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At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS2020

An ecological and conservation perspective

Natural ecosystems are facing unprecedented threats which directly threaten human well-being through decreases in critical ecosystem services (IPBES 2019). The top five drivers causing the largest global impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem services include: 1) changes in land and sea use; 2) direct exploitation of organisms; 3) climate change; 4) pollution, and 5) invasive alien species (IPBES 2019). Although One Health acknowledges the link between the health of humans, animals, and the environment, One Health discussions have historically focused on the prevention and control of infectious disease at the human-animal interface rather than these large-scale drivers of health. While One Health has succeeded in bringing awareness to the need for proactive disease control measures such as strengthened biosecurity and vaccine development (e.g., Machalaba et al., 2018; Middleton et al., 2014), disease is only one component of health. In this chapter, we explore the potential for One Health to shift its focus from disease prevention to health promotion to more fully integrate solutions that protect the health of humans, animals, and the ecosystems on which we all depend for our economies, livelihoods, food security, and health. This shift will facilitate a more seamless inclusion of ecological health and environmental conservation in the One Health paradigm and can serve as the basis for a comprehensive approach to complex problems at the root of global health. We also suggest a framework for creating and applying health metrics for wildlife and ecological systems that will be essential for measuring the success of actions aimed at maintaining or shifting systems to desired states.

Book chapter↗
USGS2020

Editorial: North American monarch butterfly ecology and conservation

Spanning Canada, the United States, and Mexico, North America contains two populations of the migratory monarch butterfly ( Danaus plexippus ). The smaller “western” population overwinters in groves along the California coast and breeds west of the Rocky Mountains, while the much larger “eastern” population breeds east of the Rocky Mountains and overwinters in Oyamel fir forests in central Mexico. Both populations have declined in the last 20 to 30 years, leading to a formal petition in 2014 to list the species as threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) and a recommendation in 2016 for listing as endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk act.

Frontiers in Ecology and Conservation↗
USGS2009

Zoogeography, conservation, and ecology of crayfishes within the Cheat River basin of the Upper Monongehela River drainage, West Virginia

During summer 2008, we studied the geographic distribution and conservation status of crayfishes within the Cheat River basin of the upper Monongahela River drainage. Stream sites (n = 73) were selected with a probabilistic sampling design, whereas one reservoir (Cheat Lake) and seven terrestrial sites for burrowing crayfishes were selected non-randomly. Stream crayfishes were seined or hand-collected following standardized protocols, and physical habitat and physiochemical water quality parameters were recorded at each site. Cambarus b. bartonii , C. carinirostris , and Orconectes obscurus were initially documented within the Cheat River basin in 1956. Surveys conducted in the late 1980s documented the presence of C. carinirostris , C. dubius , C. monongalensis , and O. obscurus . Our data on crayfish distributions from 2008 are consistent with those of the late 1980s. Survey data from 1956, however, indicated depauperate populations of Cambarus throughout the basin during a time period of basin-wide habitat and water quality degradation. Currently, C. carinirostris is abundant throughout the Cheat River system, except in areas with low pH and elevated conductivity. Orconectes obscurus populations within the Cheat River basin are stable and occur primarily in higher stream orders. Future astacological efforts in the Cheat River basin, however, are needed to define the distribution of the basins two burrowing species, C. dubius and C. monongalensis .

West Vigninia↗
USGS2006

The importance of physiological ecology in conservation biology

Many of the threats to the persistence of populations of sensitive species have physiological or pathological mechanisms, and those mechanisms are best understood through the inherently integrative discipline of physiological ecology. The desert tortoise was listed under the Endangered Species Act largely due to a newly recognized upper respiratory disease thought to cause mortality in individuals and severe declines in populations. Numerous hypotheses about the threats to the persistence of desert tortoise populations involve acquisition of nutrients, and its connection to stress and disease. The nutritional wisdom hypothesis posits that animals should forage not for particular food items, but instead, for particular nutrients such as calcium and phosphorus used in building bones. The optimal foraging hypothesis suggests that, in circumstances of resource abundance, tortoises should forage as dietary specialists as a means of maximizing intake of resources. The optimal digestion hypothesis suggests that tortoises should process ingesta in ways that regulate assimilation rate. Finally, the cost-of-switching hypothesis suggests that herbivores, like the desert tortoise, should avoid switching food types to avoid negatively affecting the microbe community responsible for fermenting plants into energy and nutrients. Combining hypotheses into a resource acquisition theory leads to novel predictions that are generally supported by data presented here. Testing hypotheses, and synthesizing test results into a theory, provides a robust scientific alternative to the popular use of untested hypotheses and unanalyzed data to assert the needs of species. The scientific approach should focus on hypotheses concerning anthropogenic modifications of the environment that impact physiological processes ultimately important to population phenomena. We show how measurements of such impacts as nutrient starvation, can cause physiological stress, and that the endocrine mechanisms involved with stress can result in disease. Finally, our new syntheses evince a new hypothesis. Free molecules of the stress hormone corticosterone can inhibit immunity, and the abundance of "free corticosterone" in the blood (thought to be the active form of the hormone) is regulated when the corticosterone molecules combine with binding globulins. The sex hormone, testosterone, combines with the same binding globulin. High levels of testosterone, naturally occurring in the breeding season, may be further enhanced in populations at high densities, and the resulting excess testosterone may compete with binding globulins, thereby releasing corticosterone and reducing immunity to disease. This sequence could result in physiological and pathological phenomena leading to population cycles with a period that would be essentially impossible to observe in desert tortoise. Such cycles could obscure population fluctuations of anthropogenic origin. ?? 2006 The Author(s).

Conference Paper↗
USGS2010

New trends in species distribution modelling

Species distribution modelling has its origin in the late 1970s when computing capacity was limited. Early work in the field concentrated mostly on the development of methods to model effectively the shape of a species' response to environmental gradients (Austin 1987, Austin et al. 1990). The methodology and its framework were summarized in reviews 10–15 yr ago (Franklin 1995, Guisan and Zimmermann 2000), and these syntheses are still widely used as reference landmarks in the current distribution modelling literature. However, enormous advancements have occurred over the last decade, with hundreds – if not thousands – of publications on species distribution model (SDM) methodologies and their application to a broad set of conservation, ecological and evolutionary questions. With this special issue, originating from the third of a set of specialized SDM workshops (2008 Riederalp) entitled 'The Utility of Species Distribution Models as Tools for Conservation Ecology', we reflect on current trends and the progress achieved over the last decade.

Ecography↗
USGS2018

Ecology and conservation of the American eel in the Caribbean region

The majority of American eel, Anguilla rostrata LeSueur, knowledge is derived from temperate regions in the United States and Canada, with little known from its tropical Caribbean distribution. Findings of original research on American eel distribution, abundance, population biology, habitat ecology and threats from the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico were synthesised. American eel were captured from 48 of 116 sites (41.4%) in 26 of 49 river basins (53.1%) during 2005–2016, and it was extirpated upstream of dams and migration barriers >3.0 m high (38.9% of habitat). Mean density and biomass were 438.9 fish/ha and 23.44 kg/ha, respectively. Upstream habitats favoured larger individuals, and females were larger than males. The swim‐bladder parasite Anguillicoloides crassus Kuwahara, Niimi & Hagaki was not found in 120 eels examined. Realised threats include dams and other migratory barriers, habitat loss and alteration and pollution; exotic species and commercial fishing are impending threats; and the least understood is climate change.

Fisheries Management and Ecology↗
USGS2003

Wolves: Behavior, ecology, and conservation

Wolves are some of the world's most charismatic and controversial animals, capturing the imaginations of their friends and foes alike. Highly intelligent and adaptable, they hunt and play together in close-knit packs, sometimes roaming over hundreds of square miles in search of food. Once teetering on the brink of extinction across much of the United States and Europe, wolves have made a tremendous comeback in recent years, thanks to legal protection, changing human attitudes, and efforts to reintroduce them to suitable habitats in North America. As wolf populations have rebounded, scientific studies of them have also flourished. But there hasn't been a systematic, comprehensive overview of wolf biology since 1970. In Wolves , many of the world's leading wolf experts provide state-of-the-art coverage of just about everything you could want to know about these fascinating creatures. Individual chapters cover wolf social ecology, behavior, communication, feeding habits and hunting techniques, population dynamics, physiology and pathology, molecular genetics, evolution and taxonomy, interactions with nonhuman animals such as bears and coyotes, reintroduction, interactions with humans, and conservation and recovery efforts. The book discusses both gray and red wolves in detail and includes information about wolves around the world, from the United States and Canada to Italy, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Israel, India, and Mongolia. Wolves is also extensively illustrated with black and white photos, line drawings, maps, and fifty color plates.

Book↗
USGS2016

Ecology and conservation of Lesser Prairie-Chickens in sand shinnery oak prairies

Sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) prairies are unique ecosystems endemic to sandy soils of eastern New Mexico, northwestern Texas, and western Oklahoma; the historic and current distribution of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) overlaps these prairie systems. Lesser Prairie-Chicken populations in sand shinnery oak prairies of the Southern Great Plains have declined substantially since the late 1980s, most likely due to conversion of nesting and brood-rearing habitat to row-crop agriculture and extended periods of drought. In addition to threats universal throughout the species distribution, this population is susceptible to a changing climate in an area that is already representative of an extreme environment for ground-nesting birds. Recent studies of Lesser Prairie-Chicken ecology in sand shinnery oak prairies have expanded our knowledge on the ecology and management of the species, but a thorough review of the historic and current literature is lacking. In addition, current management guidelines exist for Lesser Prairie-Chickens in mixed grass and sand sagebrush prairies, but there are no comprehensive management guidelines for the species in sand shinnery oak prairies. This information is paramount given unique aspects of the vegetation community, relative ecosystem drivers, and environmental variation in sand shinnery oak prairie and the species’ current status as a proposed threatened species under the United States Endangered Species Act. Herein, we provide a thorough synthesis of literature pertaining to the life history, habitat requirements, habitat management, and population management for Lesser Prairie-Chickens in sand shinnery oak prairie, provide management guidelines and recommendations for the species in this ecoregion, and highlight current and future research needs. Within our objectives, we place emphasis on two recently completed long-term investigations into Lesser Prairie-Chicken ecology in sand shinnery oak prairie - a 10-year vegetation data set collected in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, 2001–2011 and a 6-year Lesser Prairie-Chicken data set collected in Roosevelt County, New Mexico and Cochran, Hockley, Terry, and Yoakum counties, Texas, 2006–2012.

Book chapter↗
USGS2024

A review of the ecology and conservation biology of Sali (Micronesian Starling, Aplonis opaca guami) on Guam

The accidental introduction of the Brown Treesnake (BTS, Boiga irregularis ) to Guam following World War II led to the extinction, extirpation, or severe decline of most of Guam’s native avifauna. One forest bird species that managed to persist is the cavity-nesting Såli (Micronesian Starling, Aplonis opaca guami ), a once-ubiquitous native omnivore whose current Guam distribution is restricted primarily to urbanized areas in the northern half of the island, with a second much smaller population on Cocos Island off southern Guam. Såli on Guam breed year-round and are habitat generalists with large home ranges. Besides arthropods and small vertebrates, they consume fruit from a wide range of native and introduced plant species and are key seed dispersers within the local ecosystem. Såli on Guam suffer extremely high post-fledging mortality due to predation by BTS and cats, leading to a population age structure strongly skewed towards adult birds. Other threats include habitat loss and degradation, extreme weather events, and sea level rise. Key management activities aimed at restoring this species include predator control, while non-native ungulate removal and vegetation management may be undertaken to support broader ecological recovery. This species account on Såli provides a review of the literature on this species, synthesizing information on habitat use, life history, and demographics to provide a biological foundation for future recovery efforts.

Micronesica↗
USGS2015

Non-native and native organisms moving into high elevation and high latitude ecosystems in an era of climate change: new challenges for ecology and conservation

Cold environments at high elevation and high latitude are often viewed as resistant to biological invasions. However, climate warming, land use change and associated increased connectivity all increase the risk of biological invasions in these environments. Here we present a summary of the key discussions of the workshop ‘Biosecurity in Mountains and Northern Ecosystems: Current Status and Future Challenges’ (Flen, Sweden, 1–3 June 2015). The aims of the workshop were to (1) increase awareness about the growing importance of species expansion—both non-native and native—at high elevation and high latitude with climate change, (2) review existing knowledge about invasion risks in these areas, and (3) encourage more research on how species will move and interact in cold environments, the consequences for biodiversity, and animal and human health and wellbeing. The diversity of potential and actual invaders reported at the workshop and the likely interactions between them create major challenges for managers of cold environments. However, since these cold environments have experienced fewer invasions when compared with many warmer, more populated environments, prevention has a real chance of success, especially if it is coupled with prioritisation schemes for targeting invaders likely to have greatest impact. Communication and co-operation between cold environment regions will facilitate rapid response, and maximise the use of limited research and management resources.

Biological Invasions↗
USGS2012

Ecology and conservation biology of avian malaria

Avian malaria is a worldwide mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. These parasites occur in many avian species but primarily affect passerine birds that have not evolved with the parasite. Host pathogenicity, fitness, and population impacts are poorly understood. In contrast to continental species, introduced avian malaria poses a substantial threat to naive birds on Hawaii, the Galapagos, and other archipelagoes. In Hawaii, transmission is maintained by susceptible native birds, competence and abundance of mosquitoes, and a disease reservoir of chronically infected native birds. Although vector habitat and avian communities determine the geographic distribution of disease, climate drives transmission patterns ranging from continuous high infection in warm lowland forests, seasonal infection in midelevation forests, and disease-free refugia in cool high-elevation forests. Global warming is expected to increase the occurrence, distribution, and intensity of avian malaria across this elevational gradient and threaten high-elevation refugia, which is the key to survival of many susceptible Hawaiian birds. Increased temperatures may have already increased global avian malaria prevalence and contributed to an emergence of disease in New Zealand.

Hawai'i↗
USGS2000

Ecology and conservation of a rare, old-growth-associated canopy lichen in a silvicultural landscape

Nephroma occultum Wetm. is a rare, epiphytic lichen associated with old-growth forests of northwestern North America. We describe its distribution, abundance, and habitat within the managed landscape of a southwestern Oregon watershed. Because this species is found mainly in the canopy, we used direct canopy access (tree climbing) in combination with ground (litter) searches for our surveys. We recommend this dual approach when confident determination of presence or absence of a canopy species is needed. Our surveys confirm that N. occultum is a rare old-growth associate within the area of this study, the southernmost extension of its known range. It was both rare across the landscape and uncommon in our primary study site, a 500 yr old stand. It was most often found growing close to the trunk on branches of large Pseudotsuga menziesii , but its distribution was sporadic even within an old-growth stand. The scarcity of very old stands, in combination with the limited ability of this species to disperse within and between stands, has likely contributed to its rarity within the watershed. Management for N. occultum should focus on populations and habitat needs rather than on individuals. Our calculations show that cutting with retention of individual trees surrounded by small buffers could result in the eventual loss of N. occultum from the study area.

Oregon↗
USGS1997

The disappearance of Guam's wildlife: New insights for herpetology, evolutionary ecology, and conservation

The wealth of data generated from intensive study of the brown tree snake as a result of the need to control introduced populations of this pest species allow several important conclusions. First, that the snakes on Guam are extraordinary in terms of their absolute abundance and in terms of their ability to exploit a broad prey base. Our data suggest an exceptionally high reproductive success on Guam for a snake with an otherwise unnoteworthy reproductive capability and life history (i.e. small clutch size, typical ontogenetic shift from small heterothermic prey to larger homeotherms). Especially important was the snakes versatility in taking advantage of extremely common prey on islands; population expansion was slow but survival was maximal, ultimately leading to high population levels. The brown tree snake shares many attributes with other snakes that could cause similar biodiversity crises in a wide variety of contexts in which they lack coevolutionary histories (especially formerly snake-free island environments). As opposed to their relatively poor history as over-water dispersers, snakes may be especially problematic as travelers in increasing ship and air traffic between widely separated geographic regions of the world.

BioScience↗
USGS1995

Ecology and conservation of the Marbled Murrelet in North America: An overview

Over the past decade, the Marbled Murrelet has become a focus of much controversy. It was listed as threatened in Washington, Oregon, and California by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February 1993. In order to aid the various agencies with management, the Marbled Murrelet Conservation Assessment was formed to bring together scientists, managers, and others to gather all the available data on this small seabird. This volume of research is the culmination of that effort. In this chapter, we integrate the results of the investigations and summaries on the past history, present status, and possible future of the species, based on the data presented in this volume and other published research. We also propose what we consider the most important research needs. Then, based on the findings of this volume, we suggest actions for management to help ensure the survival of the species.

Book chapter↗