Islands as refuges for threatened species: multispecies translocation and evidence of species interactions four decades on

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertram Ostendorf ◽  
Wayne S. J. Boardman ◽  
David A. Taggart
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Ecosystem Engineer ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Interspecies Interactions ◽  
Significant Preference ◽  
Extinction Rates

Australia has one of the worst mammal extinction rates in the world, with translocations to refuge locations increasingly being advocated to help address problems of species decline. Offshore islands can function as these refuges, removing species from threatening processes and providing a source of animals for reintroduction. Historically, the focus of many island translocations in Australia has been the conservation of a single species, with data on long-term translocation success and population dynamics after release generally lacking. Here we examine the results of a multispecies translocation onto Wedge Island, off the South Australian coast 30–40 years ago. Fewer than a dozen individuals of three species – southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons), black-footed rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis pearsonii), and brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) – were released. All three species have shown substantial population increase and wombat activity across the island has increased exponentially with >700 burrows detected. Substantial levels of co-use of wombat burrows by rock-wallabies and bettongs were observed, providing clear evidence for interspecies interactions. Rock-wallabies showed a significant preference for wombat-active burrows (45% co-used), whereas bettongs showed a significant preference for wombat-inactive burrows (10% used). This study suggests that islands have significant potential for long-term threatened species conservation and that translocation of an ecosystem engineer may increase habitat complexity and help improve habitat suitability for multiple species and thus increase the overall conservation benefit.

scholarly journals The costs of single species programmes and the budget constraint

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Emma Moran ◽  
Ross Cullen ◽  
Kenneth F. D. Hughey
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Threatened Species ◽  
Annual Cost ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Budget Constraint ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Threatened Status

Despite the scarcity of funding for species conservation programmes, estimation of the cost of threatened species programmes occurs in only a few countries. This paper examines the reasons for the lack of species programme cost estimates and the likely impacts of this on conservation management. We report methodology used to estimate cost for eleven New Zealand species programmes and their estimated costs over a ten year period. Differences between species in the costs of the programmes and the breakdown of the costs are highlighted. The estimated costs are compared with expected levels of expenditure on each species to illustrate the existence of a budget constraint for threatened species. The likely effects of cost of species conservation exceeding expenditures on species conservation are examined. Annual cost data is used together with information on rate of conservation progress to estimate time and total cost for each species to reach Not Threatened status.

scholarly journals Modeling cesium migration through Opalinus clay: a benchmark for single- and multi-species sorption-diffusion models

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús F. Águila ◽  
Vanessa Montoya ◽  
Javier Samper ◽  
Luis Montenegro ◽  
Georg Kosakowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Discretization ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Opalinus Clay ◽  
Sorption Behavior ◽  
Diffusion Experiment ◽  
Modeling Tools ◽  
Cesium Sorption ◽  
Code Performance ◽  
Good Agreement

AbstractSophisticated modeling of the migration of sorbing radionuclides in compacted claystones is needed for supporting the safety analysis of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, which requires robust modeling tools/codes. Here, a benchmark related to a long term laboratory scale diffusion experiment of cesium, a moderately sorbing radionuclide, through Opalinus clay is presented. The benchmark was performed with the following codes: CORE2DV5, Flotran, COMSOL Multiphysics, OpenGeoSys-GEM, MCOTAC and PHREEQC v.3. The migration setup was solved with two different conceptual models, i) a single-species model by using a look-up table for a cesium sorption isotherm and ii) a multi-species diffusion model including a complex mechanistic cesium sorption model. The calculations were performed for three different cesium boundary concentrations (10−3, 10−5, 10−7 mol / L) to investigate the models/codes capabilities taking into account the nonlinear sorption behavior of cesium. Generally, good agreement for both single- and multi-species benchmark concepts could be achieved, however, some discrepancies have been identified, especially near the boundaries, where code specific spatial (and time) discretization had to be improved to achieve better agreement at the expense of longer computation times. In addition, the benchmark exercise yielded useful information on code performance, setup options, input and output data management, and post processing options. Finally, the comparison of single-species and multi-species model concepts showed that the single-species approach yielded generally earlier breakthrough, because this approach accounts neither for cation exchange of Cs+ with K+ and Na+, nor K+ and Na+ diffusion in the pore water.

scholarly journals Long Term Interactions of Native and Invasive Species in a Marine Protected Area Suggest Complex Cascading Effects Challenging Conservation Outcomes

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Charalampos Dimitriadis ◽  
Ivoni Fournari-Konstantinidou ◽  
Laurent Sourbès ◽  
Drosos Koutsoubas ◽  
Stelios Katsanevakis
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
High Level

Understanding the interactions among invasive species, native species and marine protected areas (MPAs), and the long-term regime shifts in MPAs is receiving increased attention, since biological invasions can alter the structure and functioning of the protected ecosystems and challenge conservation efforts. Here we found evidence of marked modifications in the rocky reef associated biota in a Mediterranean MPA from 2009 to 2019 through visual census surveys, due to the presence of invasive species altering the structure of the ecosystem and triggering complex cascading effects on the long term. Low levels of the populations of native high-level predators were accompanied by the population increase and high performance of both native and invasive fish herbivores. Subsequently the overgrazing and habitat degradation resulted in cascading effects towards the diminishing of the native and invasive invertebrate grazers and omnivorous benthic species. Our study represents a good showcase of how invasive species can coexist or exclude native biota and at the same time regulate or out-compete other established invaders and native species.

scholarly journals Evaluating Coexistence of Fish Species with Coastal Cutthroat Trout in Low Order Streams of Western Oregon and Washington, USA

Fishes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Kyle D. Martens ◽  
Jason Dunham
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Single Species ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
Coastal Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
Low Order

When multiple species of fish coexist there are a host of potential ways through which they may interact, yet there is often a strong focus on studies of single species without considering these interactions. For example, many studies of forestry–stream interactions in the Pacific Northwest have focused solely on the most prevalent species: Coastal cutthroat trout. To examine the potential for interactions of other fishes with coastal cutthroat trout, we conducted an analysis of 281 sites in low order streams located on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and along the central Oregon coast. Coastal cutthroat trout and juvenile coho salmon were the most commonly found salmonid species within these streams and exhibited positive associations with each other for both presence and density. Steelhead were negatively associated with the presence of coastal cutthroat trout as well as with coho salmon and sculpins (Cottidae). Coastal cutthroat trout most frequently shared streams with juvenile coho salmon. For densities of these co-occurring species, associations between these two species were relatively weak compared to the strong influences of physical stream conditions (size and gradient), suggesting that physical conditions may have more of an influence on density than species interactions. Collectively, our analysis, along with a review of findings from prior field and laboratory studies, suggests that the net effect of interactions between coastal cutthroat trout and coho salmon do not appear to inhibit their presence or densities in small streams along the Pacific Northwest.

scholarly journals Sustainable exploitation of temperate fish stocks

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Sparholt ◽  
Robin M. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Fishery Management ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Maximum Sustainable Yield ◽  
Production Model ◽  
The Status ◽  
Long Time

The theory of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) underpins many fishery management regimes and is applied principally as a single species concept. Using a simple dynamic biomass production model we show that MSY can be identified from a long time series of multi-stock data at a regional scale in the presence of species interactions and environmental change. It suggests that MSY is robust and calculable in a multispecies environment, offering a realistic reference point for fishery management. Furthermore, the demonstration of the existence of MSY shows that it is more than a purely theoretical concept. There has been an improvement in the status of stocks in the Northeast Atlantic, but our analysis suggests further reductions in fishing effort would improve long-term yields.

scholarly journals The role of biotic forces in driving macroevolution: beyond the Red Queen

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1808) ◽  
pp. 20150186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjetil L. Voje ◽  
Øistein H. Holen ◽  
Lee Hsiang Liow ◽  
Nils Chr. Stenseth
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Long Term Evolution ◽  
Red Queen Hypothesis ◽  
Red Queen ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Term Evolution

A multitude of hypotheses claim that abiotic factors are the main drivers of macroevolutionary change. By contrast, Van Valen's Red Queen hypothesis is often put forward as the sole representative of the view that biotic forcing is the main evolutionary driver. This imbalance of hypotheses does not reflect our current knowledge: theoretical work demonstrates the plausibility of biotically driven long-term evolution, whereas empirical work suggests a central role for biotic forcing in macroevolution. We call for a more pluralistic view of how biotic forces may drive long-term evolution that is compatible with both phenotypic stasis in the fossil record and with non-constant extinction rates. Promising avenues of research include contrasting predictions from relevant theories within ecology and macroevolution, as well as embracing both abiotic and biotic proxies while modelling long-term evolutionary data. By fitting models describing hypotheses of biotically driven macroevolution to data, we could dissect their predictions and transcend beyond pattern description, possibly narrowing the divide between our current understanding of micro- and macroevolution.

scholarly journals Can we predict the future: juvenile finfish and their seagrass nurseries in the Chesapeake Bay

2013 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 681-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia M. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Seagrass Habitat ◽  
Important Conclusion ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Landscape Level

Abstract The importance of estuarine seagrass beds as nurseries for juvenile fish has become a universal paradigm, especially for estuaries that are as important as the Chesapeake Bay. Yet, scientific tests of this hypothesis were equivocal depending on species, location, and metrics. Moreover, seagrasses themselves are under threat and one-third of seagrasses have disappeared worldwide with 65% of their losses occurring in estuaries. Although there have been extensive studies of seagrasses in the Chesapeake Bay, surprisingly few studies have quantified the relationship between seagrass as nurseries for finfish in the Bay. Of the few studies that have directly evaluated the use of seagrass nurseries, most have concentrated on single species or were of short duration. Few landscape-level or long-term studies have examined this relationship in the Bay or explored the potential effect of climate change. This review paper summarizes the seagrass habitat value as nurseries and presents recent juvenile fish studies that address the dearth of research at the long term and landscape level with an emphasis on the Chesapeake Bay. An important conclusion upon the review of these studies is that predicting the effects of climate change on fishery production remains uncertain.

Species interactions in mixed-community crystalline biofilms on urinary catheters

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 1549-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Macleod ◽  
David J. Stickler
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Crystal Formation ◽  
Urinary Catheters ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Pure Cultures ◽  
Providencia Stuartii

Previous experimental investigations of the crystalline biofilms that colonize and block urinary catheters have focussed on their formation by pure cultures of Proteus mirabilis. In the urine of patients undergoing long-term catheterization, P. mirabilis is commonly found in mixed communities with other urinary tract pathogens. Little is known about the effect that the other species have on the rate at which P. mirabilis encrusts catheters. In the present study, a set of data on the nature of the bacterial communities on 106 catheter biofilms has been analysed and it was found that while species such as Providencia stuartii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were commonly associated with P. mirabilis, when Escherichia coli, Morganella morganii or Enterobacter cloacae were present, P. mirabilis was rarely or never found. The hypothesis that the absence of P. mirabilis from some biofilm communities could be due to its active exclusion by other species has also been examined. Experiments in laboratory models showed that co-infection of P. mirabilis with M. morganii, K. pneumoniae or E. coli had no effect on the ability of P. mirabilis to encrust and block catheters. Co-infection with Ent. cloacae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, however, significantly increased the time that catheters took to block (P <0.05). The growth of Ent. cloacae, M. morganii, K. pneumoniae or E. coli in the model for 72 h prior to superinfection with P. mirabilis significantly delayed catheter blockage. In the case of Ent. cloacae, for example, the mean time to blockage was extended from 28.7 h to 60.7 h (P ≤0.01). In all cases, however, P. mirabilis was able to generate alkaline urine, colonize the biofilms, induce crystal formation and block the catheters. The results suggest that although there is a degree of antagonism between P. mirabilis and some of the other urinary tract organisms, the effects are temporary and whatever the pre-existing urinary microbiota, infection with P. mirabilis is thus likely to lead to catheter encrustation and blockage.

A Development Plan for Semi-Arid Areas in Western Sudan

1975 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin E. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Land Rights ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Development Plan ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Face ◽  
Planning Problems

SUMMARYThis paper, concerned with agricultural development planning problems in the Sahelian and Sudanian (semi-desert and savanna) zones in Africa between 10 and 16° North, describes a plan for Darfur, Western Sudan. This aims to modernize a stagnant and primitive technology and out-dated land rights which, in the face of rapid population increase and climatic change, are reducing the long-term carrying capacity of the land. The development plan (H.T.S., 1974) has been based on a 2-year (1972–73) survey by a team of physical and social scientists, financed by the Overseas Development Administration of the United Kingdom and the Ministry of Agriculture in the Sudan.

scholarly journals Global economy interacts with climate change to jeopardize species conservation: the case of the greater flamingo in the Mediterranean and West Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARNAUD BÉCHET ◽  
MANUEL RENDÓN-MARTOS ◽  
MIGUEL ÁNGEL RENDÓN ◽  
JUAN AGUILAR AMAT ◽  
ALAN R. JOHNSON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Price Volatility ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitats ◽  
Recent Financial Crisis ◽  
Economic Use

The conservation of many species depends on sustainable economic activities that shape their habitats. The economic use of these anthropogenic habitats may change quickly owing to world trade globalization, market reorientations, price volatility or shifts in subsidy policies. The recent financial crisis has produced a global impact on the world economy. How this may have affected the use of habitats beneficial to biodiversity has not yet been documented. However, consequences could be particularly acute for species sensitive to climate change, jeopardizing long-term conservation efforts.

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