Desecheo Research Articles

The use of social attraction techniques to restore seabird colonies on Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico

Abstract Desecheo Island (117 ha) was historically an important seabird island in the Caribbean with 15 species recorded, of which seven are known to breed, including major populations of brown boobies and red‐footed bobbies. The introduction of invasive mammals, plus the use of the island as a bombing range, contributed to the extirpation of five of the seven known breeding populations of seabird species and vastly reduced numbers of the remaining two species. The island became a National Wildlife Refuge in 1976 and major conservation interventions have included the eradication of invasive goats, rhesus macaques and rats between 1976 and 2016. Removing these critical threats from the island has allowed other active restoration goals to be realized, including restoring seabird colonies to the island. Here, we report on the installation of social attraction equipment in 2018 to augment bridled tern and brown noddy colonies and establish a species of conservation concern, the Audubon's shearwater. We supported these actions through a review of historic seabird nesting and roosting on Desecheo. Motion‐sensing cameras were installed to document activity at each social attraction site and evaluate the effectiveness of our methods. During the 2 years of deployment and monitoring, a total of seven bridled tern nests were documented in new and historic sites for the species, two of them next to a decoy colony; however, no brown noddy visits or nests were detected. In 2018 and 2019, one and two Audubon's shearwaters, respectively, were attracted to one of the sound system speakers, representing the first record for this species on the island. Social attraction efforts on Desecheo appears to be a feasible activity that may help support seabird recolonization and support conservation goals for this National Wildlife Refuge.

Non-Trapping, Non-Invasive, Rapid Surveillance Sampling Using Tracking Tunnels, Trail Cameras, and eDNA to Determine Presence of Pest Predator Species

A common challenge for land managers is knowing which vertebrate pest species are present in areas they manage, especially if such areas are remote like isolated habitats, rugged terrain, or infrequently traveled islands. Most invasive predator species, such as feral dogs, cats, mongoose, and commensal rodents pose great threat to human health and key resources such as native species. Animal trapping to determine the presence of a pest species can be expensive and dangerous, requiring permits, experienced personnel, multiple days, and multiple trapping methods. Furthermore, many invasive pest species may go unnoticed because they are nocturnal, secretive, or leave little evidence of their presence. Tracking tunnels, trail cameras, and environmental DNA (eDNA) are non-trapping methods that can be used to rapidly assess if vertebrate pest species are present in a given habitat or ecosystem, including before, during, and after pest suppression techniques are implemented. We share tracking tunnel dimensions and specifications so readers can make their own tracking tunnels for rodent and other small mammal sampling, and we provide some common distributers where tracking tunnels can be purchased. A brief overview of trail camera technology and eDNA forensic uses are described, as well as their applications for vertebrate pest identification, surveillance, and damage management. To demonstrate these methods, we share example case studies from the Caribbean, including first time records of house mouse presence at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix (US Virgin Islands) and along a rainforest elevation gradient in the Luquillo National Forest, Puerto Rico. Additionally, we describe case studies of trail camera use on Desecheo Island (Puerto Rico) to determine brodifacoum bait consumption, and eDNA use in Wyoming to determine native bird depredation events. Tracking tunnels and trail cameras are recommended as quick and inexpensive ways to reveal the vertebrate pest species that are present at a site or habitat. These non-trapping, non-invasive techniques can provide quick and efficient methods of surveillance, detection, and monitoring of vertebrate pests, and otherwise may be used as effective tools to aid in wildlife damage management.

Resurgence of Harrisia portoricensis (Cactaceae) on Desecheo Island after the removal of invasive vertebrates: management implications

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 34:339-347 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00860 Resurgence of Harrisia portoricensis (Cactaceae) on Desecheo Island after the removal of invasive vertebrates: management implications Cielo E. Figuerola-Hernández1,*, Kirsty Swinnerton1,2, Nick D. Holmes1, Omar A. Monsegur-Rivera3, José Luis Herrera-Giraldo1, Coral Wolf1,4, Chad Hanson1, Susan Silander5, Donald A. Croll4 1Island Conservation, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA 2The Island Endemics Foundation, Boquerón 00622, Puerto Rico 3Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Boquerón 00622, Puerto Rico 4Coastal Conservation Action Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA 5Caribbean National Wildlife Refuge Complex, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Boquerón 00622, Puerto Rico *‑Corresponding author: cielo.figuerola@islandconservation.org ABSTRACT: Desecheo Island hosts a natural population of the higo chumbo cactus Harrisia portoricensis, listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. The species was extirpated from mainland Puerto Rico and is restricted to the offshore islands of Mona, Monito and Desecheo. Herbivory by goats Capra hircus, rhesus macaques Macaca mulatta, and black rats Rattus rattus introduced to Desecheo Island have likely contributed to a population decline, with only a few individuals of higo chumbo reported in 2003. As part of a restoration program, goats have been eradicated, macaques are considered functionally extirpated, and actions to remove invasive rodents were completed in 2016 and confirmed as successful in 2017. Systematic monitoring was implemented between 2010 and 2013, including widespread searches for H. portoricensis, collecting data on population structure, number of individuals, height, number of branches and evidence of phenological events. After 4 yr of continuous monitoring, 72 individual plants were identified, which exhibited increased height and branching throughout the study years. No seedlings were observed and only a few juveniles recorded, suggesting a resurgence from suppressed adults with limited recruitment. Long-term monitoring is critical to understanding the population dynamics of this species on Desecheo Island. Efforts to safeguard this species on the island require completion of the invasive vertebrate removals and would benefit from a seed banking program and manual establishment of new populations. KEY WORDS: Invasive species · Eradication · Threatened species · Caribbean · Herbivory · Harrisia portoricensis · Cactaceae · Desecheo Island Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Figuerola-Hernández CE, Swinnerton K, Holmes ND, Monsegur-Rivera OA and others (2017) Resurgence of Harrisia portoricensis (Cactaceae) on Desecheo Island after the removal of invasive vertebrates: management implications. Endang Species Res 34:339-347. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00860 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 34. Online publication date: November 23, 2017 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.

Sudden Appearance and Population Outbreak ofEunica monima(Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) on Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico

We documented the appearance and elevated abundance of the uncommon dingy purplewing butterfly, Eunica monima (Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), and pronounced herbivory on its host plant Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg. (Burseraceae) shortly after island-wide rat (Rattus rattus [L.]; Muridae) removal from Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico. We confirmed the species as E. monima by using both molecular and morphological analyses of larvae and adults. This is a first-time record of E. monima for the island of Desecheo, one of relatively few documented appearances in Puerto Rico during the last 100 yr, and an uncommon documentation of an outbreak of this species in the Caribbean. Although experimental manipulation would be needed to identify the cause of the E. monima population outbreak, we discuss possible cause-and-effect scenarios.

A Revision of the GenusDiastolinusMulsant and Rey (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Abstract The West Indian genus Diastolinus Mulsant and Rey, 1859 (type species: Blaps clathratus Fabricius) is revised. The genus now includes 18 species divided among three species-groups, eight of which are described as new species herein: Diastolinus chalumeaui Hart and Ivie, new species (Guadeloupe Archipelago); Diastolinus leewardensis Hart and Ivie, new species (Leeward Islands); Diastolinus shieli Hart and Ivie, new species (Redonda); Diastolinus azuaensis Hart and Ivie, new species (Hispaniola); Diastolinus desecheo Hart and Ivie, new species (Desecheo Island); Diastolinus doyeni Hart and Ivie, new species (Puerto Rico); Diastolinus vaderi Hart and Ivie, new species (Hispaniola); and Diastolinus hoppae Hart and Ivie, new species (St. Lucia). The following new synonymies are proposed: Diastolinus hummelincki Marcuzzi, 1962 = Diastolinus clavatus Mulsant and Rey, 1859, new synonymy; Diastolinus mulsanti Marcuzzi and D'Aguilar, 1971 = Diastolinus clavatus Mulsant and Rey, 1859, new synonymy; and Dias...

Natural History Observations in the Puerto Rican Dwarf Anole, Anolis occultus Williams and Rivero 1965 (Squamata: Dactyloidae): Nectar-Feeding, Bird Predation, and a Review of the Species’ Natural History with Implications for Its Conservation

We document the first record of nectarivory and bird predation in the Puerto Rican Dwarf Anole, Anolis occultus, which expands our knowledge on the natural history in the most diverse genus of Neotropical lizards. In addition, we conducted a literature review on all recorded information about this species, which revealed that little is known about the natural history and the ecology of A. occultus since its description in 1965. A discrepancy exists between the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) and the Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources' (DNER) listings of A. occultus: 'Least Concern' in the former, 'Data Deficient' in the latter. This discrepancy in international and state listing categories, along with the lack of ecological and historical information on the species, warrants a change of the species' status to 'Data Deficient' by the IUCN, and we recommend areas of ecological research with conservation implications for the species. There are 42 species of lizards documented for Puerto Rico by 2016 (including the main island of Puerto Rico and on Mona Island, Desecheo Island, Vieques, Culebra, and satellite islets and cays) of which 13 belong in the genus Anolis (notables: two subspecies, A. cristatellus cristatellus and A. c. wileyae; A. roosevelti, which is presumably extinct). Of those 13 species, ten occur in the mainland of Puerto Rico, with Mona Island, Desecheo Island, and Culebra Island having an endemic anole each. We have garnered field observations about one of the least noticed lizards of Puerto Rico, the Dwarf Anole, A. occultus Williams and Rivero 1965. Herein we include a detailed account on nectarivory by A. occultus, the first case reported for this species. Also, we

Colonization of islands in the Mona Passage by endemic dwarf geckoes (genus Sphaerodactylus) reconstructed with mitochondrial phylogeny

Little is known about the natural history of the Sphaerodactylus species endemic to the three islands located in the Mona Passage separating the Greater Antillean islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. In this study, parts of two mitochondrial genes, 16S rRNA and 12S rRNA, were sequenced to determine the relationships between the sphaerodactylids that live in the Mona Passage and other Caribbean species from the same genus. While the main goal was to identify the biogeographical origin of these species, we also identified a genetically distinct type of dwarf gecko that warrants future evaluation as a possible new species. According to the reconstructed phylogenies, we propose a stepwise model of colonization wherein S. nicholsi from southwestern Puerto Rico or a very close ancestor gave rise through a founder event to Sphaerodactylus monensis on Mona Island. In a similar fashion, S. monensis or a very close ancestor on Mona Island gave rise to S. levinsi on Desecheo Island. This study also suggests that the most recent common ancestor between the species from the islands in the Mona Passage and Puerto Rico existed approximately 3 MYA.

A Conversation with Joanne Kyger

Paul Watsky interviews Joanne Kyger, a poet identified with US avant-garde poetry of the mid-twentieth century. Their conversation explores the cultural milieu out of which her life and poetry grew: from mid-twentieth-century San Francisco to Kyoto, Japan, to Desecheo Island to Bolinas, California; from Jung and dreams to Zen and psychedelics. They delve into poetry, teaching, and the process of writing and letting “mistakes” guide the poem.

No two reefs are created equal: fine-scale population structure in the threatened coral species Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis

The population structures of the zooxanthellate corals Acropora palmata and A. cervi- cornis were used as a proxy to estimate genetic connectivity between reefs of Puerto Rico. Sequences of the mitochondrial control region were recovered from geographically adjacent and distant reefs inhabited by A. palmata (n = 220) and A. cervicornis (n = 124). Both species exhibited low levels of mitochondrial nucleotide diversity, a common observation for scleractinian corals. Analysis of molec- ular variance based on coral colonies collected from 26 reefs of 6 localities suggested that significant population structure exists even between neighboring reefs (A. palmata, ΦST = 0.0863, p < 0.00098; A. cervicornis, ΦST = 0.1237, p < 0.00587). When all samples from Puerto Rico were combined and compared to samples from Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas, the pairwise genetic distances were also significant. Evidence for population structure in A. cervicornis was much stronger when introgressed and native alleles were used in combination rather than alone: A. cervicornis from Mona Island was significantly different compared to La Parguera and the Bahamas, but not to Desecheo Island. Recov- ery of Acropora in ecological time might rely on the survival and sexual reproduction of local popu- lations rather than replenishment from distant reefs because of the population subdivision observed at fine geographic scales.

The structure of euniolide, a new cembranoid diterpene from the caribbean gorgonians eunicea succinea and eunicea mammosa

Three simple γ-lactonic cembranolides were isolated from the gorgonian Eunicea succinea collected near Palomino Key, Puerto Rico on July,1989. The structure of two were determined from spectral data and chemical correlation experiments to be those of known 12,13-bisepleupalmerin ( 1) and eunicin ( 3). The structure of the third metabolite was deduced from spectroscopic data and from chemical degradation experiments to be that of eunlolide ( 2), a previously undescribed γ-lactonic cembranolide. Extraction of a fresh specimen of Eunicea mammosa collected near Desecheo island Puerto Rico on March, 1989 also afforded sunlolide in addition to known cembranoid diterpene eupalmerin acetate ( 4).

Título en español.

En este trabajo se enumeran 53 especies de insectos de la isla de Desecheo y se incluyen algunas notas entomológicas respecto a esa isla.