Conservation Ecology

The "cultural filter," human transport of mussel shell, and the applied potential of zooarchaeological data

by Steve Wolverton

Peacock, Randklev, Wolverton, Palmer, Zaleski forthcoming in Ecological Applications

Large assemblages of animal bones and/or shells from archaeological sites can provide data valuable for modern... more Large assemblages of animal bones and/or shells from archaeological sites can provide data valuable for modern conservation efforts, e.g., by providing accurate historical baselines for species reintroductions or habitat restoration. Such data are underused by natural scientists, partly due to assumptions that archaeological materials are too biased by prehistoric human actions (the so-called "cultural filter") to accurately reflect past biotic communities. In order to address many paleobiological, archaeological, or applied research questions, data on past species, communities, and populations must first be demonstrated to be representative at the appropriate level. We discuss different ways in which one kind of cultural bias, human transport of specimens, can be tested at different scales, using freshwater mussel shells from prehistoric sites in the Tombigbee River basin of Mississippi and Alabama to show how representativeness of samples can be assessed.


Read More: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/11-1943.1

Dealing with non-native species: what makes the difference in South America?

by Karina L. Speziale

Supporting wild pollinators in a temperate agricultural landscape: maintaining mosaics of natural features and production.

by Pia Lentini

Lentini, PE, Martin, TG, Gibbons, P, Fischer, J and Cunningham, SA (2012) Supporting wild pollinators in a temperate agricultural landscape: maintaining mosaics of natural features and production. Biological Conservation 149, 84-92.

Pollination has received attention recently due to reported sharp declines of Apis mellifera in several locations, and... more Pollination has received attention recently due to reported sharp declines of Apis mellifera in several locations, and it has been proposed that diverse native bee communities may be key for continued pollination of economically important crops. However, there is some inconsistency in the literature as to how these communities should best be managed. To address this issue, we collected bees from an intensively managed agricultural region in eastern Australia using blue vane traps. Both linear remnants of vegetation, which form part of a larger corridor network, and adjacent fields of native and exotic pastures, wheat, canola, and lucerne were sampled. A total of 3 249 individual bees, representing four families and 36 species were collected. Highly modified environments of nectar-bearing crop supported the most species-rich bee assemblages, and the highest abundance of individual bee species. Distance from the remnants did not limit the body size of species occupying fields (up to 400m). However, richness of bee assemblages also responded positively to the presence of conservation land in nearby areas, or the number of remnant native trees surrounding traps. Linear remnants of native vegetation contributed to assemblage heterogeneity by adding unique species to the regional pool. Our findings indicate that agricultural industries that currently rely on pollination by A. mellifera should ensure that intensive land use is complemented by untilled areas in the form of conservation land, or farm dams and scattered trees in fields, to support wild pollinators that may act as insurance against further future losses of managed hives.

A paleozoological perspective on unionid (Mollusca: Unionidae) zoogeography in the upper Trinity River basin, Texas Read More: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/09-1425.1

by Steve Wolverton

Randklev et al. 2010

In north central Texas, USA, the zoogeography of unionids in the Trinity River is thought to consist of upland and... more In north central Texas, USA, the zoogeography of unionids in the Trinity River is thought to consist of upland and lowland biogeographic components reflective of differences in upstream and downstream hydraulic conditions. Historical and modern surveys from a limited number of localities were used to delineate these zoogeographic provinces based on the absence of several species thought to occur only in the lower Trinity River drainage. Available zooarchaeological data indicate that at least one species considered absent from the upper Trinity River basin was present during the late Holocene (roughly the last 2500 years), suggesting that both biogeographical provinces shared similar mussel fauna in the recent geological past. The discrepancy between historical and zooarchaeological data is probably the result of inadequate sampling and of an extirpation gradient related to impoundments that have been constructed in this drainage during the last century. The presence of lower Trinity species during the late Holocene in the upper Trinity drainage challenges interpretations drawn from modern biogeographic studies.

Read More: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/09-1425.1

The North American Pleistocene overkill hypothesis and the re-wilding debate

by Steve Wolverton

Wolverton 2010

The conservation agenda to re-wild North America may or may not be realistic in terms of political ecology. However,... more The conservation agenda to re-wild North America may or may not be realistic in terms of political ecology. However, it represents a real conservation recommendation to re-wild North America with the extant megafauna most closely related to those that became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene. The recommendation is based on the presumption that society bears an ethical responsibility to re-wild because humans caused the extinctions. However, the extent to which Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions were the result of overkill is hotly debated. As a result, the ethical imperative for North American re-wilding should be questioned. It will not be questioned unless members of the conservation community read the extensive archaeological and geological literature concerning the North American Pleistocene extinctions. Overlooking the assumptions underlying this particular recommendation is costly to conservation science and to archaeology because it represents an over-simplified, unwieldy and troubling fusion of the two.

Habitat Requirements of Socorro Mockingbird

by Juan Martínez-Gómez

Ibis 143: 456-467. 2001.

The population size of the Socorro Mockingbird Mimodes graysoni, which represents a monotypic genus endemic to Socorro... more The population size of the Socorro Mockingbird Mimodes graysoni, which represents a monotypic genus endemic to Socorro Island, Mexico, has declined dramatically within the last 40 years. Postulated causal factors include competitive exclusion by Northern Mockmgbirds Mimus polyglottos, predation by feral cats and overgrazing by feral sheep. Habitat degradation looms as the primary candidate because surviving Socorro Mockingbirds live mainly in areas of the island with little apparent habitat damage, and because Northern Mockingbirds and cats both arrived on Socorro after much of the decline had occurred. Isolating key factors is difficult, however, because the present distributions of cats and Northern Mockingbirds coincide broadly with patterns of habitat degradation. To investigate habitat requirements of the endemic moclungbird in detail, we measured vegetation characteristics at localities with and without Socorro Mockingbirds,and observed their foraging behaviour. Socorro Mockmgbirds occupied sites in montane regions covered with llex socorroensis, Guettarda insularis, Triumfetta socorrensis and Eupatorium pncificum; they were also abundant in pristine lowland forests. Socorro Mockingbirds were scarce in disturbed forests where Dodonaea viscosa has replaced the original understorey, and they were absent from low-elevation Croton masonii scrub, even in areas with no signs of degradation. Restoration of degraded habitat could help the population of Socorro Mockmgbirds grow and reoccupy more of its former range.

Why we should aim for zero extinction

by Juan Martínez-Gómez

Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24 (4): 181. 2009.

The Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE), a partnership comprising 67 of the world’s biodiversity conservation... more The Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE), a partnership comprising 67 of the world’s biodiversity conservation non-governmental organizations, has pinpointed where Endangered and Critically Endangered species exist at one remaining known location [1]. Discussing conservation triage, Bottrill et al. [2] view efforts to ‘reverse the extinction rate’ as unfeasible because of their ‘astronomical’ cost and they dismiss AZE as ‘neglecting to factor in diminishing returns and uncertainty of investment’. We think their assumptions are faulty. The cost of effective global biodiversity conservation is only ‘astronomical’ in one sense – being the same order of magnitude as current resources for space exploration [3]. And highly threatened species are not necessarily impossible, or costly, to save.

Ethnobiology as a Bridge between Science and Ethics: An Applied Paleozoological Perspective

by Steve Wolverton

In Ethnobiology. Edited by E. N. Anderson, D. Pearsall, E. Hunn, and N. Turner 2011, pp. 115-132. Wiley-Blackwell. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

In the face of the global environmental crisis, ethnobiologists find themselves in a potentially helpful position.... more In the face of the global environmental crisis, ethnobiologists find themselves in a potentially helpful position. Ethnobiology represents one of a few bridging disciplines between the philosophical foundations of environmental ethics and the scientific foundations of environmental science. Environmental philosophers study what ought to be done to address environmental problems at multiple spatial and temporal scales (Borgerhoff-Mulder and Coppolillo 2005; Rolston 1988), focusing on what it means to value nature, how humans do value and should go about valuing nature, and how these ethical footings should inform science and policy. Environmental science incorporates functional roles for many scientific disciplines (Miller 2007). Environmental science and environmental ethics share the goal of curbing the environmental crisis through communication among practitioners from different fields, appreciation of diverse perspectives, and incorporation of vested parties in policies and management decisions (Penn and Mysterud 2007a). Practitioners of ethnobiology communicate and interact across disciplinary, cultural, and temporal boundaries (Lepofsky 2009; Nabhan 2009).Within ethnobiology, applied zooarchaeology (or “applied paleozoology” to include paleontology)—the study of animal remains from archaeological and paleontological sites to provide baseline information relevant to restoration ecology and conservation biology—transcends temporal boundaries and offers an example of a bridging perspective that links ethics to science.

Hydrodynamic and water quality processes in mangrove regions

by Roger Falconer - Cardiff University

Paper 61:  Struve, J. and Falconer, R. A. 2001. Hydrodynamic and water quality processes in mangrove regions. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue

Tales Dead Birds Tell: the historical and cultural context of early avian specimens in the biology collections of Randolph College

by Emily Smith

Dealing with non-native species: what makes the difference in South America?

by Sergio Lambertucci

SPEZIALE, K. L.; LAMBERTUCCI, S. A.; CARRETE, M; TELLA J. L.
2012. Dealing with non-native species: what makes the difference in South America? BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS, In press.

Non-native species have reached South American ecosystems and may be threatening the exceptional biodiversity of this... more Non-native species have reached South American ecosystems and may be threatening the exceptional biodiversity of this region. However, people often value and exploit introduced species not knowing that they are non-natives, nor understanding their impacts. In this paper we analyze the trend of scientific research on introduced species in South America and whether a socio-cultural explanation could underlie the results by comparing them with European, North American and Australasian countries. We also controlled for research effort, which could reflect economic inequalities, by analyzing the articles published on introduced species in relation to the total number of articles published on related disciplines. Research trends suggest that non-native species are not of major concern for South American countries, there being less research on this topic in countries with higher biodiversity. Compared to other colonized countries such as the USA, New Zealand and Australia, research on non-native species was lagging and less abundant in South America, even when controlling for research effort. Historical and recent socio-cultural particularities may explain the similar attitudes and research input seen in South American countries and their Spanish and Portuguese colonizers. A generational amnesia, where younger generations descendent from European colonizers are not aware of past biological conditions, could be exacerbating this lack of concern. South American policies seem to reflect the low level of interest in non-native species shown by their citizens. National policies are poorly developed and mainly deal with alien species threatening productive systems. Given the strong cultural component of this dilemma, integrated ways to reverse this situation are needed, including education, international research collaboration, and a common South American policy.

The species of Chalcididae (Hymenoptera) parasitoids of Parides ascanius (Cramer), an endangered Papilionidae (Lepidoptera) from restingas of Southeastern Brazil.

by Gilberto Almeida

corresponding email: galmeida99@gmail.com

This paper reports the first guild of parasitoids species of the Fluminense Swallowtail Parides ascanius, a threatened... more This paper reports the first guild of parasitoids species of the Fluminense Swallowtail Parides ascanius, a threatened species from restingas of Brazil. To all of these five parasitoid species (four Chalcididae and one Tachinidae) this is the first record of parasitism associated to this host, the butterfly P. ascanius. There are the description of two new parasitoid species (Chalcididae, Hymenoptera). Brachymeria koehleri and B. nigritiablis are hyperparasitoids through Lespesia sp. (Diptera: Tachinidae), a primary larval parasitoid. This guild of parasitoids of P. ascanius will soon be expanded with the introduction of some new species of egg and larval parasitoids that our international research group is currently working on. Concerning P. ascanius, our group is also researching some interesting questions about: Phylogeography, Biogeography, Conservation Genetics and Evolutionary Biology.

Using GIS Mapping of the Extent of Nearshore Rocky Reefs to Estimate the Abundance and Reproductive Output of Important Fishery Species

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Claisse, J. T., D. J. Pondella, II, J. P. Williams and J. Sadd. 2012. Using GIS Mapping of the Extent of Nearshore Rocky Reefs to Estimate the Abundance and Reproductive Output of Important Fishery Species. PLoS ONE 7(1):e30290.

Climate change and the decline of a once common bird

by Chris McClure

    Christopher J. W. McClure, Brian W. Rolek, Kenneth McDonald, and Geoffrey E. Hill

Published online in Ecology and Evolution (open access)

Climate change is predicted to negatively impact wildlife through a variety of mechanisms including retraction of... more Climate change is predicted to negatively impact wildlife through a variety of mechanisms including retraction of range. We used data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey and regional and global climate indices to examine the effects of climate change on the breeding distribution of the Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus), a formerly common species that is rapidly declining. We found that the range of the Rusty Blackbird retracted northward by 143 km since the 1960s and that the probability of local extinction was highest at the southern range margin. Furthermore, we found that the mean breeding latitude of the Rusty Blackbird was significant and positively correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation with a lag of six years. Because the annual distribution of the Rusty Blackbird is affected by annual weather patterns produced by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, our results support the hypothesis that directional climate change over the past 40 years is contributing to the decline of the Rusty Blackbird. Our study is the first to implicate climate change, acting through range retraction, in a major decline of a formerly common bird species.

ROV-SCUBA integrated survey of the Montecristo Island Nature Reserve (Tuscan Archipelago National Park, Mediterranean Sea)

by Alessandro Ceregato

White-clawed crayfish in Ireland - under increasing threat (2011)

by Julian Reynolds

Pp. 120-128 in: Rees M, Nightingale J, Holdich DM (eds). (2011). Species Survival: Securing white-clawed crayfish ion a changing environment. Proceedings of a Conference held on 16th and 17th November 2010 in Bristol, UK.

Monitoring efforts yield new plant records for Mona Island, Puerto Rico, a tropical dry forest wonderland

by Susan Aragon

Plant Community Structure and Conservation of a Northern Peru Sclerophyllous Forest

by Susan Aragon

Molecular evidence of cryptic speciation, historical range expansion, and recent intraspecific hybridization in the Neotropical seasonal forest tree< i> Cedrela fissilis</i …

by luiz Orlando de Oliveira

Maggengo meadow patches enclosed by forests in the Italian Alps: evidence of landscape legacy on plant diversity

by Tommaso Sitzia

Co-authored with Giovanni Trentanovi, published in Biodiversity and Conservation, Volume 20, Number 5, 945-961, DOI: 10.1007/s10531-011-0006-3

The maggenghi are mid slope meadows typical of all the southern and of great parts of the northern European Alps, for... more The maggenghi are mid slope meadows typical of all the southern and of great parts of the northern European Alps, for centuries managed with traditional and low intensity techniques. Usually, they are scattered patches in surrounding forests. The spontaneous expansion of trees and shrubs, favored by the recent decline of mountain agriculture, lead the maggengo patches patterns and shapes to change. Our objective was to analyze the effect of this change on current plant diversity of the remnant patches, as the adaptive response could be slow and possibly related more to historical than to current landscape patterns. We analyzed the trend of the size, shape, elongation, fractal dimension and connectivity of maggengo patches of a Central-Eastern Italian Alpine district, in four time steps, from 1973 to 2006, and in 1859, when mountain agriculture was still widespread. Then, we studied the relationships between those landscape metrics and two current patch-level plant diversity measures: interior species richness and species density. Aerial photographs were used to investigate that trend, while a historical cadastral map was used to assess the landscape metrics in 1859. As expected, in the last 30 years, the total size of maggenghi has been reduced by 57% while their shapes have been progressively simplified. Interior species richness was positively related to size, both in 2006 and over the past 30 years, but not to any 1859 measures. Conversely, species density was positively correlated only with 1859 size, shape index and connectivity. We conclude that the historical shape, size and connectivity are some of the key variables affecting the plant species density of maggengo patches, but not of their interior plant species richness.