Habitat Modification Research Articles

Habitat use by nomadic ibis and spoonbills post-dispersal from breeding sites

Abstract Context Nomadic waterbirds are highly mobile across a range of spatial and temporal scales, which makes it difficult to monitor, quantify, and predict their habitat use with traditional methods, especially between breeding events when individuals and flocks can move over vast areas. Objectives This study aimed to provide accurate information on habitat use to improve strategic conservation management of these species, particularly the provisioning of environmental water. Methods To overcome the challenges of distance and remoteness, we analysed a 7-year GPS satellite telemetry dataset from 141 individuals. We quantified habitat selection post-dispersal from breeding sites, and predicted habitat preference for two wading waterbird species of the Threskiornithidae family that frequently nest together at the same sites: straw-necked ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) and royal spoonbill (Platalea regia). Results Both long-term and short-term landscape-scale habitat associations differed between species. Royal spoonbills used fewer and more restricted habitat types than straw-necked ibis. Spoonbills displayed strong preferences for reservoirs, marshes and permanent wetlands, while ibis used both aquatic and terrestrial habitat, including areas of intensive animal production, modified pasture, and woodlands. Analysis of nocturnal versus diurnal space use showed that roosting and foraging habitat requirements for both species are distinct. Conclusions Analysing over 1 million telemetry points revealed species-level variability in habitat use, informing resource allocation for environmental water management. Royal spoonbills are more vulnerable to habitat change due to water regime alterations, highlighting the need for focused conservation management. Differences in day and night habitat use indicate the necessity of considering roosting habitats alongside foraging habitats for effective conservation. This comprehensive understanding of waterbirds' spatiotemporal interactions with their environment is crucial for long-term management aimed at increasing waterbird numbers and maintaining diversity.

Forest cover is more important than its integrity or landscape configuration in determining habitat use by mammals in a human-modified landscape in Colombia

Human activities shape the structure of landscapes in different ways and hence modify animal communities depending on the type and intensity of these activities. The Montes de Maria subregion of Colombia has experienced a heavy transformation of most areas despite covering one of the last remnants of dry forest, a critically endangered ecosystem. However, the effects of this transformation have been little explored. Here, we used a multispecies occupancy model (MSOM) to understand the relative influence of three components of land-use change – deforestation (remaining forest amount), degradation of forest integrity (forest quality) and fragmentation (landscape configuration) on mammalian habitat use across a mosaic of tropical dry forest in Colombia. Our data suggest that the percentage of forest cover was substantially important for herbivores, and consistently showed a moderate effect on the entire community and some individual species. High variability in species-specific responses to the examined variables hindered broad taxonomic generalizations, nevertheless, we detected a moderate positive effect of forest cover in both diet specialists and generalists species, as well as in species with small home ranges. Although omnivores responses, tended to use less complex landscapes (mosaics of land uses), there was high uncertainty in this response. The lack of substantial effects on most species, and the absence of threatened species across this anthropogenic landscape, suggests that the current community is composed of species tolerant to habitat modifications, but not only diet generalist species. This is most likely the result of a long filtering process caused by land use transformation and hunting which could have caused non-sensitive species to distribute relatively homogenously across this landscape. Our results suggest that conservation strategies in the study area should focus on conserving and expanding as much forest as possible rather than only improving the quality of already existing forest patches.

Investigating Avian habitat modification and behavioral dynamics in active wind farm environments

Investigating Avian habitat modification and behavioral dynamics in active wind farm environments

Faecal DNA Metabarcoding for Diet Analysis of Endangered Fish Species, Odontobutis obscurus

Understanding the ecological characteristics of endangered species is essential for their management and conservation. The dark sleeper (Odontobutis obscurus) is a carnivorous freshwater fish that has been designated an endangered species in South Korea because of its highly restricted habitat range and small population size. However, ecological research on prey items for this species remains severely limited globally, posing challenges for establishing conservation measures such as translocation management. In this study, the food sources and feeding strategies of O. obscurus were identified through non-invasive faecal DNA metabarcoding. A total of 24 O. obscurus specimens were collected from Sanyang Stream on Geoje Island, and faecal DNA was amplified using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) primer. As a result, 13 prey items were identified, comprising fish and benthic invertebrates. Dietary metrics revealed the overall food composition and major food source of O. obscurus, and the Costello method enabled graphical diet analysis, suggesting that O. obscurus is a generalist, feeding on a wide variety of food sources. The food selectivity index suggested that O. obscurus prefers specific prey items, such as genus Misgurnus, Zacco (fish), Radix (gastropod), and Ephemera (mayfly). This molecular method facilitated the diet analysis of an endangered fish species that cannot undergo dissection, providing crucial information for their management, particularly regarding translocation efforts.

Whole genomes from the extinct Xerces Blue butterfly can help identify declining insect species

The Xerces Blue (Glaucopsyche xerces) is considered to be the first butterfly to become extinct in historical times. It was notable for its chalky lavender wings with conspicuous white spots on the ventral wings. The last individuals were collected in their restricted habitat, in the dunes near the Presidio military base in San Francisco, in 1941. We sequenced the genomes of four 80- to 100-year-old Xerces Blue, and seven historical and one modern specimens of its closest relative, the Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus). We compared these to a novel annotated genome of the Green-Underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis). Phylogenetic relationships inferred from complete mitochondrial genomes indicate that Xerces Blue was a distinct species that diverged from the Silvery Blue lineage at least 850,000 years ago. Using nuclear genomes, both species experienced population growth during the Eemian interglacial period, but the Xerces Blue decreased to a very low effective population size subsequently, a trend opposite to that observed in the Silvery Blue. Runs of homozygosity and deleterious load in the former were significantly greater than in the later, suggesting a higher incidence of inbreeding. These signals of population decline observed in Xerces Blue could be used to identify and monitor other insects threatened by human activities, whose extinction patterns are still not well known.

Whole genomes from the extinct Xerces Blue butterfly can help identify declining insect species.

The Xerces Blue (Glaucopsyche xerces) is considered to be the first butterfly to become extinct in historical times. It was notable for its chalky lavender wings with conspicuous white spots on the ventral wings. The last individuals were collected in their restricted habitat, in the dunes near the Presidio military base in San Francisco, in 1941. We sequenced the genomes of four 80- to 100-year-old Xerces Blue, and seven historical and one modern specimens of its closest relative, the Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus). We compared these to a novel annotated genome of the Green-Underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis). Phylogenetic relationships inferred from complete mitochondrial genomes indicate that Xerces Blue was a distinct species that diverged from the Silvery Blue lineage at least 850,000 years ago. Using nuclear genomes, both species experienced population growth during the Eemian interglacial period, but the Xerces Blue decreased to a very low effective population size subsequently, a trend opposite to that observed in the Silvery Blue. Runs of homozygosity and deleterious load in the former were significantly greater than in the later, suggesting a higher incidence of inbreeding. These signals of population decline observed in Xerces Blue could be used to identify and monitor other insects threatened by human activities, whose extinction patterns are still not well known.

Landscape Heterogeneity Drives Genetic Diversity in the Highly Dispersive Moss Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.

Funaria hygrometrica, a cosmopolitan moss species known for its remarkable dispersal capacity, was selected as the focal organism to investigate the relationship between landscape features and genetic diversity. Our study encompassed samples collected from two distinct regions: the Spanish Sierra Nevada Mountains (SN), characterized by a diverse landscape with an altitudinal difference of nearly 3500 m within a short distance, and the Murcia Region (MU) in Southeast Spain, characterized by a uniform landscape akin to the lowlands of Sierra Nevada. Genotyping analysis targeted three genetic regions: the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS), the chloroplast rps3-rpl16 region, and the mitochondrial rpl5-rpl16 spacer. Through this analysis, we aimed to assess genetic variability and population structure across these environmentally contrasting regions. The Sierra Nevada populations exhibited significantly higher haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.78 in the highlands and 0.67 overall) and nucleotide diversity (π% = 0.51 for ITS1) compared to the Murcia populations (Hd = 0.35, π% = 0.14). Further investigation unveiled that samples from the lowlands of Sierra Nevada showed a closer genetic affinity to Murcia than to the highlands of Sierra Nevada. Furthermore, the genetic differentiation between highland and lowland populations was significant (ΦST = 0.55), with partial Mantel tests and ResistanceGA analysis revealing a strong correlation between ITS1-based genetic diversity and landscape features, including altitude and bioclimatic variables. Our study elucidated potential explanations for the observed genetic structuring within F. hygrometrica samples' populations. These included factors such as a high selfing rate within restricted habitats, a limited average dispersal distance of spores, hybrid depression affecting partially incompatible genetic lineages, and recent migration facilitated via human activities into formerly unoccupied areas of the dry zones of Southeast Spain.

Knowledge shortfalls on amphibian diets in Colombia: Future trends and challenges

AbstractAmphibians are increasingly threatened, leading to growing concern about their key role in natural ecosystems globally as predators and essential consumers in food webs. Effective conservation plans are linked to up‐to‐date distributional and ecological information, but dietary knowledge is often underrepresented. This information is essential for understanding ecological requirements, changes in the species and populations, impacts of habitat modification, and developing conservation strategies. Here, we present the current knowledge on amphibian diets in Colombia, to determine (a) the number of species studied and their distribution across families and genera; (b) the temporal and regional patterns in number of articles on amphibian diets; and (c) the trends in topics studied associated with amphibian diets; and to offer (d) a qualitative description of amphibian diets and the methods used for stomach contents collection. We found 70 published studies on the diet of Colombian amphibians between the years 1914 and 2022, including 100 species (11.6% of Colombian species). The Andean region is the best represented, and the Amazon and Orinoco the least. The topics most frequently studied were prey items consumed and ontogeny, followed by systematics and taxonomy, and land‐use change impacts. Forty‐one prey items were consumed, where Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were the most common prey items. While the development of information on amphibian diets has recently increased, knowledge remains limited, with a significant information gap for many Colombian species in different regions. Conducting studies in little‐explored areas of the country, especially the Amazon, Orinoco, and Pacific regions, should have high priority. Investigations should be focused on Caudata and Gymnophiona, plus the anurans of the Hemiphractidae and Pipidae families that do not have diet records in Colombia. Indeed, we evidence the necessity to perform trophic network analysis to understand better the energy flow between species and the associated spatial, temporal, or functional trait changes.

Bees that love tears: A review of Lisotrigona congregating at human and animal eyes (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini)

Stingless bees (Apinae: Meliponini) exhibit astonishing and unusual behaviours, including tear-drinking or lachryphagy. In this review, we summarize lachryphagy in stingless bees, providing updated insights into their taxonomy, foraging patterns, ecology, hosts, evolutionary origins, and potential for pathogen transmission. In Northern Thailand, marked workers of the minute stingless bees Lisotrigona cacciae (Nurse) and L. furva Engel repeatedly return to human eyes, harvesting tears in short bouts that can last for hours or even over multiple days. Behavioural evidence suggests the presence of specialized tear collectors within these species. Single, experienced individuals can harvest tears gently, going unnoticed by the host, though large congregations can become bothersome. Lachryphagy occurs year-round and appears to be driven by high protein content in tears, in addition to salt and water. While Lisotrigona also visit flowers for nectar and pollen, tear collection may supplement or even replace pollen protein when floral resources are scarce or absent in their restricted habitats. Confirmed hosts include humans, zebu, dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, and yellow tortoises. Lachryphagy has also been reported in other species of Lisotrigona in India. Interestingly, the similarly minute and widespread Tetragonula fuscobalteata (Cameron) is not lachryphagous but sucks sweat, as do other stingless bees, including Lisotrigona, though all visit flowers. This review also examines the potential for pathogen transmission via tear-drinking, particularly concerning viruses entering through the ocular surface, and discusses the evolutionary origins of lachryphagy in stingless bees.

Temporal Shifts in Flower-Visiting Butterfly Communities and Their Floral Resources along a Vegetation Type Altered by Anthropogenic Factors

Habitat disturbance driven by human activities poses a major threat to biodiversity and can disrupt ecological interactions. Butterfly–plant mutualisms represent an ideal model system to study such anthropogenic impacts, as butterflies exhibit intimate dependencies on larval host plants and adult nectar sources, rendering them highly sensitive to habitat changes affecting the availability of these floral resources. This study examined flower-visiting butterfly communities and their associations with flowering plants in a landscape altered by anthropogenic factors in central Mexico. The study area encompassed a mosaic of vegetation types, including native juniper forests, agricultural lands, and introduced eucalyptus plantations, representing different degrees of human-induced habitat modification. Monthly surveys were conducted over a single year, covering both rainy and dry seasons, to analyze butterfly and plant diversity, community composition, and interactions. Results showed the highest diversity in juniper forests, followed by eucalyptus and agricultural sites. Seasonal turnover was the primary driver of community changes, with habitat-based segregation persisting within seasons. Butterfly diversity strongly correlated with flower abundance, while plant richness played a secondary role. SIMPER and indicator species analyses identified key taxa contributing to compositional dissimilarities among habitats and associated with specific vegetation types and seasons. Our research provides insights into temporal dynamics structuring butterfly–plant interactions across this forest disturbance spectrum, highlighting how habitat changes and seasonality shape these mutualistic communities in changing landscapes.

Transformation of dry dipterocarp to dry evergreen forests alters food webs of web-building spiders and their prey

AbstractAnthropogenic habitat modification is a major contributor to global change. While the modification of natural habitats to agroecosystems attracts most of the attention, little is known about the conversion of one natural ecosystem to another. Dry dipterocarp forest is the key dry forest type across Southeast Asia. Moderate fire disturbance is essential for its regeneration, but humans often prevent fire in these forests. Consequently, dry dipterocarps can change to dry evergreen forests through succession. The consequences of this conversion on food webs are unknown. Using the network approach, we compared the food webs of web-building spiders and their prey in the understory between dry dipterocarp (open canopy, uniform understory) and dry evergreen forests (closed canopy, heterogeneous understory) in north-eastern Thailand. Overall, we collected 560 individual web-building spiders belonging to 37 genera. Further, we collected 1139 prey items from spider webs belonging to 16 arthropod orders. The composition of captured prey and the network structure differed between the forest types. Specifically, the web-building spiders were more specialized and their niches overlapped less in dry dipterocarps than in dry evergreens. The differences in food-web structure were driven mostly by trophic groups turnover rather than interaction rewiring. Implications for insect conservation: The transformation of dry dipterocarp to dry evergreen forests from the prevention of fire disturbance may lead to an altered ecological function of web-building spiders in forest understories. As trophic links and their strength are rewired, habitat modification may also lead to changes in nutrient and energy flow in forest understories.

Assembly and annotation of a chromosome-level reference genome for the endangered Colorado pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius.

Advancements in genome sequencing technology have brought unprecedented accessibility of high-throughput sequencing to species of conservation interest. The potential knowledge gained from application of these techniques is maximized by availability of high-quality, annotated reference genomes for endangered species. However, these vital resources are often lacking for endangered minnows of North America (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae). One such endangered species, Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) is the largest North American minnow and the top-level native aquatic predator in the Colorado River Basin of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Over the past century Colorado pikeminnow has suffered habitat loss and population declines due to anthropogenic habitat modifications and invasive species introductions. The lack of genetic resources for Colorado pikeminnow has hindered conservation genomic study of this unique organism. This study seeks to remedy this issue by presenting a high-quality reference genome for Colorado pikeminnow developed from Pacific Biosciences HiFi sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding. The final assembly was a 1.1 Gb genome comprised of 305 contigs including 25 chromosome-sized scaffolds. Measures of quality, contiguity, and completeness met or exceeded those observed for Danio rerio (Danionidae) and two other Colorado River Basin leuciscids (Meda fulgida and Tiaroga cobitis). Comparative genomic analyses identified enrichment of gene families for growth, development, immune activity, and gene transcription; all of which are important for a large-bodied piscivorous fish living in a dynamic environment. This reference genome will provide a basis for important conservation genomic study of Colorado pikeminnow and help efforts to better understand the evolution of desert fishes.

Integrative taxonomy and biogeography of the genus Oxytrechus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechini) in the tropical alpine ecosystem of Ecuadorian Andes, with the description of six new species

Summary This study presents a taxonomic revision of the species of the ground beetle genus Oxytrechus Jeannel, 1927 that inhabit the superpáramo of the Andes of Ecuador, which constitutes the uppermost zone of the tropical alpine ecosystem, above 4200 m. Sixteen species, displayed in three clades, were recorded in this environment, six of which are described as new: Oxytrechus antisanae n. sp. (Mt Antisana), O. giachinoi n. sp. (Mt Illiniza), O. hamatus n. sp. (Mt Atacazo and Pichincha), O. prunai n. sp. (Mt Guamaní), O. reflexus n. sp. (Mt Illiniza and Mt Corazón), and O. robbiolai n. sp. (Mt Pichincha). New distributional data are presented for O. chioriae Quéinnec & Ollivier, 2019, O. lallemandi Jeannel, 1927, O. moreti Mateu, 1988 and O. zoiai Casale & Sciaky, 1985. The first molecular phylogeny of the group, based on fragments of four mitochondrial and two nuclear genes, is given. Dichotomous identification keys are provided to the species groups and the included species. Based on systematic sampling, Oxytrechus exhibits the highest degree of microendemism among páramo ground beetles. No species has been found in more than two sky islands, and half of the species recorded in the superpáramo are single-mountain endemics. As regards their conservation status, eight species (two thirds) can be classified as vulnerable or endangered, due to a mix of low abundance, narrow distribution range, microendemism, limited ecological tolerance, habitat destruction and effects of climate change.

Genetic diversity and diversification patterns of puma (Puma concolor) populations in the southern end of the species distribution

The puma (Puma concolor Linnaeus, 1771) is the top predator with the widest distribution in America. Since the establishment of European settlers on the American continent, puma populations have experienced significant contractions and reductions in their original distribution. In Argentina, the management of the conflict between humans and pumas (direct persecution and habitat modification) focused on reduction or elimination methods, leading to a drastic contraction, even total eradication, of puma populations as seen in Patagonia and the eastern part of the country. Despite the lack of knowledge about puma population demographic trends, there are taxonomic issues that remain controversial and need to be resolved to implement appropriate management and conservation measures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to genetically characterize puma populations in the central-southern region of Argentina using two mitochondrial markers, evaluate their demographic history, compare our results at a macro-regional level, and discuss our findings in a conservation and management context. A total of 203 individuals were used, and a fragment of the control region and another of ND5 were sequenced. The genetic variability obtained was moderate. Substitution rates for each locus and the tMRCA were calculated from calibrated trees. In a concatenated tree, two main phylogenetic clades were identified (posterior probability = 1), although a reciprocal monophyly was not observed, with a divergence time of 228 thousand years and a 95% CI [117–363 thousand years]. When evaluating population structuring, three genetic clusters were found, one characteristic of the Patagonian region and the others in the central part of the country. Calculating the ФST values for pairs resulted in significant structuring between Patagonia and the rest of the populations, suggesting the arid diagonal as a possible barrier to gene flow. When evaluating the demographic history, neutrality tests would support a recent expansion in Patagonia. These findings are crucial in defining two distinct Management Units (MUs) in the southern part of puma distribution and providing valuable information for management and conservation measures for the species.

The Impact of Rhizospheric and Endophytic Bacteria on the Germination of Carajasia cangae: A Threatened Rubiaceae of the Amazon Cangas.

Carajasia cangae (Rubiaceae) is a narrow endemic species from the canga ecosystems of the Carajás National Forest that is facing extinction due to a limited range and habitat disturbance from hydroclimatological changes and mining activities. This study examines the influence of rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria on C. cangae seed germination to support conservation efforts. Soil samples, both rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric, as well as plant root tissues, were collected. Bacteria from these samples were subsequently isolated, cultured, and identified. DNA sequencing revealed the presence of 16 isolates (9 rhizospheric and 7 endophytic), representing 19 genera and 6 phyla: Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Chloroflexi. The endophytic isolates of Bacillus and the rhizospheric isolates of Planococcus and Lysinibacillus reduced the median germination time and initiation time, while the rhizospheric isolates Serratia and Comamonas increased the germination time and decreased the germination percentage in comparison to the control sample. These findings emphasize the crucial role of endophytic bacteria in the germination of C. cangae and highlight isolates that could have beneficial effects in the following stages of plant growth. Understanding the impact of endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial isolates on seed germination can enhance conservation efforts by shortening the germination period of this species and thereby improving seedling production. Additionally, this knowledge will pave the way for future research on the role of bacteria in the establishment of C. cangae.

Temporal and oceanographic factors differentially affect two size classes of white shark at a Southern California aggregation site

Ontogenetic habitat shifts are a common feature of many marine species, including sharks, which face conservation threats when their distributions overlap with human resource extraction and habitat modification. White sharks Carcharodon carcharias, for example, exhibit a distinctly coastal phase as juveniles, with a limited distribution compared to the basin-scale range of adults. Using an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV), we studied a coastal aggregation site within a Southern California Bight nursery area to determine how fine-scale temporal and oceanographic factors affect white sharks at different developmental stages. White shark density, as measured via UAV, was highly variable across time of day and day of year, with modest variation across years. Typically, more sharks were observed in the late afternoon hours. Sharks, especially those <3 m total length, were observed more often during periods of colder seafloor temperatures, potentially reflecting avoidance of these colder, deeper waters by more cold-intolerant smaller white sharks. Alternate models incorporating sea surface temperature showed a very small but significant association between surface temperatures and <3 m total length white sharks for the months we surveyed, but no such association for larger sharks. There were no or only modest effects of visibility, swell height, chl a levels, sea state, and tidal height on UAV-observed shark density. Understanding how temporal patterns and oceanographic predictors of density change over time as well as how shark ontogeny interacts with these factors can help us to better understand how this species uses coastal habitats and predict when they may be more likely to share marine space with humans.

Climate and land use/land cover changes increasing habitat overlap among endangered crested ibis and sympatric egret/heron species

Climate and land use/land cover (LULC) changes have far-reaching effects on various biological processes in wildlife, particularly interspecific interactions. Unfortunately, interspecific interactions are often overlooked when assessing the impacts of environmental changes on endangered species. In this study, we examined niche similarities and habitat overlaps between wild Crested Ibis and sympatric Egret and Heron species (EHs) in Shaanxi, China, using Ecological niche models (ENMs). We aimed to forecast potential alterations in habitat overlaps due to climate and LULC changes. The results showed that although EHs possess a broader niche breadth compared to the Crested Ibis, they still share certain niche similarities, as indicated by Schoener’s D and Hellinger’s I values exceeding 0.5, respectively. Notably, despite varying degrees of habitat reduction, the shared habitat area of all six species expands with the changes in climate and LULC. We suggest that with the climate and LULC changes, the habitats of sympatric EHs are likely to suffer varying degrees of destruction, forcing them to seek refuge and migrate to the remaining wild Ibis habitat. This is primarily due to the effective conservation efforts in the Crested Ibis habitat in Yangxian County and neighboring areas. Consequently, due to the niche similarity, they will share and compete for limited habitat resources, including food and space. Therefore, we recommend that conservation efforts extend beyond protecting the Crested Ibis habitat. It is crucial to control human activities that contribute to LULC changes to safeguard the habitats of both Crested Ibis and other sympatric birds.

Stabilizing selection and mitochondrial heteroplasmy in the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis).

Mitochondrial DNA is commonly used in population genetic studies to investigate spatial structure, intraspecific variation, and phylogenetic relationships. The control region is the most rapidly evolving and largest non-coding region, but its analysis can be complicated by heteroplasmic signals of genome duplication in many mammals, including felids. Here, we describe the presence of heteroplasmy in the control region of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) through intra-individual sequence variation. Our results demonstrate multiple haplotypes of varying length in each lynx, resulting from different copy numbers of the repetitive sequence RS-2 and suggest possible heteroplasmic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in both repetitive sequences RS-2 and RS-3. Intra-individual variation was only observed in the repetitive sequences while inter-individual variation was detected in the flanking regions outside of the repetitive sequences, indicating that heteroplasmic mutations are restricted to these repeat regions. Although each lynx displayed multiple haplotypes of varying length, we found the most common variant contained three complete copies of the RS-2 repeat unit, suggesting copy number is regulated by stabilizing selection. While genome duplication offers potential for increased diversity, heteroplasmy may lead to a selective advantage or detriment in the face of mitochondrial function and disease, which could have significant implications for wildlife populations experiencing decline (e.g., bottlenecks) as a result of habitat modification or climate change.

A decision-making framework to maximise the evolutionary potential of populations - Genetic and genomic insights from the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) at its range limits

Anthropogenic habitat modification and climate change are fundamental drivers of biodiversity declines, reducing the evolutionary potential of species, particularly at their distributional limits. Supportive breeding or reintroductions of individuals are often made to replenish declining populations, sometimes informed by genetic analysis. However, most approaches utilised (i.e. single locus markers) do not have the resolution to account for local adaptation to environmental conditions, a crucial aspect to consider when selecting donor and recipient populations. Here, we incorporate genetic (microsatellite) and genome-wide SNP (ddRAD-seq) markers, accounting for both neutral and putative adaptive genetic diversity, to inform the conservation management of the threatened common midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans at the northern and eastern edges of its range in Europe. We find geographically structured populations (n = 4), weak genetic differentiation and fairly consistent levels of genetic diversity across localities (observed heterozygosity and allelic richness). Categorising individuals based on putatively adaptive regions of the genome showed that the majority of localities are not strongly locally adapted. However, several localities present high numbers of private alleles in tandem with local adaptation to warmer conditions and rough topography. Combining genetic diversity and local adaptations with estimates of migration rates, we develop a decision-making framework for selecting donor and recipient populations which maximises the geographic dispersal of neutral and putatively adaptive genetic diversity. Our framework is generally applicable to any species, but especially to amphibians, so armed with this information, conservationists may avoid the reintroduction of unsuitable/maladapted individuals to new sites and increase the evolutionary potential of populations within species.

New records of the Non-native Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1985) in Bangka Island Indonesia

Abstract The freshwater species known as Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1985), commonly referred to as the Sailfin catfish, is native to temperate and tropical regions of South America, with a particular prevalence in the Amazon. Due to insufficient regulation of the pet fish industry, certain species from this family have been inadvertently or deliberately introduced to various places worldwide. In Indonesia, the occurrence of the sailfin catfish has been recorded in the natural freshwater habitats of Java and Sumatra. The introduction of non-indigenous fish species into natural aquatic environments has had adverse effects on biodiversity due to factors such as competition for resources, modification of habitats, and transfer of diseases so the presence of the P. pardalis is a danger alert. This study presents the first evidence of the presence of the sailfin catfish P. pardalis on Bangka Island, located in the western region of Indonesia. During the field trip conducted in August 2023, a total of twenty specimens were obtained from the Rangkui River, Pangkal Pinang.