Socio-ecological gap analysis to forecast species range contractions for conservation

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MGeospatial approaches are increasingly vital for conservation with applications of gap analysis informing decision-making and resource allocation. We extend traditional assessments by incorporating both the spatial distribution of threats and resources to build an index of available conservation capacity across a species' range. Using 91 African carnivores, we identified locations within each species' range at risk of contraction due to a deficit of resources available to potentially thwart present threats. Our results raise new concerns for African carnivores, particularly small-bodied species, contrary to current perceptions of their extinction risks. Conservation requires both a needs assessment and prioritization scheme for planning and implementation. Range maps are critical for understanding and conserving biodiversity, but current range maps often omit content, negating important metrics of variation in populations and places. Here, we integrate a myriad of conditions that are spatially explicit across distributions of carnivores to identify gaps in capacity necessary for their conservation. Expanding on traditional gap analyses that focus almost exclusively on quantifying discordance in protected area coverage across a species' range, our work aggregates threat layers (e.g., drought, human pressures) with resources layers (e.g., protected areas, cultural diversity) to identify gaps in available conservation capacity (ACC) across ranges for 91 African carnivores. Our model indicated that all species have some portion of their range at risk of contraction, with an average of 15 percentage range loss. We found that the ACC differed based on body size and taxonomy. Results deviated from current perceptions of extinction risks for species with an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) threat status of Least Concern and yielded insights for species categorized as Data Deficient. Our socio-ecological gap analysis presents a geospatial approach to inform decision-making and resource allocation in conservation. Ultimately, our work advances forecasting dynamics of species' ranges that are increasingly vital in an era of great socio-ecological change to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and promote inclusive carnivore conservation across geographies

First camera survey in Burkina Faso and Niger reveals human pressures on mammal communities within the largest protected area complex in West Africa

The dearth of ecological data from protected areas at relevant scales challenges conservation practice in West Africa. We conducted the first camera survey for Burkina Faso and Niger to elucidate interactions between resource users and mammals in the largest protected area complex in West Africa (W-Arly-Pendjari, WAP). We differentiated direct (e.g., poaching) and indirect (e.g., domestic animals) human activities to determine their effects on species richness, composition, and behavior. Livestock was the dominant human pressure while gathering was the most prevalent direct human activity. Human pressure did not influence species richness or composition, but reduced mammal activity with greater consequences from indirect activities. We also found distinct differences among guilds in their behavioral responses to human pressures as wild ungulates exhibited the greatest sensitivities to livestock presence. Our findings, that aggregated socioecological data, transition the WAP complex from the singular mandate of nature conservation to a dynamic coupled human-natural ecosystem.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151966/1/conl12667.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151966/2/conl12667_am.pd

Parasite vulnerability to climate change:an evidence-based functional trait approach

Despite the number of virulent pathogens that are projected to benefit from global change and to spread in the next century, we suggest that a combination of coextinction risk and climate sensitivity could make parasites at least as extinction prone as any other trophic group. However, the existing interdisciplinary toolbox for identifying species threatened by climate change is inadequate or inappropriate when considering parasites as conservation targets. A functional trait approach can be used to connect parasites' ecological role to their risk of disappearance, but this is complicated by the taxonomic and functional diversity of many parasite clades. Here, we propose biological traits that may render parasite species particularly vulnerable to extinction (including high host specificity, complex life cycles and narrow climatic tolerance), and identify critical gaps in our knowledge of parasite biology and ecology. By doing so, we provide criteria to identify vulnerable parasite species and triage parasite conservation efforts

The Parasite Extinction Assessment & Red List: An Open-Source, Online Biodiversity Database for Neglected Symbionts

Parasite conservation is a rapidly growing field at the intersection of ecology, epidemiology, parasitology, and public health. The overwhelming diversity of parasitic life on earth, and recent work showing that parasites and other symbionts face severe extinction risk, necessitates infrastructure for parasite conservation assessments. Here, we describe the release of the Parasite Extinction Assessment & Red List (PEARL) version 1.0, an open-access database of conservation assessments and distributional data for almost 500 macroparasitic invertebrates. The current approach to vulnerability assessment is based on range shifts and loss from climate change, and will be expanded as additional data (e.g., host-parasite associations and coextinction risk) is consolidated in PEARL. The web architecture is also open-source, scalable, and extensible, making PEARL a template for more eZcient red listing for other high-diversity, data-de1cient groups. Future iterations will also include new functionality, including a user-friendly open data pository and automated assessment and re-listing

SNAPSHOT USA 2019 : a coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.With the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. To address this challenge, we launched the SNAPSHOT USA project, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations using camera traps across the United States. For our first annual survey, we compiled data across all 50 states during a 14-week period (17 August - 24 November of 2019). We sampled wildlife at 1509 camera trap sites from 110 camera trap arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across four development zones. This effort resulted in 166,036 unique detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. All images were processed through the Smithsonian's eMammal camera trap data repository and included an expert review phase to ensure taxonomic accuracy of data, resulting in each picture being reviewed at least twice. The results represent a timely and standardized camera trap survey of the USA. All of the 2019 survey data are made available herein. We are currently repeating surveys in fall 2020, opening up the opportunity to other institutions and cooperators to expand coverage of all the urban-wild gradients and ecophysiographic regions of the country. Future data will be available as the database is updated at eMammal.si.edu/snapshot-usa, as well as future data paper submissions. These data will be useful for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species-specific population dynamics and conservation action plans. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Temporal refuges of a subordinate carnivore vary across rural–urban gradient

Animals exhibit variation in their space and time use across an urban–rural gradient. As the top-down influences of apex predators wane due to human-driven declines, landscape-level anthropogenic pressures are rising. Human impacts can be analogous to apex predators in that humans can drive increased mortality in both prey species and carnivores, and impact communities through indirect fear effects and food subsidies. Here, we evaluate the time use of a common mesocarnivore across an urban–rural gradient and test whether it is influenced by the intensity of the use of a larger carnivore. Using multiple camera-trap surveys, we compared the temporal response of a small carnivore, the raccoon (Procyon lotor), to the larger coyote (Canis latrans) in four study areas across Michigan that represented a gradient of pressure from humans. We found that raccoon time use varied by study area and was most unique at the rural extreme. Raccoons consistently did not shift their activity pattern in response to coyotes in the study area with the highest anthropogenic pressures despite the considerable interannual variation, and instead showed stronger responses to coyotes in more rural study areas. Temporal shifts were characterized by raccoons being more diurnal in areas of high coyote activity. We conclude that raccoons may shift time use in the presence of coyotes, dependent on the level of anthropogenic pressure. Our results highlight that the variation in raccoon time use across the entirety of the urban–rural gradient needed to be considered, as anthropogenic pressures may dominate and obscure the dynamics of this interaction.Anthropogenic forces can alter temporal interactions between species. We compared the time use of a small carnivore across an urban-rural gradient, and tested whether it responded to the presence of a larger carnivore. We found that both time use and the response to a larger carnivore varied along the gradient, especially at the extremes.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/174925/1/ece39310.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/174925/2/ece39310_am.pd

Patch characteristics and domestic dogs differentially affect carnivore space use in fragmented landscapes in southern Chile

AimIn an increasingly anthropogenic world, species face multiple interacting threats. Habitat fragmentation and domestic dogs are two perturbations threatening terrestrial mammals globally. Our aim was to determine whether (a) the spatial use of domestic dogs increases with habitat destruction, and (b) domestic dogs and habitat destruction drive the spatial use of native carnivores in a heavily degraded agricultural landscape.LocationCentral valley/Andean foothills transition of Los Lagos, Chile.MethodsWe implemented a camera trap survey in a fragmented landscape comprised of native forest patches amidst a matrix of pastureland. We used single‐species occupancy models to assess the impact of domestic dogs and habitat destruction on three mesocarnivores—the foxes, culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) and chilla (Lycalopex griseus) and the wild cat güiña (Leopardus guigna). Additionally, we compared temporal activity of all study species including domestic dogs.ResultsDetection rates for both the foxes increased with domestic dog occupancy, while factors driving occupancy differed for each of the native species. We found that a 12% projected increase in domestic dog occupancy negatively impacted the spatial use of the culpeo. Habitat loss and fragmentation were positive drivers for chilla and domestic dog occupancy. The güiña did not respond to fragmentation and other habitat covariates or domestic dog occupancy. All native carnivore species were primarily nocturnal, while the domestic dog was almost entirely diurnal.Main ConclusionsWe highlight that domestic dog occupancy was positively correlated with habitat loss. Native species showed varied tolerance to domestic dog occupancy and no negative response to habitat destruction. Future conditions of increased fragmentation and habitat loss will likely increase the potential contact between domestic dogs and native carnivores.ResumenEn un mundo cada vez más antropizado, las especies enfrentan múltiples amenazas que interactúan entre sí. La fragmentación del hábitat y los perros domésticos son dos perturbaciones que amenazan a los mamíferos terrestres a nivel mundial. Nuestro objetivo fue determinar (a) si el uso espacial de los perros domésticos aumenta con la destrucción del hábitat, y (b) si los perros domésticos y la destrucción del hábitat afectan el uso espacial de los carnívoros nativos en un paisaje agrícola altamente degradado.UbicaciónEn el valle central y contrafuertes andinos de la región de Los Lagos, en Chile.MétodosImplementamos un estudio de cámaras trampas en un paisaje fragmentado compuesto por fragmentos de bosque nativo en medio de una matriz de praderas. Usamos modelos de ocupación de una sola especie para evaluar el impacto de los perros domésticos y la destrucción del hábitat sobre tres mesocarnívoros: los zorros culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) y chilla (Lycalopex griseus) y el gato güiña (Leopardus guigna). Además, evaluamos la actividad temporal entre todas las especies estudiadas, incluidos los perros domésticos.ResultadosLas tasas de detección para ambos zorros aumentaron con la ocupación de perros domésticos, mientras que los factores que afectaron la ocupación difirieron para cada una de las especies nativas. Encontramos que un aumento proyectado del 12% en la ocupación de perros domésticos afectaría negativamente el uso espacial del culpeo. La pérdida y fragmentación del hábitat fueron determinantes positivos de la ocupación de perros domésticos y de la chilla. La güiña no respondió a la fragmentación, a otras covariables de hábitat, ni a la ocupación de perros domésticos. Todas las especies de carnívoros nativos tuvieron actividades principalmente nocturnas, mientras que el perro doméstico fue casi en su totalidad diurno.Conclusiones PrincipalesDestacamos que la ocupación de perros domésticos se correlacionó positivamente con la pérdida de hábitat. Las especies nativas mostraron una tolerancia variada a la ocupación de perros domésticos y ninguna respuesta negativa a la destrucción del hábitat. Las condiciones futuras de una mayor fragmentación y pérdida de hábitat probablemente aumentarán el contacto potencial entre perros domésticos y carnívoros nativos.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/170882/1/ddi13391.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/170882/2/ddi13391-sup-0002-FigureS1.2.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/170882/3/ddi13391-sup-0001-FigureS1.1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/170882/4/ddi13391_am.pd

Geographic differences in body size distributions underlie food web connectance of tropical forest mammals

Abstract Understanding variation in food web structure over large spatial scales is an emerging research agenda in food web ecology. The density of predator–prey links in a food web (i.e., connectance) is a key measure of network complexity that describes the mean proportional dietary breadth of species within a food web. Connectance is a critical component of food web robustness to species loss: food webs with lower connectance have been shown to be more susceptible to secondary extinctions. Identifying geographic variation in food web connectance and its drivers may provide insight into community robustness to species loss. We investigated the food web connectance of ground-dwelling tropical forest mammal communities in multiple biogeographic regions to test for differences among regions in food web connectance and to test three potential drivers: primary productivity, contemporary anthropogenic pressure, and variation in mammal body mass distributions reflective of historical extinctions. Mammal communities from fifteen protected forests throughout the Neo-, Afro-, and Asian tropics were identified from systematic camera trap arrays. Predator–prey interaction data were collected from published literature, and we calculated connectance for each community as the number of observed predator–prey links relative to the number of possible predator–prey links. We used generalized linear models to test for differences among regions and to identify the site level characteristics that best predicted connectance. We found that mammal food web connectance varied significantly among continents and that body size range was the only significant predictor. More possible predator–prey links were observed in communities with smaller ranges in body size and therefore sites with smaller body size ranges had higher mean proportional dietary breadth. Specifically, mammal communities in the Neotropics and in Madagascar had significantly higher connectance than mammal communities in Africa. This geographic variation in contemporary mammalian food web structure may be the product of historical extinctions in the Late Quaternary, which led to greater losses of large-bodied species in the Neotropics and Madagascar thus contributing to higher average proportional dietary breadth among the remaining smaller bodied species in these regions

Spatial variation in diet–microbe associations across populations of a generalist North American carnivore

Generalist species, by definition, exhibit variation in niche attributes that promote survival in changing environments. Increasingly, phenotypes previously associated with a species, particularly those with wide or expanding ranges, are dissolving and compelling greater emphasis on population‐level characteristics.In the present study, we assessed spatial variation in diet characteristics, gut microbiome and associations between these two ecological traits across populations of coyotes Canis latrans. We highlight the influence of the carnivore community in shaping these relationships, as the coyote varied from being an apex predator to a subordinate, mesopredator across sampled populations.We implemented a scat survey across three distinct coyote populations in Michigan, USA. We used carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic values to reflect consumption patterns and trophic level, respectively. Corresponding samples were also paired with 16S rRNA sequencing to describe the microbial community and correlate with isotopic values.Although consumption patterns were comparable, we found spatial variation in trophic level among coyote populations. Specifically, δ15N was highest where coyotes were the apex predator and lowest where coyotes co‐occurred with grey wolves Canis lupus.The gut microbial community exhibited marked spatial variation across populations with the lowest operational taxonomic units diversity found where coyotes occurred at their lowest trophic level. Bacteriodes and Fusobacterium dominated the microbiome and were positively correlated across all populations. We found no correlation between δ13C and microbial community attributes. However, positive associations between δ15N and specific microbial genera increased as coyotes ascended trophic levels.Coyotes provide a model for exploring implications of niche plasticity because they are a highly adaptable, wide‐ranging omnivore. As coyotes continue to vary in trophic position and expand their geographic range, we might expect increased divergence within their microbial community, changes in physiology and alterations in behaviour.Coyotes are among the most ubiquitous carnivore in North America. The authors found that the spatial variation in diet, gut microbes and associations between the two across populations were dependent on the trophic position of coyotes within their community. Positive associations between δ15N and specific microbial genera increased as coyotes ascended trophic levels.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156237/2/jane13266_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156237/1/jane13266.pd