The management objectives of many protected areas must meet the dual mandates of protecting biodiversity while providing recreational opportunities. Balancing these mandates is made difficult by constraints on monitoring trends in the status of biodiversity and impacts of recreation. Using detections from 45 camera traps deployed between July 2019 and September 2021, we assessed the potential impacts of recreation on spatial and temporal habitat use for 8 medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammals in an isolated alpine protected area: Cathedral Provincial Park, Canada. We hypothesized that some wildlife perceive a level of threat from people, such that they avoid ‘risky times’ or ‘risky places’ associated with human activity. Other species may benefit from associating with people, be it through access to anthropogenic resource subsidies or filtering of competitors/predators that are more human-averse (i.e., human shield hypothesis). Specifically, we predicted that large carnivores would show the greatest segregation from people while mesocarnivores and ungulates would associate spatially with people. We found spatial co-occurrence between ungulates and recreation, consistent with the human shield hypothesis, but did not see the predicted negative relationship between larger carnivores and humans, except for coyotes (Canis latrans). Temporally, all species other than cougars (Puma concolor) had activity patterns significantly different from that of recreationists, suggesting potential displacement in the temporal niche. Wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) showed shifts in temporal activity away from people on recreation trails relative to off-trail areas, providing further evidence of potential displacement. Our results highlight the importance of monitoring spatial and temporal interactions between recreation activities and wildlife communities, in order to ensure the effectiveness of protected areas in an era of increasing human impacts.

Ecological interactions between parasites and their hosts play a fundamental role in evolutionary processes. Selection pressures are exerted on parasites and their hosts, usually resulting in high levels of specificity. Such is the case of ectoparasitic bat-flies, but how large-scale spatial gradients affect the dynamics of their interactions with their bat hosts is still unknown. In the present study, we investigated interaction patterns between bats and their ectoparasitic flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae), both presenting their peak of diversity in the Neotropical region, along a latitudinal gradient. Using network analyses and parasitic indices, grounded on the latitudinal diversity gradient theory, we evaluated how spatial gradients affect species interactions and parasitic indices at the macroscale level, predicting that interaction networks should become richer in species, leading to increases in network modularity, size, and specialization, and to a decrease in nestedness and connectance. We conducted a literature review, focusing on studies done in the Neotropical region, and data of our own authorship. We obtained a richness of 97 species of bats parasitized by 128 species of ectoparasitic flies, distributed into 57 interaction networks between latitudes 29ºS and 19ºN in the Neotropic. Network metrics and parasitic indices varied along the latitudinal gradient, with changes in richness of bats and their ectoparasitic flies and in the structure of their interactions; network specialization, modularity and connectance increase with latitude, while network size decreases with latitude. Regions closer to the equator had higher parasite loads. Our results show that interaction networks metrics present a latitudinal gradient and that such interactions, when observed at a local scale, hide variations that only become perceptible at larger scales. In this way, ectoparasites such as bat flies are not only influenced by the ecology and biology of their hosts, but by other environmental factors acting directly on their distribution and survival.

Seed dispersal is one of the most important ecosystem services globally. It shapes plant populations, enhances forest succession, and has multiple, indirect benefits for humans, yet it is one of the most threatened processes in plant regeneration, worldwide. The restricted movement of local frugivores, through habitat fragmentation, is one of the main threats to seed dispersal. These restrictions alter the behaviour associated with movements before, during and after interacting with fruits and seeds. Consequently, there have been recent calls for animal movement and behaviour to be better integrated with seed dispersal studies to enable researchers to fully understand the processes that determine seed rain. To assess the current use of animal tracking in frugivory studies and to provide a baseline for future studies, we provide a comprehensive review and synthesis on the existing primary literature of global tracking studies that monitor movement of frugivorous animals. Specifically, we identify studies that estimate dispersal distances and how they vary with morphological and environmental traits. We show that over the last two decades there has been a large increase in frugivore tracking studies that determine seed dispersal distances. However, gaps across taxa and geographic distribution still exist. Furthermore, we found that certain morphological and environmental traits can be used to predict seed dispersal distances. We demonstrate that an increase in body mass significantly increases the estimated seed dispersal mean and maximum distances, as does species flight ability. Our results also suggest that protected areas have a positive effect on mean seed dispersal distances when compared to unprotected areas. We anticipate that this review act as a reference for future frugivore tracking studies to build upon, specifically to understand the drivers of movement, and to interpret how seed dispersal and other ecosystem services will be impacted by human disturbance and land use changes.

When two putative cryptic species meet in nature, hybrid zone analysis can be used to estimate the extent of gene flow between them. Two recently recognized cryptic species of banded newt (genus Ommatotriton) are suspected to meet in parapatry in Anatolia but a formal hybrid zone analysis has never been conducted. We sample populations throughout the range, with a focus on the supposed contact zone, and genotype them for 31 nuclear DNA SNP markers and mtDNA. We determine the degree of genetic admixture, introgression and niche overlap. We reveal an extremely narrow hybrid zone, suggesting strong selection against hybrids, in line with species status. The hybrid zone does not appear to be positioned at an ecological barrier and there is significant niche overlap. Therefore, the hybrid zone is best classified as a tension zone, maintained by intrinsic selection against hybrids. While the two banded newt species can evidently backcross, we see negligible introgression and the pattern is symmetric, which we interpret as supporting that the hybrid zone has been practically stationary since its origin (while extensive hybrid zone movement has been suggested in other newt genera in the region). Our study illustrates the use of hybrid zone analysis to test cryptic species status.

Estimation of changes in abundances and densities is essential for the research, management, and conservation of animal populations. Recently, technological advances have facilitated the surveillance of animal populations through the adoption of passive sensors, such as camera traps (CT). Several methods, including the random encounter model (REM), have been developed for estimating densities of unmarked populations but require additional field work. Hierarchical abundance models, such as the N-mixture model (NMM), can estimate densities without performing additional fieldwork but do not explicitly estimate the area effectively sampled. This obscures the interpretation of its densities and requires its users to focus on relative measures of abundance instead. We compare relative trends in density/ abundance for three species (wild boar, red deer, and fox) based on the REM and NMM. The NMM applied here is adapted to overcome two issues potentially leading to poor abundance estimates: (i) we specify a joint observation model, based on a beta distribution, for all species within a community to strengthen the inference on infrequently detected species, and (ii) we model species-specific counts as a Poisson process, relaxing the assumption that each individual can only be detected once per survey. We reveal that NMM and REM provided density estimates in the same order of magnitude for wild boar, but not for foxes and red deer. Assuming a Poisson detection process in the NMM was important to control for inflation of density estimates for frequently detected species. Both methods correctly identified species ranking of abundance/density but did not always agree on relative ranks of yearly estimates within a single population, nor on its linear population trends. Our results suggest that relative population trends are better preserved between NMM and REM compared to absolute densities. Thus practitioners working with counts-only data should resort to relative abundances, rather than absolute densities.

Understanding how ecological and environmental changes, anthropogenic activities, and climate have driven and will direct animals’ development and predicting their prospective distribution profiles in the Quaternary are essential to making a tangible conservation strategy. Macaques (Macaca) distributed in mainland East Asia provide an ideal research model for such an effort. We reconstruct macaques’ geographic distribution profiles during the Quaternary, from the last inter-glaciation (LIG, 120,000 - 140,000 years BP), the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 22,000 years BP), and the present (1970-2000) – based on which we deduce their perspective distribution in the 2050s. The results show their suitable habitats during LIG and LGM were mainly in Southwest, Central, and Coastal China. A noticeable distribution reduction started in LIG and persisted until the current (1970-2000). Their distribution centroid would shift northward to mountainous regions, mainly in Southwest China, where more migration corridors would be reserved for their future development. Also, the results indicate that China’s Protected Area currently does not cover more than 87% of macaques’ habitats, a dismal situation for their conservation. Finally, this study proclaims that the conservation priority of the macaques in the years to come should focus on Southwest China – their future refuge region in Quaternary.

Dispersal is a fundamental process in evolution and ecology. Due to the predominant role of flight in bird movement, their dispersal capabilities can be estimated from their flight morphology. Most predictors of flight efficiency require an estimate of the total wing area, but the existing methods for estimating wing area are multi-stepped and prone to compounding error. Here, we validated a new method for estimating the total wing area that requires only the measurement of the wingspan plus two measurements from the folded wings of study skin specimens: wing length and secondary length. We demonstrate that the new folded-wing method estimates total wing area with high precision across a variety of avian groups and wing shapes. In addition, the new method performs as well as the old method when used to estimate natal dispersal distances of North American birds. The folded-wing method will allow for estimates of the total wing to be readily obtained from thousands of specimens in ornithological collections, thus providing critical information for studies of flight and dispersal in birds.

1. After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011, radionuclides have been detected in the tissues of wild animals. It was found that some individuals had higher radiocesium activity concentrations than others, despite being captured in the same area. One of the reasons for this disparity was attributed to migration from areas where radiocesium contamination level was different. 2. We identified the genetic population of Asian black bears using two genetic markers, such as mtDNA D-loop haplotype and SNPs by MIG-seq analysis. Then, we assessed migration between populations and variation in the radiocesium activity concentrations in the muscle tissue of distinct populations. 3. The SNPs analysis identified clearer two populations (SP1 and SP2) than the mtDNA analysis. Population distribution inferred based on SNPs was affected by geographic features and land use. 4. The radiocesium activity concentrations in muscle tissues in SP2 were higher than those in SP1. The radiocesium activity concentrations in muscle tissue were positively correlated with radiocesium contamination levels at the capture site. Since the radiocesium contamination levels at the capture sites of SP2 were higher than those of SP1, it was inferred that the levels of radiocesium contamination in each population would show a similar pattern. 5. Migration occurred between the genetic populations and migration rate differed between the genetic populations, with the rate of individuals migrating from SP2 to SP1 being smaller than that from SP1 to SP2. Therefore, it was suggested migration was responsible for some individuals having relatively higher radiocesium activity concentrations in muscle tissue, despite being captured in the same area. 6. This study is the first report that showed the genetic structure of Asian black bear in Fukushima Prefecture in fine scale, the migration rate between the populations, and the effect of migration on the variation of radiocesium activity concentration.

The Australian range of little penguins, Eudyptula minor, extends around southern Australia, with range-edge sites near the large cities of Perth (west) and Sydney (east). Both range-edges are closer to the equator than the range-core, being likely to experience similar heating with climate change. As a result, movement to one range-edge is not an option for little penguins, unlike in many other species. Therefore, adaptation at the range edge might be very important for little penguins. Capacity for future adaptation depends upon the variability each site holds, and the amount of exchange between sites. In peripheral sites, incoming dispersal might either forestall demographic collapse and replenish genetic variation (good), or overcome local adaptation and increase disease transmission (bad). We aimed to establish the genetic variability in each site, and the exchange (dispersal) of individuals between sites. Genetic markers included biparentally-inherited microsatellites, and maternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA sequence. For microsatellites, no site appeared to have critically low variation, including the peripheral sites, however there was a significant but slight trend of increased variation from east to west. In contrast, mitochondrial DNA showed a pattern of significantly reduced variation at the two range-edges, possibly indicating differential dispersal patterns in males and females. There appear to be two main genetically distinct groups, in the west and the east, but analysis of lifetime dispersal patterns across the Australian range also suggests complex dispersal, sometimes with high dispersal or similarity between locations that are not adjacent. Our work suggests that despite some differentiation, little penguin sites are interdependent due to complex dispersal patterns, and all have valuable genetic variation. In particular, the peripheral sites are not depauperate of variation, and are moderately connected to the remainder of the distribution, so possibly may be able to adapt in response to climate warming.

Studying small mammals has a paramount significance for ecological, cultural and economic reasons. A survey on the diversity, abundance and habitat association of small mammals in Wenchi highlands, central Ethiopia, was carried out from August 2019 to January 2021. Small mammals were trapped from six different habitats (Hagenia Woodland, Erica Scrub, Qibate, Lakeshore, Erica and Albesa Forests) using Sherman and snap traps in standard trapping grids. A total of 935 rodents belonging to 12 species (Arvicanthis abyssinicus, Desmomys yaldeni, Mastomys natalensis, M. awashensis, Stenocephaylemys albipes, Lophuromys flavopunctatus, L. brevicaudus, L. chrysopus, Dendromus lovati, Lophiomys imhausi, Graphirius murinus, and an unidentified murid rodent), and 24 insectivores belonging to 3 species (Crocidura bailey, C. fumosa and C. olivieri) were recorded. Hystrix cristata and Tachyoryctes splendens were also recorded through indirect evidences. About 52.9% of the identified small mammals were endemic to Ethiopia. A significant variation was observed in the captures of small mammals. The capture rate was higher in live traps (23.85%) than snap traps (8.26%). The diversity and distribution of small mammal species varied among habitats. The highest species diversity (H’=1.74) was recorded in Albesa Forest, while the least was in Qibate Forest (1.43). The highest number of individuals were recorded in Lakeshore Forest (27.73%), whereas the least was in Erica Forest (4.27%). M. natalensis (30.86%) and S. albipes (27.53%) were the two most abundant species, whereas L. imhausi (0.1%) was the least. Wenchi montane forests are one of the most important homes to unique small mammals that need urgent conservation actions.

Illumination of species diversity and their distribution is key to evolution, genetics and conservation. The genus of Sibynophis is a group of rare snakes with less attentions. Based on more extensive sampling, we use both mitochondrial fragments and nuclear gene to explore the species diversity of the species of Sibynophis occurring in China. The results showed that S. c. miyiensis is a synonym of S. c. grahami, and S. c. grahami should be gave a specific rank as S. graham. Sibynophis triangularis was uncovered to be new to China and Myanmar. On basis of our specimens and molecular phylogeny results, the species distribution boundaries of each Chinese species were redefined.

The Neretva dwarf goby Orsinigobius croaticus (Gobiiformes, Gobionellidae) is an endemic fish native to the freshwaters of the Adriatic Basin in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Due to its limited distribution range, specific karst habitat and endangered status, laboratory studies on reproductive biology are scarce. We investigated the sound production and acoustic behaviour of this species during reproductive intersexual laboratory encounters. We performed dissection and micro-computed tomography (μCT) scanning of the pectoral girdle to explore the anatomy of its putative sound producing mechanism. To study interspecific acoustic differences and determine whether acoustic features can discriminate among species, comparative analysis was conducted on sounds produced by closely related soniferous sand gobies. Our results indicate that males of the O. croaticus emit pulsatile sounds composed of a variable number of short (~ 15 ms) consecutive pulses when interacting with females, usually during the pre-spawning phase in the nest, but also during courtship outside the nest. Pulsatile sounds were low-frequency and short pulse trains (~ 140 Hz, < 1000 ms), and spectro-temporal parameters were correlated with physical traits and water temperature. Male visual behaviour rate was higher when co-occurring with sounds and females entered the male’s nest significantly more frequently when sounds were present. Male sound production was accompanied by movements such as head thrust and fin spreading. μCT scans and dissections suggest that O. croaticus shares certain anatomical similarities of the pectoral girdle (osseous elements and arrangement of levator pectoralis muscles) to previously studied sand gobies. Multivariate comparisons, using sounds produced by eight soniferous European sand gobies, effectively distinguished soniferous (and sympatric) species based on acoustic properties. Discrimination success decreased when temperature-dependent features (sound duration and pulse repetition rate) were excluded from analysis. Therefore, we suggest both spectral and temporal features are important for acoustic differentiation of sand gobies.

Migratory birds may either upregulate their immune system during migration as they might encounter novel pathogens or downregulate their immune system as a consequence of trade-offs with the resource costs of migration. Support for the latter comes not least from a study that reports a positive correlation in autumn migrating birds between fuel stores and parameters of innate and acquired immune function, i.e., energy exhausted migrants appear to have lowered immune function. However, to our knowledge, no study has tested whether this pattern exists in spring migrating birds, which may face other trade-offs than autumn migrants. Here, we investigate if in spring there is a relationship between fuel stores and microbial killing ability, a measure of innate immune function, and total immunoglobulin (IgY), a measure of acquired immune function, in four migrating bird species: Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), Dunnocks (Prunella modularis), Song thrushes (Turdus philomelos) and Northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe). We found no correlation between fuel stores and bacterial killing ability or IgY levels in any of the species. However, there was a significant negative correlation between microbial killing ability and Julian date in Song thrushes and Northern wheatears, and between IgY levels and Julian date in Song thrushes. Sex did not affect immune function in any of the species. Our study suggests that the relationship between immune function and fuel stores may be different during spring migration compared to autumn migration. Differences in the speed of migration or pathogen pressure may result in different outcomes of the trade-off between investment in immune function and in migration among the seasons.

Echolocation acoustic signature identification is an ideal non-invasive field survey method for chiropteran diversity. Located in the far easternmost region of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region where covers one sixth of China’s land territory, Komul city includes a variety of landscapes, including typical mountains, plateaus, plains, and the Gobi Desert, which is home to a number of terrestrial animals. By gathering bat echo sound waves between July and September 2022 and during April 2023, we investigated bat species diversity in Komul, Xinjiang, China. As a result, we identified a total of 24 species of bats belonging to two families and ten genera, of which Myotis is the dominant genus with seven species, followed by Pipistrellus with four species, and both Eptesicus and Nyctalus come after with three species. 16 of these species are novel to Xinjiang. The altitudinal distribution of these species is 500m to 2200m above sea level, and their horizontal distribution includes most of the surveyed region, e.g., Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County, Arturk County, and Ivirghul District. From a conservation perspective, three species (Miniopterus schreibersii、Myotis capaccinii and Nyctalus lasiopterus) and two species (Barbastella barbatellus and Myotis dasycneme) are listed as “vulnerable” and “near threatened” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, respectively. Rest of which are of least concern. Our findings provide a valuable reference for future ecological, genetic, and conservational studies of bats in China, especially in Xinjiang.

The consequences of biological invasions and habitat degradation for native biodiversity depend on how species cope with the individual and synergetic challenges these processes present. To assess the impact of anthropogenic land-use on the food web architecture of an invaded community, we examine the diets of nine native and two highly invasive mammal species at different trophic levels, inhabiting different land-uses across six biogeographic regions in Tasmania, Australia. We use two complementary methods, environmental DNA metabarcoding analysis (eDNA) of faeces and stable isotope analysis (SIA) of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in whole blood, to account for the high inter-individual and temporal variability in animal diets. eDNA showed regionalisation in the diet of smaller species, with land-use further defining dietary taxa within each region. SIA revealed that bioregion and land-use influence the δ13C values of all carnivore species and omnivores, whereas the δ15N values of these species are influenced only by land-use and not bioregion. Including multiple species showed that native rats are changing their diet in response to the presence of invasive rats, an impact that would have been otherwise attributed to land-use. Our findings demonstrate that human activities and invasive species are molding the diets of invaded communities raising questions about the potential impacts that dietary modifications will have on the life-history traits and the evolutionary consequences these modifications might have on the survival of native species. This highlights the urgency to include human activities in ecological studies and the importance of targeting multispecies assemblages to gain a better understanding of synergetic impacts on native biodiversity.

Evidence for spatially varying selection and adaptive variation can provide insight into a species’ ability to adapt to different environments. However, despite recent advances in genomics, it remains difficult to detect footprints of spatially varying selection in natural populations. Here we analysed ddRAD sequencing data (21,892 SNPs) in conjunction with geographic climate variation to search for signatures of adaptive differentiation in twelve populations of the bank vole (Myodes/Clethrionomys glareolus) distributed across Europe. To identify the loci subject to spatially varying selection and associated with climate variation, we applied multiple genotype-environment association (GEA) methods, two univariate and one multivariate, and controlled for the effect of population structure. In total, we identified 213 candidate adaptive loci, 74 of which were located within genes. In particular, we identified signatures of selection in candidate genes with functions related to lipid metabolism and the immune system. Using the results of redundancy analysis (RDA), we demonstrated that population history and climate have joint effects on the genetic variation in the pan-European metapopulation. Furthermore, by examining only candidate loci, we found that annual mean temperature is an important factor shaping adaptive genetic variation in the bank vole. By combining landscape genomic approaches, our study sheds light on genome-wide adaptive differentiation and the spatial distribution of variants underlying adaptive variation in bank voles that are influenced by local climate.

Monitoring is a prerequisite for evidence-based wildlife management, yet conventional monitoring approaches are often ineffective for species occurring at low densities. However, some species such as large mammals are often observed by lay people and this information can be leveraged through citizen science monitoring schemes. Assessing the quantity, quality, and potential biases of such data sources is crucial before making inferences at scale. For Eurasian moose (Alces alces), a species currently reoccurring in north-eastern Germany in low numbers, we compared three different citizen science tools: a mail/email report system, a smartphone application, and a webpage. Among these monitoring tools, the mail/email report system yielded the greatest number of moose reports in absolute and in standardized (corrected for time effort) terms. The reported moose were predominantly identified as single, adult, male individuals, and reports occurred mostly during late summer. Overlaying citizen science data with independently generated habitat suitability and connectivity maps showed that members of the public detected moose in suitable habitats but not necessarily in movement corridors. Also, moose detections were often recorded near roads, suggestive of spatial bias in sampling effort. Our results suggest that citizen science-based data collection can be facilitated by brief, intuitive digital reporting systems. However, inference from the resulting data can be limited due to unquantified and possibly biased sampling effort. To overcome these challenges, we offer specific recommendations such as engaging outdoor enthusiasts in suitable moose habitats, for improving quantity, quality and analysis of citizen science-based data for making robust inferences about wildlife populations.

Yak (Bos grunniens) is a unique livestock animal originating from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. In the current study, we investigated the maternal genetic diversity, differentiation and phylogeny of wild yak population and four domestic yak breeds (Qinghai-Gaoyuan, Huanhu, Xueduo, and Yushu) in Qinghai, China by analyzing 166 mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene sequence variations. Our results indicated that the haplotype and nucleotide diversities of wild yak were 0.883±0.044 and 0.004±0.002, while the total haplotype and nucleotide diversities of four Qinghai domestic yak breeds were 0.646±0.040 and 0.003±0.001, respectively. Among the four Qinghai domestic yak breeds, the haplotype diversity was found to be highest in Yushu yak breed (Hd = 0.770±0.053), while the lowest was recorded in Huanhu yak breed (Hd = 0.501±0.088). Estimates of FST values showed a moderate genetic differentiation between wild yak and Huanhu yak (FST = 0.058) as well as that between Huanhu yak and Yushu yak breeds (FST = 0.052), but a weak genetic differentiation was observed between the other yak breeds/populations (-0.021＜FST＜0.037). Additionally, the clustering analysis based on RST values showed that Xueduo yak and Huanhu yak were clustered into one group, and each of the other three yak breeds/populations was separated into one group, respectively. Overall, the clustering relationship between wild yak and Yushu yak was closer. Maternal phylogenetic analysis showed that wild yak and four local yak breeds/populations in Qinghai represented in three maternal lineages (Mt-Ⅰ, Mt-Ⅱ, and Mt-Ⅲ), indicating three maternal origins in yak. Our study would provide valuable information for the conservation and utilization of wild yak and Qinghai domestic yak breeds.

Biological invasions are recognized as one of the factors causing biodiversity loss. Incomplete reproductive isolation with a closely related species can result in hybridization when a non-native species is introduced into a new habitat. Management of hybrids is essential for biodiversity conservation; however, the distinction between the two species becomes a challenge in cases of hybrids with similar characteristics to native species. Although image recognition technology can be a powerful tool for identifying hybrids, studies have yet to utilize deep learning approaches. Hence, this study aimed to identify hybrids between native Japanese giant salamanders (Andrias japonicus) and non-native Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) using EfficientNet and smartphone images. We used smartphone images of 11 native individuals (with 5 training and 6 test images) and 20 hybrid individuals (with 5 training and 15 test images). In our experimental environment, an AI model constructed with efficientNet-V2 showed 100% accuracy in identifying hybrids. In addition, highlighting the regions that influenced the AI model’s predictions using Grad-CAM revealed that salamander head spots are responsible for correctly classifying native and hybrid species. The results of this study revealed that our approach is one of the methods that enable the identification of hybrids, which was previously considered difficult without identification by the experts. Furthermore, since this study achieved high-performance identification using smartphone images, it is expected to be applied to a wide range of low-cost identification using citizen science.

A better understanding of the impact of habitat loss on population density can be achieved by evaluating effects of both, parameters within remnant habitat patches and parameters of the landscape surrounding those patches. The integration of predictors at the patch and landscape level is scarce in animal ecological studies, especially for reptiles. In this study, a patch-landscape approach was applied to evaluate the combined effects of within patch habitat quality, patch geometry and landscape configuration and composition on the density of remnant populations of the eastern green lizard, Lacerta viridis, in a highly modified landscape in Bulgaria. Landscape composition variables (proportion of different land covers) were measured at different spatial scales surrounding patches. Single scale models were built to evaluate combined effects of all predictors on density, when including all landscape composition variables at a specific spatial scale. Multiscale models were applied to analyze combined effects when including landscape composition variables at the scale of their strongest effect (scale of effect, SoE). Results showed that the SoE of proportion of cropland and urban areas was small (50 m), while for proportion of habitat was large (1.5 Km). The overall effect of habitat loss was better explained by the multiscale model. Population density increased with patch area and decreased with patch shape irregularity and with the proportion of three land cover types surrounding patches -cropland, urban areas and habitat. Combining patch and landscape parameters is important to identify ecological processes that occur simultaneously at different spatial levels and landscape scales, and which would imply the application of multiscale approaches for the protection of wild animal populations. Results are contrasted with what is known about occupancy patterns of the species in the same region, and approaches to integrate both, occupancy and density, in the field design of animal ecological studies are suggested.

The purpose of inter-animal communication is to allow signals released by the animal to be perceived by others. Scent marking, with its characteristics of specificity and delay, is thought to be the primary mode of communication in giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The “signal detection theory” predicts that animals choose the substrate and location of their scent marks so that the signals released are transmitted more widely and remain longer. As an energetically marginal species, the cost of generating and marking chemical signals is costly for pandas, so they are predicted to make trade-offs in scent marking. However, existing studies do not account for the selective preferences of pandas for marking, as they are only explained by the density of marks at a certain location. Our study wanted to investigate whether the marking behavior of pandas is indeed consistent with signal detection theory. For the first time, we propose to use fecal counts to reflect the intensity of habitat use by pandas, combined with mark counts to determine the selective preference for marking. Our findings show that the scent marking behavior of pandas is consistent with signal detection theory, and that they go out of their way to ensure that their marks are detected. The results of the study will help us to further develop the conservation of pandas and their habitats.

The Whooping Crane (Grus americana; WHCR) is a large, long-lived bird endemic to North America. The remnant population migrates between Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, USA, and Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada (AWBP), and has recovered from a nadir of 15-16 birds in 1941 to ~540 birds in 2022. Two ongoing reintroduction efforts in Louisiana and the Eastern Flyway together total ~150 birds. Evidence indicates the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is strongly considering downlisting the species from an endangered to a threatened status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We examined the current status of the WHCR through the lens of ESA threat factors, the USFWS’s Species Status Assessment (SSA) framework, and other avian downlisting actions to determine if the action is biologically warranted. Our research indicates that WHCRs are facing an intensification of most threat drivers across populations and important ranges. The AWBP is still relatively small compared to other crane species and most birds of conservation concern. To date, only one avian species has been downlisted from an endangered status with an estimated population of <3,000 individuals. Representation in terms of WHCRs historic genetic, geographic, and life history variation remains limited. Also, the lack of spatial connectivity among populations, reliance of the reintroduced populations on supplementation, and continued habitat loss suggest that WHCR populations may not be resilient to large stochastic disturbances. Given that reintroduced populations are not self-sustaining, neither supplies true redundancy for the AWBP. Proposed downlisting before recovery plan population criteria have been met is objectively unwarranted and reflects USFWS inconsistency across ESA actions. Only by incorporating basic quantitative criteria and added oversight into ESA listing decisions can we avoid an action as misguided as downlisting the Whooping Crane without consideration of its recovery plan criteria or ostensibly its population ecology.

Sharks, rays and chimaera form the clade Chondrichthyes, an ancient group of morphologically and ecologically diverse vertebrates that has played an important role in our understanding of gnathostome evolution. Increasingly studies have are seeking to investigate evolutionary processes operating within the chondrichthyan crown group, with the broad aim of understanding the driving forces behind the vast phenotypic diversity observed amongst its constituent taxa. Genetic, morphological and behavioural studies have all contributed to our understanding of phenotypic evolution yet are typically considered in isolation in the context of Chondrichthyes. I argue that integrating these core fields of organismal biology is vital if we are to understand the evolutionary processes operating in contemporary chondrichthyan taxa, and how such processes have contributed to past phenotypic evolution. In light of the global extinction crisis facing this clade, this understanding is crucial if we are to successfully conserve rapidly declining chondrichthyan populations.

Changing climate and growing human impacts are resulting in globally rising temperatures and the widespread loss of habitats. How species will adapt to these changes is not well understood. The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) can be found across the Holarctic but is coming under more intense pressure in many places. Studies of recent populations in Finland and Denmark have shown a marked decline in body size of Northern Goshawks over the past century. Here we investigate long-term changes to Norwegian populations of Northern Goshawk by including material from the Middle Ages and Viking Age. We measured 240 skeletons of modern Northern Goshawks from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and 89 Medieval Goshawk bones. Our results show that Norwegian and Swedish female Goshawks have decreased in size over the past century, whilst males showed little decline. Medieval female Goshawks were larger than contemporary females. The Viking Age specimens showed little difference to modern populations but appeared smaller than specimens from the Medieval period. A decline in forest habitats and a concomitant shift towards smaller prey likely drove a shift to smaller body size in Northern Goshawks. Our study shows that significant body size changes in birds can occur over relatively short time spans in response to environmental factors, and that these effects can sometimes differ between sexes.