Local Extinction Of Species Research Articles

Last species standing: loss of Pocilloporidae corals associated with coastal urbanization in a tropical city state

Coral reefs worldwide are facing multiple severe stressors leading to ecosystem degradation, but local extinctions of species are not well documented. Here, we track the diversity of Pocilloporidae Gray, 1840 coral species—many of which are known to be sensitive to environmental disturbances—on Singapore reefs through time, integrating information from taxonomically verified museum specimens, careful examination of the literature, and DNA sequences. We found that more Pocilloporidae species were detected in the past than at present. A total of five species were historically recorded under Pocillopora Lamarck, 1816; Seriatopora Lamarck, 1816; and Stylophora Schweigger, 1820. Among the five species, only Pocillopora acuta Lamarck, 1816 appears to remain on Singapore reefs. The absence of Seriatopora for over half a century and the recent losses of Stylophora and the other species of Pocillopora are likely caused by habitat loss and other stressors associated with coastal urbanization, which have been further exacerbated by recent bleaching events.

Causes and consequences of crayfish extinction: Stream connectivity, habitat changes, alien species and ecosystem services

Abstract Given the ongoing decline of many species, it is important to perform multifactorial analyses of conservation status and to assess the effects of species extinction on ecosystem services. In this study, we used long‐term surveys to assess the influence of habitat change, landscape alteration and invasive species on extinction risk of the native crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes. We reviewed the existing literature to assess which ecosystem services are threatened by local extinction of A. pallipes and replacement with alien crayfish. We sampled 196 streams and wetlands in northern Italy. Of these, 117 received multiple surveys over a 13‐year period (2004–2017), thus allowing accurate measurement of extinction rate. Thirty‐four percent of A. pallipes populations underwent extinction between 2004 and 2017. The occurrence of alien crayfish in the catchment basin and urban growth in the landscape surrounding streams were associated with A. pallipes extinction. The probability of persistence was significantly higher in populations close to stream springs and with physical barriers (especially waterfalls) separating them from basins with alien crayfish. Extinction of native crayfish alters community structure and impairs regulating services such as detrital breakdown and pest regulation. Replacement by alien crayfish (Procambarus clarkii and Faxonius limosus) also threatens supporting and regulating services by altering nutrient cycling, food webs, sediments and erosion. The implementation of management practices that control river connectivity using selective barriers is needed to prevent further local extinction of native species. Integrating information on extinction with knowledge of impacts on ecosystem services is essential in developing more effective conservation policies.

The compounding consequences of wildfire and climate change for a high‐elevation wildflower (Saxifraga austromontana)

AbstractAimHigh‐elevation plants are disproportionally affected by climate change. As temperatures rise, the amount of available alpine habitat in the Rocky Mountains will decrease resulting in potential local extinctions of plant species. In addition to the direct effects of climate‐driven habitat loss, alpine plants must also respond to indirect effects, such as changes in disturbance regimes. One notable shift is the increase of wildfire frequency in regions where fire was previously rare or absent, including the alpine. We hypothesized that direct climatic changes compounded with increased wildfire frequency will reduce the future suitable habitat of high‐elevation plants more than if climate was considered alone.LocationRocky Mountain Floristic Region, western North America.TaxonSaxifraga austromontana (Saxifragaceae), a wildflower endemic to high elevations of the Rocky Mountain Floristic Region.MethodsOur approach integrated historical herbarium records, field surveys, remote sensing, species distribution models, historic wildfire data, and predictive models.ResultsOur results indicate wildfire has significantly reduced the abundance and increased the likelihood of extirpation for S. austromontana. Increased fire frequency compounded with direct climatic changes will likely reduce the range of the species by approximately 43% by 2050 compared to 38% due to climate alone, under a moderate CO2 emissions scenario. The influence of wildfire varies regionally. For instance, the Middle Rockies will likely lose 74% of its suitable habitat of which 16% may be lost due to fire, while other regions, such as the northern range, will be less negatively affected by direct and indirect effects.Main ConclusionsOur evidence that increased wildfire frequency will compound the impacts of climate change on alpine taxa in North America led to the development of a new, general hypothesis on the fundamental interaction between direct and indirect effects of climate change on species range reductions.

Impacts of habitat, predators, recruitment, and disease on soft-shell clams Mya arenaria and stout razor clams Tagelus plebeius in Chesapeake Bay

Soft-shelled clams, Mya arenaria, and razor clams, Tagelus plebeius, in Chesapeake Bay have been in decline since the 1970s, with severe declines since the early 1990s. These declines are likely caused by multiple factors including warming, predation, habitat loss, recruitment limitation, disease, and harvesting. A bivalve survey was conducted in Chesapeake Bay to examine influential factors on bivalve populations, focusing on predation (crab, fish, and cownose rays), habitat type (mud, sand, gravel, shell, or seagrass), environment (temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen), recruitment, and disease. M. arenaria and T. plebeius were found more often in more-complex habitats such as seagrass or shell than any other habitat. Pulses in bivalve density associated with recruitment were attenuated through the summer and fall when predators are most active, indicating that predators likely influence temporal dynamics in these species. Mya arenaria, which is near the southern extent of its range in Chesapeake Bay, was negatively associated with high water temperatures. Recruitment of M. arenaria in Rhode River, MD, declined steadily between 1980 and 2016. Infection by the parasitic protist Perkinsus sp. was associated with stressful environmental conditions, bivalve size, and environmental preferences of Perkinsus sp, but was not associated with bivalve densities. It is likely that habitat loss, low recruitment, and predators are major factors keeping T. plebeius and M. arenaria at low densities in Chesapeake Bay. Persistence at low densities may be facilitated by complex habitats, whereas further reductions in habitats such as seagrass could result in local extinction of these important bivalve species.

Trait-dependent tolerance of bats to urbanization: a global meta-analysis.

Urbanization is a severe threat to global biodiversity, often leading to taxonomic and functional homogenization. However, current urban ecology research has focused mostly on urban birds and plants, limiting our ability to make generalizations about the drivers of urban biodiversity globally. To address this gap, we conducted a global meta-analysis of 87 studies, including 180 bat species (Chiroptera) from urban areas in Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America. We aimed to (i) understand the importance of functional traits and phylogeny in driving changes in urban bat assemblages, and (ii) assess the capacity of traits for predicting which types of species are most sensitive to urbanization. Our results indicate that species-specific functional traits explain differences in the intensity of urban habitat use. Urban tolerance mainly occurred within the open and edge space foraging and trawling species as well as in bats with flexible roosting strategies. In addition, across bioregions and independent of phylogeny, urban tolerance correlated with higher aspect ratio, a trait enabling fast flight but less agile manoeuvres during aerial food acquisition. Predictive success varied between bioregions, between 43 and 83%. Our analysis demonstrates that the local extinction of bat species in urban areas is non-random, trait-based and predictable, allowing urban landscape managers to tailor local conservation actions to particular types of species.

Potencial de invasión de Phragmites australis en comunidades dominadas por especies nativas ante disturbios por fuego en condiciones controladas

Background. Wetlands are heterogeneous and dynamic ecosystems, very susceptible to invasions or local extinctions by the effects of invasive or over-dominant plant species. Resistance to invasion in wetlands that suffer disturbances such as fires has not been thoroughly studied. When Phragmites australis (common read) is present, its interaction with disturbance factors has led to local extinction of many native species. In a previous study, it was determined that harvesting is an effective control method for this species. But removal of aerial parts of this species generates many fragments that might propagate the species. Goals. Evaluate under controlled conditions the invasive potential of fragments of Phragmites australis in plant communities dominated by native plant species that are subjected to frequent human-made disturbances, such as fire, under controlled conditions. Methods. We carried out an experiment that consisted of two assays in 36 mesocosms with canopies of Schoenoplectus americanus. Results. Phragmites australis was practically not able to establish itself after the loss of the S. americanus canopy following fires, because the canopy of this last species recovered rapidly. Survival and growth were slightly higher in mesocosms with low disturbance (27.7% and 55.9 cm in the first assay, and 9.4%, and 60.6 cm in the second assay), when compared with controls (8.5% 35.3 cm, and 7.4% and 86.7 cm), because in control units the canopy of S. americanus was a permanent barrier to the development of P. australis. Height differences among burned and control mesocosms after the first fire event were significant (p =0.002) but not after two consecutive years of burning (p =0.085), because the few plants that survived in control units reached considerable height. Conclusions. The risk of establishment of the fragments of Phragmites australis that are generated during harvesting is low even after major disturbances of native vegetation cover.

Extinction debt in a biodiversity hotspot: the case of the Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests

Habitat fragmentation has become a major concern of conservation because of negative influences on plant species declines and extinctions. However, local extinction of species can occur with a temporal delay following habitat fragmentation, which is termed extinction debt. Many studies about extinction debt rely on community equilibrium from relationships between species richness and habitat variables. We assumed that the distribution of many vascular plant species in the coastal range of south-central Chile is not in equilibrium with the present habitat distribution. The aim of this research is to quantify patterns of habitat loss and to detect extinction debt from relationships between the current richness of different assemblages of vascular plants (considering longevity and habitat specialization) and both past and current habitat variables. The results showed that native forests have been fragmented and reduced by 53%, with an annual deforestation rate of 1.99%, in the study area between 1979 and 2011. Current richness of plant species was mostly explained by past habitat area and connectivity. Past habitat variables explained best richness of long-lived specialist plants, which are characterized by restricted habitat specialization and slower population turnover. We also showed that habitat fragmentation has resulted in a significant reduction in long-lived plant species’ “dwelling patch sizes (DPS)” between 1979 and 2011. Our analyses provide the first evidence of predicted future losses of plant species in a South American temperate biodiversity hotspot. Consequently, an unknown proportion of the plants in the study area will become extinct if no targeted restoration and conservation action is taken in the near future.

The importance of core habitat for a threatened species in changing landscapes

Abstract Habitat loss, fragmentation, and alteration of the landscape matrix are interdependent processes, collectively responsible for most recent species extinctions. Thus, determining the extent to which these landscape processes affect animals is critical for conservation. However, researchers have often assumed that interdependent effects are independently related to animals’ responses, underestimating the importance of one or several landscape processes in driving species declines. We demonstrate how to disentangle the interdependent effects of habitat amount, fragmentation, and edge context on population size by assessing abundance of a rapidly declining grassland songbird species (grasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum) in eastern Kansas (USA). We conducted >7,000 point count surveys at >2,000 sites over two breeding seasons, then modelled the direct, interactive, and indirect effects of landscape factors on abundance within spatial scales (200‐, 400‐, 800‐, and 1,600‐m radii) relevant to our focal species’ dispersal behaviour. Sparrow abundance correlated most strongly with landscape structure within 400‐m radii, increasing nonlinearly with grassland area and decreasing with the proportion of grassland near cropland or woody edges. Sparrows’ negative response to cropland edges was mostly an added, indirect consequence of reduced grassland area, whereas sparrows’ stronger negative response to woody edges was not attributable to variation in grassland area. Fragmentation and edge context mattered most in landscapes comprising c. 50%–80% grassland. Synthesis and applications. In our research, abundance of a threatened grassland songbird was influenced more by core grassland area (a function of total grassland area, fragmentation, and edge context) than total grassland area per se. Moreover, a local extinction threshold of c. 50% grassland indicated that small amounts of habitat were unsuitable for our focal species regardless of habitat configuration or matrix type. Local extinction thresholds in response to habitat area provide clear baseline targets for land managers; above those thresholds, configuration and the matrix can be modified to increase abundance of edge‐sensitive animals. Conflicting evidence in the literature regarding the importance of fragmentation and matrix features could be partially explained by species‐level traits, or methodological issues such as defining landscapes at ecologically arbitrary spatial scales, assessing landscape quality using species richness, and ignoring interactive and indirect effects.

Does simultaneous and sympatric reproduction between two native spined loaches lead to reproductive interference and local extinction?

Reproductive interference occurs when fitness of females of one species decreases because of misdirected courtship behaviors by males of another species. Reproductive interference strongly excludes either species in the interaction but it does not persist for long on an evolutionary time scale. Therefore, reproductive interference between a pair of co-evolved native species is difficult to observe because exclusion ends the interaction even if even the potential for reproductive interference still exists. However, anthropogenic environmental changes can bring about secondary contact between two species and trigger reproductive interference, leading to local species extinction. We demonstrated this phenomenon with two native spined loaches: Cobitis magnostriata (Cmag) and C. minamorii oumiensis (Cmio). In 2015 and 2016, we investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of adults and juveniles of both species to estimate the effects of the relative abundance of adults on reproductive success. Additionally, we surveyed the distribution of juveniles and investigated the proportion of gravid females which failed to reproduce at the end of the spawning season. In 2016, Cmio juveniles were fewer than in 2015, although the abundances of Cmio adults were similarly low in both years and the Cmag adults were more abundant in 2016 than in 2015. The juveniles of the two species exhibited similar spatiotemporal dynamics. At the end of the spawning season, Cmag males were abundant and most Cmio females failed to reproduce. These results suggest that the two species share spawning habitats and seasons and that Cmag males exert reproductive interference on Cmio females. This report is the first of a study suggesting that anthropogenic environmental changes triggered reproductive interference between native species in the field.

Losing a heritage hedgerow landscape. Biocultural diversity conservation in a changing social-ecological Mediterranean system

Traditional rural landscapes host a biocultural heritage acquired by rural societies, developed in a secular adaptation with nature. Hedgerows play a key role in preserving biocultural diversity and associated ecosystem services. Despite their benefits, in some European regions inappropriate hedge management has led to a drastic degradation of hedgerows, with significant effects on natural and biocultural diversity, landscape connectivity and sustainable flow of ecosystem services. In Central Spain, an ancient hedgerow landscape constitutes a valuable natural and cultural heritage recognized by the establishment of different protection categories. We quantify the main tendency of change of this landscape over time, detecting a process of rural social-ecological decoupling both inside and outside protected areas. The hedgerow network has progressively been degraded and destructured together with the decline and local extinction of woody species, all of them of traditional use and some recorded in red lists for species conservation. This reveals weaknesses in the design and management plans of protected areas that should be effective in conserving the heritage of cultural landscapes and their valuable biocultural diversity and provision of ecosystem services. There is a need to elaborate regulations for the protection of hedgerow landscapes in the Spanish legislation, based on social-ecological relationships.

Landscape‐scale vegetation homogenization in Central European sub‐montane forests over the past 50 years

AbstractQuestionsHow did plant species richness and spatial heterogeneity of the vegetation change across sub‐montane forests over the past 50 years? Did the vegetation changes reflect eutrophication, acidification and management changes, which the area underwent during the second half of the 20th century?LocationOrdinary managed forests sampled across 2500 km2 of a typical Central European sub‐montane landscape in the southern part of the Czech Republic.MethodsWe resampled 156 quasi‐permanent plots sampled in the 1950s–1970s and covering the whole range of forest vegetation in the region. We compared understorey plant species richness and community composition between the surveys and tested for temporal changes in the spatial heterogeneity (β‐diversity) of vegetation.ResultsSpecies richness and dissimilarity in species composition among plots decreased significantly between the surveys. The vegetation of the plots also changed significantly, but there were no clear directional changes across all plots. The vegetation homogenization was driven by local extinctions of specialist species, especially competitively weak species adapted to nutrient‐poor conditions. Few generalist species expanded between the surveys.ConclusionsWe found evidence of taxonomic homogenization of forest understoreys across a large sub‐montane region. This vegetation homogenization was probably driven by complex landscape changes that took place in the last century. Varied traditional management regimes were replaced with largely uniform management, and the once spatially diverse landscape mosaic has become simpler. The resulting transition to species‐poor and less variable vegetation was probably further accelerated by environmental eutrophication. Our results thus complement previous forest herb layer resurveys, which focused mostly on lowland forests and small nature reserves, and suggest that landscape‐scale taxonomic homogenization is occurring across Central European forests.

A dynamic energy budget model to describe the reproduction and growth of invasive starfish Asterias amurensis in southeast Australia

The introduction of alien species is a global phenomenon that alters ecosystems structure and functioning. Invasive species are responsible for substantial economic and ecological losses. Invasive species impact resource availability, outcompeting and even causing extinction of native species. The management of invasive species requires knowledge on the ecology, physiology and population dynamics of these species. In a world where environmental conditions are changing fast due to global climate change and other anthropogenic stressors, a more comprehensive knowledge of the life history and physiology of these species is urgently needed. The DEB theory is unique in capturing the metabolic processes of an organism through its entire life cycle, and thus, is a useful tool to model lifetime feeding, growth, reproduction, and responses to changes in biotic and abiotic conditions. In this work, we estimated the parameters of a DEB model for Asterias amurensis. This starfish was introduced in Tasmania and is considered the most serious marine pest in Australia where it has caused local extinctions of several species. Asterias amurensis is a major predator and is a keystone species exerting top-down control of its prey populations by achieving large densities. We determined the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the performance of A. amurensis. The DEB model presented here includes energy handling rules to describe gonad and pyloric caeca cycles. Model parameters were used to explore population dynamics of populations of A. amurensis in Australia. The DEB model allowed us to characterise the ecophysiology of A. amurensis, providing new insights on the role of food availability and temperature on its life cycle and reproduction strategy. Moreover it is a powerful tool for risk management of already established invasive populations and of regions with a high invasion risk.

Defining functional groups and their vulnerability to the edge effect in a peri-urban forest in Mexico City

SUMMARYThe expansion of human settlements and primary-sector activities (agriculture and forestry) has resulted in the fragmentation of forests, but the impacts of this are still poorly understood. We examined the effect of patch size on the presence of plant functional groups along an edge–interior gradient. Plant species were classified based on a two-way indicator species analysis in order to determine their establishment thresholds and vulnerability along the gradient, while detrended correspondence analyses and canonical correspondence analyses were performed to identify environmental gradients related to vegetation distribution. Two groups of plant species were recognized in all patch sizes: one commonly found towards the edge and the other in the interior zone. The incidence of these groups was correlated with environmental factors associated with the edge–interior gradient, mainly with humidity, soil moisture and light (canopy opening and global site factor) in the edge zone and with litter cover, depth of litter, slope and soil and air temperature in the interior zone. Identifying the species’ threshold responses to fragmentation is key, as they provide tools to prevent the potential local extinction of species.

Dynamics of gaps, vegetation, and plant species with and without fire

Areas lacking dominant plants, or gaps, can support high diversity and specialist species. Previous chronosequence research in Florida rosemary scrub showed indistinct gap area patterns with fire and the dependence of certain species on gaps. We hypothesized that fire and gap size would affect extinction, colonization, diversity, and vegetation composition. In 2011-12, we revisited gaps first sampled in 2003, recording vascular plant and ground lichen occurrence by species, gap area, and burn history. We analyzed gap, vegetation, and species dynamics using linear mixed models, with Florida rosemary scrub patch as a random factor. Gap areas declined quickly during the first 10 yr postfire and then stabilized. Between 2003 and 2011-12, unburned gaps usually remained extant or split, whereas burned gaps usually merged. Unburned gaps tended to shrink, whereas burned gaps became larger. Species richness was positively related to gap area, fire, and their interaction. Over time, richness declined in unburned gaps and increased in burned gaps. Local extinction and colonization of individual species were related to fire between 2003 and 2011-12. In burned gaps, ground lichens disappeared, but many herbaceous species, including those killed by fire, increased occupancy. Colonization of most species was favored by burning, large gaps, or both. In Florida rosemary scrub, fire and increasing gap size increased species richness and many individual species occurrences, reduced local extinctions, and increased colonizations. Therefore, land management activities that encourage the creation and maintenance of large gaps will promote biodiversity in this system.

Patterns of beta-diversity along elevational gradients inform epiphyte conservation in alpine forests under a climate change scenario

We explored the patterns of beta-diversity of forest epiphytic bryophytes and lichens along elevational gradients to elucidate the potential impact of climate change on these functionally relevant components of the forest biota of the Alps. Eight elevational gradients were selected from a regional forest database matching the requirement of hosting spruce-dominated forests within the whole elevational range of this forest type (900–1900m). We calculated the decay of species compositional similarity along the gradients, considering the beta diversity components, turnover and richness difference. We then assessed the importance of temperature in explaining variation in these components of beta diversity along the elevational gradients by using a distance-based redundancy analysis. Our results warn against the impact of climate change on epiphytic bryophyte and lichen communities in alpine spruce forests. This impact could be more rapid (higher rate of similarity decay) and severe for lichens, triggering species loss with temperature warming. In contrast, temperature warming is expected to cause relevant shifts in species composition to bryophyte communities, despite allowing to maintain species richness through species replacement. The contrasting mechanisms (species loss vs species replacement) by which climate influences bryophyte and lichen communities, suggest that conservation strategies should be tailored to each organism group. In particular, for bryophytes conservation efforts should be assigned to forests at each band of the elevation gradient which hosts peculiar assemblages. In contrast, for lichens priority for conservation should be assigned to forests at higher elevation that currently host the largest species pool. In this context, forest management is the primary tool available to mitigate the effect of climate change and to give a chance to delay the local extinction of several species.

Future marine ecosystem drivers, biodiversity, and fisheries maximum catch potential in Pacific Island countries and territories under climate change

The increase in anthropogenic CO2 emissions over the last century has modified oceanic conditions, affecting marine ecosystems and the goods and services that they provide to society. Pacific Island countries and territories are highly vulnerable to these changes because of their strong dependence on ocean resources, high level of exposure to climate effects, and low adaptive capacity. Projections of mid-to-late 21st century changes in sea surface temperature (SST), dissolved oxygen, pH, and net primary productivity (NPP) were synthesized across the tropical Western Pacific under strong climate mitigation and business-as-usual scenarios. These projections were used to model impacts on marine biodiversity and potential fisheries catches. Results were consistent across three climate models, indicating that SST will rise by ≥ 3°C, surface dissolved oxygen will decline by ≥ 0.01mlL−1, pH will drop by ≥ 0.3, and NPP will decrease by 0.5gm−2 d−1 across much of the region by 2100 under the business-as-usual scenario. These changes were associated with rates of local species extinction of > 50% in many regions as fishes and invertebrates decreased in abundance or migrated to regions with conditions more suitable to their bio-climate envelope. Maximum potential catch (MCP) was projected to decrease by > 50% across many areas, with the largest impacts in the western Pacific warm pool. Climate change scenarios that included strong mitigation resulted in substantial reductions of MCP losses, with the area where MCP losses exceeded 50% reduced from 74.4% of the region under business-as-usual to 36.0% of the region under the strong mitigation scenario.

Ehretia pubescens Benth. with differential germinability patterns due to climate change

Climate change may influence the composition of plant communities by affecting the reproduction, growth, establishment and local extinction of plant species. Predicting the effect of climate change may provide insight into the impact and relationship between weather pattern and flowering phenology in long term studies. Pollen viability is one important factor of reproduction. Pollen viability is essential for a good fruit set. The study is undertaken to evaluate the influence of temperature and rainfall fluctuation pattern on floral phenology and pollen viability in the restricted distribution of the plant Ehretia pubescens Benth. Field observation on floral phenology has revealed changes occurring in the pollen viability with the change of temperature and rainfall. The plants show drought resistant; however, it is observed that it blooms immediately after the rainfall. Change in the rainfall pattern results in change in flowering pattern. On the natural habitat fruit set is a good indicating of good germinability of pollen grain in vivo. In vitro pollen germinability is less efficient for this species as supported by the data.

Single‐visit dynamic occupancy models: an approach to account for imperfect detection with Atlas data

Summary Atlas data provide biodiversity information at a relatively fine spatial grain over a broad spatial extent and, increasingly, at multiple points in time, which make them invaluable for understanding processes that affect species distributions over time. The effect of survey effort on species detection has long been appreciated and Atlases typically include survey standards and records of effort, but challenges remain in analysing Atlas data that have not been collected using a repeated sampling protocol designed to correct for imperfect detection. We developed a single‐visit dynamic occupancy model to quantify the effects of climatic and land‐use drivers on local species extinction and colonization while accounting for imperfect detection using repeat Atlas data. We evaluated model stability using data simulated under alternative scenarios and, ultimately, applied the model to empirical data for Canada warbler Cardellina canadensis, a wide‐spread species exhibiting a long‐term population decline. At sample sizes that are realistic for many Atlases (n = 1000–10 000 independent survey blocks), our models produced unbiased estimates of detection, occupancy, colonization and extinction parameters. Slope estimates for explanatory covariates were somewhat less stable than overall occupancy, colonization and extinction rates, with covariate effects being sensitive to the total number of, and relationships among, explanatory variables. In comparison to other analyses of Canada warbler distributions that indicated minor changes over time, our approach identified a widespread decline in occupancy probability across New York, consistent with the broader population trend, particularly in the areas where it was initially more likely to occur. Synthesis and applications. A single‐visit dynamic occupancy model is a novel method for analysing common, ecologically valuable datasets, such as Atlases, that lack repeated sampling necessary to correct for imperfect detection using alternative multi‐season occupancy modelling approaches. As a result, using this method can improve understanding of species distributions and factors that shape them over time, thereby providing more accurate information to guide conservation and management.

The role of small secondary biotopes in a highly fragmented landscape as habitat and connectivity providers for dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata)

Habitat loss and degradation are considered major threats to freshwater biodiversity and to invertebrates in particular. These often irreversible processes may lead to local and regional extinctions of species, most notably of stenotopic taxa. In spite of this, a number of studies have shown that small habitat patches can sustain rich and abundant communities. The present work assesses the relevance of a group of four small man-made (secondary) wildlife ponds to Odonata species diversity and abundance. Results obtained on pond recruiting capacity, species richness, abundance and habitat use by means of exuviae collection and monitoring of adults using a capture–mark–recapture (CMR) method indicate the potential suitability of these small aquatic biotopes and the surrounding landscape as habitat providers and stepping stone connectors in the Valles lowlands (Catalonia, Spain). This region, close to the metropolitan area of Barcelona, has severely degraded natural habitats and high landscape fragmentation due to infrastructure, urban and industrial expansion. A comparison among a greater number of sites (ponds and sections of streams and rivers) distributed across the region showed that adequately managed small waterbodies harbour richer Odonata communities than others that are unmanaged or managed specifically for other types of fauna or uses. Appropriate care of these small biotopes avoids disturbance and keeps them free from vertebrates like fish and waterfowl which, under certain conditions, may have a strong influence on the invertebrate communities because, apart from feeding on larvae, they may have a negative impact on macrophyte development and water quality. While rivers and streams, the only natural aquatic habitats in the area, may be both expensive and technically challenging to restore and manage successfully, the creation and/or restoration of small ponds and short river sections in suitable locations can be a cost-effective method for enhancing freshwater vegetation and invertebrate diversity in this impacted landscape.

Are we headed towards the defaunation of the last large Atlantic Forest remnants? Poaching activities in one of the largest remnants of the Tabuleiro forests in southeastern Brazil.

Hunting is a problem to animal conservation in different parts of the world and it has caused the local extinction of several species. The aim of this study was to characterize the poaching activities in one of the main tabuleiro forest remnants of Brazil, the Linhares-Sooretama Block (LSB). Poaching records from 2010 to 2013 were gathered from the agencies responsible for monitoring and combating environmental crimes in the LSB. A total of 693 records (mean=173 events/year) were collected involving direct (hunted animals, firearms, handmade firearms, traps, poachers, and various hunting supplies) and indirect (tree stands, baits, and poacher signs) evidences of poaching. No differences in the monthly cumulative number of records were found among years, but the distribution of records differed according to the type of evidence. A total of 40 animal seizure events were recorded involving a total of at least 15 taxa directly affected by poaching (reptiles=2, birds=6, mammals=7) and 75 individuals seized (19 individuals/year). Five of the poached species are threatened. Lowland paca (Cuniculus paca) and armadillos were the most poached mammals in the region. Most of the poachers conduct such activities for fun (entertainment) and/or professionally (commercial hunting). The collected data show an approximately 32% increase in the number of poaching events in the region compared with the historical data available for LSB. It may have resulted from a gradual decrease in protection, both in terms of the number of agents deployed and the levels of effort of the teams, which began in 2009. The data demonstrate that poaching is a significant threat to the conservation of the LSB fauna, as it is in other Atlantic Forest remnants and in other regions of the world. Protection activities must be intensified to effectively combat the impacts of poaching in the LSB region, thereby contributing to the conservation of species in one of the few Atlantic Forest remnants whose original species composition still remains intact.