Barleria prionitis L. through stem cuttings using revive rooting hormones. These studies can be useful for conservation strategies of this important medicinal plant.     

Conservation status of New Zealand frogs, 2009

Abstract

A reappraisal of the conservation status of the New Zealand frog fauna is presented using the 2008 version of the New Zealand Threat Classification System. Of New Zealand's four extant endemic species, three are judged to be ‘Threatened’ (Leiopelma hamiltoni being ‘Nationally Critical’, and L. pakeka and L. archeyi being ‘Nationally Vulnerable’) and one ‘At Risk’ (L. hochstetteri ‘Declining’). Three Leiopelma species are listed as extinct—they are known from bone deposits in caves throughout the country until some time in the last 1000 years. Three introduced and naturalised Litoria species are abundant in New Zealand although two (L. aurea and L. raniformis) are threatened in their country of origin (Australia). An additional unidentified frog taxon from northern Great Barrier Island is listed as ‘Data Deficient’.     

Animals in Schools: Processes and Strategies in Human-Animal Education

Abstract

In this study we tested the hypothesis that the process of training a non-human primate (NHP) affects it's general behavior patterns, outside of training. A group of Abyssinian colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza, n = 8), housed at Paignton Zoo, UK, were observed for four 12-day periods. Behaviors were noted prior to training, using positive reinforcement to achieve oral examinations, and each month for three months after training had started. These data were used to construct daily activity budgets and investigate social behaviors (both colobus–colobus and colobus–human). A comparison of these data (using doubly repeated measures MANOVAs) showed activity budget (F_(3,3) = 9.8, λ = 0.4, p < 0.001) and colobus-initiated interactions with people (F_(3,2) = 16.6, λ = 0.3, p < 0.001) differed significantly across the four observation periods. Resting behavior was negatively correlated with feeding behavior (Pearson: n = 56, r = -0.25, p < 0.05); this relationship was considered to be independent of the onset of training. The significant decline in colobus-initiated interactions with the public appeared to be a direct result of the training.

The results in this study showed that the implementation of training reduced colobus–human interactions. Two reasons are suggested in this paper to account for these unexpected results; either or both of these explanations may be true. The increased level of keeper–colobus interactions necessary for training may have acted to socialize the colobus to humans, so that they habituated to the general presence of humans. Equally, the training sessions may have provided the colobus with predictable interactions with humans that provided rewards, outside of which colobus-initiated interactions were not worthwhile.

Training in this situation was found to be beneficial for the colobus and did not adversely affect the behavior of the colobus outside of the training sessions. It is concluded that caution should be taken when instigating training as part of captive primate management, due to species differences and the paucity of studies that have quantified the impact of training on zoo primate biology. What is greatly needed is more studies which are able to empirically compare the biology (behavior and physiology) of zoo housed primates before and after training has been implemented.