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Escribano-Álvarez P, Castro MG, Pertierra LR, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. Intra and interspecific differences in desiccation tolerance in native and alien Antarctic springtails in geothermal grounds. J Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol 2024; 341:357-363. [PMID: 38318929 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
The extreme low humidity and temperatures in Antarctica make it one of the harsher areas for life on our planet. In a global change context, environmental barriers that prevented the arrival of alien species in Antarctica are weakening. Deception Island, one of the four active volcanoes of Antarctica, is especially vulnerable to the impacts of alien species. Geothermal areas (GA) in this Island offer unique microclimatic conditions that could differentially affect native and alien soil arthropods. Here we explore the desiccation tolerance of a native (Cryptopygus antarcticus) and an alien (Proisotoma minuta) springtail (Collembola) species to these extreme environmental conditions. GA and non-geothermal areas (NGA) were selected to evaluate intra- and interspecific variation in desiccation tolerance. Populations of P. minuta from GA had greater desiccation tolerance than populations from NGA. However, desiccation tolerance of C. antarcticus did not differ between GA and NGA. This native species had greater desiccation tolerance than the alien P. minuta, but also greater body size. Our findings show that the alien P. minuta responds differently to environmental conditions than the native C. antarcticus. Furthermore, body size may influence desiccation tolerance in these two springtail species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Escribano-Álvarez
- Dpto, Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Instituto de Cambio Global. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Mostoles, Spain
| | - Mario G Castro
- Dpto, Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Instituto de Cambio Global. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Mostoles, Spain
| | - Luis R Pertierra
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile
| | - Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Dpto, Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Instituto de Cambio Global. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Mostoles, Spain
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2
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Castro MG, Amado TF, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. Correlated evolution between body size and echolocation in bats (order Chiroptera). BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:44. [PMID: 38622513 PMCID: PMC11017568 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02231-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Body size and echolocation call frequencies are related in bats. However, it is unclear if this allometry applies to the entire clade. Differences have been suggested between nasal and oral emitting bats, as well as between some taxonomic families. Additionally, the scaling of other echolocation parameters, such as bandwidth and call duration, needs further testing. Moreover, it would be also interesting to test whether changes in body size have been coupled with changes in these echolocation parameters throughout bat evolution. Here, we test the scaling of peak frequency, bandwidth, and call duration with body mass using phylogenetically informed analyses for 314 bat species. We specifically tested whether all these scaling patterns differ between nasal and oral emitting bats. Then, we applied recently developed Bayesian statistical techniques based on large-scale simulations to test for the existence of correlated evolution between body mass and echolocation. RESULTS Our results showed that echolocation peak frequencies, bandwidth, and duration follow significant allometric patterns in both nasal and oral emitting bats. Changes in these traits seem to have been coupled across the laryngeal echolocation bats diversification. Scaling and correlated evolution analyses revealed that body mass is more related to peak frequency and call duration than to bandwidth. We exposed two non-exclusive kinds of mechanisms to explain the link between size and each of the echolocation parameters. CONCLUSIONS The incorporation of Bayesian statistics based on large-scale simulations could be helpful for answering macroevolutionary patterns related to the coevolution of traits in bats and other taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario G Castro
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Cambio Global, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, 28933, Spain.
| | - Talita Ferreira Amado
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
- German Center for Integrative Bioaffiliationersity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Cambio Global, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, 28933, Spain
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Rubalcaba JG, Gouveia SF, Villalobos F, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ, Sunday J. Climate drives global functional trait variation in lizards. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:524-534. [PMID: 36878986 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02007-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge in ecology and evolution is to disentangle the mechanisms driving broad-scale variation in biological traits such as body size, colour, thermal physiology traits and behaviour. Climate has long been thought to drive trait evolution and abiotic filtering of trait variation in ectotherms because their thermal performance and fitness are closely related to environmental conditions. However, previous studies investigating climatic variables associated with trait variation have lacked a mechanistic description of the underpinning processes. Here, we use a mechanistic model to predict how climate affects thermal performance of ectotherms and thereby the direction and strength of the effect of selection on different functional traits. We show that climate drives macro-evolutionary patterns in body size, cold tolerance and preferred body temperatures among lizards, and that trait variation is more constrained in regions where selection is predicted to be stronger. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for observations on how climate drives trait variation in ectotherms through its effect on thermal performance. By connecting physical, physiological and macro-evolutionary principles, the model and results provide an integrative, mechanistic framework for predicting organismal responses to present climates and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan G Rubalcaba
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sidney F Gouveia
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil
| | | | - Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jennifer Sunday
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Rubalcaba JG, Gouveia SF, Villalobos F, Cruz-Neto AP, Castro MG, Amado TF, Martinez PA, Navas CA, Dobrovolski R, Diniz-Filho JAF, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. Physical constraints on thermoregulation and flight drive morphological evolution in bats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2103745119. [PMID: 35377801 PMCID: PMC9169619 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2103745119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Body size and shape fundamentally determine organismal energy requirements by modulating heat and mass exchange with the environment and the costs of locomotion, thermoregulation, and maintenance. Ecologists have long used the physical linkage between morphology and energy balance to explain why the body size and shape of many organisms vary across climatic gradients, e.g., why larger endotherms are more common in colder regions. However, few modeling exercises have aimed at investigating this link from first principles. Body size evolution in bats contrasts with the patterns observed in other endotherms, probably because physical constraints on flight limit morphological adaptations. Here, we develop a biophysical model based on heat transfer and aerodynamic principles to investigate energy constraints on morphological evolution in bats. Our biophysical model predicts that the energy costs of thermoregulation and flight, respectively, impose upper and lower limits on the relationship of wing surface area to body mass (S-MR), giving rise to an optimal S-MR at which both energy costs are minimized. A comparative analysis of 278 species of bats supports the model’s prediction that S-MR evolves toward an optimal shape and that the strength of selection is higher among species experiencing greater energy demands for thermoregulation in cold climates. Our study suggests that energy costs modulate the mode of morphological evolution in bats—hence shedding light on a long-standing debate over bats’ conformity to ecogeographical patterns observed in other mammals—and offers a procedure for investigating complex macroecological patterns from first principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan G. Rubalcaba
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sidney F. Gouveia
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, 49100-000 Sergipe, Brazil
| | | | - Ariovaldo P. Cruz-Neto
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, 13506‐900 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mario G. Castro
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain
| | - Talita F. Amado
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo A. Martinez
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, 49100-000 Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Navas
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociência, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Dobrovolski
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 40170-115 Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | | | - Miguel Á. Olalla-Tárraga
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain
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Escribano-Álvarez P, Pertierra LR, Martínez B, Chown SL, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. Half a century of thermal tolerance studies in springtails (Collembola): A review of metrics, spatial and temporal trends. Current Research in Insect Science 2022; 2:100023. [PMID: 36003273 PMCID: PMC9387465 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2021.100023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Metrics used in thermal tolerance studies in Collembola have diversified over time Cold tolerance has been assessed more often than heat tolerance Fewer data exist for tropical regions, especially for euedaphic and epedaphic organisms Thermal tolerances in Neanuridae are not as well-studied as in the other families
Global changes in soil surface temperatures are altering the abundances and distribution ranges of invertebrate species worldwide, including effects on soil microarthropods such as springtails (Collembola), which are vital for maintaining soil health and providing ecosystem services. Studies of thermal tolerance limits in soil invertebrates have the potential to provide information on demographic responses to climate change and guide assessments of possible impacts on the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Here, we review the state of knowledge of thermal tolerance limits in Collembola. Thermal tolerance metrics have diversified over time, which should be taken into account when conducting large-scale comparative studies. A temporal trend shows that the estimation of ‘Critical Thermal Limits’ (CTL) is becoming more common than investigations of ‘Supercooling Point’ (SCP), despite the latter being the most widely used metric. Indeed, most studies (66%) in Collembola have focused on cold tolerance; fewer have assessed heat tolerance. The majority of thermal tolerance data are from temperate and polar regions, with fewer assessments from tropical and subtropical latitudes. While the hemiedaphic life form represents the majority of records at low latitudes, euedaphic and epedaphic groups remain largely unsampled in these regions compared to the situation in temperate and high latitude regions, where sampling records show a more balanced distribution among the different life forms. Most CTL data are obtained during the warmest period of the year, whereas SCP and ‘Lethal Temperature’ (LT) show more variation in terms of the season when the data were collected. We conclude that more attention should be given to understudied zoogeographical regions across the tropics, as well as certain less-studied clades such as the family Neanuridae, to identify the role of thermal tolerance limits in the redistribution of species under changing climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Escribano-Álvarez
- Dpto. Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
- Corresponding author.
| | - Luis R. Pertierra
- Dpto. Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Brezo Martínez
- Dpto. Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Steven L. Chown
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Miguel Á. Olalla-Tárraga
- Dpto. Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
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Castro KMSA, Amado TF, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ, Gouveia SF, Navas CA, Martinez PA. Water constraints drive allometric patterns in the body shape of tree frogs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1218. [PMID: 33441858 PMCID: PMC7806824 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80456-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of morphological diversity is a critical question in evolutionary biology. Interactions between the environment and developmental processes have determining roles in morphological diversity, creating patterns through space and over time. Also, the shape of organisms tends to vary with increasing size as a result of those developmental processes, known as allometry. Several studies have demonstrated that the body sizes of anurans are associated with hydric conditions in their environments and that localities with high water stress tend to select for larger individuals. However, how environmental conditions alter those patterns of covariance between size and shape is still elusive. We used 3D geometric morphometric analyses, associated with phylogenetic comparative methods, to determine if the morphological variations and allometric patterns found in Arboranae (Anura) is linked to water conservation mechanisms. We found effects of the hydric stress on the shape of Arboranae species, favouring globular shapes. Also, the allometric patterns varied in intensity according to the water stress gradient, being particularly relevant for smaller frogs, and more intense in environments with higher water deficits. Our study provides empirical evidence that more spherical body shapes, especially among smaller species, reflect an important adaptation of anurans to water conservation in water-constrained environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M S A Castro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49.000-100, Brazil.
- PIBi Lab - Laboratório de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49100-000, Brazil.
| | - Talita F Amado
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Madrid, Spain
- PIBi Lab - Laboratório de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sidney F Gouveia
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
- PIBi Lab - Laboratório de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Navas
- Departamento de Fisiologia Geral, Instituto de Biociência, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pablo A Martinez
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
- PIBi Lab - Laboratório de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49100-000, Brazil
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Rubalcaba JG, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. The biogeography of thermal risk for terrestrial ectotherms: Scaling of thermal tolerance with body size and latitude. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1277-1285. [PMID: 31990044 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many organisms are shrinking in size in response to global warming. However, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms linking body size and temperature of organisms across their geographical ranges. Here we investigate the biophysical mechanisms determining the scaling of body temperature with size across latitudes in terrestrial ectotherms. Using biophysical models, we simulated operative temperatures experienced by lizard-like ectotherms as a function of microclimatic variables, body mass and latitude and used them to generate null predictions for the effect of size on temperature across geographical gradients. We then compared model predictions against empirical data on lizards' field body temperature (Tb ) and thermal tolerance limits (CTmax and CTmin ). Our biophysical models predict that the allometric scaling of operative temperatures with body size varies with latitude, with a positive relationship at low latitudes that vanishes with increasing latitude. The analyses of thermal traits of lizards show a significant interaction of body size and latitude on Tb and CTmax and no effect of body mass on CTmin , consistent with model's predictions. The estimated scaling coefficients are within the ranges predicted by the biophysical model. The effect of body mass, however, becomes non-significant after controlling for the phylogenetic relatedness between species. We propose that large-bodied terrestrial ectotherms exhibit higher risk of overheating at low latitudes, while size differences in thermal sensitivity vanish towards higher latitudes. Our work highlights the potential of combining mechanistic models with empirical data to investigate the mechanisms underpinning broad-scale patterns and ultimately provide a null model to develop baseline expectations for further empirical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan G Rubalcaba
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Hughes KA, Convey P, Pertierra LR, Vega GC, Aragón P, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. Human-mediated dispersal of terrestrial species between Antarctic biogeographic regions: A preliminary risk assessment. J Environ Manage 2019; 232:73-89. [PMID: 30468960 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.10.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The distribution of terrestrial biodiversity within Antarctica is complex, with 16 distinct biogeographic regions (Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions) currently recognised within the Antarctic continent, Peninsula and Scotia Arc archipelagos of the Antarctic Treaty area. Much of this diversity is endemic not only to Antarctica as a whole, but to specific regions within it. Further complexity is added by inclusion of the biodiversity found on the islands located in the Southern Ocean north of the Treaty area. Within Antarctica, scientific, logistic and tourism activities may inadvertently move organisms over potentially long distances, far beyond natural dispersal ranges. Such translocation can disrupt natural species distribution patterns and biogeography through: (1) movement of spatially restricted indigenous species to other areas of Antarctica; (2) movement of distinct populations of more generally distributed species from one area of Antarctica to another, leading to genetic homogenisation and loss of assumed local patterns of adaptation; and (3) further dispersal of introduced non-native species from one area of Antarctica to another. Species can be moved between regions in association with people and cargo, by ship, aircraft and overland travel. Movement of cargo and personnel by ship between stations located in different biogeographic regions is likely to present one of the greatest risks, particularly as coastal stations may experience similar climatic conditions, making establishment more likely. Recognising that reducing the risk of inter-regional transfer of species is a priority issue for the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, we make practical recommendations aimed at reducing this risk, including the implementation of appropriate biosecurity procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Hughes
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom.
| | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
| | - Luis R Pertierra
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Calle José Gutierrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Greta C Vega
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles (Madrid) 28933, Spain
| | - Pedro Aragón
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Calle José Gutierrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles (Madrid) 28933, Spain
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9
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Pertierra LR, Hughes KA, Vega GC, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. Correction: High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173649. [PMID: 28257430 PMCID: PMC5336286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
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Pertierra LR, Hughes KA, Vega GC, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168280. [PMID: 28085889 PMCID: PMC5235374 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human footprint models allow visualization of human spatial pressure across the globe. Up until now, Antarctica has been omitted from global footprint models, due possibly to the lack of a permanent human population and poor accessibility to necessary datasets. Yet Antarctic ecosystems face increasing cumulative impacts from the expanding tourism industry and national Antarctic operator activities, the management of which could be improved with footprint assessment tools. Moreover, Antarctic ecosystem dynamics could be modelled to incorporate human drivers. Here we present the first model of estimated human footprint across predominantly ice-free areas of Antarctica. To facilitate integration into global models, the Antarctic model was created using methodologies applied elsewhere with land use, density and accessibility features incorporated. Results showed that human pressure is clustered predominantly in the Antarctic Peninsula, southern Victoria Land and several areas of East Antarctica. To demonstrate the practical application of the footprint model, it was used to investigate the potential threat to Antarctica's avifauna by local human activities. Relative footprint values were recorded for all 204 of Antarctica's Important Bird Areas (IBAs) identified by BirdLife International and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Results indicated that formal protection of avifauna under the Antarctic Treaty System has been unsystematic and is lacking for penguin and flying bird species in some of the IBAs most vulnerable to human activity and impact. More generally, it is hoped that use of this human footprint model may help Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting policy makers in their decision making concerning avifauna protection and other issues including cumulative impacts, environmental monitoring, non-native species and terrestrial area protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis R. Pertierra
- Area de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Kevin A. Hughes
- British Antarctic Survey, National Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Greta C. Vega
- Area de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
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Albuquerque FS, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ, Montoya D, Rodríguez MÁ. Environmental determinants of woody and herb plant species richness patterns in Great Britain. Écoscience 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/18-4-3426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Olalla-Tárraga MÁ, Torres-Romero EJ, Amado TF, Martinez PA. Phylogenetic path analysis reveals the importance of niche-related biological traits on geographic range size in mammals. Glob Chang Biol 2015; 21:3194-3196. [PMID: 25965059 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933-Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Erik Joaquín Torres-Romero
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933-Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Talita Ferreira Amado
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933-Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo A Martinez
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933-Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
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Torres-Romero EJ, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ. Untangling human and environmental effects on geographical gradients of mammal species richness: a global and regional evaluation. J Anim Ecol 2014; 84:851-860. [PMID: 25355656 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Different hypotheses (geographical, ecological, evolutionary or a combination of them) have been suggested to account for the spatial variation in species richness. However, the relative importance of environment and human impacts in explaining these patterns, either globally or at the biogeographical region level, remains largely unexplored. Here, we jointly evaluate how current environmental conditions and human impacts shape global and regional gradients of species richness in terrestrial mammals. We processed IUCN global distributional data for 3939 mammal species and a set of seven environmental and two human impact variables at a spatial resolution of 96.5 × 96.5 km. We used simple, multiple and partial regression techniques to evaluate environmental and human effects on species richness. Actual evapotranspiration (AET) is the main driver of mammal species richness globally. Together with our results at the biogeographical realm level, this lends strong support for the water-energy hypothesis (i.e. global diversity gradients are best explained by the interaction of water and energy, with a latitudinal shift in the relative importance of ambient energy vs. water availability as we move from the poles to the equator). While human effects on species richness are not easily detected at a global scale due to the large proportion of shared variance with the environment, these effects significantly emerge at the regional level. In the Nearctic, Palearctic and Oriental regions, the independent contribution of human impacts is almost as important as current environmental conditions in explaining richness patterns. The intersection of human impacts with climate drives the geographical variation in mammal species richness in the Palearctic, Nearctic and Oriental regions. Using a human accessibility variable, we show, for the first time, that the zones most accessible to humans are often those where we find lower mammal species richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Joaquín Torres-Romero
- PhD Program in Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.,Biodiversity and Conservation Unit, Department of Biology and Geology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, 28933, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Biodiversity and Conservation Unit, Department of Biology and Geology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, 28933, Madrid, Spain
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Morales-Castilla I, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ, Purvis A, Hawkins BA, Rodríguez MÁ. The imprint of Cenozoic migrations and evolutionary history on the biogeographic gradient of body size in New World mammals. Am Nat 2012; 180:246-56. [PMID: 22766934 DOI: 10.1086/666608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Ecology, evolution, and historical events all contribute to biogeographic patterns, but studies that integrate them are scarce. Here we focus on how biotic exchanges of mammals during the Late Cenozoic have contributed to current geographic body size patterns. We explore differences in the environmental correlates and phylogenetic patterning of body size between groups of mammals participating and not participating in past biotic exchanges. Both the association of body size with environmental predictors and its phylogenetic signal were stronger for groups that immigrated into North or South America than for indigenous groups. This pattern, which held when extinct clades were included in the analyses, can be interpreted on the basis of the length of time that clades have had to diversify and occupy niche space. Moreover, we identify a role for historical events, such as Cenozoic migrations, in configuring contemporary mammal body size patterns and illustrate where these influences have been strongest for New World mammals.
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