Warming threat compounds habitat degradation impacts on a tropical butterfly community in Vietnam

AbstractSpecies are threatened globally by multiple and often synergistic environmental changes including habitat loss, fragmentation and climate change. However, how these changes act in concert is poorly understood, especially in the tropics where the vast majority of biodiversity resides. Here, using a unique dataset covering 10~years of butterfly surveys (2003–2013) at Tam Dao National Park in northern Vietnam, we examined the combined impacts of habitat degradation (following intensive infrastructure development in 2005) and the possible threat of warming (extrapolating upon the relationship between natural climatic variation and community indices) for tropical butterfly communities. We found that both habitat degradation and warmer temperatures led to fewer narrow-range and forest-associated species comprising the sampled communities. Under projected climate change scenarios, the impact of warming was comparable to habitat degradation with respect to community change, and degraded forest communities were projected to shift towards cosmopolitan and non-forest species even more. The tropics have been heavily deforested world-wide and also suffer from heavy impacts of degradation and fragmentation, especially road construction. Warming will compound habitat degradation impacts such that the conservation of tropical biodiversity will require addressing these multiple global changes simultaneously

Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .)

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Estimates of sex ratio require the incorporation of unequal catchability between sexes

Context: Estimates of the sex ratio of a population are a common summary statistic used for ecological studies and conservation planning. However, methods to determine the sex ratio often ignore capture probability, which can lead to a perceived bias in the sex ratio when the sexes are detected at different rates. Aims: To illustrate the bias from conventional count-based analysis methods for determining sex ratio by comparison with analytical methods that include capture probability. Methods: Closed-population mark–recapture analysis was used to determine the population size of each sex within a population of green and golden bell frogs (Litoria aurea). This was then compared with the traditional count-based methods of estimating sex ratio to determine the effect of incorporating capture probability on the sex ratio estimate. Key results. More males than females were detected during surveys, producing a male-biased sex ratio when there was no incorporation of capture probability. Mark–recapture results indicated a similar population size between the two sexes, suggesting that the sex ratio is closer to even. Conclusions: Methods to estimate sex ratio that incorporate capture probability can significantly reduce the bias obtained from count data. Implications: We suggest that population studies must incorporate capture probability to determine the sex ratio of a population

Jensen’s Inequality and the Impact of Short-Term Environmental Variability on Long-Term Population Growth Rates

<div><p>It is well established in theory that short-term environmental fluctuations could affect the long-term growth rates of wildlife populations, but this theory has rarely been tested and there remains little empirical evidence that the effect is actually important in practice. Here we develop models to quantify the effects of daily, seasonal, and yearly temperature fluctuations on the average population growth rates, and we apply them to long-term data on the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor); an endothermic species whose population growth rates follow a concave relationship with temperature. We demonstrate for the first time that the current levels of temperature variability, particularly seasonal variability, are already large enough to substantially reduce long-term population growth rates. As the climate changes, our results highlight the importance of considering the ecological effects of climate variability and not just average conditions.</p></div

Life stage specific variation in the occupancy of ponds by Litoria aurea, a threatened amphibian

Breeding aggregations are a reproductive strategy to increase mate finding opportunity. However, because aggregations skew the distribution of mature animals through conspecific attraction, rather than resource availability, the distribution of breeding sites may be reduced, so that not all suitable breeding sites are used. To examine the relationship between landscape and reproductive strategies of a threatened frog, Litoria aurea, we studied its distribution at Sydney Olympic Park over two breeding seasons. We aimed to: (i) determine the distribution and predictors of breeding ponds; and (ii) assess the significance of dispersal in the juvenile age-class. We found that the distribution of the calling males was highly skewed and occurred in large, well-connected ponds. Despite this, breeding ponds were not aggregated; pond size was the single factor explaining the distribution of breeding ponds. Juvenile frogs dispersed from breeding ponds and were not associated with a specific pond characteristic. Less breeding occurred in the second season during which fewer ponds were used for breeding including many different ponds from the previous year. These changes suggest that breeding effort and breeding pond choice are dynamic and therefore knowledge of the factors that drive breeding events will be a powerful tool in managing species, particularly in light of changing climatic regimes

Winter microhabitat selection of a threatened pond amphibian in constructed urban wetlands

Mitigating the threat of habitat loss requires actions such as restoring and creating new habitat. In order to effectively achieve this, species habitat requirements and use patterns need to be understood. While many studies have been conducted on the habitat choice of species, these generally focused on habitat use during periods of high activity and detection probability without considering seasonal shifts in habitat use. Understanding habitat selection by frogs during the winter season of low activity may be crucial since it may differ from that used during the summer and may be overlooked as important for population success. We describe the microhabitat use of the threatened green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) using radio tracking methods during winter when detection is low and knowledge is limited. We followed 26 individuals between May and July, 2011 to determine whether they selected specific overwintering microhabitats and related this to levels of individual exposure to predators, distance from the edge of the water and temperature of microhabitats. We found that overwintering bell frogs inhabited reeds and rock gabions more frequently than expected and that females used a reduced subset of microhabitats compared to males. Additionally, microhabitats used were more likely to conceal an individual from view, and the majority of overwintering sites were located within 5 m of the edge of the water which may be important for reducing the risk of predation and desiccation. Rock gabions had significantly warmer (1.2°C-1.8°C) mean temperatures than the other microhabitats used. The information presented here can be used in habitat creation and reintroduction programmes to provide habitat which is suitable during both the breeding and non-breeding season for the conservation of other populations

Life stage specific variation in the occupancy of ponds by Litoria aurea, a threatened amphibian

Breeding aggregations are a reproductive strategy to increase mate finding opportunity. However, because aggregations skew the distribution of mature animals through conspecific attraction, rather than resource availability, the distribution of breeding sites may be reduced, so that not all suitable breeding sites are used. To examine the relationship between landscape and reproductive strategies of a threatened frog, Litoria aurea, we studied its distribution at Sydney Olympic Park over two breeding seasons. We aimed to: (i) determine the distribution and predictors of breeding ponds; and (ii) assess the significance of dispersal in the juvenile age-class. We found that the distribution of the calling males was highly skewed and occurred in large, well-connected ponds. Despite this, breeding ponds were not aggregated; pond size was the single factor explaining the distribution of breeding ponds. Juvenile frogs dispersed from breeding ponds and were not associated with a specific pond characteristic. Less breeding occurred in the second season during which fewer ponds were used for breeding including many different ponds from the previous year. These changes suggest that breeding effort and breeding pond choice are dynamic and therefore knowledge of the factors that drive breeding events will be a powerful tool in managing species, particularly in light of changing climatic regimes

Winter microhabitat selection of a threatened pond amphibian in constructed urban wetlands

Mitigating the threat of habitat loss requires actions such as restoring and creating new habitat. In order to effectively achieve this, species habitat requirements and use patterns need to be understood. While many studies have been conducted on the habitat choice of species, these generally focused on habitat use during periods of high activity and detection probability without considering seasonal shifts in habitat use. Understanding habitat selection by frogs during the winter season of low activity may be crucial since it may differ from that used during the summer and may be overlooked as important for population success. We describe the microhabitat use of the threatened green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) using radio tracking methods during winter when detection is low and knowledge is limited. We followed 26 individuals between May and July, 2011 to determine whether they selected specific overwintering microhabitats and related this to levels of individual exposure to predators, distance from the edge of the water and temperature of microhabitats. We found that overwintering bell frogs inhabited reeds and rock gabions more frequently than expected and that females used a reduced subset of microhabitats compared to males. Additionally, microhabitats used were more likely to conceal an individual from view, and the majority of overwintering sites were located within 5m of the edge of the water which may be important for reducing the risk of predation and desiccation. Rock gabions had significantly warmer (1.2 degrees C-1.8 degrees C) mean temperatures than the other microhabitats used. The information presented here can be used in habitat creation and reintroduction programmes to provide habitat which is suitable during both the breeding and non-breeding season for the conservation of other populations

Achieving no net loss in habitat offset of a threatened frog required high offset ratio and intensive monitoring

The use of habitat offset to mitigate the impact of development on threatened species is becoming increasingly popular. Despite a plethora of theoretical work on the requirements of habitat offset to achieve no net loss, there are very few examples of successful habitat offset programs and monitoring regimes to detect success. We present a case study of a population of the threatened green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) which was impacted by urban development through the removal of nine ponds. Development was concurrent with habitat offset and construction of a large number of ponds which resulted in a 19-fold increase in available pond area. Through the use of mark recapture surveys, the population size was determined pre- and post-development. Despite the creation of ponds in the immediate vicinity of the development there was a decrease in the pond area and a measured decline in the population located within the area where the development occurred. However, the overall pond construction program also involved the addition of considerable habitat away from the immediate vicinity of the development which resulted in a 19-fold increase in pond area and an approximate 1.2–3.5-fold increase in population size. No net loss in population size to 95% confidence was achieved only when including all pond construction. This study demonstrated that to achieve no net loss for a habitat offset program can require extensive levels of habitat creation with intensive monitoring to detect it