The effects of geomorphology and primary productivity on neotropical leaf litter herpetofauna: implications for Amazonian rainforest conservation

The Amazon rainforest encompasses over one billion acres of South America and sustains remarkable biodiversity. Despite the large body of research stemming from this region, little is known about the effects of geomorphology and primary productivity on the fauna of Amazonia, and on reptiles and amphibians in particular. In my dissertation, I examine differences in the abundance, biomass and species richness of secondary consumers in the leaf litter herpetofauna communities on young and ancient soils. Herein, I develop methods to utilize existing data sets and museum collections in new studies involving community biomass. I found that, although the process of preservation does change the size of specimens, for most species the differences are less than 4%. Furthermore, these changes can be quantified and taken into account when applying measurements made on preserved specimens to studies of living individuals. I also derive equations which can be used to calculate mass from length in anurans. Snout-vent length (SVL) has been measured on thousands of herps, some released in the field and many housed in research collections. Estimated using SVL measurements, mass of individuals can now be used to determine community biomass of populations that were initially sampled for other purposes. In the second half of this dissertation, I assess the effects of geomorphology on leaf litter herpetofauna in Neotropical lowland rainforests. At sites with similar latitude, elevation and climate, litter herpetofauna abundance, biomass and species richness are twice as high on younger soils. Using methodology developed in the first chapters, this comparison is expanded to include forests differing in latitude and climate. In this study, the trend of increased density, biomass and diversity on younger soils holds, lending further support to the hypothesis that geomorphology and primary productivity drive leaf litter herpetofauna community dynamics. These studies taken together provide the basis for a change in Amazonian management strategies. The prevailing notion that a few large reserves within the Amazon will be able to sustain Amazonian biodiversity is unfounded. Reserves and conservation policy must be designed around the local geologic history and forest dynamics of forest regions within the Basin

Anuran artifacts of preservation: 27 years later

Measurements made on preserved anuran specimens are often used in studies of systematics, ecology and evolution. Here, we examine the effect of preservation on one of the most common measurement of frogs, snout-urostyle length (SUL). Preservation had significanteffects on the SUL of 13 of the 14 species of North American frogs included in this study, with all species decreasing in SUL by 0.31-5.62%. Smaller frog species did not shrink proportionally more or less than larger species. Absolute shrinkage was correlated with SUL and was greater in larger species. Within species, percent shrinkage was not significantly correlated with SUL in 10 species, but significantly greater for larger individuals in 3 species, and decreased with size in 1 species. Absolute shrinkage was statistically greater for larger individuals in 4 species. Our results agree with studies of morphological permutations in fish which show that most preservation-related changes take place within the first few months after initial preservation. We suggest that the potential consequences of using preserved specimens in research must be considered and that future studies continue to examine preservation effects, not only on frogs, but on all preserved specimens used in scientific investigations

Artefatos de preservação em anuros: 27 anos depois

Measurements made on preserved anuran specimens are often used in studies of systematics, ecology and evolution. Here, we examine the effect of preservation on one of the most common measurement of frogs, snout-urostyle length (SUL). Preservation had significant effects on the SUL of 13 of the 14 species of North American frogs included in this study, with all species decreasing in SUL by 0.31-5.62%. Smaller frog species did not shrink proportionally more or less than larger species. Absolute shrinkage was correlated with SUL and was greater in larger species. Within species, percent shrinkage was not significantly correlated with SUL in 10 species, but significantly greater for larger individuals in 3 species, and decreased with size in 1 species. Absolute shrinkage was statistically greater for larger individuals in 4 species. Our results agree with studies of morphological permutations in fish which show that most preservation-related changes take place within the first few months after initial preservation. We suggest that the potential consequences of using preserved specimens in research must be considered and that future studies continue to examine preservation effects, not only on frogs, but on all preserved specimens used in scientific investigations.Medidas tomadas em espécimes preservados são frequentemente usadas em estudos de sistemática, ecologia e evolução. Examinamos aqui o efeito da preservação sobre uma das medidas mais comumente feitas em anuros, o comprimento rostro-clocal (CRC). A preservação teve efeitos significativos sobre o CRC de 13 das 14 espécies de anuros norteamericanos incluídas no estudo, com uma diminuição de 0,31 a 5,62% em todas as espécies. As espécies de menor porte não encolheram proporcionalmente mais nem menos que as espécies maiores. A redução absoluta de tamanho mostrou-se correlacionada com o CRC, tendo sido maior em espécies de maior porte. Dentro de cada espécie, a porcentagem de redução de tamanho não se mostrou significativamente correlacionada com o CRC em 10 espécies, mas foi significativamente maior para os indivíduos de maior porte em três espécies e diminuiu com o tamanho em uma espécie. A redução absoluta de tamanho foi estatisticamente maior para os indivíduos maiores em quatro espécies. Nossos resultados concordam com os dados obtidos em estudos de permutações morfológicas em peixes, que mostraram que a maioria das modificações relacionadas à preservação ocorre durante os primeiros meses após a preservação. Sugerimos que as consequências potenciais do uso de espécimes preservados na pesquisa devem ser consideradas, e que estudos futuros continuem a examinar os efeitos da preservação, não apenas em anuros, mas em todos os espécimes preservados utilizados em investigações científicas

How many species and under what names? Using DNA barcoding and GenBank data for west Central African amphibian conservation

Development projects in west Central Africa are proceeding at an unprecedented rate, often with little concern for their effects on biodiversity. In an attempt to better understand potential impacts of a road development project on the anuran amphibian community, we conducted a biodiversity assessment employing multiple methodologies (visual encounter transects, auditory surveys, leaf litter plots and pitfall traps) to inventory species prior to construction of a new road within the buffer zone of Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. Because of difficulties in morphological identification and taxonomic uncertainty of amphibian species observed in the area, we integrated a DNA barcoding analysis into the project to improve the overall quality and accuracy of the species inventory. Based on morphology alone, 48 species were recognized in the field and voucher specimens of each were collected. We used tissue samples from specimens collected at our field site, material available from amphibians collected in other parts of Gabon and the Republic of Congo to initiate a DNA barcode library for west Central African amphibians. We then compared our sequences with material in GenBank for the genera recorded at the study site to assist in identifications. The resulting COI and 16S barcode library allowed us to update the number of species documented at the study site to 28, thereby providing a more accurate assessment of diversity and distributions. We caution that because sequence data maintained in GenBank are often poorly curated by the original submitters and cannot be amended by third-parties, these data have limited utility for identification purposes. Nevertheless, the use of DNA barcoding is likely to benefit biodiversity inventories and long-term monitoring, particularly for taxa that can be difficult to identify based on morphology alone; likewise, inventory and monitoring programs can contribute invaluable data to the DNA barcode library and the taxonomy of complex groups. Our methods provide an example of how non-taxonomists and parataxonomists working in understudied parts of the world with limited geographic sampling and comparative morphological material can use DNA barcoding and publicly available sequence data (GenBank) to rapidly identify the number of species and assign tentative names to aid in urgent conservation management actions and contribute to taxonomic resolution

Social science for conservation in working landscapes and seascapes

Biodiversity is in precipitous decline globally across both terrestrial and marine environments. Therefore, conservation actions are needed everywhere on Earth, including in the biodiversity rich landscapes and seascapes where people live and work that cover much of the planet. Integrative landscape and seascape approaches to conservation fill this niche. Making evidence-informed conservation decisions within these populated and working landscapes and seascapes requires an in-depth and nuanced understanding of the human dimensions through application of the conservation social sciences. Yet, there has been no comprehensive exploration of potential conservation social science contributions to working landscape and seascape initiatives. We use the Smithsonian Working Land and Seascapes initiative – an established program with a network of 14 sites around the world – as a case study to examine what human dimensions topics are key to improving our understanding and how this knowledge can inform conservation in working landscapes and seascapes. This exploratory study identifies 38 topics and linked questions related to how insights from place-based and problem-focused social science might inform the planning, doing, and learning phases of conservation decision-making and adaptive management. Results also show how conservation social science might yield synthetic and theoretical insights that are more broadly applicable. We contend that incorporating insights regarding the human dimensions into integrated conservation initiatives across working landscapes and seascapes will produce more effective, equitable, appropriate and robust conservation actions. Thus, we encourage governments and organizations working on conservation initiatives in working landscapes and seascapes to increase engagement with and funding of conservation social science

It\u27s Time to Listen: There is Much to be Learned from the Sounds of Tropical Ecosystems

Knowledge that can be gained from acoustic data collection in tropical ecosystems is low‐hanging fruit. There is every reason to record and with every day, there are fewer excuses not to do it. In recent years, the cost of acoustic recorders has decreased substantially (some can be purchased for under US$50, e.g., Hill et al. 2018) and the technology needed to store and analyze acoustic data is continuously improving (e.g., Corrada Bravo et al. 2017, Xie et al. 2017). Soundscape recordings provide a permanent record of a site at a given time and contain a wealth of invaluable and irreplaceable information. Although challenges remain, failure to collect acoustic data now in tropical ecosystems would represent a failure to future generations of tropical researchers and the citizens that benefit from ecological research. In this commentary, we (1) argue for the need to increase acoustic monitoring in tropical systems; (2) describe the types of research questions and conservation issues that can be addressed with passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) using both short‐ and long‐term data in terrestrial and freshwater habitats; and (3) present an initial plan for establishing a global repository of tropical recordings

Passive acoustic monitoring provides a fresh perspective on fundamental ecological questions

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has emerged as a transformative tool for applied ecology, conservation and biodiversity monitoring, but its potential contribution to fundamental ecology is less often discussed, and fundamental PAM studies tend to be descriptive, rather than mechanistic. Here, we chart the most promising directions for ecologists wishing to use the suite of currently available acoustic methods to address long-standing fundamental questions in ecology and explore new avenues of research. In both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, PAM provides an opportunity to ask questions across multiple spatial scales and at fine temporal resolution, and to capture phenomena or species that are difficult to observe. In combination with traditional approaches to data collection, PAM could release ecologists from myriad limitations that have, at times, precluded mechanistic understanding. We discuss several case studies to demonstrate the potential contribution of PAM to biodiversity estimation, population trend analysis, assessing climate change impacts on phenology and distribution, and understanding disturbance and recovery dynamics. We also highlight what is on the horizon for PAM, in terms of near-future technological and methodological developments that have the potential to provide advances in coming years. Overall, we illustrate how ecologists can harness the power of PAM to address fundamental ecological questions in an era of ecology no longer characterised by data limitation

Biodiversidad y uso de recursos naturales en la cuenca baja del río Tapiche

Presenta los resultados de trabajo sobre la Biodiversidad y el uso de los recursos naturales de la cuenca baja del río Tapiche, provincia de Requena, en la región Loreto que ha desarrollado el Centro para la Conservación, Educación y Sustentabilidad del Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. El río Tapiche es uno de los principales afluentes del curso inferior del río Ucayali, que, conjuntamente con el río Marañón confluyen, a la altura del pueblo de Nauta, para dar lugar al río Amazonas. El documento contiene información sobre los patrones de diversidad y composición de comunidades de Pteridophyta (helechos), anfibios, reptiles, aves y murciélagos; y de peces, en la época de estiaje, así como de los usos que los pobladores de esa región asignan a los recursos de la diversidad biológica. Un capítulo sumamente importante señala las lecciones aprendidas y recomendaciones derivadas de la implementación del Plan de Acción para la Biodiversidad (PAB) ejecutado en el Lote 179 de Ecopetrol del Perú S.A. ubicado en la cuenca del río Tapiche en las provincias de Requena y Mariscal Castilla, región Loreto. El trabajo ha sido desarrollado en el marco del convenio entre la empresa Ecopetrol del Perú S.A. y el Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, durante la fase exploratoria de la operación en el Lote 179, concesionado a dicha empresa

Biodiversidad y uso de recursos naturales en la cuenca baja del río Tapiche

Presenta los resultados de trabajo sobre la Biodiversidad y el uso de los recursos naturales de la cuenca baja del río Tapiche, provincia de Requena, en la región Loreto que ha desarrollado el Centro para la Conservación, Educación y Sustentabilidad del Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. El río Tapiche es uno de los principales afluentes del curso inferior del río Ucayali, que, conjuntamente con el río Marañón confluyen, a la altura del pueblo de Nauta, para dar lugar al río Amazonas. El documento contiene información sobre los patrones de diversidad y composición de comunidades de Pteridophyta (helechos), anfibios, reptiles, aves y murciélagos; y de peces, en la época de estiaje, así como de los usos que los pobladores de esa región asignan a los recursos de la diversidad biológica. Un capítulo sumamente importante señala las lecciones aprendidas y recomendaciones derivadas de la implementación del Plan de Acción para la Biodiversidad (PAB) ejecutado en el Lote 179 de Ecopetrol del Perú S.A. ubicado en la cuenca del río Tapiche en las provincias de Requena y Mariscal Castilla, región Loreto. El trabajo ha sido desarrollado en el marco del convenio entre la empresa Ecopetrol del Perú S.A. y el Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, durante la fase exploratoria de la operación en el Lote 179, concesionado a dicha empresa