Habitat Requirements Of Species Research Articles

Rediscovery of the Neotropical orchid Porroglossum parsonsii and recommendations for its conservation

Abstract Understanding the distribution and habitat requirements of species is crucial for designing conservation actions, yet this information is not available for many plant species. We report the first confirmed wild populations of Porroglossum parsonsii, which, because of its horticultural value, is commercialized in national and international markets, from where it was first described to science. Our large-scale survey of 341 10 × 30 m plots spanning Andean forests, paramo habitats and pasturelands in Colombia suggests that P. parsonsii has a restricted geographical distribution in Andean forests with high forest cover (71.4–86.2%), where it occurs in low numbers (5–17 individuals per plot). Because of its market value (USD 18–20 per plant) there is a risk the species could be collected illegally, and therefore the habitat of the species in the Santuario de Fauna y Flora de Iguaque requires appropriate conservation.

Well known indicator groups do not predict the decline of insects

In decision making for insect conservation, one depends largely on knowledge of the relationship between changes in environmental factors and abundance of a very limited number of species. The species we have knowledge on cannot be regarded as a representative sample of all insects. How accurately do changes in the abundance of these species predict the changes in other species? To answer this question, we studied 373 insect species belonging to the Apidae (bees), Lepidoptera (butterflies), Orthoptera (grasshoppers), Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Trichoptera (caddisflies), Odonata (dragonflies), and Plecoptera (stoneflies), with known population trends and attributes in the Netherlands. The 78 attributes included morphological and demographic trait values, as well as habitat requirements of species. We trained Random Forests (RFs) with random samples and with taxonomic groups to predict the decline of the species based on their attributes. Then we used the trained RFs to predict the decline of the species outside the training groups and checked the accuracy of the predictions. The results showed that accuracy of the predictions of the RFs trained by the random samples increased from 0 to 0.20 (maximum 0.40, on a scale of 0 to 1) with sample size increasing from 10 to 90% of the insects. Moreover, we found that the accuracy of the predictions by the RFs trained with the taxonomic groups were zero in case of butterflies and grasshoppers, and low in other groups (maximum 0.37, in case of bees predicting terrestrial insects). Accuracy depended significantly on the size of the taxonomic group. Large over- or underestimation of number of declining species occurred in all cases. Further, we found that the taxonomic groups had few attributes important for predicting in common. The attribute ‘Active dispersion’ had the highest importance when all insects were used for training the RF. Using ‘indicator groups’ for predicting the decline of insects has a high risk of over- or underestimating the actual number of declining species and should therefore be advised against unless the indicator group is sure to be representative.

The effect of natural disturbances on forest biodiversity: an ecological synthesis.

Disturbances alter biodiversity via their specific characteristics, including severity and extent in the landscape, which act at different temporal and spatial scales. Biodiversity response to disturbance also depends on the community characteristics and habitat requirements of species. Untangling the mechanistic interplay of these factors has guided disturbance ecology for decades, generating mixed scientific evidence of biodiversity responses to disturbance. Understanding the impact of natural disturbances on biodiversity is increasingly important due to human-induced changes in natural disturbance regimes. In many areas, major natural forest disturbances, such as wildfires, windstorms, and insect outbreaks, are becoming more frequent, intense, severe, and widespread due to climate change and land-use change. Conversely, the suppression of natural disturbances threatens disturbance-dependent biota. Using a meta-analytic approach, we analysed a global data set (with most sampling concentrated in temperate and boreal secondary forests) of species assemblages of 26 taxonomic groups, including plants, animals, and fungi collected from forests affected by wildfires, windstorms, and insect outbreaks. The overall effect of natural disturbances on α-diversity did not differ significantly from zero, but some taxonomic groups responded positively to disturbance, while others tended to respond negatively. Disturbance was beneficial for taxonomic groups preferring conditions associated with open canopies (e.g. hymenopterans and hoverflies), whereas ground-dwelling groups and/or groups typically associated with shady conditions (e.g. epigeic lichens and mycorrhizal fungi) were more likely to be negatively impacted by disturbance. Across all taxonomic groups, the highest α-diversity in disturbed forest patches occurred under moderate disturbance severity, i.e. with approximately 55% of trees killed by disturbance. We further extended our meta-analysis by applying a unified diversity concept based on Hill numbers to estimate α-diversity changes in different taxonomic groups across a gradient of disturbance severity measured at the stand scale and incorporating other disturbance features. We found that disturbance severity negatively affected diversity for Hill number q= 0 but not for q= 1 and q= 2, indicating that diversity-disturbance relationships are shaped by species relative abundances. Our synthesis of α-diversity was extended by a synthesis of disturbance-induced change in species assemblages, and revealed that disturbance changes the β-diversity of multiple taxonomic groups, including some groups that were not affected at the α-diversity level (birds and woody plants). Finally, we used mixed rarefaction/extrapolation to estimate biodiversity change as a function of the proportion of forests that were disturbed, i.e. the disturbance extent measured at the landscape scale. The comparison of intact and naturally disturbed forests revealed that both types of forests provide habitat for unique species assemblages, whereas species diversity in the mixture of disturbed and undisturbed forests peaked at intermediate values of disturbance extent in the simulated landscape. Hence, the relationship between α-diversity and disturbance severity in disturbed forest stands was strikingly similar to the relationship between species richness and disturbance extent in a landscape consisting of both disturbed and undisturbed forest habitats. This result suggests that both moderate disturbance severity and moderate disturbance extent support the highest levels of biodiversity in contemporary forest landscapes.

Evaluation of MPA designs that protect highly mobile megafauna now and under climate change scenarios

Marine protected area (MPA) designs, including large-scale MPAs (LSMPAs; >150,000 km 2 ), mobile MPAs (fluid spatiotemporal boundaries), and MPA networks, may offer different benefits to species and could enhance protection by encompassing spatiotemporal scales of animal movement. We sought to understand how well LSMPAs could benefit nine highly-mobile marine species in the tropics now and into the future by: 1) evaluating current range overlap within a LSMPA; 2) evaluating range overlap under climate change projections; and 3) evaluating how well theoretical MPA designs benefit these nine species. We focused on Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef, a 2000 km 2 area within the 1.2 million km 2 U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) that contains marine megafauna (reef and pelagic fishes; sea turtles; seabirds; cetaceans) reflecting different behaviors and habitat use. Our approach is useful for evaluating the effectiveness of the Palmyra-Kingman MPA and PRIMNM in protecting these species, and tropical LSMPAs in general, and for informing future MPA design. Stationary MPAs provided protection at varying scales. Reef manta rays ( Mobula alfredi ), grey reef sharks ( Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos ), green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas ), and bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) had overall small ranges (<100 km from Palmyra-Kingman) and could benefit from stationary MPAs that contained heterogenous reef habitats. Yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ), sooty terns ( Onychoprion fuscatus ), red-footed boobies ( Sula sula ), great frigatebirds ( Fregata minor ), and melon-headed whales ( Peponocephala electra ) navigated complex oceanographic processes and may benefit most from mobile MPAs that shift with features including thermal fronts, cyclic regions of elevated productivity, and eddies, if relationships with these features are established and predictable. All species had capacity to travel to nearby reef systems, illustrating potential benefits of MPA networks and protected corridors. Suitable habitats will likely contract for all species as warm water expands under climate change scenarios (species habitats were predicted to decrease by 4–49% at Palmyra-Kingman) and MPAs may not protect suitable habitats into the future. Species habitat requirements and movement ecologies are critical aspects of marine spatial planning, especially with respect to dynamic ocean processes and a changing climate. • How well do large-scale MPAs protect wide-ranging megafauna they claim to protect? • We assessed scales of movement relative to MPA boundaries, designs & climate change. • Protected habitats were greatest for reef-based sharks, manta rays, sea turtles. • Tuna, seabirds, cetaceans less protected offshore or by dynamic ocean processes. • Habitats shifted away from MPAs under climate change.

REVIEW: AMPHIBIAN SURVEYS IN FORESTS AND WOODLANDS

Amphibian surveys provide information on the distribution, abundance and habitat requirements of species, and the environmental variables that control diversity. Such information is needed for effective conservation planning and management of forests and woodlands, including monitoring of amphibian populations in a period of apparent global decline. Amphibian surveys can be time-consuming and expensive, and many issues must be addressed to maximize the reliability of the resulting data. Sampling techniques that are effective in one region or habitat type may be less so in another, and a preliminary study comparing different techniques before undertaking a survey may be necessary. Data collected in poorly designed surveys can be unsuitable for statistical analysis, and may sometimes present a misleading picture of the distribution, abundance and habitat requirements of amphibian species. This review examines issues of survey design, assesses past amphibian surveys in forest and woodland habitats, and provides recommendations for planning an amphibian survey. Firstly, the study area and survey aims should be identifi ed, and proposed sampling techniques assessed using relevant literature or a pilot study. Ethical issues associated with proposed sampling techniques should also be considered. The number, size and arrangement of the survey units (e.g. plots, sites or transects) should be sufficient to address the survey aims. The survey units should be systematically surveyed several times with appropriate sampling techniques.

Seasonality in metacommunity structure: an empirical test in the Atlantic Forest

The metacommunity concept helps to understand how local and regional processes regulate species distributions in landscapes. Metacommunity structure is often assumed as static, but may be rather dynamic, following temporal changes along environmental gradients. We present an empirical test of the temporal dynamics of metacommunity structure, using small mammals in an Atlantic Forest landscape as a model system. We analyzed incidence matrices using the Elements of Metacommunity Structure framework and evaluated whether local, landscape, and spatial factors structured the metacommunity during different climatic seasons (HS = humid; SHS = super-humid) and time periods (1 = 1999–2001; 2 = 2005–2009). We compared HS-1 and SHS-1 to evaluate if metacommunity structure varies between seasons, and HS-1 and HS-2 to evaluate if it varies between time periods. Metacommunity structure changed from Clementsian (HS-1) to random (SHS-1), but during HS-2 it was Clementsian again. This suggests that groups of species are responding similarly to the major gradient of variation during the HS only. Patch size structured the metacommunity during both humid periods, and local habitat structure only during HS-1. We suggest that during the SHS these gradients are lost due to increased matrix permeability to movement, which homogenizes local communities resulting in a random structure. Species habitat requirements and specializations determined metacommunity structure, but only during the HS. The Clementsian structure indicates that forest disturbances may result in the loss of whole groups of species during the HS. Alternating patterns of metacommunity structure may be associated to changes on matrix suitability between seasons.

Better late than never: a synthesis of strategic land retirement and restoration in California

AbstractStrategic retirement and restoration of agricultural lands is a critical conservation opportunity globally. The objective of this synthesis was to examine whether ecological habitat assessments, endangered species historical occurrence data, and restoration research can be used to develop evidence‐based strategy for retiring and restoring agricultural lands. The San Joaquin Desert (SJD) of California is a prominent example because it experienced an extensive conversion to agriculture. Now, new groundwater regulations will lead to retirement on large areas of agricultural lands over the next 20 yr. This presents an opportunity to not only restore some of these lands but also explore the challenges associated with balancing direct human needs with other ecosystem‐level functions. California is thus an ideal case study for globally rethinking context‐specific, single‐case study solutions. We used a systematic review and synthesis to address the following three main questions for habitat recovery of endangered species in the SJD. (1) What are the habitat requirements for key endangered animal species in the region? (2) Is there historical evidence to support an assessment of suitable habitats for these species? (3) What restoration techniques apply to these species? Using the Web of Science and other resources, we reviewed over 1000 independent studies on this topic, refined the evidence, and selected a total of 266 relevant publications. Habitat requirements for each species were described, but there was a critical need to examine quantitative thresholds for these factors to better evaluate habitat suitability of retired lands. There was sufficient evidence of historical vegetation to model suitable habitats and design the physical restoration of retired lands. Direct interventions associated with restoration strategies have been infrequently tested. Sparse and diverse evidence associated with direct experimental manipulations is not uncommon in applied ecology, and synthesis is an excellent tool for highlighting these gaps for future research to examine. This review suggests that retired agricultural land is a viable asset for threatened and endangered species, but to effectively advance restoration research and management, direct tests of restoration techniques and an assessment of relative costs for interventions are needed for a given region.

A Fuzzy Rule-based Model for the Assessment of Macrobenthic Habitats under Hydropeaking Impact

Hydropeaking presents one of the large impacts on river ecology and is gaining importance because of an increasinlgy volatile energy market with high portions of new renewable energies dependent on local climate conditions. This study presents the application of a fuzzy logic model for the investigation of macrobenthic habitats under hydropeaking conditions in the Norwegian river Surna. Preference data of the three taxa Baetis rhodani, Hydroptila spp. and Allogamus auricollis with distinctively different habitat requirements related to near-bottom flow forces (high/low forces, and narrow range) are used. These data are transferred into the multivariate fuzzy rule-based physical habitat model Computer Aided Simulation of Instream flow and Riparia in order to integrate water depth and river bed substrate as additional parameters. Permanently available habitats (persistent habitats) are assessed for different scenarios of hydropeaking operation. It is found that the amount of persistently high-quality habitat is closely related to the size and range of fluctuations in hydraulic conditions occuring during hydropeaking events. Effects are much more distinct for species with a narrow range of hydraulic preference. The integration of water depth in the simulations has a noticable impact on the amount and quality of predicted habitats. Substrate conditions in the investigation site are homogeneous and, in the specific case considered, do not have a significant impact. The study suggests persistent habitats as a suitable indicator of hydropeaking impact on organisms with low mobility. The persistent habitat approach takes into account that organisms with a low mobility and a distinct range of tolerance related to hydraulic stress tend to settle in areas with permanently stable conditions. Multivariate aspects are accounted through the fuzzy rule-based approach and do clearly affect habitat predictions. Habitat requirements of species particularly sensitive to hydropeaking are proposed for the investigation and application in the future. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Land-cover patterns surrounding Caucasian grouse leks in Arasbaran region, East Azerbaijan, Iran

Context To create management strategies with the goal of sustaining a species such as Caucasian grouse (Lyrurus mlokosiewiczi), it is important to identify the habitat requirements of species, not just in terms of a correlation with a given habitat feature, but also the relationship between species presence and vegetation coverage, proximity to other habitat types, and importance at different spatial scales. Aims To predict the proportions and spatial configuration of major habitat types that are associated with high probabilities of Caucasian grouse lek occurrence. Methods Using minimum mapping-unit scale (i.e. grain) for land cover, we applied spatial analysis at three spatial extents (472-, 702- and 867-m-radius circles) to assess how the importance of different land-cover patterns and patch characteristics surrounding leks of Caucasian grouse changed with scale within the Arasbaran landscape (316.56 km2) in East Azerbaijan, Iran. A set of a priori models has been developed on the basis of landscape metrics linked to hypotheses that could explain the spatial pattern of Caucasian black habitat use at each scale. We used an information-theoretic approach based on Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) within a general additive models framework to model habitat selection, so as to compare the values of landscape metrics calculated for Caucasian grouse lek sites (n = 22) with those calculated for non-lek points (n = 44). Key results The probability of lek occurrence at each of the spatial scales increases with a larger amount of open, young forests in the landscape. At each scale, we could indicate the landscape composition and structure required to create an ideal habitat mosaic for Caucasian grouse. Such an ideal habitat mosaic within mountain forests of Arasbaran, for a 702-m-radius area around a potential lek site, would consist of non-square (i.e. more geometrically complex) patches of rangeland cover and deciduous stands with canopy cover of &lt;50%, which encompass over 30% of landscape. Conclusions Our results identified differences in black grouse requirements at several scales within the landscape. We believe this will help managers improve the habitat focusing on the area around existing or inactive leks, to adapt the landscape to species requirements, and to encourage targeting new sites. Implications These findings demonstrated that not only can we identify important landscape requirements at a range of scales, but by characterising landscape composition and structure across these scales, forest managers can help prioritise combinations of habitats that best serve the conservation of the target species.

Behaviour in cultures and habitat requirements of species within the genera Loreleia and Rickenella (Agaricales)

The term eco-geogram is introduced for surveying (in logical order) ecological and geographical data connected with fungal species. The database PILZOEK was established for that purpose. Eco-geograms are provided in this paper as an example for data retrieval from PILZOEK concerning the agarics &lt;em&gt;Loreleia marchantiae, L. postii, Rickenella swartzii&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;R. fibula&lt;/em&gt;. The potential degree of endangerment is discussed in regard to habitat requirements. European species of &lt;em&gt;Loreleia&lt;/em&gt; are not regarded to be endangered in Central Europe, although the risk to get threatened, because of low frequency of fruit body occurrence and quite a narrow substrate specialization, could be higher than in case of &lt;em&gt;Rickenella fibula&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;R. swartzii. Cultures of Rickenella fibula, R. swartzii, Loreleia marchantiae (= Gerronema daamsii)&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;L. postii&lt;/em&gt; were investigated in regard to pigment accumulation, chlamydospore formation and some other characters.

Conservation genetics of Australasian sailfin lizards: Flagship species threatened by coastal development and insufficient protected area coverage

Despite rampant coastal development throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific, studies of conservation genetics and ecology of vulnerable, coastal species are rare. Large bodied vertebrates with highly specialized habitat requirements may be at particular risk of extinction due to habitat degradation and fragmentation, especially if these habitats are naturally patchily distributed, marginal, otherwise geographically limited, or associated in space with high human population densities or heavy anthropogenic disturbance. Particularly telling examples of these conservation challenges are large Australasian reptiles with obligate habitat requirements for lowland, coastal and mangrove forests. Plagued by habitat destruction due to high human densities along coastlines, sprawling rural development, and rapidly developing estuarine fisheries industry, coastal forest reptiles are experiencing rapid declines. And yet studies of population biology, genetics, and habitat requirements of species depending on these environments are few. We undertook the present study in order to take a multifaceted approach to understanding a poignant conservation problem. We identify significant evolutionary units for conservation in large-bodied sailfin lizards (genus Hydrosaurus), model suitable habitat in the Philippines from extensive occurrence data and evaluate the efficacy of the current protected area network, and identify the source of hydrosaurs in the illegal pet trade. We determine that the extent of the species’ habitat coincident with protected areas is low. Our forensic evaluation of the illegal pet trade in the Philippines determines the existence of a natural population that is at risk of systematic exploitation by traders. Together, this integrative study characterizes a conservation urgency of particular significance: the genetically distinct sailfin lizards of the Bicol faunal region, with suitable habitat virtually unprotected, and clear evidence of heavy exploitation for illegal trade. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first conservation genetic study to evaluate the potential effectiveness of the protected landscape coverage in the Philippines, a Megadiverse nation and Biodiversity Hotspot.

Suitable habitat model for walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Erie: Implications for inter-jurisdictional harvest quota allocations

Models predicting habitat distributions can give insight into species–habitat requirements and anticipate how populations respond to environmental change. Despite the economic and ecological importance of walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Erie, no preferred-habitat model exists and the spatial extent of suitable habitat is poorly understood. Empirical species-habitat models for three groups of walleye (juveniles, adults, and all walleye) was developed using records from a long term gill net data base (21years). We examined the degree to which habitat suitability varies with vertical stratum for each group and whether the new model yields different estimates of available walleye habitat when compared to the current depth-based approach. Walleye occurrence in gill nets was positively related to water temperature, negatively related to water depth and water clarity, and unrelated to dissolved oxygen concentration. A model that incorporated interaction terms among the independent variables performed better than the linear, quadratic, and cubic generalized linear models (GLMs) for all three groups. Our results indicate that the extent of suitable habitat varies spatially in Lake Erie and is greatest in the West basin. Weighted Habitat Suitability Areas (WHSA), a combination of habitat quality and quantity, differed significantly among basins and vertical strata in Lake Erie. The current quota allocation strategy for Lake Erie walleye is based on the proportional amount of preferred habitat by jurisdiction. However, the current depth-based definition of preferred habitat may not be an adequate representation of walleye suitable habitat shared by each jurisdiction.

Predicting the spatial distribution of the blue-spotted maskray Neotrygon kuhlii (Myliobatiformes, Dasyatidae) on the Australian North and Northwest Shelf comparing two different methods of habitat modeling

Knowledge about distribution and habitat requirements of species is important for analyzing their role in marine ecosystems or establishing sanctuaries. However, knowledge is scarce especially in many chondrichthyan species. In this study, the spatial distribution of the stingray Neotrygon kuhlii on the Australian North and Northwest Shelf was predicted model-based for the first time. Predictions based on two different types of habitat suitability models, logistic regression and maximum entropy modeling. Catch data of N. kuhlii from Australian trawl surveys combined with randomly selected pseudo-absences were used for modeling together with data sets of several environmental variables. Both modeling methods yielded plausible and validated habitat suitability models containing water depth and salinity as significant independent variables. The model-based predictions of the probability of occurrence of N. kuhlii were similar for both methods and thus emphasized the goodness of the models. Following the predictions, N. kuhlii has its highest probability of occurrence in about 60 m water depth and at a salinity of about 35 PSU. The results indicate that both modeling methods are powerful tools to predict spatial distribution and habitat quality for marine fish species. Therefore, they are suitable for detecting possible distribution in areas with only few field records.

Models of presence–absence estimate abundance as well as (or even better than) models of abundance: the case of the butterfly Parnassius apollo

Models relating species distribution records to environmental variables are increasingly applied to biodiversity conservation. Such techniques could be valuable to predict the distribution, abundance or habitat requirements of species that are rare or otherwise difficult to survey. However, despite widely-documented positive intraspecific relationships between occupancy and abundance, few studies have demonstrated convincing associations between models of habitat suitability based on species occurrence, and observed measures of habitat quality such as abundance. Here we compared models based on field-derived abundance and distribution (presence–absence) data for a rare mountain butterfly in 2006–2008. Both model types selected consistent effects of environmental variables, which corresponded to known ecological associations of the species, suggesting that abundance and distribution may be a function of similar factors. However, the models based on occurrence data identified stronger effects of a smaller number of environmental variables, indicating less uncertainty in the factors controlling distribution. Furthermore, cross-validation of the models using observed abundance data from different years, or averaged across years, suggested a marginally stronger ability of models based on occurrence data to predict observed abundance. The results suggest that, for some species, distribution models could be efficient tools for estimating habitat quality in conservation planning or management, when information on abundance or habitat requirements is costly or impractical to obtain.

Cupido osiris (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera): an overlooked species of the Slovenian butterfly fauna

There are only a few historical records of the Osiris Blue from Slovenia, and two are plausible based on the species habitat requirements. The record from gravel banks of the Sava River north of Ljubljana has been confirmed by a single female preserved in the collection of the Slovenian Museum of Natural History. Additionally, several collected specimens from Potoče village in the Vipava Valley indicate its wider distribution in the past. Currently, the species is confined to a narrow belt of the Kraški rob between Predloka and Mt. Lipnik. The habitat requirements of the species and its threat status in Slovenia are discussed.

Habitat suitability modelling for species at risk is sensitive to algorithm and scale: A case study of Blanding's turtle, Emydoidea blandingii, in Ontario, Canada

Species distribution modelling (SDM) can help conservation by providing information on the ecological requirements of species at risk. We developed habitat suitability models at multiple spatial scales for a threatened freshwater turtle, Emydoidea blandingii, in Ontario as a case study. We also explored the effect of background data selection and modelling algorithm selection on habitat suitability predictions. We used sighting records, high-resolution land cover data (25m), and two SDM techniques: boosted regression trees; and maximum entropy modelling. The area under the receiver characteristic operating curve (AUC) for habitat suitability models tested on independent data ranged from 0.878 to 0.912 when using random background and from 0.727 to 0.741 with target-group background. E. blandingii habitat suitability was best predicted by air temperature, wetland area, open water area, road density, and cropland area. Habitat suitability increased with increasing air temperature and wetland area, and decreased with increasing cropland area. Low road density and open water increased habitat suitability, while high levels of either variable decreased habitat suitability. Robust habitat suitability maps for species at risk require using a multi-scale and multi-algorithm approach. If well used, SDM can offer insight on the habitat requirements of species at risk and help guide the development of management plans. Our results suggest that E. blandingii management plans should promote the protection of terrestrial habitat surrounding residential wetlands, halt the building of roads within and adjacent to currently occupied habitat, and identify movement corridors for isolated populations.

Within and between‐site distribution of frog species on the Udzungwa Plateau, Tanzania

Amphibian distribution and abundance patterns are linked with environmental factors that define the suitable habitat for each species on both macro and micro scales. Determining the distribution and habitat requirements of species is a necessary first step in monitoring population persistence or declines and implementing conservation strategies to counteract global amphibian declines. Although amphibian population declines and extinctions are recorded globally, taxonomic and geographical sampling has been uneven, especially in tropical regions. With the exception of southern Africa, data on abundance and populations trends of African amphibians are severely lacking. To address this gap, we investigated community structure and microhabitat distribution of breeding and post‐breeding anuran species at Mtele Swamp, a high‐elevation wetland on the Udzungwa Plateau, Tanzania. Over a two‐week period of intensive sampling during the rainy season of 2001, we recorded species presence, microhabitat use, and distribution using visual and aural surveys and random plot sampling yielding a total of 86 individuals of 11 species of frogs. Microhabitat distribution results reveal a clear ecological stratification between species. To place our community findings in a broader context, we compared species composition at this site with similar sites in wet, montane grasslands and forest wetland sites at similar elevations in the Udzungwa Mountains. Communities show little species overlap between these sites, even between geographically close and elevationally equivalent sites. The most similar community to the study site was miombo woodland of low elevation in central Kenya, not the much closer and more elevationally equivalent Udzungwa Mountain sites. Differences probably reflect a closer affinity between habitats (miombo woodland vs. forest) than elevation. This study provides baseline information for monitoring the anuran community at Mtele over time for changes in numbers, species composition and diversity that may be indicative of population declines.

Identifying priority areas for conservation action in agricultural landscapes

Farming for food, fibre and other products for human consumption is a dominant land-use throughout the world. Rural landscapes are also critical to the conservation of flora and fauna, and the maintenance of ecological processes on which all of life depends. In Australia, excessive clearing of native vegetation in the most productive agricultural landscapes has had profound environmental and social consequences. Restoration of these landscapes is an enormous challenge that offers the opportunity to shape the future of Australia, environmentally, socially and economically. In this paper we address the issue of identifying priority areas for conservation in agricultural landscapes. The spatial location of conservation actions in rural landscapes is important because it affects the degree of representation of the biota, the level of protection for rare and threatened species, the adequacy of habitats for species and communities and their future viability, the maintenance of ecological processes, and the integrity of habitats. However, because most land in agricultural regions is privately owned, effective implementation of restoration goals in preferred locations requires understanding of social processes, recognition of pragmatic issues in land management and financial commitment by the wider Australian society. We briefly review the strengths and limitations of some current approaches to determining priority locations for conservation action, including the use of general principles, species-based approaches, quantitative approaches for assessing representativeness, and "bottom-up" approaches based on landholder action. There is no single ?best? solution: the most effective approach or combination of approaches depends on the objectives for restoration and the circumstances in the area where restoration will occur. An important consideration is the quality of the data available for the area, particularly detailed vegetation maps and knowledge of the status and habitat requirements of species that occur there. We summarize five stages that form a logical sequence in restoration programmes and highlight some of the issues at each stage. As the outcomes of the present continent-wide experiment in restoration cannot be fully evaluated for many decades, it is prudent that a range of alternatives are trialed and monitored for their effectiveness and success.

Reconstructing rapid climate change from a snail's pace

Models are now commonly used to make inferences about the demographic past, but little attention has been given to the inference of complex, explicitly geographical population histories. Because the universe of potential histories can be infinitely large, external independent information, such as fossil or paleoclimatic data, can be instrumental for modeling complex histories. This approach can be enhanced further by using bioclimatic modeling, in which past distributions are reconstructed from an integration of paleoclimatic data with information from the contemporary ecological and physiological limits of a species.Such an approach is key to Hugall et al.'s new study [1xSee all References][1] on the effects of Pleistocene climate change on the fauna from the wet-tropical forests of North Queensland, Australia. By basing the bioclimatic model on the endemic snail Gnarosophia bellendenkerensis, the chances of recovering historical biogeographical details were increased because of the fine-scale persistence and low vagility of the species, thereby revealing the location of potential refugia, as well as the magnitude of change of suitable habitat in the fragments. Interestingly, not only did the snail's phylogeographic structure correspond to the predicted location of refugia, but a general agreement was also observed between quantitative estimates of population expansion from the sequence data and the models predicted changes in habitat size.Hugall et al. also considered these phylogeographic patterns in a comparative context. They showed that patterns of genetic variation in the snail represented a composite of various phylogeographic patterns observed in several vertebrate taxa. The model identified both common phylogeographic patterns that were predicted by the shared biogeographical history of the rainforest taxa, as well as idiosyncratic differences among the species. Because the model represents an independent demarcation of historical population structure, Hugall et al. were able to deduce that the departures from the predictions of the model arose from varied responses to the size and magnitude of change of suitable habitat, apparently reflecting different habitat requirements for species persistence.Although the results from the study are based on a qualitative fit of the data to the bioclimatic model, the utility of this approach for understanding the responses of species to past climate change and locating historical refugia is clear. This suggests that a fusion of these spatially explicit paleodistributional models with coalescent simulations to yield a statistical framework will indeed be promising for evaluating evolutionary questions.

Conserving biodiversity on calcareous grasslands in the Franconian Jura by grazing: a comprehensive approach

Calcareous grasslands, as extraordinarily species-rich and diverse habitats of northern and central Europe, need some management for their long-term conservation. Traditionally, they have been used as pastures, mainly with sheep, but goats are important, because they mainly browse and climb rocks. This study presents a comprehensive approach to the conservation of these sites, including the requirements of shepherds, which were obtained by a questionnaire, together with autecological information on the habitat requirements of species. Grazing is a central option, which has to be regulated in timing, intensity and spatial distribution, to gain optimum results. Nevertheless, local regulations must consider the requirements of the shepherds regarding infrastructure and social conditions, so that grazing remains practicable. Additionally, sheep-farming on conservation sites is presently unprofitable and therefore needs financial support. This support is supplied by state subsidies in Bavaria (Vertragsnaturschutzprogramm), and in the study area by a lamb-meat sales premium, which allows the shepherds to charge higher prices for lamb-meat produced under the premium regulations. The success of the overall strategy is only possible given a well adjusted interplay of influencing factors.