Tourism in protected areas can threaten wild populations: from individual response to population viability of the chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

International audienceMany protected areas are now faced with increasing pressure from visitors and tourism development. There is thus an urgent need for conservation biologists to evaluate the full impact of human disturbance not only on individual responses but also on the viability of protected populations so that relevant management measures can be proposed. We studied the impact of tourism on the rare and endangered chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax on a protected french island to assess the relationship between visitor pressure, bird individual behavior and fitness, and population viability. During 8 years, we monitored foraging behavior and estimated monthly juvenile survival using mark-recapture data. Population viability was examined under different tourism scenarios, using a stochastic individual-based model that incorporated the impact of visitor numbers on juvenile survival. In summer, the foraging probability of choughs was negatively correlated with the number of visitors. As a result, the time allocated to foraging during peak tourist season, adjusted to day length and prey availability, was 50% lower than expected. Juvenile survival rates were lowest in August, the peak tourist season, and varied significantly across years. August survival rate and therefore annual survival were negatively correlated with the number of visitors on the island in August and, except for a minor negative effect of rainfall, were not influenced by other environmental variables. Sthochastic simulations predicted a low probability of extinction of the protected population if the number of visitors remains constant in the future. However, short-term viability would be dramatically reduced if the current rate of increase in visitor numbers is maintained. We show that a relatively minor human-induced disturbance (e.g. scaring individuals away) has dramatic effects on population viability in a protected area, even when breeding individuals are not directly affected. This suggests that the full impact of tourism in protected areas may be overlooked, and has direct consequences for the assessment of sustainable levels of human distrurbance and the design of quantitative management options compatible with tourist activities in protected areas. We specifically emphasize the need for more integrative approaches combining research at individual and population levels

Plant and spider communities benefit differently from the presence of planted hedgerows in highway verges

International audienceRoad verges should play a crucial role as a refuge for native flora and fauna in human dominated landscapes. However, the influence of construction choices, such as plantation of woody species, on the biodiversity supported by roadsides has received little attention, although the presence of hedgerows in roadsides is likely to enhance their role as a refuge, notably for woodland species. Using standardised methods, we assessed the impact of planted hedgerows on two taxonomic groups (plants and spiders) inhabiting highway verges within an intensive agricultural landscape. We examined community richness, taxonomic and functional composition in sites with and without planted hedgerows. At the site level, the response of plant and spider communities to the presence of planted hedgerows differed markedly: hedgerows were associated with significantly higher plant richness (higher α-diversity), but similar spider richness. Plant communities in sites without hedgerows appeared as a subset of communities in sites with hedgerows, whereas spider communities in non-planted sites were complementary to that of planted sites (increased β-diversity). The presence of planted hedgerows was also associated with increased taxonomic and functional trait diversity at the landscape level (γ-diversity), through an increased β-diversity in both plants and spiders. Our results thus suggest that a mosaic of planted hedgerows and grassland habitats is crucial for the maintenance of biodiversity at a landscape scale. By providing information for road practitioners and policy makers regarding their potential impact on biodiversity, these results have important direct implications for the management of road networks

Conséquences sur l'avifaune terrestre de l'île de Trielen (réserve naturelle d'Iroise, Bretagne) de l'éradication du Rat surmulot (Rattus norvegicus)

The Norwegian Rat (Rattus norvegicus) invaded the Trielen Island (Iroise Natural Reserve, Brittany, France) during the beginning of the XXth century and was eradicated in 1996. Breeding pairs of all terrestrial bird species were censused annually, from 1996 before the eradication operation to 2001. None of the 7 occasional breeding species (two being a priori exposed to Norwegian Rat predation) established as a regular breeder after the eradication operation. On the other hand, numbers of breeding pairs increased by a factor of 1.7 to 2.0 for the Dunnock (Prunella modularis), 2.2 to 2.7 for the Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), and 5.5 to 7.0 for the Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus). Many biological facts converged to identify the rodent disappearance as the major driving factor of these increases. This Norwegian Rat eradication was particularly pertinent as a biological conservation operation, because of its positive effect on the local Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus) population as the French coast hosts near 50 % of the subspecies petrosus world population. The 2001 Trielen Island abundance index (26 to 46 breeding pairs per coastal km) was among the highest known ones for that species. The large and quick increase following the disappearance of the Norwegian Rat showed the high sensibility of the Rock Pipit to mammalian predationL'inventaire du nombre de couples nicheurs du peuplement d'oiseaux terrestres de l'île de Trielen (Réserve Naturelle d'Iroise, Bretagne) a été réalisé annuellement entre 1996 et 2001, suite à l'éradication, en 1996, de la population du Rat surmulot (Rattus norvegicus) installée sur l'île depuis le début du XXe siècle. La disparition du rongeur ne s'est accompagnée, ni d'apparition où de disparition d'espèces, ni de la pérennisation de la reproduction de 7 espèces réputées nicher occasionnellement sur le site, deux d'entre elles étant a priori vulnérables au comportement de prédation exercé par le Surmulot. Les effectifs de couples nicheurs de l'Accenteur mouchet (Prunella modularis), du Troglodyte mignon (Troglodytes troglodytes), et du Pipit maritime (Anthus petrosus), espèces a priori toutes vulnérables au comportement de prédation du rongeur, ont été multipliés respectivement par un facteur de 1,7 à 2,0, de 2,2 à 2,7 et de 5,5 à 7,0. Les faits convergent pour désigner l'éradication du rongeur comme le facteur de causalité majeur de ces augmentations. Cette opération qui relève de la biologie de la conservation est particulièrement pertinente vis-à-vis du Pipit maritime dont le linéaire côtier français accueille près de 50 % de la population mondiale de la sous-espèce petrosus. L'indice d'abondance relevé en 2001 sur l'île de Trielen (26 à 46 couples nicheurs par km de linéaire côtier) compte parmi les plus élevés connus à ce jour pour l'espèce. Son fort accroissement, suite à la disparition du Surmulot, témoigne de la sensibilité de l'espèce à la prédation mammalienne

DIET AND FUELLING OF THE GLOBALLY THREATENED AQUATIC WARBLER ACROCEPHALUS 1 PALUDICOLA AT AUTUMN MIGRATION STOPOVER AS COMPARED WITH TWO CONGENERS

International audienceThe effective conservation of aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola), one of the most threatened western Palaearctic migratory passerines, requires good knowledge of its ecological needs at stopover sites. In particular, identifying its diet, which controls the accumulation of fat reserves during migration, facilitates the selection and management of adequately protected areas. Further key information includes the relationship between prey species abundance and habitats of aquatic warbler on stopover. We performed standardised mist-netting in the Audierne marshes (western France) during 12 years, which resulted in the capture of 1,200 aquatic warblers, and provided measurements for mass gain and the collection of faeces to infer the birds’ diet. Invertebrate sampling was carried out in the three main Audierne marshhabitats(reedbed, fen mire and meadow). In order to go beyond prey digestibility bias,we also studied two closely related Acrocephalusspecies, present at migration stopover sites during the same period. We found that the diet composition of aquatic warbler observed at migration stopover sites is based on large-sizedprey (Odonata, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera).Likes edge warblers, aquatic warblers put on weight during migration stopovers (daily mass gain =0.38g). This increase in weight suggests that the aquatic warblers might have adopted a strategy for long-distance migration with few stopovers only. Due to great differences in diet, conservation management for the threatened aquatic warbler at stopover sites should not rely on existing knowledge abouts edge and reed warblers. Similarities in the diet of aquatic warbler between nesting areas and migration stopover areas and the relationship between habitat and prey abundance suggest that fen mires play an important role in the quality of the for aging habitat at stopover site

Applying trait-based community metrics of relevance to conservation for understanding community patterns of farmland birds in Northwest Russia

Use of community trait-based metrics has been increasingly implemented for achieving an integrated view of biodiversity in conservation planning. We examined the extent, to which the use of community metrics based on species traits reflecting plausible sensitivity to change would contribute to our understanding of landscape characteristics of importance to the conservation of farmland birds in a poorly studied region of Northwest Russia. We collected species data on farmland from 230 transects covering a total 215 km for each year of 2008, 2010 and 2011 and analysed them using generalised linear mixed modelling. We derived community indices from species traits of habitat specialisation, trophic position, relative brain size and body mass. By relating these indices to the numbers of all species regarded farmland and Species of European Conservation Concern (SPEC), and by analysing them against the type of field and occurrence in typical non-cropped landscape elements, we showed consistent, albeit weak, congruence among the taxonomic and trait-based community descriptors. All community descriptors had their lowest estimates in arable fields. Community specialisation was the highest in open abandoned fields, which confirms the importance of such fields as refuges for regionally specialised species. Pastures were characterised by the highest community biomass, which indicates a particularly good resource base. Presence of ditches, of all non-cropped elements, had the strongest positive relationship with the community descriptors. The SPEC number strongly correlated with the overall species richness of farmland birds. A relatively weak congruence between taxonomic and trait-based community descriptors highlights their cornplementarity in understanding the underlying mechanisms of community changes. However, similarity in patterns among field types means that, under the current level of production in the region, accounting for the species richness of farmland birds seems to be sufficient to rapidly assess community sensitivity to agricultural change.Peer reviewe

Distally based sural fasciomusculocutaneous flap for treatment of wounds of the distal third of the leg and ankle with exposed internal hardware

Soft tissue reconstruction of the distal third of the lower limb with exposure of the internal hardware is a challenging problem with several potential complications, such as exposure of the fracture line, fracture instability and bacterial contamination. The treatment of these lesions usually consists of substitution of the internal hardware with external fixation devices and further flap coverage. We propose a different reconstructive approach, characterized by harvesting a sural fasciomusculocutaneous flap on the exposed internal hardware once a sterile ground has been obtained. Four patients were retrospectively analyzed. Soft tissue reconstruction was achieved in all cases. In one case hardware removal was necessary for complete healing. The sural fasciomusculocutaneous flap is a safe alternative to other pedicled and free flaps. Moreover, it allows direct coverage of internal fixators, thus completing the reconstruction in less time. This flap fits best to the morphology of the wound and internal hardware, leaving the main vascular trunk of the leg intact and at the same time providing a reliable vascular supply

Assessing the effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention in preserving wintering waterbirds in the Mediterranean

lthough biological conservation is based on international agreements, its effectiveness depends on how countries implement such recommendations as effective conservation tools. The Ramsar Convention is the oldest international treaty for wetland and waterbird conservation, establishing the world's largest network of protected areas. However, since it does not constitute any binding measure, its effectiveness in protecting wintering waterbird populations at an international scale has been questioned. Here, we use long-term (1991–2012) count data to assess the effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention in the Mediterranean Basin. We compared abundance and temporal trends of 114 waterbird species between 251 Ramsar wetlands and 3486 non-Ramsar wetlands. We found that the Ramsar network is critical for wintering waterbirds, concentrating nearly half of all waterbirds counted in the Mediterranean Basin in only 7% of monitored wetlands. Waterbird trends followed a northwestsoutheast gradient, with a population decrease in the East. A significant and positive Ramsar effect on population trends was only found for the species of higher conservation concern in the Maghreb, particularly when a management plan was implemented. The Ramsar Convention was previously used on very important wetlands for waterbirds in Southern Europe, but is now an underused conservation tool. Our study suggests weaknesses in the use of Ramsar as an effective conservation tool in most of the Mediterranean Basin. However, the Ramsar Convention effectiveness to enhance waterbird populations in the Maghreb should encourage strengthening the Ramsar Convention. It should be done particularly in countries with limited environmental agreements and by systematic implementation of management plans. Conservation measures International conventions Protected areas Protection status Monitoring WetlandsacceptedVersio

A species-level trait dataset of bats in Europe and beyond

Knowledge of species' functional traits is essential for understanding biodiversity patterns, predicting the impacts of global environmental changes, and assessing the efficiency of conservation measures. Bats are major components of mammalian diversity and occupy a variety of ecological niches and geographic distributions. However, an extensive compilation of their functional traits and ecological attributes is still missing. Here we present EuroBatrait 1.0, the most comprehensive and up-to-date trait dataset covering 47 European bat species. The dataset includes data on 118 traits including genetic composition, physiology, morphology, acoustic signature, climatic associations, foraging habitat, roost type, diet, spatial behaviour, life history, pathogens, phenology, and distribution. We compiled the bat trait data obtained from three main sources: (i) a systematic literature and dataset search, (ii) unpublished data from European bat experts, and (iii) observations from large-scale monitoring programs. EuroBatrait is designed to provide an important data source for comparative and trait-based analyses at the species or community level. the dataset also exposes knowledge gaps in species, geographic and trait coverage, highlighting priorities for future data collection.Additional co-authors: Lisette Cantú-Salazar, Dina K. N. Dechmann, Tiphaine Devaux, Katrine Eldegard, Sasan Fereidouni, Joanna Furmankiewicz, Daniela Hamidovic, Davina L. Hill, Carlos Ibáñez, Jean-François Julien, Javier Juste, Peter Kaňuch, Carmi Korine, Alexis Laforge, Gaëlle Legras, Camille Leroux, Grzegorz Lesiński, Léa Mariton, Julie Marmet, Vanessa A. Mata, Clare M. Mifsud, Victoria Nistreanu, Roberto Novella-Fernandez, Hugo Rebelo, Niamh Roche, Charlotte Roemer, Ireneusz Ruczyński, Rune Sørås, Marcel Uhrin, Adriana Vella, Christian C. Voigt & Orly Razgou

Macroinvertebrate Diversity in Urban and Rural Ponds: Implications for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation

Ponds are among the most biodiverse freshwater ecosystems, yet face significant threats from removal, habitat degradation and a lack of legislative protection globally. Information regarding the habitat quality and biodiversity of ponds across a range of land uses is vital for the long term conservation and management of ecological resources. In this study we examine the biodiversity and conservation value of macroinvertebrates from 91 lowland ponds across 3 land use types (35 floodplain meadow, 15 arable and 41 urban ponds). A total of 224 macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded across all ponds, with urban ponds and floodplain ponds supporting a greater richness than arable ponds at the landscape scale. However, at the alpha scale, urban ponds supported lower faunal diversity (mean: 22 taxa) than floodplain (mean: 32 taxa) or arable ponds (mean: 30 taxa). Floodplain ponds were found to support taxonomically distinct communities compared to arable and urban ponds. A total of 13 macroinvertebrate taxa with a national conservation designation were recorded across the study area and 12 ponds (11 floodplain and 1 arable pond) supported assemblages of high or very high conservation value. Pond conservation currently relies on the designation of individual ponds based on very high biodiversity or the presence of taxa with specific conservation designations. However, this site specific approach fails to acknowledge the contribution of ponds to freshwater biodiversity at the landscape scale. Ponds are highly appropriate sites outside of protected areas (urban/arable), with which the general public are already familiar, for local and landscape scale conservation of freshwater habitats