Erfassung und Bewertung der Vorkommen der Asiatischen Keiljungfer und der Grünen Flussjungfer an der Elbe bei Roßlau

Die Asiatische Keiljungfer (Gomphus flavipes) und die Grüne Flussjungfer (Ophiogomphus cecilia) sind Fließgewässer bewohnende Libellenarten mit hoher Naturschutzrelevanz. Beide Arten sind in ihrem Vorkommen sowohl in Sachsen-Anhalt als auch deutschlandweit gefährdet. Nach fast vollständigem Erlöschen der Populationen von G. flavipes in Mitteleuropa vor 70 Jahren wird in Sachsen-Anhalt seit Anfang der 1990er Jahre die Elbe von dieser Art wiederbesiedelt, vermutlich aufgrund der gestiegenen Wasserqualität. Bei O. cecilia liegen keine ausreichend belastbaren historischen Daten vor, wahrscheinlich ist die Situation bei dieser Art jedoch ähnlich. Es wird vermutet, dass beide Arten mittlerweile die Mittlere Elbe wieder weitgehend vollständig besiedeln. Das Elbegebiet besitzt daher europaweite Bedeutung als Reservoir für den Erhalt der beiden Arten

Eat and be eaten : trophic interactions of the introduced frog Scinax quinquefasciatus in anthropogenic environments in Galápagos

While the Galapagos Archipelago is known for its endemic flora and fauna, many introduced species have also become naturalised there, especially on the human-inhabited islands. The only amphibian species known to have established on the islands, the Fowler's snouted treefrog (Scinar quinquefasciatus), is thought to have arrived about two decades ago. Since then, this treefrog has substantially extended its range to the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela. Our study explores the potential influence of this introduced amphibian on native trophic systems on Santa Cruz and identifies potential antagonists likely to control larval frog populations. To understand the impact of S. quinquefasciaites as a predator of local invertebrate fauna, we performed a stomach-content analysis of 228 preserved adult specimens from seven different localities on Santa Cruz. Of the 11 macroinvertebrate orders recorded, Lepidoptera constituted more than 60% of the contents. We also identified active predators of S. quinquefasciazus tadpoles: larvae of the endemic diving beetle (Thermonectus basillarus galapagoensis). To determine the efficiency of this predator, we conducted predator-prey experiments in ex situ conditions. Tadpole predation was highest after first exposure to the predator and significantly decreased over time. Our experimental results demonstrate that although T. b. galapagoensis larvae are effective tadpole predators, their feeding saturation rates are likely inadequate for frog population control. Our findings provide the first baseline data necessary to make informed ecological impact assessments and monitoring schemes on Santa Cruz for this introduced treefrog

Whistling invaders: Status and distribution of Johnstone’s Whistling frog (Eleutherodactylus johnstonei Barbour, 1914), 25 years after its introduction to Colombia

Despite increased attention to the problem of alien amphibian invasions, systematic assessments of the actual invasion status and potential, required to estimate possible environmental and economic impacts of introduced species, are often missing. A prime example is Johnstone’s Whistling Frog (Eleutherodactylus johnstonei), a Caribbean native that now occurs widely throughout the South American mainland, including Colombia. We conducted the first systematic and comprehensive countrywide assessment of the introduction status of the species in Colombia, combining both intensive field surveys, as well as a first population genetic analysis. The species was strictly confined to urban habitats with specific environmental conditions (plant nurseries and private gardens) and did not show any signs of dispersal into the extra-urban matrix. Genetic data support previously hypothesised independent introduction events in the Andes and along the Caribbean Coast and shed light on potential dispersal pathways. The results of this study challenge both the active spread, as well as the broad environmental tolerance hypothesis previously suggested, to explain the observed range extension. A critical reassessment of the categorisation of the species as highly invasive under IUCN-ISSG standards is required

A review of the Angolan House snakes, genus Boaedon Duméril, Bibron and Duméril (1854) (Serpentes: Lamprophiidae), with description of three new species in the Boaedon fuliginosus (Boie, 1827) species complex

An integrative taxonomic review of the genus Boaedon in Angola is provided. A molecular phylogeny, based on 99 genetic samples for which the mitochondrial markers 16S rRNA have been sequenced, reveals 23 monophyletic species-level groups in Africa and indicates the presence of nine species in Angola. Based on both phylogenetic and morphological data, we revalidate and designate a neotype for B. angolensis, describe three new species for Angola (e.g. B. bocagei sp. nov., B. branchi sp. nov., and B. fradei sp. nov.), revalidate B. variegatus from its synonymy with B. lineatus and designate a lectotype for this taxon, and identify B. lineatus var. lineolatus as a junior synonym of B. variegatus. The taxonomic status of the recently described B. paralineatus from Central Africa is discussed with respect to the more inclusive B. lineatus group. Moreover, we report on a new country record for Angola, namely B. mentalis, which we elevate here to full species and discuss the taxonomic status of this species in southern Africa. Finally, we provide an identification key and updated distribution maps for all Boaedon species occurring in Angola, including the Cabinda enclave.The National Science Foundation of the United States, the JRS Biodiversity Foundation, FCT, the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project and the Wild Bird Trust National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ther202021-07-08hj2021Zoology and Entomolog

High Levels of Diversity Uncovered in a Widespread Nominal Taxon: Continental Phylogeography of the Neotropical Tree Frog

Species distributed across vast continental areas and across major biomes provide unique model systems for studies of biotic diversification, yet also constitute daunting financial, logistic and political challenges for data collection across such regions. The tree frog Dendropsophus minutus (Anura: Hylidae) is a nominal species, continentally distributed in South America, that may represent a complex of multiple species, each with a more limited distribution. To understand the spatial pattern of molecular diversity throughout the range of this species complex, we obtained DNA sequence data from two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and the 16S rhibosomal gene (16S) for 407 samples of D. minutus and closely related species distributed across eleven countries, effectively comprising the entire range of the group. We performed phylogenetic and spatially explicit phylogeographic analyses to assess the genetic structure of lineages and infer ancestral areas. We found 43 statistically supported, deep mitochondrial lineages, several of which may represent currently unrecognized distinct species. One major clade, containing 25 divergent lineages, includes samples from the type locality of D. minutus. We defined that clade as the D. minutus complex. The remaining lineages together with the D. minutus complex constitute the D. minutus species group. Historical analyses support an Amazonian origin for the D. minutus species group with a subsequent dispersal to eastern Brazil where the D. minutus complex originated. According to our dataset, a total of eight mtDNA lineages have ranges >100,000 km2. One of them occupies an area of almost one million km2 encompassing multiple biomes. Our results, at a spatial scale and resolution unprecedented for a Neotropical vertebrate, confirm that widespread amphibian species occur in lowland South America, yet at the same time a large proportion of cryptic diversity still remains to be discovered

Patterns of community composition in two tropical tree frog assemblages: separating spatial structure and environmental effects in disturbed and undisturbed forests

An on-going controversy in community ecology involves the debate about the many factors that affect the assembly and composition of a given species assemblage. Theory suggests that community composition is influenced by environmental gradients or biotic processes. This study examines patterns of community composition in two tropical tree frog assemblages of primary and exploited lowland rain-forest sites in the Guiana Shield area of central Guyana, South America and the Upper Guinean rain-forest block of south-western Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. We tested community composition and species abundance data of two adult tree frog communities collected on 21 standardized transects during a period of 5 y for evidence of spatial correlation in community composition. We applied simple and partial Mantel tests to separate the effects of environmental variables, spatial distance and spatial autocorrelation on community composition. Whenever environmental effects were accounted for, we found significant positive spatial correlation of community composition. All assemblages appeared to be spatially structured, i.e. sites in close proximity had similar species assemblages. However, spatially structured environmental variation (autocorrelation) did not account for the spatial structure of species incidence. Environmental factors did not prove to be significant predictors of species incidence in any of the assemblages analysed, even if we controlled for spatial effects. Observed correlation patterns of species composition were consistent within respective realms and disturbance regimes. Moreover, general correlation patterns were consistent between geographic regions. These results are in contrast to previously published results from a study on leaf-litter anurans and indicate that group-specific differences must not be neglected when analysing patterns of species composition in anurans as they may drastically alter the outcome of the analysis.Peer Reviewe

Anurengemeinschaften auf Messers Schneide: Muster und Prozesse in anthropogen veränderten tropischen Wäldern - Studien vom Guiana Schild und Westafrika

Summary Timber harvesting is currently the most common commercial utilisation activity in tropical forests. Assessing the effects of logging on different aspects of biodiversity and general ecosystem properties is hence of prime importance if the few remaining areas of intact tropical forest are to be protected effectively and efficiently. Tropical amphibian communities are an appropriate model system for studies on the impacts of human-induced environmental changes on the dynamics of complex biological systems. This thesis elaborates on patterns of diversity changes in tropical forest amphibian communities facing habitat alterations associated with selective logging in two globally important eco-regions (Côte d’Ivoire, Upper Guinea, West Africa and Guyana, the Guiana Shield, northern South America). The thesis is organised along two main themes. After a general introduction, a section on general methodology and an introduction to the model systems studied, the first theme moves from general patterns to underlying processes. A second theme running through both chapters carries from undisturbed systems to disturbed systems. A final section integrates findings and addresses implications for conservation management of anthropogenically altered tropical forests. Several case studies at the species- population and community level are being presented and data on the direct and indirect impacts of anthropogenic habitat alteration on respective organizational levels are provided. A key statement that is stressed on throughout the studies is the fact that common measures of diversity, such as species richness and species-diversity only inadequately reflect processes of diversity change following anthropogenic disturbance. They also fail to describe actual impacts on the dynamics of complex biological systems. It is argued that commonly used measures produce an incoherent and insufficient picture of diversity patterns and the underlying processes that shape these patterns. Thus, an understanding of higher levels of diversity, such as β-diversity and functional diversity (and hence compositional patterns) appears to be the key to effectively mitigating the impacts of human-induced disturbance on amphibian communities. It is shown that the predictability of amphibian community composition depends on the respective level of anthropogenic disturbance imposed on a particular habitat. Hence, human activities that lead to changes in the structure of a forest, such as logging, not only alter simple system descriptors, such as the number of species in a given community, but rather alter the dynamics of the entire system. In this context, functional diversity is shown to be an important aspect underlying the actual mechanism that leads to the observed change of predictability patterns. Functional differences between species, rather than number of species per se appear to be the decisive factor in sustaining desirable ecosystem states and thus in maintaining important ecosystem services. Because biological diversity appears to play a substantial role in ecosystem resilience required to safeguard essential ecosystem functions in the face of environmental change, the thesis calls for a critical revision of common diversity assessments approaches. The studies advocate the reconsideration of the uncritical use of widespread measures and descriptors of biodiversity on grounds of inconsistent patterns found throughout numerous studies, including those presented herein.Zusammenfassung Forst- und Holzwirtschaft gehört derzeit zu einer der wichtigsten kommerziellen Nutzungsformen tropischer Wälder. Der Analyse und Untersuchung von direkten und indirekten Auswirkungen von Holzeinschlag auf verschiedene Aspekte biologischer Vielfalt und genereller Ökosystemeigenschaften muß daher eine zentrale Bedeutung eingeräumt werden. Dies trifft im besonderen Maße zu, wenn die verbleibenden noch intakten Regenwaldflächen effizient und auch langfristig effektiv geschützt werden sollen. Tropische Amphibiengemeinschaften haben sich bei der Untersuchung von Auswirkungen anthropogen induzierter Habitatveränderungen auf die Dynamik komplexer biologischer Systeme als geeignetes Modellsystem erwiesen. Die hier vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit den Mustern der Diversität und deren Änderung in tropischen Waldamphibiengemeinschaften unter dem Einfluss anthropogener Habitatveränderungen (selektiver Holzeinschlag) in zwei geographisch distinkten Ökoregionen von globaler Bedeutung (Côte d’Ivoire, Oberguinea, West Afrika und Guyana, Guiana Schild, nördliches Südamerika). Die thematische Gliederung der Arbeit folgt zwei unterschiedlichen Organisationssträngen. Der erste Strang leitet, nach einer allgemeinen Einführung und einem Abschnitt zur Methodik und Einführung in die untersuchten Modellsysteme, über, von den generellen Mustern zu den zugrunde liegenden Prozessen. Ein zweiter führt von ungestörten Systemen zu Systemen unter Störungseinfluss. Ein abschließender Abschnitt befasst sich mit den Implikationen für Naturschutzmanagement von anthropogen veränderten tropischen Wäldern. In einer Reihe von Fallstudien auf Art-, Populations- und Gemeinschaftsniveau werden die direkten und indirekten Einflüsse anthropogener Habitatänderungen auf die jeweilige Organisationsebene erörtert. Grundtenor aller vorgestellten Untersuchungen ist die Tatsache, dass herkömmliche Diversitätsmaße, wie etwa Artenreichtum und Artendiversität die in Zusammenhang mit anthropogenen Störungen auftretenden Veränderungen von Diversitätsmustern nur unzureichend erklären. Diese Maße erscheinen ebenfalls ungeeignet für die Beschreibung des Einflusses auf die Dynamik komplexer biologischer Systeme. Herkömmlich verwendete Diversitätsindizes generieren ein inkohärentes und unzureichendes Bild tatsächlicher Diversitätsmuster und der zugrunde liegenden Prozesse, die diese Muster formen. Das Verständnis höherer Ebenen der Diversität, wie etwa β-Diversität oder funktionale Diversität (und somit Muster der Artzusammensetzung) erscheint essentiell für die Minimierung des Einflusses von anthropogen induzierten Störungen auf Amphibiengemeinschaften und könnte somit zu einer effektiven Schadensbegrenzung beitragen. In den vorgestellten Untersuchungen konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Vorhersagbarkeit der Zusammensetzung einer gegebenen Amphibiengemeinschaft unmittelbar vom Störungsgrad des jeweiligen Systems abhängt. Menschliche Aktivitäten, die zu strukturellen Änderungen von Waldssystemen führen, wie etwa kommerzieller Holzeinschlag, führen nicht nur zu Änderungen einfacher Systemdeskriptoren, wie der Anzahl der Arten innerhalb einer Gemeinschaft, vielmehr beeinflussen sie die Dynamik des Gesamtsystems. In diesem Zusammenhang erwiesen sich funktionale Diversitätskomponenten als äußerst wichtige determinierende Faktoren für die beobachteten Vorhersagbarkeitsmuster und deren Veränderung. Funktionale Unterschiede und nicht Artenzahl per se scheinen demnach für den Erhalt zu bevorzugender Ökossystemzustände ausschlaggebend zu sein. Der Erhalt dieser funktionalen Merkmalsdiversität trägt unmittelbar zum Erhalt wichtiger ökosystemarer Leistungen bei. Da anzunehmen ist, dass biologischer Diversität eine maßgebliche Rolle in Bezug auf die Belastbarkeit und Elastizität von Ökosystemen zukommt (essentielle Eigenschaften, die das langfristige Funktionieren von Ökosystemen unter Störungseinfluss gewährleisten), unterstreichen die Ergebnisse der hier vorliegenden Arbeit die Notwendigkeit einer kritischen Revision traditioneller Ansätze der Diversitätserfassung

Appendix B. A description of the statistical analyses and tests for spatial autocorrelation.

A description of the statistical analyses and tests for spatial autocorrelation

At the edge of extinction: a first herpetological assessment of the proposed Serra do Pingano Rainforest National Park in Uíge Province, northern Angola

We systematically assess the herpetofaunal diversity of the Serra do Pingano Forest Ecosystem (SPFE) and additional localities throughout the northern Angolan province of Uíge during four independent Rapid Assessment (RA) field campaigns held between 2013 and 2019. These assessments represent the first systematic surveys of amphibians and reptiles from the province, and thus we provide the first province-wide species list. We collected data on the status and current threats to amphibians and reptiles in the proposed Serra do Pingano Rainforest National Park and were able to document 33 species of reptiles from Uíge province. Of the 33 species recorded from the province, 10 species are exclusively found in the SPFE. Amphibian surveys yielded 47 amphibian species from the province. These include 14 new country records and additional records that may represent undescribed species. This raises the amphibian count for Angola to at least 133 species, which includes 18 species exclusively found within the SPFE. Species-richness estimators indicate that more species should be detected if survey efforts are intensified. The species composition in the SPFE is unique and consists of a high proportion of forest specialists with restricted ranges and species found nowhere else in the country. This emphasizes today’s paramount importance of the SPFE, which is threatened by increasing agricultural encroachment and uncontrolled timber extraction and charcoal production. These principal factors need to be controlled and/or abandoned in already impacted areas. Conservation strategies should particularly consider the strict protection of remaining intact forests and both lentic and lotic aquatic systems. They are not only crucial for safeguarding a significant number of species that depend on these habitats for reproduction; they also provide key ecosystem services to the local population. Angola, and Uíge province in particular, is at a crossroads concerning decisions and trade-offs among utilization, conservation, and preservation of its forests and, thus, substantial parts of the country’s biodiversity. The establishment of a National Protected Area in the Serra do Pingano Ecosystem is therefore a necessary and urgently needed first step towards protecting Angola’s national biodiversity heritage