scholarly journals Geographic distribution modeling and taxonomy of Stephadiscus lyratus (Cothouny in Gould, 1846) (Charopidae) reveal potential distributional areas of the species along the Patagonian Forests

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11614
Author(s):  
Maria Gabriela Cuezzo ◽  
Regina Gabriela Medina ◽  
Carolina Nieto

Background Stephadiscus lyratus (Couthouy in Gould, 1846), an endemic Charopidae from southern South America, was described from few dry shells. The distribution of this species is known on scattering occurrences, mainly from material deposited in museum collections. We provide here new information on anatomy, habitat, and microhabitat preferences and estimate the potential geographic distribution of the species to test if it is exclusively endemic to the Subpolar Magellanic Forest. Methods Fieldwork was carried out in the National Parks of the Patagonian Forests. Snails were photographed, measured, and dissected for anatomical studies; shells were studied with scanning electron microscopy. Estimation of the species geographical distribution (EGD) was obtained through correlative ecological niche modeling (ENM). We designed a calibration area a priori with known species points of occurrence in the Magellanic Subpolar Forests and borders of the Patagonian steppe. Seven bioclimatic variables of the WorldClim database were used. The best ENMs were calibrated and selected using a maximum entropy method with Maxent v3.3.3K through the R package “kuenm”. Candidate models were created by combining four values of regularization multiplier and all possible combinations of three feature classes. We evaluated candidate model performance based on significance (partial ROC), omission rates (E = 5%), and model complexity (AICc). From the best models obtained, a final model was transferred to a region “G” consisting of the calibration area plus the Valdivian Temperate Forests and whole Patagonian steppe, where we hypothesize that the species could be present. Finally, we obtained binary presence-absence maps. We quantified the proportion of the occurrence points and distribution range of S. lyratus in different land cover categories. To explore the degree of protection of S. lyratus’EGD, we quantified the proportion of its distributional range within protected areas. Results A be-lobed kidney, a close secondary ureter, the terminal portion of the uterus forming a compact glandular mass, and the vas deferens with a dilatation are new anatomical information that distinguishes this species. Stephadiscus lyratus inhabit cold native forest areas, mainly living on or under humid logs in contact with the ground. The main constraining variables to explain S. lyratus distribution in the EGD were BIO3, BIO12, BIO6, and BIO4. The potential area of distribution obtained almost duplicates their original range (140,454 km2) extending to the Valdivian Temperate forests mainly in Chile. Natural and semi-natural terrestrial vegetation was predominant in the potential area of distribution of S. lyratus. However, only 14.7% of this area occurs within current protected areas from Argentina and Chile. The ectothermic physiological traits of this species, low dispersal capacity, and its narrow habitat requirements turn S. lyratus into a potentially vulnerable species.

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 689
Author(s):  
Gisel Garza ◽  
Armida Rivera ◽  
Crystian Sadiel Venegas Barrera ◽  
José Guadalupe Martinez-Ávalos ◽  
Jon Dale ◽  
...  

Walker’s Manihot, Manihot walkerae, is an endangered plant that is endemic to the Tamaulipan thornscrub ecoregion of extreme southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. M. walkerae populations are highly fragmented and are found on both protected public lands and private property. Habitat loss and competition by invasive species are the most detrimental threats for M. walkerae; however, the effect of climate change on M. walkerae’s geographic distribution remains unexplored and could result in further range restrictions. Our objectives are to evaluate the potential effects of climate change on the distribution of M. walkerae and assess the usefulness of natural protected areas in future conservation. We predict current and future geographic distribution for M. walkerae (years 2050 and 2070) using three different general circulation models (CM3, CMIP5, and HADGEM) and two climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and 8.5). A total of nineteen spatially rarefied occurrences for M. walkerae and ten non-highly correlated bioclimatic variables were inputted to the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) to produce twenty replicates per scenario. The area under the curve (AUC) value for the consensus model was higher than 0.90 and the partial ROC value was higher than 1.80, indicating a high predictive ability. The potential reduction in geographic distribution for M. walkerae by the effect of climate change was variable throughout the models, but collectively they predict a restriction in distribution. The most severe reductions were 9% for the year 2050 with the CM3 model at an 8.5 RCP, and 14% for the year 2070 with the CMIP5 model at the 4.5 RCP. The future geographic distribution of M. walkerae was overlapped with protected lands in the U.S. and Mexico in order to identify areas that could be suitable for future conservation efforts. In the U.S. there are several protected areas that are potentially suitable for M. walkerae, whereas in Mexico no protected areas exist within M. walkerae suitable habitat.


Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Alexander Cotrina Sánchez ◽  
Nilton B. Rojas Briceño ◽  
Subhajit Bandopadhyay ◽  
Subhasis Ghosh ◽  
Cristóbal Torres Guzmán ◽  
...  

The increasing demand for tropical timber from natural forests has reduced the population sizes of native species such as Cedrela spp. because of their high economic value. To prevent the decline of population sizes of the species, all Cedrela species have been incorporated into Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The study presents information about the modeled distribution of the genus Cedrela in Peru that aims to identify potential habitat distribution of the genus, its availability in areas protected by national service of protected areas, and highlighted some areas because of their conservation relevance and the potential need for restoration. We modeled the distribution of the genus Cedrela in Peru using 947 occurrence records that included 10 species (C. odorata, C. montana, C. fissilis, C. longipetiolulata, C. angustifolia, C. nebulosa, C. kuelapensis, C. saltensis, C. weberbaueri, and C. molinensis). We aim to identify areas environmentally suitable for the occurrence of Cedrela that are legally protected by the National Service of Protected Areas (PAs) and those that are ideal for research and restoration projects. We used various environmental variables (19 bioclimatic variables, 3 topographic factors, 9 edaphic factors, solar radiation, and relative humidity) and the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to predict the probability of occurrence. We observed that 6.7% (86,916.2 km2) of Peru presents a high distribution probability of occurrence of Cedrela, distributed in 17 departments, with 4.4% (10,171.03 km2) of the area protected by PAs mainly under the category of protection forests. Another 11.65% (21,345.16 km2) of distribution covers areas highly prone to degradation, distributed mainly in the departments Ucayali, Loreto, and Madre de Dios, and needs immediate attention for its protection and restoration. We believe that the study will contribute significantly to conserve Cedrela and other endangered species, as well as to promote the sustainable use and management of timber species as a whole.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Parra-Henao ◽  
Laura C. Suárez-Escudero ◽  
Sebastián González-Caro

Ecological niche modeling of Triatominae bugs allow us to establish the local risk of transmission of the parasiteTrypanosoma cruzi,which causes Chagas disease.This information could help to guide health authority recommendations on infection monitoring, prevention, and control. In this study, we estimated the geographic distribution of triatomine species in Colombia and identified the relationship between landscape structure and climatic factors influencing their occurrence. A total of 2451 records of 4 triatomine species (Panstrongylus geniculatus,Rhodnius pallescens,R. prolixus, andTriatoma maculata) were analyzed.The variables that provided more information to explain the ecologic niche of these vectors were related to precipitation, altitude, and temperature. We found that the species with the broadest potential geographic distribution wereP. geniculatus,R. pallescens, andR. prolixus. In general, the models predicted the highest occurrence probability of these vectors in the eastern slope of the Eastern Cordillera, the southern region of the Magdalena valley, and the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cormac Walsh

AbstractNational parks and other large protected areas play an increasingly important role in the context of global social and environmental challenges. Nevertheless, they continue to be rooted in local places and cannot be separated out from their socio-cultural and historical context. Protected areas furthermore are increasingly understood to constitute critical sites of struggle whereby the very meanings of nature, landscape, and nature-society relations are up for debate. This paper examines governance arrangements and discursive practices pertaining to the management of the Danish Wadden Sea National Park and reflects on the relationship between pluralist institutional structures and pluralist, relational understandings of nature and landscape.


Author(s):  
Ugyen Tshewang ◽  
Jane Gray Morrison ◽  
Michael Charles Tobias

Koedoe ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melodie A. McGeoch ◽  
Mbulelo Dopolo ◽  
Peter Novellie ◽  
Howard Hendriks ◽  
Stefanie Freitag ◽  
...  

Protected areas are under increasing threat from a range of external and internal pressures on biodiversity. With a primary mandate being the conservation of biodiversity, monitoring is an essential component of measuring the performance of protected areas. Here we present a framework for guiding the structure and development of a Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS) for South African National Parks (SANParks). Monitoring activities in the organisation are currently unevenly distributed across parks, taxa and key concerns: they do not address the full array of biodiversity objectives, and have largely evolved in the absence of a coherent, overarching framework. The requirement for biodiversity monitoring in national parks is clearly specified in national legislation and international policy, as well as by SANParks’ own adaptive management philosophy. Several approaches available for categorising the multitude of monitoring requirements were considered in the development of the BMS, and 10 Biodiversity Monitoring Programmes (BMPs) were selected that provide broad coverage of higher-level biodiversity objectives of parks. A set of principles was adopted to guide the development of BMPs (currently underway), and data management, resource and capacity needs will be considered during their development. It is envisaged that the BMS will provide strategic direction for future investment in this core component of biodiversity conservation and management in SANParks. Conservation implications: Monitoring biodiversity in protected areas is essential to assessing their performance. Here we provide a coordinated framework for biodiversity monitoring in South African National Parks. The proposed biodiversity monitoring system addresses the broad range of park management plan derived biodiversity objectives.


Koedoe ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Manning

A framework for managing outdoor recreation and tourism in parks and protected areas was presented in this article. This management-by-objectives framework includes, (1) formulating indicators and standards of quality, (2) monitoring indicators of quality and (3) implementing management actions designed to maintain standards of quality. This management framework can be used to help balance the demand for outdoor recreation and tourism and the need to protect park resources and the quality of the visitor experience. A programme of research to help guide application of this management framework was described and illustrated. This research is part of a growing body of scientific and professional literature on outdoor recreation and tourism that can be used to build the capacity of park and protected area management agencies. Conservation implications: The management framework described in this article, and the associated programme of research, can be used by conservation practitioners to balance use and protection of national parks and protected areas.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (31) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamar Khakhishvili

Georgia is famous for wine, hospitality, culture, and history at the international level. Before now, tourism in Georgia was only related to wine tourism and sea resorts, but in recent years, the country is positioning itself as an emerging destination for adventurous tourism. Industry potential is not fully utilized and it has more hidden possibilities to attract more visitors. This paper focuses on assessing the need for ecotourism cluster establishment in Georgia. In fulfilling this objective, a survey was conducted. Questionnaires were distributed to ecotourism service providers of the country. 54 managers of national parks and other protected areas (Lagodekhi Protected Areas, Kazbegi National Park, Martvili Canyon Natural Monument, Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park and Machakhela National Park) were chosen for the survey. The selected respondents are the managers of the most popular ecotourism destinations among Georgian and foreign ecoturists. Due to the various locations in different parts of Georgia, it took about two weeks to conduct the survey. The results of the survey showed that ecotourism industry representatives agree on the need of cluster establishment for more development of the field. The paper also demonstrated that building promising ecotourism industry through strong cluster development is directly related to increasing the country’s competitiveness.


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