Opportunistic Collection Research Articles

Pré-História no Cerrado: Análises antracologicas dos abrigos de Santa Elina e da Cidade de Pedra (Mato Grosso)

Estudo de macro-restos vegetais carbonizados descobertos em contexto arqueológico fornecem dados importantes sobre os comportamentos de subsistência e o ambiente onde as populações pré-históricas viviam. Este artigo apresenta os resultados das análises antracologicas de fogueiras, concentrações de carvões e tições, de cinco abrigos localizados no sul do Mato Grosso, datados do final do Pleistoceno até o Holoceno. A partir das identificações taxonômicas, os objetivos são de reconstruir os diversos aspectos da utilização dos recursos vegetais por caçadores-coletores (práticas de coleta, espécies coletadas, critérios de seleção, área de abastecimento, etc.) e a paleovegetação ao redor dos sítios. Os resultados indicam que os grupos praticavam uma coleta de lenha oportunista nas formações vegetais próximo dos abrigos, e principalmente focada sobre a madeira seca. A paisagem e o clima eram provavelmente parecidos do que caracteriza a região atualmente, o seja uma flora típica do bioma Cerrado e um clima tropical sazonal.Palavras-Chave: Antracologia; Paleoetnobotânica; Pré-Historia; Brasil.

A review of current Antarctic limno-terrestrial microfauna

Antarctic arthropods (mites and springtails) have been the subject of numerous studies. However, by far, the most diverse and numerically dominant fauna in Antarctica are the limno-terrestrial microfauna (tardigrades, rotifers and nematodes). Although they have been the focus of several studies, there remains uncertainty of the actual number of species in Antarctica. Inadequate sampling and conserved morphology are the main cause of misclassification of species and underestimation of this diversity. Most species’ distributional records are dominated by proximity to research stations or limited opportunistic collections, and therefore, an absence of records for a species may also be a consequence of the limitations of sampling. Limitations in fundamental knowledge of how many species are present and how widespread they are prevents any meaningful analyses that have been applied more generally to the arthropods within Antarctica, such as exploring ancient origins (at least pre-last glacial maximum) and tracking colonisation routes from glacial refugia. In this review, we list published species names and where possible the distribution of microfaunal (tardigrade, rotifer and nematode) species reported for Antarctica. Our current state of knowledge of Antarctic records (south of 60°S) includes 28 bdelloid rotifers, 66 monogonont rotifers, 59 tardigrades and 68 nematodes. In the light of the difficulties in working with microfauna across such geographical scales, we emphasise the need for molecular markers to help understand the ‘true levels’ of diversity and suggest future directions for Antarctic biodiversity assessment and species discovery.

Triatominae species of Suriname (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) and their role as vectors of Chagas disease.

Nine species of Triatominae, representing three tribes and five genera, are currently known in Suriname. An annotated list of the species based on the collections of the Bureau of Public Health (Suriname), the National Zoological Collection Suriname and the National History Museum Leiden (the Netherlands) is provided. Additionally, the results of several years of opportunistic collection in two domestic environments are presented. The most common species are Rhodnius pictipes Stål, 1972, Rhodnius robustus Larrouse, 1972 and Panstrongylus geniculatus (Latreille, 1811). The significance of the species as vectors of Chagas disease in Suriname is discussed.

The relevance, biases, and importance of digitising opportunistic non-standardised collections: A case study in Iberian harvestmen fauna with BOS Arthropod Collection datasets (Arachnida, Opiliones)

In this study, we analyse the relevance of harvestmen distribution data derived from opportunistic, unplanned, and non-standardised collection events in an area in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Using specimens deposited in the BOS Arthropod Collection at the University of Oviedo, we compared these data with data from planned, standardised, and periodic collections with pitfall traps in several locations in the same area. The Arthropod Collection, begun in 1977, includes specimens derived from both sampling types, and its recent digitisation allows for this type of comparative analysis. Therefore, this is the first data-paper employing a hybrid approach, wherein subset metadata are described alongside a comparative analysis. The full dataset can be accessed through Spanish GBIF IPT at http://www.gbif.es:8080/ipt/archive.do?r=Bos-Opi, and the metadata of the unplanned collection events at http://www.gbif.es:8080/ipt/resource.do?r=bos-opi_unplanned_collection_events. We have mapped the data on the 18 harvestmen species included in the unplanned collections and provided records for some species in six provinces for the first time. We have also provided the locations of Phalangium opilio in eight provinces without published records. These results highlight the importance of digitising data from unplanned biodiversity collections, as well as those derived from planned collections, especially in scarcely studied groups and areas.

Exploring the Association BetweenDICER1Mutations and Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Carriers of germline DICER1 mutations are predisposed to a rare cancer syndrome, the DICER1 syndrome. Thyroid abnormalities are a common finding in DICER1 syndrome with multinodular goiter frequently present in many families in which a germline DICER1 mutation is segregating. Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is infrequently seen in such pedigrees. In addition to germline DICER1 mutations, specific somatic mutations have been identified in the DICER1 ribonuclease IIIb catalytic domain in several tumor types. We aimed to determine whether such characteristic somatic DICER1 mutations are present in DTCs that arise within germline DICER1 mutation carriers. The study involved an opportunistic collection of 3 cases of DTC arising in individuals suspected to have DICER1 syndrome and hospital-based ascertainment and testing was implemented. We identified somatic DICER1 mutations in 3 DTCs arising in unrelated germline DICER1 mutation carriers, all of whom had been diagnosed in infancy with pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB), were treated with chemotherapy, exposed frequently to diagnostic radiation, and subsequently developed DTC. The somatic mutations occurred within the DICER1 ribonuclease IIIb domain, affecting highly conserved amino acid residues central to the catalytic activity of the domain. This report of somatic DICER1 mutations in DTC strengthens the association between DTC and the DICER1 syndrome. The possible association between germline DICER1 mutations, PPB treatment, and the risk of subsequent DTC must be considered by clinicians when treating PPB.

Use of Long-Term Opportunistic Surveys to Estimate Trends in Abundance of Hibernating Townsend's Big-Eared Bats

Abstract The advent of broad-scale threats to bats such as white-nose syndrome and climate change highlights the need for reliable baseline assessment of their populations. However, few long-term, rigorously designed assessments of bat populations exist, particularly in western North America. Consequently, results of informal monitoring efforts are often the only data available upon which to base population assessments. We evaluated whether an opportunistic collection of surveys recorded over a 22-y period could be used to assess population trend of Townsend's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) at Lava Beds National Monument in northern California. We used records of counts of hibernating bats conducted during 1991–2012 to estimate the number of bats in 52 individual caves as well as cumulatively. Seventeen of 22 caves surveyed in four or more years had an increasing trend in the number of hibernating bats. We estimated the cumulative annual growth rate over the period to be 1.79%. Stable or increasing number of hibernating Townsend's big-eared bats may be a result of management actions taken to limit disturbance of bats during maternity and hibernation seasons. We found no evidence that annual counts depressed the number of hibernating bats, thereby broadening monitoring options and the ability to link population trends to extrinsic factors. Our results demonstrate that opportunistically collected, long-term data sets may be useful for establishing first approximations of population trends for bats.

Utilisation du bois de feu par les chasseurs-cueilleurs de la « Cidade de Pedra » à partir de l’Holocène moyen (Brésil Central, Mato Grosso, Rondonópolis)

Located in the south-western Mato Grosso state (Central Brazil), the vast territory of the Cidade de Pedra was continuously occupied since the mid-Holocene by several groups of hunter-gatherers. Rock paintings, lithic industries, ceramics, ornaments, combustion remains (etc.) testify their passages in the many rock art sites discovered since 1983. In this paper are presented the results of the first anthracological analyzes conducted in four of these rock shelters. The studies were realized from macro-remains carbonized from hearths, embers and concentrations. From the taxonomic identification of charcoal, the objectives are to highlight the practices of hunter-gatherers related to the collection of wood and the environment in which they evolved for nearly 5000 years. The results indicate that they practiced an opportunistic collection mainly focused on dry wood available in the vegetation around the sites. They evolved in an environment similar to that currently characterizes the region, a typical flora of the Cerrado Biome and seasonal climate.

Resting environments of some Costa Rican mosquitoes

The resting sites of tropical American mosquitoes are poorly documented, and the few reports that do exist are largely from opportunistic collections. Since blood-engorged females (used in determining host associations) are more efficiently collected from resting sites than attractive traps, information on resting site utilization has practical value. To investigate differences in the resting sites utilized by tropical mosquitoes, we collected and identified female mosquitoes from one man-made (resting shelter) and three natural (buttress tree roots, hollow trees, and understory vegetation) resting environments at a tropical dry forest location in western Costa Rica. All of the most common species collected demonstrated associations with one or more resting environments. Females of five species (blood-engorged Anopheles albimanus, Uranotaenia apicalis, Uranotaenia lowii, Uranotaenia orthodoxa, and blood-engorged Mansonia titillans) were collected in significantly greater numbers from understory vegetation than other resting environments. Culex erraticus and other members of the subgenus Melanoconion were encountered more often in resting shelters, hollow trees, and buttress roots, while Culex restrictor (blood-engorged) females were associated with hollow trees. Similarity indices indicate that buttress tree roots, hollow trees, and resting shelters are similar with respect to the mosquito communities that utilize them as resting sites, while understory vegetation has a resting fauna that is different than the other environments surveyed here. These results add to the body of information regarding resting sites utilized by tropical American mosquitoes.

Investigating absence: Assessing the cumulative effects of casual collecting at a 19th century Bahamian plantation

Recent archaeological work at Prospect Hill, a 19th century plantation in the Bahamas, revealed artifact patterns that are inconsistent with expectations for a plantation site. The quantity and quality of artifacts in residential areas associated with the planter family and the enslaved population were inverted and suggest significant post abandonment changes. The site of Prospect Hill has been a destination for tourists and student groups since the mid-20th century, and the areas of the site most accessible to these visitors are also those with surprisingly low artifact counts. I investigated the possibility that regular visitation involved casual collecting using historical data as well as artifact assemblages from archaeological work at Prospect Hill. My analysis suggests that the archaeological record has been altered significantly through casual, opportunistic collecting, and it offers insights for identifying casual collecting elsewhere.

A new species and a new record of Diatrypaceae from Panama

Based on opportunistic collections of fungi in Panama, two species of Diatrypaceae (Xylariales) are described and illustrated. One of them, Eutypella semicircularis, found twice on branches probably belonging to Alnus acuminata, is new to science. It differs from known species of Eutypella and Peroneutypa with strongly allantoid or semicircular ascospores, such as E. crustata and P. curvispora, in having larger ascospores that sometimes almost form a circle and broader stromata, among other differences. Molecular data of the ITS rDNA region show that the new species is a sister taxon of Eutypella cerviculata, the type species of the genus Eutypella. Diatrype bermudensis on stems of Guadua angustifolia is reported from Panama for the first time, being known up to now apparently only from Bermuda.

Status of Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) Schneider, 1801 (Reptilia: Crocodylia) in Laos

Abstract The Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is critically endangered and, until a decade ago, few remaining wild populations were known to exist. Described here are the first in-depth surveys for C. siamensis in Laos with new field data on ecology and conservation. Small breeding populations of C. siamensis are confirmed to persist in Laos. During surveys between 2003 and 2008, C. siamensis was recorded in 13 sites of six river systems, where at least 36 individuals (1–11 per site) were documented. In all sites, crocodile densities and recruitment rates were extremely low. Eight nests were recorded—among the first wild nests of C. siamensis to be reported. Perennial, thickly vegetated floodplain lakes are critical dry-season refugia and breeding habitats for C. siamensis in Laos. Opportunistic collection of crocodiles by local communities was observed, and at all sites there is increasing degradation of floodplain lakes for agriculture or economic development. National crocodile records were com...

Tardigrades of Alaska: distribution patterns, diversity and species richness

During the summer of 2010, a biotic survey of tardigrades was conducted along a latitudinal transect in central Alaska from the Kenai Peninsula, via Fairbanks and the Arctic Circle to the coastal plain. Work was centred at the Toolik and Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Network sites and supplemented by opportunistic collections from the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage areas. The 235 samples collected at 20 sites over 10 degrees of latitude yielded 1463 tardigrades representing two classes, three orders, 10 families, 23 genera and 73 species from 142 positive samples. A total of 50 species are new to Alaska, increasing the state’s known species richness to 84. Several environmental metrics, such as pH, substrate, elevation, location and habitat were measured, recorded and analysed along the latitudinal gradient. Contrary to expectations, pH did not appear to be a predictor of tardigrade abundance or distribution. Density and species richness were relatively consistent across sites. However, the assemblages were highly variable within and between sites at only 14-20% similarity. We detected no correlation between species diversity and latitudinal or environmental gradients, though this may be affected by a high (59.9%) occurrence of single-species samples (containing individuals of only one species). Estimates of species richness were calculated for Alaska (118) and the Arctic (172). Our efforts increased the number of known species in Alaska to 84, and those results led us to question the validity of the estimate numbers. Keywords: Tardigrade; Alaska; distribution; latitudinal gradient; pH; species richness (Published: 22 May 2013) Citation: Polar Research 2013, 32 , 18793, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v32i0.18793

Amphibians and Reptiles of Luzon Island (Philippines), VII: Herpetofauna of Ilocos Norte Province, Northern Cordillera Mountain Range

We report new distribution records for amphibians and reptiles from 20 localities within the northern Cordillera Mountain Range of Ilocos Norte Province, Luzon Island, Philippines. Together with opportunistic collections of specimens from past surveys, our new data result in a total of 58 amphibian and reptile species for Ilocos Norte Province and the extreme northern Cordilleras—all of which constitute major geographic range extensions. We utilize new data and IUCN formalized conservation assessment criteria to revise the conservation status of many species. Our results highlight the degree to which fundamental distribution data are lacking for Luzon amphibians and reptiles and emphasize the manner in which many current species assessments are based on incomplete data and, as a result, may be sorely misleading. The complex biogeography of Luzon’s herpetofauna remains poorly understood, providing opportunities for future research and conservation efforts once distribution patterns and local abundances are properly documented.

Rainforest ants of the Tiwi Islands: a remarkable centre of endemism in Australia’s monsoonal tropics

The small and isolated rainforest patches that are embedded in the predominantly savanna landscape of Australia’s monsoonal tropics support a highly distinctive and biogeographically significant ant fauna. This fauna features shade-tolerant taxa of Indo-Malayan origin, in contrast to the arid-adapted, endemic Australian taxa that dominate the surrounding savanna. The Tiwi Islands north of Darwin in the Northern Territory (NT) receive the highest mean annual rainfall (up to 2,000 mm) in monsoonal Australia, and have a particularly extensive rainforest estate that has been poorly surveyed for invertebrates. Here we describe results from intensive ant surveys at 17 sites representing the full range of Tiwi rainforest types, using subterranean traps, Winkler sacs, pitfall traps and arboreal traps, supplemented by opportunistic hand collections. Our surveys yielded a total of 87 species from 37 genera, with the richest genera being Pheidole (9 species collected), Polyrhachis (8), Camponotus (5), Rhytidoponera (5) and Strumigenys (5). The overall structure and diversity of the Tiwi rainforest fauna is comparable to that of rainforest ant faunas on the Australian mainland. However, the species have exceptional biogeographic significance. At least 21 species across 12 genera have apparently never previously been collected, three species from subcoastal northeastern Australia are recorded for the first time in the NT, and the genera Mesoponera and Onychomyrmex are documented for the first time in the NT. There was a very low incidence of exotic species, which further highlights the conservation values of this remarkable fauna.

Ants of the Islas Murciélago: An Inventory of the Ants on Tropical Dry Forest Islands in Northwest Costa Rica

We conducted the first inventory of ants on the Islas Murciélago, Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) of Costa Rica. We conducted this study on a chain of seven islands and a nearby mainland site, southwest of the Santa Elena Peninsula, northwestern Costa Rica. We collected ants during three different seasons throughout one year, using three techniques; pitfall traps, Winkler sacks, and opportunistic collecting by hand. We determined ant species richness and composition for all islands and the mainland site. We also evaluated the relationship between island area, distance from the mainland, and relative vegetation cover with the number of ant species recorded on each island. We found a total of 50 species of ants on the Islas Murciélago and 34 species on the mainland (combining results from standardized and non-standardized sampling). Thirteen species of ants found on the mainland were not recorded from the Islands. Distance and area did not explain ant species richness on the Islands. Ant species composition varied for each island, and we documented fluctuations in ant presence throughout different seasons. We found two exotic species on the Islands, but in relatively low abundances and coexisting with other species. Considering the extreme seasonality of the Islas Murciélago and the desert-like environment in the dry season, we found a higher number of ant species than we expected. It is unclear what factors best explain patterns of species richness and composition on the Islands, though human impacts likely contribute.

Cross-Network Opportunistic Collection of Urgent Data in Wireless Sensor Networks

Ubiquitous smart environments equipped with low-cost and easily-deployable wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and ever-increasing widespread Mobile Ad hoc NETworks (MANETs) are opening brand new opportunities in environmental monitoring. This paper proposes an original solution for WSN/MANET integration based on the primary design guideline of opportunistically exploiting MANET overlays impromptu formed over the WSN to improve and boost the data collection task of a typical WSN. On the one hand, we adopt a cross-layer approach that exploits MANET connections to differentiate and fasten the delivery of sensed urgent data by pushing them over low-latency MANET paths. On the other hand, we take advantage of local cross-layer visibility of the WSN data collection procedures and protocols to carefully control and limit WSN–MANET coordination overhead. We claim that our proposed solution can obtain significant quality of service improvements via differentiation, by granting faster delivery times to urgent data with a very limited cost in most common execution scenarios.

Lead Levels in Eurasian Otters Decline with Time and Reveal Interactions between Sources, Prevailing Weather, And Stream Chemistry

The uptake of contaminants by biota varies spatially and temporally due to a complex range of interacting environmental variables, but such complexities are typically disregarded in studies of temporal change. Here, we use linear modeling to explore spatial and temporal variation in bone Pb levels measured in samples taken from 329 Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) found dead in southwest England. Between 1992 and 2004 Pb levels in otters fell by 73%, following UK legislative control of Pb emissions implemented since the mid 1980s. Spatial variation in bone Pb was positively correlated with modeled Pb emissions and stream sediment Pb, which interacted negatively with wind-speed and sediment Ca, respectively. Opportunistic collection of samples from wildlife mortalities provided a valuable opportunity for monitoring environmental contamination, interpretation of which was aided by spatially explicit analysis of environmental variables.

Recent range expansions in non-native predatory beetles on sub-Antarctic South Georgia

The human-assisted establishment of two non-native predatory carabid beetles (Merizodus soledadinus (Guerin-Meneville), Trechisibus antarcticus (Dejean)) on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia occurred 30–50 years ago, but the distribution of these species has never been the subject of regular monitoring, and was last assessed in the mid-1990s. Based on opportunistic collection records and directed field survey activities on South Georgia over four summer seasons between 2002/3 and 2008/9, we describe recent and important range expansions in both species on the island. The new distributional ranges of both species are highly suggestive of a continuing inadvertent human role in transferring them across the obstructions presented by tidewater glaciers or higher-altitude mountain passes. Both species now have the potential to spread unchecked by any other geographical obstructions across a large section of the north-east coast of the island and are likely to have considerable negative impacts on the elements of the native (including endemic) terrestrial invertebrate fauna.

Achieving Guaranteed Anonymity in GPS Traces via Uncertainty-Aware Path Cloaking

The integration of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and sensors into mobile devices has enabled collaborative sensing applications, which monitor the dynamics of environments through opportunistic collection of data from many users' devices. One example that motivates this paper is a probe-vehicle-based automotive traffic monitoring system, which estimates traffic congestion from GPS velocity measurements reported from many drivers. This paper considers the problem of achieving guaranteed anonymity in a locational data set that includes location traces from many users, while maintaining high data accuracy. We consider two methods to reidentify anonymous location traces, target tracking, and home identification, and observe that known privacy algorithms cannot achieve high application accuracy requirements or fail to provide privacy guarantees for drivers in low-density areas. To overcome these challenges, we derive a novel time-to-confusion criterion to characterize privacy in a locational data set and propose a disclosure control algorithm (called uncertainty-aware path cloaking algorithm) that selectively reveals GPS samples to limit the maximum time-to-confusion for all vehicles. Through trace-driven simulations using real GPS traces from 312 vehicles, we demonstrate that this algorithm effectively limits tracking risks, in particular, by eliminating tracking outliers. It also achieves significant data accuracy improvements compared to known algorithms. We then present two enhancements to the algorithm. First, it also addresses the home identification risk by reducing location information revealed at the start and end of trips. Second, it also considers heading information reported by users in the tracking model. This version can thus protect users who are moving in dense areas but in a different direction from the majority.

Using Otolith Chemistry to Investigate Population Structure of Quillback Rockfish in Puget Sound

We assess the potential of using otolith chemistry to differentiate quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) within Puget Sound, Washington, where two distinct population segments (DPS) have been identified. Using opportunistic collections (1993–2003) of quillback rockfish (n=77; age range of 2–65 yrs.) we first sought to determine whether fish from different sites and regions could be differentiated based on the trace elemental concentrations at the edge of their otoliths (i.e., the chemical record of the fish's recent history). Results of our quadratic discriminant function analysis (QDFA) indicated significant spatial variability for fish collected at relatively large (regions) and small (sites) spatial scales. Specifically, fish collected from regions in 2002 (San Juan Islands and southern Puget Sound) and 2003 (eastern and western Strait of Juan de Fuca) were correctly classified with 100% and 65% accuracy (based on jack-knife classification), respectively, while fish collected from sites in 1998 (Mukilteo and Foulweather) were classified with 100% accuracy. We also investigated whether we could differentiate fish that were collected from different DPS and regions by using elemental concentrations from their whole otolith (which represents environmental information over the lifetime of a fish). Results from the QDFAs indicated relatively high classification success (80%) when comparing fish collected from either different DPS (i.e., Northern Puget Sound and Puget Sound Proper DPS) or regions (i.e., western and eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca). Findings from this study highlight the value of otolith chemistry in the study of population structure of quillback rockfish in Puget Sound.