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USGS2019

The relative importance of wetland area versus habitat heterogeneity for promoting species richness and abundance of wetland birds in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA

Recent work has suggested that a tradeoff exists between habitat area and habitat heterogeneity, with a moderate amount of heterogeneity supporting greatest species richness. Support for this unimodal relationship has been mixed and has differed among habitats and taxa. We examined the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and species richness after accounting for habitat area in glacially formed wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region in the United States at both local and landscape scales. We tested for area–habitat heterogeneity tradeoffs in wetland bird species richness, the richness of groups of similar species, and in species’ abundances. We then identified the habitat relationships for individual species and the relative importance of wetland area vs. habitat heterogeneity and other wetland characteristics. We found that habitat area was the primary driver of species richness and abundance. Additional variation in richness and abundance could be explained by habitat heterogeneity or other wetland and landscape characteristics. Overall avian species richness responded unimodally to habitat heterogeneity, suggesting an area–heterogeneity tradeoff. Group richness and abundance metrics showed either unimodal or linear relationships with habitat heterogeneity. Habitat heterogeneity indices at local and landscape scales were important for some, but not all, species and avian groups. Both abundance of individual species and species richness of most avian groups were higher on publicly owned wetlands than on privately owned wetlands, on restored wetlands than natural wetlands, and on permanent wetlands than on wetlands of other classes. However, we found that all wetlands examined, regardless of ownership, restoration status, and wetland class, supported wetland-obligate birds. Thus, protection of all wetland types contributes to species conservation. Our results support conventional wisdom that protection of large wetlands is a priority but also indicate that maintaining habitat heterogeneity will enhance biodiversity and support higher populations of individual species.

North Dakota, South Dakota↗

USGS2011

How will climate change affect the potential distribution of Eurasian tree sparrows Passer montanus in North America?

Habitat suitability models have been used to predict the present and future potential distribution of a variety of species. Eurasian tree sparrows Passer montanus , native to Eurasia, have established populations in other parts of the world. In North America, their current distribution is limited to a relatively small region around its original introduction to St. Louis, Missouri. We combined data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility with current and future climate data to create habitat suitability models using Maxent for this species. Under projected climate change scenarios, our models show that the distribution and range of the Eurasian tree sparrow could increase as far as the Pacific Northwest and Newfoundland. This is potentially important information for prioritizing the management and control of this non-native species.

Current Zoology↗

USGS2025

A critical perspective on the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry’s adherence to founding principles—Opportunities for the future

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is a global organization whose mission is the advancement of environmental science and the promotion of science-informed decision making. On SETAC’s 45th anniversary, the following question was raised: Are the 1979 founding principles of SETAC, multidisciplinary approaches to solving environmental problems, multisector engagement and scientific objectivity, still relevant to the fulfillment of its mission? In a special session held at the 45th Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S., a critical evaluation of the founding principles was initiated by reviewing SETAC’s history and ongoing activities, and recommendations were made for the future. With few exceptions, participants appreciated SETAC’s purposeful efforts to approach challenging environmental issues through multisector balance, an approach that is unique amongst scientific societies. We recognized that scientists have biases and views of what they find important, regardless of employing organization, and that objectivity is best served by being aware of these biases and views. SETAC’s founding principles have stood the test of time and continue to provide a strong foundation for the Society’s mission, and with a few suggested improvements, will continue to be instrumental in guiding environmental science, stewardship and policy into the future. The significance of SETAC’s contribution of robust science grounded in reliable evidence and data was recognized as being especially crucial at this time of triple planetary crisis (climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss), compounded by rapid technological developments and geopolitical issues.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2024

High-quality, chromosome-level reference genomes of the viviparous Caribbean skinks Spondylurus nitidus and S. culebrae

New World mabuyine skinks are a diverse radiation of morphologically cryptic lizards with unique reproductive biologies. Recent studies examining population-level data (morphological, ecological, and genomic) have uncovered novel biodiversity and phenotypes, including the description of dozens of new species and insights into the evolution of their highly complex placental structures. Beyond the potential for this diverse group to serve as a model for the evolution of viviparity in lizards, much of the taxonomic diversity is concentrated in regions experiencing increasing environmental instability from climate and anthropogenic change. Consequently, a better understanding of genome structure and diversity will be an important tool in the adaptive management and conservation of this group. Skinks endemic to Caribbean islands are particularly vulnerable to global change with several species already considered likely extinct and several remaining species either endangered or threatened. Combining PacBio long-read sequencing, Hi-C, and RNAseq data, here we present the first genomic resources for this group by describing new chromosome-level reference genomes for the Puerto Rican Skink Spondylurus nitidus and the Culebra Skink S. culebrae . Results indicate two high quality genomes, both ∼1.4 Gb, assembled nearly telomere to telomere with complete mitochondrion assembly and annotation.

Genome Biology and Evolution↗

USGS2025

Speciation genomics in the tiger whiptail lizards ( Aspidoscelis tigris complex)

The transition from small genetic to genome-scale datasets for studying biodiversity has revealed that genetic exchange through introgressive hybridization is a widespread phenomenon in nature. Despite this, a lack of high-quality reference genomes for most non-model species limits our understanding of the impact of this process for many taxonomic groups. This restricts the range of insights that genomic tools can provide for conservation biologists, who often hope to employ genomic datasets to accurately identify historically isolated lineages to protect and to predict their evolutionary fate in the face of environmental change. Tiger whiptail lizards ( Aspidoscelis tigris complex) are an abundant and important ecological component of ecosystems across the southwestern United States. In this study, we assembled and annotated a chromosome-level reference genome for A. t. stejnegeri from coastal California. We then used this reference genome to reconstruct patterns of speciation and admixture within the larger species complex, finding evidence that gene flow is widespread both geographically and across the genome.

northern Mexico, southwestern United States↗

USGS2024

Phenotypic homogenization and potential fitness constraints following non-native introgression in an endemic sportfish

Introgressive hybridization may lead to contrasting evolutionary outcomes that are difficult to predict since they depend on the fitness effects of endogenous genomic interactions and environmental factors. Conservation of endemic biodiversity may be more effective with require direct measurement of introgressed ancestry and fitness in wild populations, especially for keystone taxa at risk of hybridization following species introductions. We assessed the relationship of non-native ancestry with growth and body condition in the basin-restricted Neosho Bass ( Micropterus velox ; NB), focussing on two streams in the NB native range that are admixed extensively with non-native Smallmouth Bass ( M. dolomieu ; SMB). We quantified the genetic composition of 116 fish from Big Sugar Creek ( N = 46) and Elk River ( N = 70) at 14 microsatellite loci. Using back-calculated total length-at-age estimated from sagittal otoliths, we assessed whether genetic ancestry explained variation in von Bertalanffy growth model parameters, accounting for sex and stream effects. We then assessed the relationship between ancestry and body condition. We found no differences in growth parameters by sex, stream, or ancestry, suggesting phenotypic homogenization which could be mediated by selection on body size. We found a negative correlation between SMB ancestry and condition, including lower condition in Big Sugar Creek, possibly reflecting a trade-off between maximum length and condition with respect to overall fitness. We show that ongoing non-native introgression, which may be augmented by anthropogenic SMB introductions, may attenuate evolutionary differentiation between species and directly influence fitness, possibly having critical implications for long-term persistence and management of adaptive potential in a popular and ecologically important endemic sportfish.

Journal of Evolutionary Biology↗

USGS2019

The expectations and challenges of wildlife disease research in the era of genomics: Forecasting with a horizon scan-like exercise

The outbreak and transmission of disease-causing pathogens are contributing to the unprecedented rate of biodiversity decline. Recent advances in genomics have coalesced into powerful tools to monitor, detect, and reconstruct the role of pathogens impacting wildlife populations. Wildlife researchers are thus uniquely positioned to merge ecological and evolutionary studies with genomic technologies to exploit unprecedented ‘Big Data’ tools in disease research; however, many researchers lack the training and expertise required to use these computationally intensive methodologies. To address this disparity, the inaugural ‘Genomics of Disease in Wildlife’ workshop assembled early to mid-career professionals with expertise across scientific disciplines (e.g., genomics, wildlife biology, veterinary sciences, and conservation management) for training in the application of genomic tools to wildlife disease research. A horizon scanning-like exercise, an activity to identify forthcoming trends and challenges, performed by the workshop participants identified and discussed five themes considered to be the most pressing to the application of genomics in wildlife disease research: i) “Improving Communication”, ii) “Methodological and Analytical Advancements”, iii) “Translation into Practice”, iv) “Integrating Landscape Ecology and Genomics”, and v) “Emerging New Questions”. Wide-ranging solutions from the horizon scan were international in scope, itemized both deficiencies and strengths in wildlife genomic initiatives, promoted the use of genomic technologies to unite wildlife and human disease research, and advocated best practices for optimal use of genomic tools in wildlife disease projects. The results offer a glimpse of the potential revolution in human and wildlife disease research possible through multi-disciplinary collaborations at local, regional, and global scales.

Journal of Heredity↗

USGS2015

A new species of Cryptotis (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricidae) from the Sierra de Perijá, Venezuelan-Colombian Andes

The Sierra de Perijá is the northern extension of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes and includes part of the border between Colombia and Venezuela. The population of small-eared shrews (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricidae, Cryptotis) inhabiting the Sierra de Perijá previously was known from only a single skull from an individual collected in Colombia in 1989. This specimen had been referred to alternatively as C. thomasi and C. meridensis, but more precise definition of the known Colombian and Venezuelan species of Cryptotis has since excluded the Sierra de Perijá population from any named species. The recent collection of a specimen from the Venezuelan slope of Sierra de Perijá, prompted us to re-evaluate the taxonomic status of this population and determine its relationship with other Andean shrews. Our examination of the available specimens revealed that they possess a unique suite of morphological and morphometrical characters, and we describe the Sierra de Perijá population as a new species in the South American C. thomasi species group. Recognition of this new species adds to our knowledge of this genus in South America and to the biodiversity of the Sierra de Perijá.

Sierra de Perija↗

USGS2025

Satellite imagery can predict bird species occupancy and inform multispecies management in pine savannas

Multispecies management can contribute to meeting growing challenges of preserving biodiversity, yet current game and threatened species management often focuses on individual species. Satellite imagery available at high spatial and temporal resolution provides a potential tool to overcome the challenge posed by multispecies management of linking patterns of habitat use among species. We sought to determine whether satellite imagery could be used to describe patterns of species occupancy and inform multispecies management in pine savannas in Georgia, USA. We conducted point-count surveys at 7 sites in 2022 for 3 bird species: Colinus virginianus (Northern Bobwhite), Dryobates borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker), and Peucaea aestivalis (Bachman’s Sparrow). We built single-season occupancy models comparing a set of models using covariates collected from field vegetation surveys and another set using covariates extracted from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. We then used a multi-objective optimization algorithm to identify quasi-optimal management solutions (i.e., sets of covariate values from top satellite imagery metric models). We found that models created using satellite imagery performed well at predicting occupancy of all 3 species as measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC > 0.8) and had higher AUC scores than field-derived habitat covariate-based models. We found combinations of metrics that could result in high rates of predicted probability of occupancy for all species (within 86% of highest possible occupancy probability), but these combinations did not exist at any of the sites. Our results demonstrate that (1) satellite imagery can allow users to build reliable occupancy models without intensive field-based vegetation surveys; and (2) C. virginianus , D. borealis, and P. aestivalis in pine savanna ecosystems could be simultaneously managed through more frequent burning, changes in canopy cover or by producing suitable heterogeneity of habitats after identifying an appropriate scale of management.

Georgia↗

USGS2025

Stable occupancy of conservation-priority birds amid community shifts across 16 years on Iowa wetland easements

Intensive agriculture in the Prairie Pothole Region of Iowa, USA has resulted in significant wetland drainage and wildlife population declines. However, easement programs are increasingly used to protect and restore wetlands and revitalize biodiversity. Short-term responses (i.e., 1–5 years) of birds to wetland restorations are well-documented, but long-term trends are less understood. We surveyed wetland easements in Iowa during 2007–2009 and 2022–2023 to assess changes in breeding bird communities and occupancy for conservation-priority species. We conducted bird point counts and vegetation surveys at 55 wetland easements. We used species accumulation curves to estimate overall breeding bird richness by guild, and site-occupancy models to estimate occupancy for 20 conservation-priority species. Species richness remained stable between time periods, but community composition shifted, with fewer grassland and more forest bird species despite no change in woody vegetation cover estimates (2007–2009: 3.2%, standard deviation [SD] = 5.9; 2022–2023: 3.1%, SD = 3.8). Occupancy for most species at wetland easements remained stable over time; however, 4 species declined (e.g., Cistothorus stellaris [Sedge Wren]). Six grassland bird species (e.g., Sturnella magna [Eastern Meadowlark]) exhibited positive or stable occupancy trends. Forest-dependent species generally maintained or increased in occupancy (e.g., Icterus galbula [Baltimore Oriole]). Increased forest bird richness despite stable woody vegetation cover may indicate changing structural characteristics as existing forests mature, whereas management to control woody encroachment at wetland easements may explain our observations of stable forest bird occupancy. Wetland easements may be strongholds for some grassland bird species, which are in precipitous decline across North America. Our study highlights the importance of wetland easements in an agricultural landscape to breeding bird communities and emphasizes the value of continued monitoring to track changes over time.

Iowa↗

USGS2024

Weather events influence survival and recruitment of Coereba flaveola (Bananaquit) in the Caribbean

The West Indies is considered a biodiversity hotspot and a priority for ecological conservation efforts. Understanding how environmental conditions influence the survival of resident avifauna is an important information need given the predicted increases in drought and the frequency and intensity of severe storms in the region. Throughout much of the Caribbean, Coereba flaveola (Bananaquit) are widespread and abundant, traits that may facilitate understanding their response to environmental changes in the region. We used a 10-yr capture–mark–recapture data set to examine C. flaveola survival, recruitment, population growth, and age structure in the context of monthly and seasonal precipitation and temperatures, drought conditions, and occurrence and intensity of storm events. Our models suggested wing length, occurrence of storms, and drought all influenced survival. Both the incidence of storms and drier-than-average conditions in the preceding wet season (April–June) decreased survival. The sex of bird and net hours influenced capture probability, but weather influences on recruitment were equivocal. During nonstorm years, mean population growth was stable at 1.019 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.962, 1.098) but dropped to 0.843 (95% CI: 0.795, 0.846) in storm years. Increasing frequency of storms, such as back-to-back years, would likely push the growth rate lower. A protracted pattern of increased storm frequency, especially if coupled with a subsequent drought during the wet season, may lead to localized extirpations or strongly reduced populations.

British Virgin Islands, Guana Island↗

USGS2009

[book review] Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds -- Les Christidis and Walter E. Boles. Collingwood, VIC, Australia: CSIRO Publishing, 2008

Systematists argue that the importance of our work lies not only in the elucidation of evolutionary relationships, but also in the incorporation of evolutionary information into classifications and the use of these classifications by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, professional scientists, and others interested in biodiversity. If this is true, and I think that it is, then synthetic publications that make our findings accessible to a wide audience, such as Christidis and Boles' new Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds , may be among the most significant works that we publish.

Systematic Biology↗

USGS2024

Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests

Characterizing the population density of species is a central interest in ecology. Eastern North America is the global hotspot for biodiversity of plethodontid salamanders, an inconspicuous component of terrestrial vertebrate communities, and among the most widespread is the eastern red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus . Previous work suggests population densities are high with significant geographic variation, but comparisons among locations are challenged by lack of standardization of methods and failure to accommodate imperfect detection. We present results from a large-scale research network that accounts for detection uncertainty using systematic survey protocols and robust statistical models. We analysed mark–recapture data from 18 study areas across much of the species range. Estimated salamander densities ranged from 1950 to 34 300 salamanders ha −1 , with a median of 9965 salamanders ha −1 . We compared these results to previous estimates for P. cinereus and other abundant terrestrial vertebrates. We demonstrate that overall the biomass of P. cinereus , a secondary consumer, is of similar or greater magnitude to widespread primary consumers such as white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) and Peromyscus mice, and two to three orders of magnitude greater than common secondary consumer species. Our results add empirical evidence that P. cinereus , and amphibians in general, are an outsized component of terrestrial vertebrate communities in temperate ecosystems.

Biology Letters↗

USGS2025

Ecosystem-engineered infections: Beaver-modified wetlands are associated with conflicting drivers of amphibian pathogen prevalence

Beavers are ecosystem engineers and keystone species that protect freshwater resources and increase biodiversity. Beaver reintroductions are promoted for amphibian conservation, yet their impact on Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a pathogen linked with amphibian population declines worldwide, remains unclear. We investigated the abiotic and biotic drivers of Bd prevalence in Columbia spotted frogs ( Rana luteiventris ) and western toads ( Anaxyrus boreas ) in 20 beaver-modified and 23 non-beaver wetlands in Glacier National Park, USA. We found that beavers increased wetland hydroperiod, which was associated with higher Bd prevalence. However, beavers also reduced wetland canopy cover, which was associated with lower Bd prevalence. Our models also predicted higher Bd prevalence associated with higher adult density of both species of amphibians, although species’ densities were similar in beaver-modified and non-beaver wetlands. These results suggest that beavers have a cumulatively negligible net effect on Bd prevalence owing to their effects on both hydroperiod and canopy cover, which is encouraging for amphibian conservation. Our findings also suggest that decreasing canopy cover may be a potential management option to reduce Bd prevalence. In addition, these findings indicate that beaver-mimicking restoration projects may harm amphibian populations if they increase wetland hydroperiods without reducing canopy cover.

Montana↗

USGS2002

Spatio-temporal dynamics of species richness in coastal fish communities

Determining patterns of change in species richness and the processes underlying the dynamics of biodiversity are of key interest within the field of ecology, but few studies have investigated the dynamics of vertebrate communities at a decadal temporal scale. Here, we report findings on the spado-temporal variability in the richness and composition of fish communities along the Norwegian Skagerrak coast having been surveyed for more than half a century. Using statistical models incorporating non-detection and associated sampling variance, we estimate local species richness and changes in species composition allowing us to compute temporal variability in species richness. We tested whether temporal variation could be related to distance to the open sea and to local levels of pollution. Clear differences in mean species richness and temporal variability are observed between fjords that were and were not exposed to the effects of pollution. Altogether this indicates that the fjord is an appropriate scale for studying changes in coastal fish communities in space and time. The year-to-year rates of local extinction and turnover were found to be smaller than spatial differences in community composition. At the regional level, exposure to the open sea plays a homogenizing role, possibly due to coastal currents and advection.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sci↗

USGS2014

Macroevolutionary consequences of profound climate change on niche evolution in marine molluscs over the past three million years

In order to predict the fate of biodiversity in a rapidly changing world, we must first understand how species adapt to new environmental conditions. The long-term evolutionary dynamics of species' physiological tolerances to differing climatic regimes remain obscure. Here, we unite palaeontological and neontological data to analyse whether species' environmental tolerances remain stable across 3 Myr of profound climatic changes using 10 phylogenetically, ecologically and developmentally diverse mollusc species from the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, USA. We additionally investigate whether these species' upper and lower thermal tolerances are constrained across this interval. We find that these species' environmental preferences are stable across the duration of their lifetimes, even when faced with significant environmental perturbations. The results suggest that species will respond to current and future warming either by altering distributions to track suitable habitat or, if the pace of change is too rapid, by going extinct. Our findings also support methods that project species' present-day environmental requirements to future climatic landscapes to assess conservation risks.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sci↗

USGS2021

Global tropical reef fish richness could decline by around half if corals are lost

Reef fishes are a treasured part of marine biodiversity, and also provide needed protein for many millions of people. Although most reef fishes might survive projected increases in ocean temperatures, corals are less tolerant. A few fish species strictly depend on corals for food and shelter, suggesting that coral extinctions could lead to some secondary fish extinctions. However, secondary extinctions could extend far beyond those few coral-dependent species. Furthermore, it is yet unknown how such fish declines might vary around the world. Current coral mass mortalities led us to ask how fish communities would respond to coral loss within and across oceans. We mapped 6964 coral-reef-fish species and 119 coral genera, and then regressed reef-fish species richness against coral generic richness at the 1° scale (after controlling for biogeographic factors that drive species diversification). Consistent with small-scale studies, statistical extrapolations suggested that local fish richness across the globe would be around half its current value in a hypothetical world without coral, leading to more areas with low or intermediate fish species richness and fewer fish diversity hotspots.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B↗

USGS2025

The importance of peripheral populations in the face of novel environmental change

Anthropogenically driven environmental change has imposed substantial threats on biodiversity, including the emergence of infectious diseases that have resulted in declines of wildlife globally. In response to pathogen invasion, maintaining diversity within host populations across heterogenous environments is essential to facilitating species persistence. White-nose syndrome is an emerging fungal pathogen that has caused mass mortalities of hibernating bats across North America. However, in the northeast, peripheral island populations of the endangered northern myotis ( Myotis septentrionalis ) appear to be persisting despite infection while mainland populations in the core of the species range have experienced sharp declines. Thus, this study investigated host and environmental factors that may contribute to divergent population responses. We compared patterns of pathogen exposure and infection intensity between populations and documented the environmental conditions and host activity patterns that may promote survival despite disease invasion. For island populations, we found lower prevalence and less severe infections, possibly due to a shorter hibernation duration compared to the mainland, which may reduce the time for disease progression. The coastal region of the northern myotis range may serve as habitat refugia that enables this species to persist despite pathogen exposure; however, conservation efforts could be critical to supporting species survival in the long term.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Biological Sci↗