Habitat Preferences of Breeding Amphibians in Eastern Spain

The aim of this research was to determine the reproductive habitat preferences of several species of amphibians in eastern Spain. We recorded amphibia presence/absence and measured biotic and abiotic variables at 67 ponds in a 43.5 km2 area representing a wide variety of aquatic ecosystems, such as temporary and semipermanent cisterns, drinking troughs, and natural and artificial ponds, all of various sizes and depths. We used this information to predict occupancy using Generalized Linear Models. We built models for the Iberian Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl), Iberian Green Frog (Pelophylax perezi), Common Midwife Toad (Alytes obstetricans), Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita), and Mediterranean Parsley Frog (Pelodytes hespericus). We also found Common Toad (Bufo spinosus) and Spadefoot Toad (Pelobates cultripes) but did not build models for them. The variables that explained occupancy were species specific, with depth and, especially, the type of substratum playing key roles in most of them. Type of substratum reflected pond age and was represented by hard substratum (associated with new artificial ponds and structures), hard substratum covered by soft sediment (associated with old artificial ponds and structures), and soft substratum (associated with old natural ponds). The differences among the species in occupancy models indicate that species-specific management actions may be necessary to preserve the amphibian community in the long term

Stable isotopes reveal differences in diet among reed bunting subspecies that vary in bill size

Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus subspecies vary considerably in bill size and shape and seem to be at an early stage of speciation, in which bill might be indirectly causing reproductive isolation. Hence, we evaluated whether bill size, as well as age and sex, are associated with foraging niche in three west European subspecies of reed bunting: the thin-billed schoeniclus, the intermediate-billed lusitanica and the thick-billed witherbyi. Blood sampling was undertaken at three sites in southwest Europe during the winter (when these subspecies co-occur), and stable isotope analyses (carbon and nitrogen) were performed to assess their foraging niches. Stable isotope analyses of potential food items confirmed uniform baseline isotopic composition among sites. schoeniclus showed a significantly broader isotopic niche than lusitanica and witherbyi, which seemed otherwise similar despite the fact that witherbyi is more divergent in bill traits. Stable isotope ratios were consistent with the latter two subspecies feeding on C3-plant-feeding insects, whereas schoeniclus diet also included C4 plant material. Despite its lower sexual dimorphism, sex and age differences were found only in schoeniclus, but these differences vary between locations in a complex manner. Our results suggest that bill size and shape differentiated between northern, migratory and southern, resident subspecies as a consequence of natural selection through competition during the winter, which is now reflected in isotopic niche divergence between subspecies. The potential roles of sexual selection, reed thickness and summer temperature on the difference in bill size (and greater sexual dimorphism) between lusitanica and witherbyi are discussed

Variación del peso de los pollos de Carbonero Común (Parus major) tras abandonar el nido.

Durante el periodo 1992-2000 se estudió la variación en el peso de 111 pollos de Carbonero Común (Parus major) desde que se pesaron en el nido el día 15 de vida (D15) hasta la fecha de su recaptura, como máximo un mes y medio más tarde, en un naranjal de Sagunto (Valencia). Los pollos más pesados al abandonar el nido tienden a perder peso, mientras que los más ligeros a ganarlo. Incluso con estos cambios de peso, los pollos más pesados en D15 siguen siéndolo en el momento de su recaptura. Los resultados sugieren que las variaciones en el peso se producen en el nido o pocos días después de abandonarlo

Seasonal wetlands in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Nicaragua: environmental characterisation and conservation state.

Seasonal wetlands in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Nicaragua: environmental characterisation and conservation status On the Pacific coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, rainfall patterns and clay-rich soils allow the development of extensive wetlands. These environments constitute unique habitats for the maintenance of aquatic biodiversity and provide significant ecological services to the surrounding seasonal dry forest. Despite these benefits, wetlands have been severely reduced in the last four decades, and little information is available on their biology and current conservation status. Here, we describe the main limnological traits of 30 sites representing different types of wetlands from four distinct physiographic regions: Tempisque River Lower Basin; Tempisque River Middle Basin; Delta del Estero Real River; and the Oriental Region of Nicaragua. At each site, samples were taken at the beginning (infilling phase), middle (maximum flooded areas) and end (desiccation phase) of the 2010 hydrological cycle. We analysed a set of water parameters (depth, temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, major ions and nutrient concentrations) and biological parameters (shoreline vegetation, chlorophyll a, macrophyte cover) and assessed the conservation status of wetlands using the Index of the State of Conservation of Shallow Lentic Ecosystems (ECELS). In most sites, the water was relatively clear with near basic pH-values, low conductivity, and low levels of dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates and sulphates. Chlorophyll a and alkalinity varied through the season and among regions. Ion concentrations were generally low in most wetlands except for those close to estuarine and marine coastal areas. A total of 49 taxa of aquatic plants were found in the study sites, the most common being the emergent Typha domingensis and Thalia geniculata, and the floating Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes. Wetlands within the same region exhibited We great similarity in their aquatic plant communities but not necessarily in their physicochemical attributes. According to the ECELS index, wetlands could be ranked from medium to good quality, although most of them are threatened by anthropogenic impacts, including those protected at Delta del Estero Real Nature Reserve (Nicaragua) and Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica). On the Pacific coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, rainfall patterns and clay-rich soils allow the development of extensive wetlands. These environments constitute unique habitats for the maintenance of aquatic biodiversity and provide significant ecological services to the surrounding seasonal dry forest. Despite these benefits, wetlands have been severely reduced in the last four decades, and little information is available on their biology and current conservation status. Here, we describe the main limnological traits of 30 sites representing different types of wetlands from four distinct physiographic regions: Tempisque River Lower Basin; Tempisque RiverMiddle Basin; Delta del Estero Real River; and the Oriental Region of Nicaragua. At each site, samples were taken at the beginning (infilling phase), middle (maximum flooded areas) and end (desiccation phase) of the 2010 hydrological cycle. We analysed a set of water parameters (depth, temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, major ions and nutrient concentrations) and biological parameters (shoreline vegetation, chlorophyll a, macrophyte cover) and assessed the conservation status of wetlands using the Index of the State of Conservation of Shallow Lentic Ecosystems (ECELS). In most sites, the water was relatively clear with near basic pH-values, low conductivity, and low levels of dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates and sulphates. Chlorophyll a and alkalinity varied through the season and among regions. Ion concentrations were generally low in most wetlands except for those close to estuarine and marine coastal areas. A total of 49 taxa of aquatic plants were found in the study sites, the most common being the emergent Typha domingensis and Thalia geniculata, and the floating Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes. Wetlands within the same region exhibited great similarity in their aquatic plant communities but not necessarily in their physicochemical attributes. According to the ECELS index, wetlands could be ranked from medium to good quality, although most of them are threatened by anthropogenic impacts, including those protected at Delta del Estero Real Nature Reserve (Nicaragua) and Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica)

Invasion biology in non-free-living species: interactions between abiotic (climatic) and biotic (host availability) factors in geographical space in crayfish commensals (Ostracoda, Entocytheridae)

In invasion processes, both abiotic and biotic factors are considered essential, but the latter are usually disregarded when modeling the potential spread of exotic species. In the framework of set theory, interactions between biotic (B), abiotic (A), and movement-related (M) factors in the geographical space can be hypothesized with BAM diagrams and tested using ecological niche models (ENMs) to estimate A and B areas. The main aim of our survey was to evaluate the interactions between abiotic (climatic) and biotic (host availability) factors in geographical space for exotic symbionts (i.e., non-free-living species), using ENM techniques combined with a BAM framework and using exotic Entocytheridae (Ostracoda) found in Europe as model organisms. We carried out an extensive survey to evaluate the distribution of entocytherids hosted by crayfish in Europe by checking 94 European localities and 12 crayfish species. Both exotic entocytherid species found, Ankylocythere sinuosa and Uncinocythere occidentalis, were widely distributed in W Europe living on the exotic crayfish species Procambarus clarkii and Pacifastacus leniusculus, respectively. No entocytherids were observed in the remaining crayfish species. The suitable area for A. sinuosa was mainly restricted by its own limitations to minimum temperatures in W and N Europe and precipitation seasonality in circum-Mediterranean areas. Uncinocythere occidentalis was mostly restricted by host availability in circum-Mediterranean regions due to limitations of P. leniusculus to higher precipitation seasonality and maximum temperatures. The combination of ENMs with set theory allows studying the invasive biology of symbionts and provides clues about biogeographic barriers due to abiotic or biotic factors limiting the expansion of the symbiont in different regions of the invasive range. The relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors on geographical space can then be assessed and applied in conservation plans. This approach can also be implemented in other systems where the target species is closely interacting with other taxa

Contribución del anillamiento al conocimiento y conservación de las aves en España: pasado, presente y futuro

El anillamiento científico de aves es una técnica de estudio con más de un siglo de historia que, probablemente, ha contribuido como ninguna otra metodología al conocimiento de la biología de este grupo faunístico. A pesar del desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías, el marcaje individual de aves mediante anillamiento sigue siendo una técnica plenamente vigente y necesaria. Aunque la evidencia científica sobre los beneficios de la aplicación del anillamiento en la Ornitología moderna es abrumadora, hoy vivimos un proceso de creciente desinformación que cuestiona el anillamiento de aves y su utilidad. Este dosier se ha elaborado con el fin de ofrecer una visión actualizada de la utilidad del anillamiento científico de aves en España. Ha sido elaborado por un nutrido grupo de expertos asociados a universidades y centros de investigación que abarcan buena parte de las áreas del conocimiento implicadas en el estudio y conservación de las aves. El dosier se divide en cuatro grandes apartados. (1) En primer lugar se hace una introducción sobre el anillamiento como metodología y se resumen las grandes cifras del anillamiento en España donde, hasta la fecha, se han anillado algo más de 10.000.000 de aves y se han registrado 700.000 recuperaciones (en la actualidad se anillan unas 380.000 aves y se obtienen unas 30.000 recuperaciones anualmente). (2) En un segundo bloque se resume la aplicación del anillamiento en diferentes aproximaciones al estudio científico de las aves, que van apoyadas por numerosas referencias bibliográficas sobre trabajos llevados a cabo en España. Gracias al anillamiento se han podido abordar múltiples estudios sobre movimientos y migraciones, reproducción, demografía, enfermedades, morfología, muda e identificación y taxonomía. (3) Un tercer bloque se centra en la utilidad del anillamiento más allá de la investigación básica. Es el caso de la conservación, la gestión de especies cinegéticas y el estudio de los impactos del cambio global sobre las aves, por un lado, y la educación ambiental, formación y ciencia ciudadana, por otro. (4) Finalmente, se abordan algunas ideas sobre los retos actuales y perspectivas de futuro del anillamiento en España

Trophic ecology of Gymnodactylus geckoides Spix, 1825 (Squamata, Phyllodactylidae) from Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil

The diet of lizards is mainly composed of arthropods. It can be affected by biotic and abiotic factors, which influence the energy supply provided by the composition of the animal´s diet. The richness and abundance of many arthropod species can be influenced by environmental seasonality, especially in the Caatinga ecoregion, due to the rainfall regimes. The present study aims to describe aspects of the seasonal and morphological variation in the lizard Gymnodactylus geckoides diet and their energy content. We collected 157 individuals (63 females, 68 males, and 26 juveniles) at the Catimbau National Park, Northeastern Brazil, of which 72 were analyzed for the dry season and 59 for the rainy season. Our data indicates Isoptera to be the most common prey in G. geckoides’s diet. Energy content, prey number was higher in the dry season, whereas prey volume and glycogen content increased in the rainy season. Proteins and lipids did not show marked differences. The present study represents the first effort to understand variations in G. geckoide’s trophic ecology, indicating that this specie presents a wide variation in their diet, especially when considering seasonal factors, revealing their needs and restrictions according to prey availability and environmental conditions

Similar dispersal patterns between two closely related birds with contrasting migration strategies

Studying dispersal is crucial to understand metapopulation and sink-source dynamics and invasion processes. The capability to disperse is especially important for species living in fragmented habitats like wetlands. We investigated the distribution of natal and breeding dispersal distances and philopatry in Spanish populations of two closely related reedbed-nesting birds, the Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon and the Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus. These warblers are morphologically very similar, but differ in migration strategy and, in our study area, in population size. Our aims were to find the best model for dispersal distances and to assess the occurrence of intra- or interspecific differences in dispersal patterns. We used ringing data from the Spanish marking scheme and selected recaptures to avoid including migrating individuals. In both species, most individuals were philopatric but dispersing birds were able to cross large distances (up to more than 100 km), suggesting the capability to compensate for habitat fragmentation. We found the heavy-tailed Cauchy distribution to be the best conceptual description for our data, in all cases but natal dispersal of Moustached Warblers. Among Eurasian Reed Warblers, natal philopatry was lower than breeding philopatry. We found no significant interspecific differences. This does not confirm the hypothesis of higher dispersal ability in long distance migrants (like Eurasian Reed Warblers) than in resident/short distance migrant bird species (like Moustached Warblers). 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