Physiological implications of life at the forest interface of oil palm agriculture: blood profiles of wild Malay civets (Viverra tangalunga).

Meaghan N Evans,Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez,Carsten T Müller,Peter Kille,Benoit Goossens,Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar,Steven Cooke

doi:10.1093/conphys/coaa127

Meaghan N Evans, Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa127

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Abstract

Agricultural development is a major threat to global biodiversity, and effective conservation actions are crucial. Physiological repercussions of life alongside human-modified landscapes can undermine adaptable species' health and population viability; however, baseline data are lacking for many wildlife species. We assessed the physiological status of a generalist carnivore, the Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga), persisting within an extensively human-modified system in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We characterized hematology and serum biochemistry panels from civets sampled across a mosaic landscape comprising tropical forest fragments and oil palm plantations. Intra-population variation in certain blood parameters were explained by expected biological drivers such as sex, age category and sampling season. Furthermore, we determined several erythrocyte measures, immune cell counts and dietary biochemistry markers significantly varied with proximity to oil palm plantation boundaries. These findings were supported by a case study, whereby blood profiles of GPS collared male civets were contrasted based on their exclusive use of forests or use of oil palm plantations. These data provide robust and valuable first insights into this species' physiological status and suggest agricultural landscapes are impacting the persisting population.

Highlights

Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation pose significant threats to global biodiversity, and rates of species extinctions are at an all-time high (Ceballos et al, 2017; IPBES, 2018)
17 samples were removed from potassium, calcium and alkaline phosphatase datasets; these values were statistically extreme in a pattern consistent with suspected K-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) contamination during sample collection (Bowen and Remaley, 2014)
A total of seven hematology and eight biochemistry parameters were significantly influenced by sex, age category, sampling season or proximity to oil palm plantation; the remaining parameters were not significantly related to any of these variables (Tables 1–2)

Summary

Introduction

Degradation and fragmentation pose significant threats to global biodiversity, and rates of species extinctions are at an all-time high (Ceballos et al, 2017; IPBES, 2018). Individuals, and by extension, populations, surviving within fragmented and degraded habitats can be chronically stressed (Johnstone et al, 2011), malnourished (Birnie-Gauvin et al, 2017), immunosuppressed (Messina et al, 2018), at elevated risk of pathogen or parasite exposure (Brearly et al, 2013) or fail to successfully reproduce (Banks et al, 2007). It is critical to assess the physiological health of individuals, and by extension, species, persisting alongside the interface of natural and human-modified landscapes. Such assessments enable effective conservation actions to be crafted through the identification of otherwise cryptic threats to the long-term survival of a population (e.g. Cooke et al, 2012; Madliger et al, 2017)

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