Find research datasets worth reusing

opencc-by-4.0Jul 2021View details →

Data from: Feeding sites promoting wildlife-related tourism might highly expose the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) to parasite transmission. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95166-5

An increasing number of studies have found that the implementation of feeding sites for wildlife-related tourism can affect animal health, behaviour and reproduction. Feeding sites can favour high densities, home range overlap, greater sedentary behaviour and increased interspecific contacts, all of which might promote parasite transmission. In the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti), human interventions via provisioning monkeys at specific feeding sites have led to the sub-structuring of a group into genetically differentiated sub-groups. The fed subgroup is located near human hamlets and interacts with domesticated animals. Using high-throughput sequencing, we investigated Entamoeba species diversity in a local host assemblage strongly influenced by provisioning for wildlife-related tourism. We identified 13 Entamoeba species or lineages in faeces of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, humans and domesticated animals (including pigs, cattle, and domestic chicken). In Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, Entamoeba prevalence and OTU richness were higher in the fed than in the wild subgroup. Entamoeba polecki was found in monkeys, pigs and humans, suggesting that this parasite might circulates between the wild and domestic components of this local social–ecological system. The highest proportion of faeces positive for Entamoeba in monkeys geographically coincided with the presence of livestock and humans. These elements suggest that feeding sites might indirectly play a role on parasite transmission in the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. The implementation of such sites should carefully consider the risk of creating hotspots of disease transmission, which should be prevented by maintaining a buffer zone between monkeys and livestock/humans. Regular screenings for pathogens in fed subgroup are necessary to monitor transmission risk in order to balance the economic development of human communities dependent on wildlife-related tourism, and the conservation of the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2021View details →

Data for Ferretto et al, 2021 "Naturally-detached fragments of the endangered seagrass Posidonia australis collected by citizen scientists can be used to successfully restore fragmented meadows"

Please find attached the data for the manuscript "Ferretto et al, 2021" and a brief description of each file.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2006View details →

Figure 1 in Ecology and conservation of the endangered quillwort Isoetes sinensis in China

Figure 1. Map of China showing the location of the study sites, Jiande and Xiuning (w).

Figure 3 in The rarest of the rare: rediscovery and status of the critically endangered Belem Curassow, Crax fasciolata pinima (Pelzeln, 1870)

Figure 3. Crax fasciolata pinima male kept in captivity at the Terra Indígena Mãe Maria. Photo credits: Gustavo Gonsioroski.

Figure 2 in The rarest of the rare: rediscovery and status of the critically endangered Belem Curassow, Crax fasciolata pinima (Pelzeln, 1870)

Figure 2. Crax fasciolata pinima male at the Terra Indígena Mãe Maria (TIMM). Images extracted from recordings of the camera trap.

Figure 1 in The rarest of the rare: rediscovery and status of the critically endangered Belem Curassow, Crax fasciolata pinima (Pelzeln, 1870)

Figure 1. Study area, showing the historical and recent documented and undocumented records of Crax fasciolata pinima at the Belem Centre of Endemism.

Figure 4 in The rarest of the rare: rediscovery and status of the critically endangered Belem Curassow, Crax fasciolata pinima (Pelzeln, 1870)

Figure 4. Crax fasciolata pinima male kept in captivity by a resident of the Marmorana settlement, Alto Alegre do Pindaré, Maranhão, Novembro 12th, 2017. Photo credits: Emanuel Barreto.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2007View details →

Fig. 9 in Hybridization Between the Endangered Unisexual Gray-Checkered Whiptail Lizard (Aspidoscelis dixoni) and the Bisexual Western Whiptail Lizard (Aspidoscelis tigris) in Southwestern New Mexico

Fig. 9. Antelope Pass, Peloncillo Mountains, Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Photo by C.W.P., April 1,

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2009View details →

Figure 8 in The radiation of red colobus monkeys (Primates, Colobinae): morphological evolution in a clade of endangered African primates

Figure 8. Males. Phenogram of the species mean shapes. See Figure 7 for further explanation.

opencc-zeroSep 2021View details →

Genetic variability, management, and conservation implications of the critically endangered Brazilian pitviper Bothrops insularis

Information on demographic, genetic, and environmental parameters of wild and captive animal populations has proven to be crucial to conservation programs and strategies. Genetic approaches in conservation programs of Brazilian snakes remain scarce despite their importance for critically endangered species, such as Bothrops insularis, the golden lancehead, which is endemic to Ilha da Queimada Grande, coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. This study aims to (i) characterize the genetic diversity of ex-situ and in-situ populations of B. insularis using heterologous microsatellites; (ii) investigate genetic structure among and within these populations; and (iii) provide data for the conservation program of the species. Twelve informative microsatellites obtained from three species of the B. neuwiedi group were used to access genetic diversity indexes of ex-situ and in-situ populations. Low-to-medium genetic diversity parameters were found. Both populations showed low — albeit significant — values of system of mating inbreeding coefficient, whereas only the in-situ population showed a significant value of pedigree inbreeding coefficient. Significant values of genetic differentiation indexes suggest a small differentiation between the two populations. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) recovered five clusters. No geographic relationship was found in the island, suggesting the occurrence of gene flow. Also, our data allowed the establishment of six preferential breeding couples, aiming to minimize inbreeding and elucidate uncertain parental relationships in the captive population. In a conservation perspective, continuous monitoring of both populations is demanded: it involves the incorporation of new individuals from the island into the captive population to avoid inbreeding and to achieve the recommended allelic similarity between the two populations. At last, we recommend that the genetic data support researches as a base to maintain a viable and healthy captive population, highly genetically similar to the in-situ one, which is crucial for considering a reintroduction process into the island.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2021View details →

Supporting data of "Temperature and barometric pressure affect the activity intensity and movement of an endangered thermoconforming lizard"

JOURNAL PUBLICATION CITATION: Daniel Ariano-Sánchez, Rasmus M. Mortensen, Rory P. Wilson, Peder Bjureke, Stefanie Reinhardt and Frank Rosell. Temperature and barometric pressure affect the activity intensity and movement of an endangered thermoconforming lizard. Ecosphere. ------------ Raw data in RDS format and R codes of movement paths and step-selection function analyses ------------- CleanDBALMM.R – R script of the LMM for VeDBA from obtained from the daily diaries in the backpack system. CleanGPSHeloderma.R – R script for calculation of step-lengths, bearings and turning angles from the GPS data of the Guatemalan Beaded Lizards tracked, including the LMM and circular-linear regressions. CleanSSF.R – R script of the step-selection functions. DBAHeloderma.rds – Raw data of the Guatemalan Beaded Lizard movement obtained from the daily diaries in the backpack system. GPSData.rds - Raw data of the Guatemalan Beaded Lizard movement obtained from GPS tags. ssf3.rds – Dataset for the step-section functions.

opencc-zeroOct 2022View details →

Does ivermectin treatment for endemic hookworm infection alter the gut microbiota of endangered Australian sea lion pups?

The gut microbiota is essential for the development and maintenance of the hosts' immune system. Disturbances to the gut microbiota in early life stages can result in long-lasting impacts on host health. This study aimed to determine if topical ivermectin treatment for endemic hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) infection in endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) pups resulted in gut microbial changes. The gut microbiota was characterised for untreated (control) (n = 23) and treated (n = 23) Australian sea lion pups sampled during the 2019 and 2020/21 breeding seasons at Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island. Samples were collected pre- and post-treatment on up to four occasions over a four-to-five-month period. The gut microbiota of untreated (control) and treated pups in both seasons were dominated by five bacterial phyla, Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroides. A significant difference in alpha diversity between treatment groups was seen in pups sampled during the 2020/21 breeding season (p = 0.008), with higher richness and diversity in treated pups. Modeling the impact of individual pup identification (ID), capture, pup weight (kg), standard length (cm), age, and sex on beta diversity revealed that pup ID accounted for most of the variation (35% in 2019 and 42% in 2020/21), with pup ID, capture, and age being the only significant contributors to microbial variation (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the composition of the microbiota between treatment groups in both the 2019 and 2020/21 breeding seasons, indicating that topical ivermectin treatment did not alter the composition of the gut microbiota. To our knowledge, this is the first study to characterise the gut microbiota of free-ranging Australian pinniped pups, compare the composition across multiple time points, and consider the impact of parasitic treatment on the overall diversity and microbial composition of the gut microbiota. Importantly, the lack of compositional changes in the gut microbiota with topical ivermectin treatment supports the utility of topical ivermectin as a safe and minimally invasive management strategy to enhance pup survival in this endangered species.

opencc-zeroNov 2022View details →

Vindication of Physcomitrium pygmaeum (Funariaceae), an elusive and endangered moss from North America's Great Basin

Physcomitrium pygmaeum is an ephemeral moss described in 1871 from a single collection from Utah, currently considered conspecific with Physcomitrium pyriforme. The interpretation of the taxon has been problematic due to its rarity in the field, the elusiveness of the type material, and an extremely scattered and inconsistent collection record. Here we present a comprehensive description and assessment of the taxon following the identification of the original material and lectotype designation, the examination of all herbarium specimens existing to the best of our knowledge, the collection of fresh material in Nevada, and the molecular barcoding of the latter using four plastid and two nuclear loci. Available information, albeit scant, suggests that this member of the North American bryoflora should be considered critically endangered following IUCN criteria.

Data from: Top-down control of a marine mesopredator: Increase in native white-tailed eagles accelerates the extinction of an endangered seabird population

1. Bottom-up control is an important regulator of marine mesopredators such as seabirds. The prevalence of top-down control on these species is however less well understood. In particular, how native predators affect seabird populations has rarely been quantified. 2. Here, we investigate how an increase in white-tailed eagles in northern Norway, a stronghold for the species, affected a local population of 25,000 pairs of black-legged kittiwakes, a red-listed seabird, during a 42-year period ending with colony extinction. We use a natural experiment of two neighbouring colonies with/without eagle predation to disentangle the effects of eagles from local kittiwake foraging conditions (using size of young herring as a proxy). 3. At the colony where eagle predation occurred, and in contrast to the eagle-free colony, kittiwake breeding success and population size declined with increased eagle abundance, the latter more strongly under poor foraging conditions. Breeding success increased with foraging conditions at both colonies. 4. Simple population modelling shows that although conditions were insufficient to sustain the eagle-exposed colony, the increased abundance of eagles sped up its extirpation by many years. 5. Policy implications. Our study shows that top-down effects from avian predators can be significant regulators of seabird populations, challenging their conservation where native, often protected, predators are rising. Such effects, and their possible interaction with other factors, must also be accounted for when using seabird demographic traits as environmental indicators and when developing more flexible and effective management and action plans.

Genetic population dynamics of the critically endangered scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

The scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, is a Critically Endangered, migratory species known for its tendency to form iconic and visually spectacular large aggregations. Herein, we investigated the population genetic dynamics of the scalloped hammerhead across much of its distribution in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), ranging from Costa Rica to Ecuador, focusing on young‐of‐the‐year animals from putative coastal nursery areas and adult females from seasonal aggregations that form in the northern Galápagos Islands. Nuclear microsatellites and partial mitochondrial control region sequences showed little evidence of population structure, suggesting that scalloped hammerheads in this ETP region comprise a single genetic stock. Galápagos aggregations of adults were not comprised of related individuals, suggesting that kinship does not play a role in the formation of the repeated, annual gatherings at these remote offshore locations. Despite high levels of fisheries exploitation of this species in the ETP, the adult scalloped hammerheads here showed greater genetic diversity compared with adult conspecifics from other parts of the species' global distribution. A phylogeographic analysis of available, globally sourced, mitochondrial control region sequence data (n = 1,818 sequences) revealed that scalloped hammerheads comprise three distinct matrilines corresponding to the three major world ocean basins, highlighting the need for conservation of these evolutionarily unique lineages. This study provides the first view of the genetic properties of a scalloped hammerhead aggregation, and the largest sample size‐based investigation of population structure and phylogeography of this species in the ETP to date.

Methodological challenges in the genomic analysis of an endangered mammal population with low genetic diversity

Recently, populations of various species with very low genetic diversity have been discovered. Some of these persist in the long term, but others could face extinction due to accelerated loss of fitness. In this work, we characterize 45 individuals of one of these populations, belonging to the Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus). For this, we used the ddRADseq technique, which generated 1,421 SNPs. The heterozygosity values of the analyzed individuals were among the lowest recorded for mammals, ranging from 26 to 91 SNPs/Mb. Furthermore, the individuals from one of the localities, highly isolated due to strong barriers, presented extremely high inbreeding coefficients, with values above 0.7. Under this scenario of low genetic diversity and elevated inbreeding levels, some individuals appeared to be almost genetically identical. We used different methods and simulations to determine if genetic identification and parentage analysis were possible in this population. Only one of the methods, which does not assume population homogeneity, was able to identify all individuals correctly. Therefore, genetically impoverished populations pose a great methodological challenge for their genetic study. However, these populations are of primary scientific and conservation interest, so it is essential to characterize them genetically and improve genomic methodologies for their research.

Data for: Context dependency in interference competition among birds in an endangered woodland ecosystem

Aim Much research has quantified species responses to human-modified ecosystems. However, there has been relatively limited work on how human-modified ecosystems may reshape competitive interactions between species. Using extensive data gathered over 19 years across an area exceeding three million ha, we asked: Are levels of interference competition between bird species context-dependent and influenced by habitat structure and productivity? We focussed on the hyper-aggressive behaviour of the Noisy Miner, which has been recognised as a Key Threatening Process for other woodland bird species. Location Temperate woodlands of south-eastern Australia Methods We constructed Bayesian multi-species occupancy/detection models of bird species in woodland patches and tested the fixed and interactive effects of Noisy Miner presence, the amount of tree cover, net primary productivity, and time. We quantified the responses of 31 species, many with known interactions with the Noisy Miner documented in previous studies at fine spatial scales. However, whether environmental conditions such as amount of forest cover and net primary productivity mediate the impact of Noisy Miners remains untested at large spatial scales and over decadal time scales. Results We identified negative associations between the Noisy Miner and 18 bird species, including, unexpectedly, both small- and large-bodied taxa. Site occupancy in some species was influenced by interactions between Noisy Miner presence and increasing amounts of tree cover or productivity. Our results suggest that for some species, interference competition by the Noisy Miner is context-dependent and mitigated by increasing tree cover and/or increasing net primary productivity Main conclusions Areas of high productivity or tree cover may be important refugia for some species of woodland birds. Vegetation clearing that reduces tree cover could likely strengthen interference competition by the Noisy Miner on parts of the remaining woodland bird community, including species of conservation concern.

Dietary plasticity linked to divergent growth trajectories in a critically endangered sea turtle

Foraging habitat selection and diet quality are key factors that influence individual fitness and metapopulation dynamics through effects on demographic rates. There is growing evidence that sea turtles exhibit regional differences in somatic growth linked to alternative dispersal patterns during the oceanic life stage. Yet, the role of habitat quality and diet in shaping somatic growth rates is poorly understood. Here, we evaluate whether diet variation is linked to regional growth variation in hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), which grow significantly slower in Texas versus Florida (USA), through novel integrations of skeletal growth, gastrointestinal content (GI), and bulk tissue and amino acid (AA)-specific stable nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses. We also used AA δ15N ΣV values (heterotrophic bacterial re-synthesis index) and δ13C essential AA (δ13CEAA) fingerprinting to test assumptions about the energy sources fueling hawksbill food webs regionally. GI content analyses, framed within a global synthesis of hawksbill dietary plasticity, revealed that relatively fast-growing hawksbills stranded in Florida conformed with assumptions of extensive spongivory for this species. In contrast, relatively slow-growing hawksbills stranded in Texas consumed considerable amounts of non-sponge invertebrate prey and appear to forage higher in the food web as indicated by isotopic niche metrics and higher AA δ15N-based trophic position estimates internally indexed to baseline N variation. However, regional differences in estimated trophic position may also be driven by unique isotope dynamics of sponge food webs. AA δ15N ΣV values and δ13CEAA fingerprinting indicated minimal bacterial resynthesis of organic matter (ΣV < 2) and that eukaryotic microalgae were the primary energy source supporting hawksbill food webs. These findings run contrary to assumptions that hawksbill diets predominantly comprise high microbial abundance sponges expected to primarily derive energy from bacterial symbionts. Our findings suggest alternative foraging patterns could underlie regional variation in hawksbill growth rates, as divergence from conventional sponge prey might correspond with increased energy expenditure and reduced foraging success or diet quality. As a result, differential dispersal patterns may infer substantial individual and population fitness costs and represent a previously unrecognized challenge to the persistence and recovery of this critically endangered species.

Drawing on local knowledge and attitudes for the conservation of critically endangered rhino rays in Goa, India

In the context of marine species declines in data-limited regions, local ecological knowledge (LEK) is a valuable source of information on species ecology and historical trends. LEK can also help understand how threatened species exist within a local culture, in terms of their uses and values, and reveal attitudes toward their conservation. Rhino rays (guitarfish and wedgefish) are highly threatened by overfishing with most species Critically Endangered, yet poorly studied in countries like India that fish them the most. We drew on LEK to understand the socio-ecological status of rhino rays in Goa, on the west coast of India. We investigated their habitat use and seasonality, interaction with fisheries, socio-economic uses, and relational values. We also explored attitudes of fishers towards rhino rays and their conservation. A combination of semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews (88 in total) were conducted with fishers at multiple sites. Local knowledge suggests that nearshore habitats around river mouths form important nursery grounds for some rhino rays, and provided insights into their seasonality and breeding. Rhino rays appeared to be targeted historically but are entirely bycaught at present, with the highest catches in gillnets and in the South Goa district, during September and October. LEK indicated that taxa like sawfish (Pristis spp.) and wedgefish (Rhynchobatus spp.) have severely declined or disappeared from this region. We coded different relational values, from recreation (rhino rays are consumed and enjoyed with alcohol) to symbolic values (rhino rays are considered lucky). All key informants expressed positive attitudes towards rhino ray conservation and stated that a ban on landing these species would have little to no impact on fisher earnings. The usefulness of LEK suggests it should be brought into the scientific mainstream to support development of more equitable and socially-appropriate management plans. Fostering relational values can reinforce fishers' positive attitudes, thereby enhancing rhino ray conservation. Their low commercial value and potentially high post-capture survival suggest that using norm-based approaches to promote live release may be successful. Further research on rhino ray ecology and human dimensions can support the development of appropriate conservation interventions.