New evidence of ferret (Mustela putorius furo Linnaeus, 1758) naturalisation on La Palma (Canary Islands): a threat to island biodiversity

news and update ISSN 1948-6596 news Bern Convention group of experts on European island biological diversity: an international network to preserve island biodiversity The Council of Europe (Bern Convention) pro- moted the first Meeting of a group of Experts on Island Biological Diversity, a meeting hosted by the Government of Canary Islands at Tenerife (1-3 October 2009) and organized by Eladio Fernandez- Galiano. A group of about 30 experts on European Islands discussed during two days the priorities for the conservation of a unique patrimony, the island biotas. The aim of this first meeting was threefold: 1) create a network of experts on island biodiver- sity; 2) discuss the problems that affect specifically island biodiversity; and 3) identify priorities for action and proposals to the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention. A report prepared by Jorge Fernandez Orueta and presented by Eladio Fernandez- Galiano listed the potential lines of work on is- lands, the most relevant being: the lack of an in- ventory of European islands (but see the GIN – Global Island Network, http:// www.globalislands.net/index.php); need to inven- tory the island protected areas; assessment of island biodiversity (islands contribute significantly towards global biodiversity; 10 out of the 34 biodi- versity hotspots defined by Conservation Interna- tional are islands); impact of Invasive Alien Species (IAS); impact of climate change; sustainability of medium and small size islands; oil-spills and other seaborne pollution risks; coordination mecha- nisms for a network of experts. The presence of representatives of the Gov- ernments of Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira in most of the discussions gave some relevance to the event since it could help the implantation of local policies in conservation management Kate Brown, representing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) presented the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA http://www.cbd.int/ island/glispa.shtml) that “assists islands in ad- dressing one of the world’s greatest challenges: to conserve and utilize the invaluable island natural resources that support people, cultures, and liveli- hoods in their island homes around the world”. She provided an example of a capacity building network in Pacific islands. Olivier Tyack and Margarita Astralaga repre- senting IUCN outlined the reasons of IUCN to co- operate with this Group of Experts on Islands: there is much to conserve; much to learn; and much to save! IUCN will contribute influencing policy and institutions. Ma Mar G. Villagarcia described the NET- BIOME initiative, an European support to biodiver- sity research on Islands (including Pacific tropical French islands), that will launch in 2010 a call for research projects within the field of tropical and subtropical research on islands. Experts of several countries presented the problems that affect specifically island biodiversity on Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands (Macaronesia), Balearic Islands, Cyprus, Italian islands, North Atlantic and Baltic islands (Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom), Iceland and Arctic. In most of the cases the main problems are global warming, habitat destruction, pollution and IAS. Jose Luis Martin Esquivel (Canary Islands Conservation Bureau) described the impressive biodiversity of Canary Islands and presented the ATLANTIS database, that allows the study of spa- tial distribution of species in a small scale (500x500 m) in the Macaronesian islands. Antonio Machado (Observatorio Ambiental Granadilla) from Canary Islands described in detail the main problems that affect specifically island biodiversity, stressing the fact that the red-listing categories of IUCN cannot be applied to islands, a fact that was reinforced by Jose Luis Martin Esquivel and Paulo Borges (University of Azores, Azorean Biodiversity Group) that called for an in- ternational consensus and a complete revision of IUCN red-listing categories creating new evalua- tion tools for both islands and invertebrates. frontiers of biogeography 1.2, 2009 — © 2009 the authors; journal compilation © 2009 The International Biogeography Society

Toward a Theory of Island Pedogeography: Testing the driving forces for pedological assemblages in archipelagos of different origins

Intraspecific and geographical variation in rodenticide exposure among common kestrels in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

We present data to confirm that the island of La Palma harbours the first established feral population of ferrets Mustela furo on the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is not known when the species was introduced but individuals occasionally lost during hunting appear to have become established sometime in the previous 2 decades. Sightings of ferrets are mainly in the north of the island but they are likely to expand their range southwards, and a few have already been detected in the centre of the island. We report a total of 45 cases of wild ferrets in 28 different localities during 1998–2007. To minimize effects on native species, control measures or eradication are required. Public awareness of the problem and education campaigns, especially among hunters, are needed to reduce the threat of this alien species to the biota of the Canary Islands.

BackgroundOceanic islands are globally recognised for their exceptional levels of biodiversity and endemism, often resulting from unique evolutionary processes in isolated environments. However, this biodiversity is also disproportionately threatened by anthropogenic pressures including habitat loss, invasive species and climate change. Targeted, long-term biodiversity monitoring is essential for detecting changes in these vulnerable ecosystems and providing information for conservation strategies.The EU BIODIVERSA + project BioMonI aims at building a global long-term monitoring network specifically tailored to the pressing needs of biodiversity conservation and monitoring on islands. In BioMonI, we use a novel approach that considers mapping previous and current monitoring schemes on islands, developing a harmonised monitoring scheme for island biodiversity and mobilising existing monitoring data. We are assembling data from BioMonI-Plot, a long-term vegetation plot network to understand biodiversity and ecosystem change. It will use baseline data from three focal archipelagos (Azores, Canary Islands and Mascarenes), but we aim to mobilise data from archipelagos worldwide.Plot-based data are a cornerstone of effective biodiversity monitoring on islands. These standardised data collections within permanent plots allow for consistent, replicable observations across temporal and spatial scales. Initiatives like the Global Island Monitoring Scheme (GIMS) highlight the value of permanent plots in capturing ecological gradients and anthropogenic disturbance patterns. Such data underpin the detection of subtle shifts in community composition, functional diversity and species distributions, which are critical for assessing the effectiveness of conservation actions and predicting future ecological scenarios.In summary, plot-based data are indispensable for targeted and effective biodiversity monitoring on islands. They provide the empirical backbone necessary to provide information for adaptive management strategies and contribute to global biodiversity targets.New informationThe BioMonI-Plot baseline data consist of 10 plots in each of the following islands: Terceira (Azores), Tenerife (Canaries) and Réunion Island (Mascarenes). As a first step, we describe the diversity and abundance of all woody species shoots with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 1 cm in each of the 10 plots of each Island. The majority of taxa belonged to the phylum Magnoliophyta, which accounted for 96.66% of the total species and subspecies, followed by Pteridophyta (2.22%) and Pinophyta (1.11%). Réunion Island exhibited the highest species richness, with 66 identified taxa, followed by Tenerife (16 taxa) and Terceira (11 taxa). Only one species, Morellafaya, was shared between the islands, occurring in both Terceira and Tenerife. Most of the recorded species were classified as endemic according to their colonisation status. Specifically, 32 species were endemic to the Mascarene Islands, 22 to Réunion, nine to the Azores, eleven to Macaronesia and four to the Canary Islands.The data presented in this Data Paper provide a valuable proxy for evaluating the ecological integrity and overall habitat quality of native montane forests across three oceanic archipelagos: the Azores, Canary Islands and Mascarene Islands. By focusing on tree species as primary ecological indicators, the dataset offers insights into essential structural and compositional attributes of these ecosystems, including species richness, relative abundance and patterns of dominance.The comprehensive species-level information contained in this dataset allows for comparisons of forest composition across islands and biogeographic regions, contributing to our understanding of insular forest dynamics, endemism patterns and conservation priorities in tropical and subtropical montane environments.

Subtropical islands are often viewed as refuges where Quaternary climatic shifts driving global episodes of extinction were buffered. Island biodiversity, however, may have been impacted by climatic fluctuations at local scales, particularly in spatially heterogeneous island systems. In this study, we generated a conceptual framework for predicting the potential impact of Pleistocene extinctions on the biogeographical pattern of the Canarian spermatophyte flora, with a focus on the easternmost Canarian islands (ECI). Then, we performed an exhaustive bibliographic revision (270 studies) to examine whether taxonomic, phylogenetic and phylogeographical data support our predictions. Although molecular information is limited for many lineages, the available data suggest that the majority of extant ECI plant taxa may be the result of relatively recent (<1 Ma) dispersal from surrounding insular and mainland areas. Different lines of evidence are compatible with the idea of a Pleistocene period of frequent lineage extirpation on ECI. Extinction may thus have provided new ecological opportunities for recent (re)colonization, with some cases of recent establishment mediated by facilitation. Considering background extinction on ECI, we describe five general patterns of colonization for Canarian plant lineages. In addition to factors related to island ontogeny and long‐distance dispersal, we suggest that Pleistocene extinctions may have significantly contributed to extant biogeographical patterns in the Canarian archipelago, such as the biased distribution ranges of island plants and the low endemic richness on ECI. This new scenario provides testable hypotheses for future studies dealing with the phylogeography, taxonomy and conservation of terrestrial biodiversity on the Canarian islands, and possibly, on other near‐shore islands.

Human-cat relationship in an oceanic biosphere reserve: The case of La Palma Island, Canary archipelago

SUMMARY Certain characters of the skins and skulls of (a) the European polecat Putorius putorius putorius, (b) the Asiatic polecat Putorius putorius eversmanni and (c) the domestic ferret Putorius putorius furo have been compared. The ferret resembles the European polecat more closely than the Asiatic in:(a) the extent of the black area of the tail;(b) the overall size and shape of the skull;(c) the position of the postorbital constriction;(d) the proportions of the pre‐ and post‐zygomatic parts of the skull:(e) the shape of the nasal bones;(f) the hooking of the hamular process. It resembles the Asiatic polecat more closely than the European in:(a) the proportion of individuals in which the frontal band is continuous;(b) the degree of constriction of the postorbital region. The skull of the ferret is more variable than that of either the European or Asiatic polecat. The data are inadequate to decide whether or not the differences between the ferret and European polecat are too great, to permit the view that the ferret of today is merely the descendant, of a domesticated variety of European polecat. It is suggested that the changed breeding system and selective forces which operate on the captive animal, may be conducive to the origin of differences of this type.

Aim We used a phylogenetic framework to examine island colonization and predictions pertaining to differentiation within Macaronesian Tarphius (Insecta, Coleoptera, Zopheridae), and explain the paucity of endemics in the Azores compared with other Macaronesian archipelagos. Specifically, we test whether low diversity in the Azores could be due to recent colonization (phylogenetic lineage youth), cryptic speciation (distinct phylogenetic entities within species) or the young geological age of the archipelago.Location Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands), northern Portugal and Morocco.Methods Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear genes of Tarphius beetles of the Azores, other Macaronesian islands and neighbouring continental areas were used to investigate the origin of island biodiversity and to compare patterns of colonization and differentiation. A comparative nucleotide substitution rate test was used to select the appropriate substitution rate to infer clade divergence times.Results Madeiran and Canarian Tarphius species were found to be more closely related to each other, while Azorean taxa grouped separately. Azorean taxa showed concordance between species and phylogenetic clades, except for species that occur on multiple islands, which segregated by island of origin. Divergence time estimates revealed that Azorean Tarphius are an old group and that the most recent intra‐island speciation event on Santa Maria, the oldest island, occurred between 3.7 and 6.1 Ma.Main conclusions Our phylogenetic approach provides new evidence to understand the impoverishment of Azorean endemics: (1) Tarphius have had a long evolutionary history within the Azores, which does not support the hypothesis of fewer radiation events due to recent colonization; (2) the current taxonomy of Azorean Tarphius does not reflect common ancestry and cryptic speciation is responsible for the underestimation of endemics; (3) intra‐island differentiation in the Azores was found only in the oldest island, supporting the idea that young geological age of the archipelago limits the number of endemics; and (4) the lack of evidence for recent intra‐island diversification in Santa Maria could also explain the paucity of Azorean endemics. Phylogenetic reconstructions of other species‐rich taxa that occur on multiple Macaronesian archipelagos will reveal whether our conclusions are taxon specific, or of a more general nature.

Distribution of endemic plant species on an oceanic island – a geospatial analysis of La Palma (Canary Islands)

Whole genome duplication or polyploidy is widespread among floras globally, but traditionally has been thought to have played a minor role in the evolution of island biodiversity, based on the low proportion of polyploid taxa present. We investigate five island systems (Juan Fernández, Galápagos, Canary Islands, Hawaiian Islands, and New Zealand) to test whether polyploidy (i) enhances or hinders diversification on islands and (ii) is an intrinsic feature of a lineage or an attribute that emerges in island environments. These island systems are diverse in their origins, geographic and latitudinal distributions, levels of plant species endemism (37% in the Galapagos to 88% in the Hawaiian Islands), and ploidy levels, and taken together are representative of islands more generally. We compiled data for vascular plants and summarized information for each genus on each island system, including the total number of species (native and endemic), generic endemicity, chromosome numbers, genome size, and ploidy levels. Dated phylogenies were used to infer lineage age, number of colonization events, and change in ploidy level relative to the non-island sister lineage. Using phylogenetic path analysis, we then tested how the diversification of endemic lineages varied with the direct and indirect effects of polyploidy (presence of polyploidy, time on island, polyploidization near colonization, colonizer pool size) and other lineage traits not associated with polyploidy (time on island, colonizer pool size, repeat colonization). Diploid and tetraploid were the most common ploidy levels across all islands, with the highest ploidy levels (>8x) recorded for the Canary Islands (12x) and New Zealand (20x). Overall, we found that endemic diversification of our focal island floras was shaped by polyploidy in many cases and certainly others still to be detected considering the lack of data in many lineages. Polyploid speciation on the islands was enhanced by a larger source of potential congeneric colonists and a change in ploidy level compared to overseas sister taxa.

The European polecat (Mustela putorius) is a mammalian predator which occurs across much of Europe east to the Ural Mountains. In Great Britain, following years of persecution the range of the European polecat contracted and by the early 1900s was restricted to unmanaged forests of central Wales. The European polecat has recently undergone a population increase due to legal protection and its range now overlaps that of feral domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). During this range expansion, European polecats hybridized with feral domestic ferrets producing viable offspring. Here, we carry out population-level whole-genome sequencing on 8 domestic ferrets, 19 British European polecats, and 15 European polecats from the European mainland. We used a range of population genomics methods to examine the data, including phylogenetics, phylogenetic graphs, model-based clustering, phylogenetic invariants, ABBA-BABA tests, topology weighting, and Fst. We found high degrees of genome introgression in British polecats outside their previous stronghold, even in those individuals phenotyped as “pure” polecats. These polecats ranged from presumed F1 hybrids (gamma = 0.53) to individuals that were much less introgressed (gamma = 0.2). We quantify this introgression and find introgressed genes containing Fst outliers associated with cognitive function and sight.

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is an endangered North American carnivore that underwent a well-documented population bottleneck in the mid-1980s. To better understand the effects of a bottleneck on a free-ranging carnivore population, we used 24 microsatellite loci to compare genetic diversity before versus during the bottleneck, and compare the last wild population to two historical populations. We also compared genetic diversity in black-footed ferrets to that of two sibling species, the steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanni) and the European polecat (Mustela putorius). Black-footed ferrets during the bottleneck had less genetic diversity than steppe polecats. The three black-footed ferret populations were well differentiated (F(ST) = 0.57 +/- 0.15; mean +/- SE). We attributed the decrease in genetic diversity in black-footed ferrets to localized extinction of these genetically distinct subpopulations and to the bottleneck in the surviving subpopulation. Although genetic diversity decreased, female fecundity and juvenile survival were not affected by the population bottleneck.

Data on SARS-CoV-2 infection in wildlife species is limited. The high prevalences found in mustelid species such as free-ranging American minks (Neovison vison) and domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) justify the study of this virus in the closely related autochthonous free-ranging European polecat (Mustela putorius). We analysed lung samples from 48 roadkilled polecats collected when the human infection reached its highest levels in Spain (2020–2021). We did not detect infections by SARS-CoV-2; however, surveillance in wild carnivores and particularly in mustelids is still warranted, due to their susceptibility to this virus.

Tissue cultures from skin, lung, and heart were made from a male polecat (Mustela putorius putorius L.) and at a later time from a female ferret (Mustela putorius furo L.). In both cases the cultures from heart and lung died after a few passages and the skin cultures were the only ones that could be used for further studies. An idiogram was calculated from measurements of 10 karyotypes of each subspecies. No morphological differences between the karyotypes of the two subspecies were found. The chromosome number was 2n = 40 with 38 autosomes and XX/XY sex chromosomes. The m-group included 5 pairs of autosomes, the X and the small Y-chromosome. A secondary constriction was regularly found in one of the homologues of the second smallest pair of the t-group. The chromosome number in the skin cultures was studied with regular intervals during 25 passages. After passage 21, soon before the cultures died, there was an increase in the proportion of tetraploid cells to some 85–90 %.