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Yang Y, Liu W, Adams JM, Song B. Snow-cover loss attenuates the effects of N addition on desert nutrient cycling and microbial community. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1166897. [PMID: 37546244 PMCID: PMC10400093 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1166897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Desert ecosystems are sensitive to nitrogen (N) deposition. Considering snow is an important source of soil water, which is vital for plant growth and the biogeochemical cycle in desert areas. The effects of N deposition on biological soil crusts (BSCs) could be impacted by the removal of snow-cover. Here, we established a split-plot experiment in the Gurbantunggut Desert to examine the effects of snow-cover treatments on soil nutrients, enzyme activities, and the bacterial community under various N addition. The removal of snow-cover reduced the soil nutrients with light and moderate N addition, it also reduced the activities of urease (URE) and alkaline phosphatase (PHOS). The structural equation model (SEM) result indicated that low soil moisture (SMO) under snow-uncover inhibited the bacterial community, particularly suppressed bacterial diversity. Additionally, N addition indirectly affected the bacterial community via modifications to soil nutrients, and soil organic matter (SOM) (P < 0.001) was the crucial factor. Snow-uncover weakened soil nutrient and enzyme responses to N addition, indicating that snow-cover removal reduced the sensitivity of the desert ecosystem to N deposition. The study highlights the critical role of snow-cover in the desert ecosystem, raising our awareness of the ecological risks of BSCs in future global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaru Yang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Urumqi, China
| | - Weiguo Liu
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Urumqi, China
| | - Jonathan M. Adams
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Song
- School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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Dragonetti C, Mendez Angarita VY, Di Marco M. Scenarios of change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14035. [PMID: 36424863 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Mountains are among the natural systems most affected by climate change, and mountain mammals are considered particularly imperiled, given their high degree of specialization to narrow tolerance bands of environmental conditions. Climate change mitigation policies, such as the Paris Agreement, are essential to stem climate change impacts on natural systems. But how significant is the Paris Agreement to the survival of mountain mammals? We investigated how alternative emission scenarios may determine change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates in 2050. We based our predictions of future change in species niches based on how species have responded to past environmental changes, focusing on the probabilities of niche shrink and niche stability. We found that achieving the Paris Agreement's commitments would substantially reduce climate instability for mountain species. Specifically, limiting global warming to below 1.5°C would reduce the probability of niche shrinkage by 4% compared with a high-emission scenario. Globally, carnivores showed greater niche shrinkage than ungulates, whereas ungulates were more likely to shift their niches (i.e., face a level of climate change that allows adaptation). Twenty-three species threatened by climate change according to the IUCN Red List had greater niche contraction than other species we analyzed (3% higher on average). We therefore argue that climate mitigation policies must be coupled with rapid species-specific conservation intervention and sustainable land-use policies to avoid high risk of loss of already vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Dragonetti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Y Mendez Angarita
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Moreno Di Marco
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Li KY, Hsiao C, Yen SC, Hung CY, Lin YZ, Jheng SW, Yu PJ, Hwang MH, Weng GJ, Chen KL, Lin SF, Chang SW, Wang Y, Ju YT. Phylogenetic divergence associated with climate oscillations and topology illustrates the dispersal history of Formosan sambar deer (Rusa unicolor swinhoii) in Taiwan. MAMMAL RES 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-023-00682-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe island of Taiwan represents an ideal context for studying the effects of climatic oscillations and topographic variation on large herbivores due to its varied tropical to sub-tropical climate zones at different elevational ranges. We explored the phylogenetics of Formosan sambar deer (Rusa unicolor swinhoii) using the control region of the mitochondrial genome. We detected 18 haplotypes among 454 sequences across the island and grouped them into six regions based on SAMOVA, with 68.78% variance among regions. A Bayesian phylogenetic dendrogram revealed two spatially segregated genetic clades. Neutrality tests and Bayesian skyline plots uncovered different demographic expansion histories for the two clades. We further tested divergence times and chronology to propose potential phylogenetic scenarios, which were examined using approximate Bayesian computation. Finally, we present a credible hypothesis for a glacial refugium in the northern part of the Central Mountain Range. Subsequent secondary contact between the two clades during interglacial periods has led to the extant genetic structure of Formosan sambar deer.
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Whiting JC, Bleich VC, Bowyer RT, Epps CW. Restoration of bighorn sheep: History, successes, and remaining conservation issues. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1083350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammals are imperiled worldwide, primarily from habitat loss or modification, and exhibit downward trends in their populations and distributions. Likewise, large-bodied herbivores have undergone a collapse in numbers and are at the highest extinction risk of all mammals. Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are among those large-bodied herbivores that possess a slow-paced life history, suffer from debilitating diseases, and have experienced range contractions across their historical distribution since the late 1800s. Translocations and reintroductions of these mountain ungulates are key aspects of restoration and often are used to re-establish populations in historical habitat or to supplement declining herds. Millions of US dollars and much effort by state and federal natural resource agencies, as well as public and private organizations, have been expended to restore bighorn sheep. Despite those efforts, translocated populations of bighorn sheep have not always been successful. We assessed restoration of bighorn sheep to provide insights in the context of conservation of populations of bighorn sheep, because this management tool is a frequently used to re-establish populations. We focused briefly on past efforts to restore bighorn sheep populations and followed with updates on the value of habitat enhancements, genetic issues, the importance of ecotypic or phenotypic adaptations when restoring populations, predation, and disease transmission. We also raised issues and posed questions that have potential to affect future decisions regarding the restoration of bighorn sheep. This information will help conservationists improve the success of conserving these iconic large mammals.
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Valdez R, Bleich VC, Shahriary E. Growth, weights, and measurements of female wild sheep from Iran. MAMMALIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2021-0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Wild sheep (Ovis spp.) are of conservation concern throughout the Middle East. Little is known, however, about the natural history or ecology of this taxon. To better understand size relationships among wild sheep occupying Iran, we analyzed results from 120 females collected from widely separated ecosystems. Morphometrics and body weights for all age categories of females occupying the Khosh-Yeilagh Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Iran were larger than those for the same age classes of females occupying Bamou National Park in southwestern Iran. Females from Bamou National Park, however, obtained adult body weight (x̅ = 25.8 ± 2.47 [SD] kg) at an earlier age than those from the Khosh-Yeilagh Wildlife Refuge (x̅ = 36.6 ± 3.21 kg). Ecological differences between these two areas suggest that net primary productivity, which is a function of numerous climatic and geographical factors, has been a primary force contributing to these results. Weights and measurements reported here provide the basic information for additional, more detailed research necessary to fully understand the evolutionary significance and management implications of these differences in body size and emphasize the conservation value of even the most basic natural history information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Valdez
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology , New Mexico State University , Las Cruces , NM 88003 , USA
| | - Vernon C. Bleich
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science , University of Nevada Reno , Mail Stop 186—1664 North Virginia Street , Reno , NV 89557 , USA
| | - Eahsan Shahriary
- Environmental Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at El Paso , El Paso , TX 79968 , USA
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6
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Schoenecker KA, King SRB, Ekernas LS, Oyler‐McCance SJ. Using Fecal DNA and Closed‐Capture Models to Estimate Feral Horse Population Size. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah R. B. King
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - L. Stefan Ekernas
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center Fort Collins CO 80526 USA
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Abstract
Landscape connectivity is increasingly promoted as a conservation tool to combat the negative effects of habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change. Given its importance as a key conservation strategy, connectivity science is a rapidly growing discipline. However, most landscape connectivity models consider connectivity for only a single snapshot in time, despite the widespread recognition that landscapes and ecological processes are dynamic. In this paper, we discuss the emergence of dynamic connectivity and the importance of including dynamism in connectivity models and assessments. We outline dynamic processes for both structural and functional connectivity at multiple spatiotemporal scales and provide examples of modeling approaches at each of these scales. We highlight the unique challenges that accompany the adoption of dynamic connectivity for conservation management and planning in the context of traditional conservation prioritization approaches. With the increased availability of time series and species movement data, computational capacity, and an expanding number of empirical examples in the literature, incorporating dynamic processes into connectivity models is more feasible than ever. Here, we articulate how dynamism is an intrinsic component of connectivity and integral to the future of connectivity science.
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Creech TG, Epps CW, Wehausen JD, Crowhurst RS, Jaeger JR, Longshore K, Holton B, Sloan WB, Monello RJ. Genetic and Environmental Indicators of Climate Change Vulnerability for Desert Bighorn Sheep. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Bighorn sheep gut microbiomes associate with genetic and spatial structure across a metapopulation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6582. [PMID: 32313214 PMCID: PMC7171152 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63401-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in laboratory animals demonstrate important relationships between environment, host traits, and microbiome composition. However, host-microbiome relationships in natural systems are understudied. Here, we investigate metapopulation-scale microbiome variation in a wild mammalian host, the desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni). We sought to identify over-represented microbial clades and understand how landscape variables and host traits influence microbiome composition across the host metapopulation. To address these questions, we performed 16S sequencing on fecal DNA samples from thirty-nine bighorn sheep across seven loosely connected populations in the Mojave Desert and assessed relationships between microbiome composition, environmental variation, geographic distribution, and microsatellite-derived host population structure and heterozygosity. We first used a phylogenetically-informed algorithm to identify bacterial clades conserved across the metapopulation. Members of genus Ruminococcaceae, genus Lachnospiraceae, and family Christensenellaceae R7 group were among the clades over-represented across the metapopulation, consistent with their known roles as rumen symbionts in domestic livestock. Additionally, compositional variation among hosts correlated with individual-level geographic and genetic structure, and with population-level differences in genetic heterozygosity. This study identifies microbiome community variation across a mammalian metapopulation, potentially associated with genetic and geographic population structure. Our results imply that microbiome composition may diverge in accordance with landscape-scale environmental and host population characteristics.
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Pilczynska J, Cocito S, Boavida J, Serrão EA, Assis J, Fragkopoulou E, Queiroga H. Genetic diversity increases with depth in red gorgonian populations of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6794. [PMID: 31179167 PMCID: PMC6536111 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the ocean, the variability of environmental conditions found along depth gradients exposes populations to contrasting levels of perturbation, which can be reflected in the overall patterns of species genetic diversity. At shallow sites, resource availability may structure large, persistent and well-connected populations with higher levels of diversity. In contrast, the more extreme conditions, such as thermal stress during heat waves, can lead to population bottlenecks and genetic erosion, inverting the natural expectation. Here we examine how genetic diversity varies along depth for a long-lived, important ecosystem-structuring species, the red gorgonian, Paramuricea clavata. Methods We used five polymorphic microsatellite markers to infer differences in genetic diversity and differentiation, and to detect bottleneck signs between shallow and deeper populations across the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. We further explored the potential relationship between depth and environmental gradients (temperature, ocean currents, productivity and slope) on the observed patterns of diversity by means of generalized linear mixed models. Results An overall pattern of higher genetic diversity was found in the deeper sites of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This pattern was largely explained by bottom temperatures, with a linear pattern of decreasing genetic diversity with increasing thermal stress. Genetic differentiation patterns showed higher gene flow within sites (i.e., shallow vs. deeper populations) than between sites. Recent genetic bottlenecks were found in two populations of shallow depths. Discussion Our results highlight the role of deep refugial populations safeguarding higher and unique genetic diversity for marine structuring species. Theoretical regression modelling demonstrated how thermal stress alone may reduce population sizes and diversity levels of shallow water populations. In fact, the examination of time series on a daily basis showed the upper water masses repeatedly reaching lethal temperatures for P. clavata. Differentiation patterns showed that the deep richer populations are isolated. Gene flow was also inferred across different depths; however, not in sufficient levels to offset the detrimental effects of surface environmental conditions on genetic diversity. The identification of deep isolated areas with high conservation value for the red gorgonian represents an important step in the face of ongoing and future climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Pilczynska
- Departamento de Biologia and CESAM-Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Silvia Cocito
- Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development-ENEA, Marine Environment Research Centre, La Spezia, Italy
| | - Joana Boavida
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Ester A Serrão
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Jorge Assis
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Eliza Fragkopoulou
- CCMAR-Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Henrique Queiroga
- Departamento de Biologia and CESAM-Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
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11
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Costanzi J, Steifetten Ø. Island biogeography theory explains the genetic diversity of a fragmented rock ptarmigan ( Lagopus muta) population. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3837-3849. [PMID: 31015970 PMCID: PMC6468070 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The island biogeography theory is one of the major theories in ecology, and its applicability to natural systems is well documented. The core model of the theory, the equilibrium model of island biogeography, predicts that species diversity on an island is positively related to the size of the island, but negatively related by the island's distance to the mainland. In recent years, ecologists have begun to apply this model when investigating genetic diversity, arguing that genetic and species diversity might be influenced by similar ecological processes. However, most studies have focused on oceanic islands, but knowledge on how the theory applies to islands located on the mainland (e.g., mountain islands, forest islands) is scarce. In this study, we examined how the size and degree of isolation of mountain islands would affect the genetic diversity of an alpine bird, the rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta). Within our study area, we defined the largest contiguous mountain area as the mainland, while smaller mountains surrounding the mainland were defined as islands. We found that the observed heterozygosity (H o) was significantly higher, and the inbreeding coefficient (F is) significantly lower, on the mainland compared to islands. There was a positive significant relationship between the unbiased expected heterozygosity (H n.b.) and island size (log km2), but a negative significant relationship between H o and the cost distance to the mainland. Our results are consistent with the equilibrium model of island biogeography and show that the model is well suited for investigating genetic diversity among islands, but also on islands located on the mainland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean‐Marc Costanzi
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø i TelemarkNorway
| | - Øyvind Steifetten
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø i TelemarkNorway
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12
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Gille DA, Buchalski MR, Conrad D, Rubin ES, Munig A, Wakeling BF, Epps CW, Creech TG, Crowhurst R, Holton B, Monello R, Boyce WM, Penedo MCT, Ernest HB. Genetic outcomes of translocation of bighorn sheep in Arizona. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daphne A. Gille
- Genetics Research LaboratoryCalifornia Department of Fish and WildlifeRancho CordovaCA95670USA
- Department of Population Health and ReproductionUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
| | - Michael R. Buchalski
- Genetics Research LaboratoryCalifornia Department of Fish and WildlifeRancho CordovaCA95670USA
| | - Dave Conrad
- Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentPhoenixAZ85086USA
| | | | - Amber Munig
- Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentPhoenixAZ85086USA
| | | | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State UniversityCorvallisOR97331USA
| | | | - Rachel Crowhurst
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State UniversityCorvallisOR97331USA
| | - Brandon Holton
- National Park ServiceGrand Canyon National ParkGrand CanyonAZ86023USA
| | - Ryan Monello
- National Park ServiceBiological Resources DivisionFort CollinsCO80525USA
| | - Walter M. Boyce
- Wildlife Health CenterUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
| | | | - Holly B. Ernest
- Wildlife Genomics and Disease Ecology LaboratoryDepartment of Veterinary SciencesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWY82070USA
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13
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Epps CW, Crowhurst RS, Nickerson BS. Assessing changes in functional connectivity in a desert bighorn sheep metapopulation after two generations. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2334-2346. [PMID: 29637641 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Determining how species move across complex and fragmented landscapes and interact with human-made barriers is a major research focus in conservation. Studies estimating functional connectivity from movement, dispersal or gene flow usually rely on a single study period and rarely consider variation over time. We contrasted genetic structure and gene flow across barriers for a metapopulation of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) using genotypes collected 2000-2003 and 2013-2015. Based on the recently observed but unexpected spread of a respiratory pathogen across an interstate highway previously identified as a barrier to gene flow, we hypothesized that bighorn sheep changed how they interacted with that barrier, and that shifts in metapopulation structure influenced gene flow, genetic diversity and connectivity. Population assignment tests, genetic structure and genetic recapture demonstrated that bighorn sheep crossed the interstate highway in at least one location in 2013-2015, sharply reducing genetic structure between two populations, but supported conclusions of an earlier study that such crossings were very infrequent or unknown in 2000-2003. A recently expanded population established new links and caused decreases in genetic structure among multiple populations. Genetic diversity showed only slight increases in populations linked by new connections. Genetic structure and assignments revealed other previously undetected changes in movements and distribution, but much was consistent. Thus, we observed changes in both structural and functional connectivity over just two generations, but only in specific locations. Movement patterns of species should be revisited periodically to enable informed management, particularly in dynamic and fragmented systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton W Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Rachel S Crowhurst
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Brandon S Nickerson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
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14
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Lyman RL. Dental enamel hypoplasias in Holocene bighorn sheep ( Oviscanadensis) in eastern Washington state, USA. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dental enamel hypoplasias have been documented in extant and fossil mammal species and attributed to several kinds of physiological stress. They have not previously been reported among bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis Shaw, 1804). Forty-six (36.8%) of 125 mandibular molars (m1, m2, m3) of bighorn recovered from disturbed Holocene archaeological deposits in eastern Washington state display several kinds of hypoplasias. The exact ontogenetic age of the individual animals when hypoplasias formed cannot be determined. The majority of the hypoplasias occur near the root–enamel junction of the m3, suggesting that most individuals were young adults when the defect formed. Physiological stress associated with reproductive costs, winter nutritional deficits, or both seems likely.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Lee Lyman
- Department of Anthropology, 112 Swallow Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Department of Anthropology, 112 Swallow Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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15
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Assis J, Araújo MB, Serrão EA. Projected climate changes threaten ancient refugia of kelp forests in the North Atlantic. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:e55-e66. [PMID: 28710898 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific genetic variability is critical for species adaptation and evolution and yet it is generally overlooked in projections of the biological consequences of climate change. We ask whether ongoing climate changes can cause the loss of important gene pools from North Atlantic relict kelp forests that persisted over glacial-interglacial cycles. We use ecological niche modelling to predict genetic diversity hotspots for eight species of large brown algae with different thermal tolerances (Arctic to warm temperate), estimated as regions of persistence throughout the Last Glacial Maximum (20,000 YBP), the warmer Mid-Holocene (6,000 YBP), and the present. Changes in the genetic diversity within ancient refugia were projected for the future (year 2100) under two contrasting climate change scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). Models predicted distributions that matched empirical distributions in cross-validation, and identified distinct refugia at the low latitude ranges, which largely coincide among species with similar ecological niches. Transferred models into the future projected polewards expansions and substantial range losses in lower latitudes, where richer gene pools are expected (in Nova Scotia and Iberia for cold affinity species and Gibraltar, Alboran, and Morocco for warm-temperate species). These effects were projected for both scenarios but were intensified under the extreme RCP8.5 scenario, with the complete borealization (circum-Arctic colonization) of kelp forests, the redistribution of the biogeographical transitional zones of the North Atlantic, and the erosion of global gene pools across all species. As the geographic distribution of genetic variability is unknown for most marine species, our results represent a baseline for identification of locations potentially rich in unique phylogeographic lineages that are also climatic relics in threat of disappearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Assis
- Center of Marine Sciences, CCMAR-CIMAR, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Miguel B Araújo
- National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- InBio/CIBIO, University of Évora, Largo dos Colegiais, Évora, Portugal
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ester A Serrão
- Center of Marine Sciences, CCMAR-CIMAR, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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16
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Guan BC, Liu X, Gong X, Ge G. Identification of evolutionary hotspots in the Poyang Lake Basin based on genetic data from multiple rare and endangered plant species. ECOL INFORM 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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17
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Dugovich BS, Peel MJ, Palmer AL, Zielke RA, Sikora AE, Beechler BR, Jolles AE, Epps CW, Dolan BP. Detection of bacterial-reactive natural IgM antibodies in desert bighorn sheep populations. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180415. [PMID: 28662203 PMCID: PMC5491220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecoimmunology is a burgeoning field of ecology which studies immune responses in wildlife by utilizing general immune assays such as the detection of natural antibody. Unlike adaptive antibodies, natural antibodies are important in innate immune responses and often recognized conserved epitopes present in pathogens. Here, we describe a procedure for measuring natural antibodies reactive to bacterial antigens that may be applicable to a variety of organisms. IgM from desert bighorn sheep plasma samples was tested for reactivity to outer membrane proteins from Vibrio coralliilyticus, a marine bacterium to which sheep would have not been exposed. Immunoblotting demonstrated bighorn sheep IgM could bind to a variety of bacterial cell envelope proteins while ELISA analysis allowed for rapid determination of natural antibody levels in hundreds of individual animals. Natural antibody levels were correlated with the ability of plasma to kill laboratory strains of E. coli bacteria. Finally, we demonstrate that natural antibody levels varied in two distinct populations of desert bighorn sheep. These data demonstrate a novel and specific measure of natural antibody function and show that this varies in ecologically relevant ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian S. Dugovich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Melanie J. Peel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Amy L. Palmer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Ryszard A. Zielke
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Aleksandra E. Sikora
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Brianna R. Beechler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Brian P. Dolan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Creech TG, Epps CW, Landguth EL, Wehausen JD, Crowhurst RS, Holton B, Monello RJ. Simulating the spread of selection-driven genotypes using landscape resistance models for desert bighorn sheep. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176960. [PMID: 28464013 PMCID: PMC5413035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Landscape genetic studies based on neutral genetic markers have contributed to our understanding of the influence of landscape composition and configuration on gene flow and genetic variation. However, the potential for species to adapt to changing landscapes will depend on how natural selection influences adaptive genetic variation. We demonstrate how landscape resistance models can be combined with genetic simulations incorporating natural selection to explore how the spread of adaptive variation is affected by landscape characteristics, using desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) in three differing regions of the southwestern United States as an example. We conducted genetic sampling and least-cost path modeling to optimize landscape resistance models independently for each region, and then simulated the spread of an adaptive allele favored by selection across each region. Optimized landscape resistance models differed between regions with respect to landscape variables included and their relationships to resistance, but the slope of terrain and the presence of water barriers and major roads had the greatest impacts on gene flow. Genetic simulations showed that differences among landscapes strongly influenced spread of adaptive genetic variation, with faster spread (1) in landscapes with more continuously distributed habitat and (2) when a pre-existing allele (i.e., standing genetic variation) rather than a novel allele (i.e., mutation) served as the source of adaptive genetic variation. The combination of landscape resistance models and genetic simulations has broad conservation applications and can facilitate comparisons of adaptive potential within and between landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler G. Creech
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Erin L. Landguth
- Computational Ecology Laboratory, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - John D. Wehausen
- White Mountain Research Center, University of California, Bishop, California, United States of America
| | - Rachel S. Crowhurst
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Brandon Holton
- Grand Canyon National Park, National Park Service, Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Ryan J. Monello
- Biological Resources Division, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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Maher SP, Morelli TL, Hershey M, Flint AL, Flint LE, Moritz C, Beissinger SR. Erosion of refugia in the Sierra Nevada meadows network with climate change. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sean P. Maher
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Biology Missouri State University Springfield Missouri 65897 USA
| | - Toni Lyn Morelli
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Michelle Hershey
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Alan L. Flint
- California Water Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Sacramento California 95819 USA
| | - Lorraine E. Flint
- California Water Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Sacramento California 95819 USA
| | - Craig Moritz
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Research School of Biology Australia National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Steven R. Beissinger
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
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Roffler GH, Adams LG, Hebblewhite M. Summer habitat selection by Dall’s sheep in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Morelli TL, Daly C, Dobrowski SZ, Dulen DM, Ebersole JL, Jackson ST, Lundquist JD, Millar CI, Maher SP, Monahan WB, Nydick KR, Redmond KT, Sawyer SC, Stock S, Beissinger SR. Managing Climate Change Refugia for Climate Adaptation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159909. [PMID: 27509088 PMCID: PMC4980047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Refugia have long been studied from paleontological and biogeographical perspectives to understand how populations persisted during past periods of unfavorable climate. Recently, researchers have applied the idea to contemporary landscapes to identify climate change refugia, here defined as areas relatively buffered from contemporary climate change over time that enable persistence of valued physical, ecological, and socio-cultural resources. We differentiate historical and contemporary views, and characterize physical and ecological processes that create and maintain climate change refugia. We then delineate how refugia can fit into existing decision support frameworks for climate adaptation and describe seven steps for managing them. Finally, we identify challenges and opportunities for operationalizing the concept of climate change refugia. Managing climate change refugia can be an important option for conservation in the face of ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Lyn Morelli
- U.S. Geological Survey, DOI Northeast Climate Science Center, Amherst, MA, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christopher Daly
- College of Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Solomon Z. Dobrowski
- College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States of America
| | - Deanna M. Dulen
- U.S. National Park Service, Devils Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes, CA, United States of America
| | - Joseph L. Ebersole
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecological Division, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Stephen T. Jackson
- U.S. Geological Survey, DOI Southwest Climate Science Center, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
- Department of Geosciences and School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - Jessica D. Lundquist
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Constance I. Millar
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA, United States of America
| | - Sean P. Maher
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, United States of America
| | - William B. Monahan
- USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Koren R. Nydick
- U.S. National Park Service, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, CA, United States of America
| | - Kelly T. Redmond
- Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, United States of America
| | - Sarah C. Sawyer
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Vallejo, CA, United States of America
| | - Sarah Stock
- U.S. National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, El Portal, CA, United States of America
| | - Steven R. Beissinger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
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Buchalski MR, Sacks BN, Gille DA, Penedo MCT, Ernest HB, Morrison SA, Boyce WM. Phylogeographic and population genetic structure of bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) in North American deserts. J Mammal 2016; 97:823-838. [PMID: 29899578 PMCID: PMC5993094 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossil data are ambiguous regarding the evolutionary origin of contemporary desert bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis subspecies). To address this uncertainty, we conducted phylogeographic and population genetic analyses on bighorn sheep subspecies found in southwestern North America. We analyzed 515 base pairs of mtDNA control region sequence and 39 microsatellites in 804 individuals from 58 locations. Phylogenetic analyses revealed 2 highly divergent clades concordant with Sierra Nevada ( O. c. sierrae ) and Rocky Mountain ( O. c. canadensis ) bighorn and showed that these 2 subspecies both diverged from desert bighorn prior to or during the Illinoian glaciation (~315-94 thousand years ago [kya]). Desert bighorn comprised several more recently diverged haplogroups concordant with the putative Nelson ( O. c. nelsoni ), Mexican ( O. c. mexicana ), and Peninsular ( O. c. cremnobates ) subspecies. Corresponding estimates of effective splitting times (~17-3 kya), and haplogroup ages (~85-72 kya) placed the most likely timeframe for divergence among desert bighorn subspecies somewhere within the last glacial maximum. Median-joining haplotype network and Bayesian skyline analyses both indicated that desert bighorn collectively comprised a historically large and haplotype-diverse population, which subsequently lost much of its diversity through demographic decline. Using microsatellite data, discriminant analysis of principle components (DAPC) and Bayesian clustering analyses both indicated genetic structure concordant with the geographic distribution of 3 desert subspecies. Likewise, microsatellite and mitochondrial-based FST comparisons revealed significant fixation indices among the desert bighorn genetic clusters. We conclude these desert subspecies represent ancient lineages likely descended from separate Pleistocene refugial populations and should therefore be managed as distinct taxa to preserve maximal biodiversity. Los datos de fósiles sobre el origen evolutivo de las ovejas del desierto ( Ovis canadensis subespecies) contemporáneas son ambiguos. Para dilucidar esta incertidumbre, llevamos a cabo análisis filogeográficos y de genética de poblaciones entre cinco subespecies de ovejas del suroccidente de Norteamérica. Analizamos 515 pb de secuencia de la región control del ADN mitocondrial y 39 microsatélites en 804 ovejas de 58 localidades. Los análisis filogenéticos revelaron 2 clados altamente divergentes concordantes con ovejas de la Sierra Nevada ( O. c. sierrae ) y de las Montañas Rocosas ( O. c. canadensis ), y demostraron que estas dos subespecies divergieron antes o durante la glaciación de Illinois (315,000-94,000 años). Las ovejas del desierto formaron varios haplogrupos recientemente derivados concordantes con las subespecies de Nelson ( O. c. nelsoni ), México ( O. c. mexicana ) y peninsular ( O. c. cremnobates ). Las estimaciones correspondientes al tiempo de separación efectiva (17,000-3,000 años) y edades de haplogrupos (85,000-72,000 años) son los plazos más probables para las divergencias entre subespecies de ovejas del desierto dentro de la última glaciación máxima. Análisis de redes de haplotipos de unión de medias y análisis bayesianos de líneas de horizonte indicaron que las ovejas del desierto formaron una población históricamente grande y diversa en términos de haplotipos, que luego perdieron gran parte de su diversidad a través de un descenso demográfico. Utilizando datos de microsatélites los análisis DAPC y TESS indicaron agrupamiento genético concordante con la distribución geográfica actual de las tres subespecies. Asimismo, comparaciones de FST con datos de microsatélites y mitocondriales revelaron índices de fijación significativos entre los grupos genéticos de ovejas del desierto. Concluimos que estas subespecies de ovejas del desierto representan linajes antiguos que probablemente descienden de poblaciones de distintos refugios del Pleistoceno, y que por lo tanto deben ser manejadas como taxones distintos para preservar su biodiversidad máxima.
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Bleich VC, Whiting JC, Kie JG, Bowyer RT. Roads, routes and rams: does sexual segregation contribute to anthropogenic risk in a desert-dwelling ungulate? WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/wr15231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Little is known about the consequences of sexual segregation (differential use of resources by the sexes outside of the mating season) for the conservation of large mammals. Roadways (i.e. the strip of land over which a road or route passes) are ubiquitous around the world, and are a major cause of wildlife mortality, as well as habitat loss and fragmentation. Many populations of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) occur at low densities and in a metapopulation structure. Roadways could affect movements of males and females differentially, an outcome that has not been considered previously.
Aims
We investigated the propensity of the sexes to cross a paved two-lane road and a single-lane, maintained dirt route and predicted that adult males, because of their life-history characteristics, would cross those roadways more often than females.
Methods
We investigated movements of male and female bighorn sheep from 1986 to 1990. We used a fixed-wing aircraft with an H-antenna on each wing strut to locate individuals each week from October 1986 to December 1990. We estimated the degree of overlap among 50% core areas of use by males and females with the utilisation distribution overlap index (UDOI).
Key results
We relocated male and female bighorn sheep on 948 occasions during sexual aggregation and on 1951 occasions during sexual segregation. More males than females were likely to cross both types of roadways during segregation, and the dirt route during aggregation. Propensity of males and females to cross roadways was strongly influenced by time of year (i.e. whether the period of sexual aggregation or sexual segregation). The lowest overlap in 50% core areas was between females and males during periods of segregation (UDOI = 0.1447).
Conclusions
More males than females crossed Kelbaker Road and the unnamed dirt route during segregation, as well as the unnamed route during aggregation. Both of those features could affect males more than females, and could result in reductions in the use of habitat or increased mortality of bighorn sheep from vehicle collisions as a result of spatial segregation of the sexes.
Implications
During environmental review, biologists should consider sexual segregation when assessing potential anthropogenic effects on movements of bighorn sheep. Biologists also should consider sexual segregation and how roadways, even lightly traveled routes, affect movements of male and female ungulates differently before manipulating habitat, translocating animals, or constructing or modifying roadways.
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Driscoll CC, Driscoll JG, Hazekamp C, Mitton JB, Wehausen JD. A tale of two markers: Population genetics of colorado rocky mountain bighorn sheep estimated from microsatellite and mitochondrial data. J Wildl Manage 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine C. Driscoll
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Colorado; Campus Box 224, Boulder CO 80309-0334
| | | | - Corey Hazekamp
- University of Massachusetts; 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston MA 02125-3393
| | - Jeffry B. Mitton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Colorado; Campus Box 224, Boulder CO 80309-0334
| | - John D. Wehausen
- University of California San Diego; White Mountain Research Station; 3000 East Line Street, Bishop CA 93514
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Wilder BT, Betancourt JL, Epps CW, Crowhurst RS, Mead JI, Ezcurra E. Local extinction and unintentional rewilding of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) on a desert island. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91358. [PMID: 24646515 PMCID: PMC3960132 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) were not known to live on Tiburón Island, the largest island in the Gulf of California and Mexico, prior to the surprisingly successful introduction of 20 individuals as a conservation measure in 1975. Today, a stable island population of ∼500 sheep supports limited big game hunting and restocking of depleted areas on the Mexican mainland. We discovered fossil dung morphologically similar to that of bighorn sheep in a dung mat deposit from Mojet Cave, in the mountains of Tiburón Island. To determine the origin of this cave deposit we compared pellet shape to fecal pellets of other large mammals, and extracted DNA to sequence mitochondrial DNA fragments at the 12S ribosomal RNA and control regions. The fossil dung was 14C-dated to 1476-1632 calendar years before present and was confirmed as bighorn sheep by morphological and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis. 12S sequences closely or exactly matched known bighorn sheep sequences; control region sequences exactly matched a haplotype described in desert bighorn sheep populations in southwest Arizona and southern California and showed subtle differentiation from the extant Tiburón population. Native desert bighorn sheep previously colonized this land-bridge island, most likely during the Pleistocene, when lower sea levels connected Tiburón to the mainland. They were extirpated sometime in the last ∼1500 years, probably due to inherent dynamics of isolated populations, prolonged drought, and (or) human overkill. The reintroduced population is vulnerable to similar extinction risks. The discovery presented here refutes conventional wisdom that bighorn sheep are not native to Tiburón Island, and establishes its recent introduction as an example of unintentional rewilding, defined here as the introduction of a species without knowledge that it was once native and has since gone locally extinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T. Wilder
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Julio L. Betancourt
- National Research Program, Water Mission Area, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Rachel S. Crowhurst
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Jim I. Mead
- Department of Geosciences, and Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology, East Tennessee University, Johnson City, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Exequiel Ezcurra
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
- University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS), Riverside, California, United States of America
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Desert Bighorn Sheep: Changes in Genetic Variation Over Time and the Impact of Merging Populations. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2014. [DOI: 10.3996/082013-jfwm-055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Founder effects, genetic bottlenecks, and genetic drift in general can lead to low levels of genetic diversity, which can influence the persistence of populations. We examine genetic variation in two populations of desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis from New Mexico and Mexico to measure change over time and evaluate the impact of introducing individuals from one population into the other. Over about three generations, the amount of genetic variation in the New Mexico population increased. In contrast, over about two generations the amount of genetic variation in the Mexican population decreased by a great extent compared with an estimate from another Mexican population from which it is primarily descended. The potential reasons for these changes are discussed. In addition, although both populations have low genetic variation, introduction of Mexican rams into the New Mexico population might increase the amount of genetic variation in the New Mexico population. Overall, it appears that management to increase genetic variation might require substantial detailed monitoring and evaluation of ancestry from the different sources and fitness components.
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Tucker JM, Schwartz MK, Truex RL, Wisely SM, Allendorf FW. Sampling affects the detection of genetic subdivision and conservation implications for fisher in the Sierra Nevada. CONSERV GENET 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-013-0525-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Olson ZH, Whittaker DG, Rhodes OE. Evaluation of experimental genetic management in reintroduced bighorn sheep. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:429-43. [PMID: 22423334 PMCID: PMC3298953 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2011] [Accepted: 11/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Positive demographic responses have been reported in several species where the immigration or supplementation of genetically distinct individuals into wild populations has resulted in a genetic rescue effect. However, rarely have researchers incorporated what could be considerable risk of outbreeding depression into planning for genetic management programs. We assess the genetic effects of an experiment in genetic management involving replicate populations of California bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana) in Oregon, USA, which previously experienced poor productivity and numerical declines. In the experiment, two declining populations were supplemented with ewes from a more genetically diverse population of California bighorn sheep in Nevada. We incorporated analysis of genetic samples representing both experimental populations prior to supplementation, samples from the supplemented individuals, and samples collected from both experimental populations approximately one generation after supplementation. We used genetic analyses to assess the integration of supplemented and resident populations by identifying interpopulation hybrids. Further, we incorporated demographic simulations to assess the risk of outbreeding depression as a result of the experimental augmentation. Finally, we used data from microsatellites and mitochondrial sequences to determine if genetic management increased genetic diversity in the experimental populations. Our analyses demonstrated the success of genetic management by documenting interpopulation hybrids, identifying no evidence for outbreeding depression as a result of contact between the genetically distinct supplemented and resident populations, and by identifying increased population-level metrics of genetic diversity in postsupplementation populations compared with presupplementation levels.
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LAWSON LUCINDAP. The discordance of diversification: evolution in the tropical-montane frogs of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:4046-60. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04788.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Dubey S, Shine R. Restricted dispersal and genetic diversity in populations of an endangered montane lizard (Eulamprus leuraensis, Scincidae). Mol Ecol 2010; 19:886-97. [PMID: 20149087 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04539.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Many alpine species are under threat from global climate change, as their geographic ranges become increasingly fragmented and unsuitable. Understanding rates and determinants of gene flow among such fragmented populations, over historical as well as recent timescales, can help to identify populations under threat. It is also important to clarify the degree to which loss of local populations reduces overall genetic diversity within the taxon. The endangered Blue Mountains Water Skink (Eulamprus leuraensis) is restricted to <40 small swamps in montane south-eastern Australia. Our analyses of seven microsatellite loci of 241 animals from 13 populations show strong geographic structure, with major genetic divergence even between populations separated by <0.5 km. Dispersal between populations is scarce, and appears to involve mostly males. Our analyses suggest potential recent bottleneck events in all the identified populations, and lower genetic diversity and population size parameter at lower-elevation sites than at higher-elevation sites. Management of this endangered taxon thus needs to treat most populations separately, because of their genetic distinctiveness and low rates of genetic exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Dubey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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BEJA‐PEREIRA ALBANO, OLIVEIRA RITA, ALVES PAULOC, SCHWARTZ MICHAELK, LUIKART GORDON. Advancing ecological understandings through technological transformations in noninvasive genetics. Mol Ecol Resour 2009; 9:1279-301. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02699.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- ALBANO BEJA‐PEREIRA
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‐661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - RITA OLIVEIRA
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‐661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, 4169‐007 Porto, Portugal
| | - PAULO C. ALVES
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‐661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, 4169‐007 Porto, Portugal
| | - MICHAEL K. SCHWARTZ
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - GORDON LUIKART
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‐661 Vairão, Portugal
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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34
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Lin GH, Cai ZY, Zhang TZ, Su JP, Thirgood SJ. Genetic diversity of the subterranean Gansu zokor in a semi‐natural landscape. J Zool (1987) 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00423.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. H. Lin
- Key Laboratory of Adaption and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Z. Y. Cai
- Key Laboratory of Adaption and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - T. Z. Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaption and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - J. P. Su
- Key Laboratory of Adaption and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
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