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Special Issue "Closing the Conservation Genetics Gap to Advance Wildlife Protection at Different Biodiversity Levels: From Genes to Ecosystems"

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Wildlife".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 7640

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Dr. Snorre B. Hagen

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Guest Editor

Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanhovd Research Station, NO-9925 Svanvik, Norway
Interests: molecular ecology; population genetics; conservation genetics; biodiversity; conservation; evolution; ecology; citizen science; ecosystems; communities; populations; mammals; birds; fish; insects
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Dr. Cornelya Klütsch

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Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Genetic diversity, as a fundamental biodiversity level and the ultimate source for all biodiversity at the individual, community, and ecosystem levels, continues to erode in natural populations, leading to cascade effects of species composition shifts and functional disruptions at these different biodiversity levels. Recent advances in linking intraspecific genetic diversity and community composition and ecosystem functioning suggests that anthropogenic impacts (e.g., climate change, urbanization, habitat loss) lead to irreversible loss of intraspecific genetic diversity. Yet, the protection of (functional) genetic diversity remains a neglected factor at the international and national policy and management levels leading to a conservation genetics gap. Hence, the alignment of conservation genetic research and societal needs is urgently required, as well as wildlife management structures that allow for the holistic long-term preservation of the genetic integrity of wildlife populations.

This Special Issue will be a contemporary collection of papers on advancements in population and conservation genetic/genomic studies at different organization levels (i.e., populations, communities, and ecosystems) as well as strategies to close the conservation genetics gap, that is, the missing or lagging uptake of population genetic, conservation genetic, and community and ecosystem genetic research in management and (inter)national policy to preserve genetic diversity at these various biodiversity levels.

We welcome submissions presenting case studies and perspectives on tools, study design, strategies, statistics, challenges, and successes to assess genetic diversity at different organizations levels and/or provide insight into communication, knowledge co-production, and co-management strategies for the preservation of genetic diversity. We are also interested in transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches that promote the communication of genetic research results, knowledge transfer, and co-production to/with different audiences and societal groups, including citizen science, community science, and co-production and management with local and indigenous groups.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Case studies in population genetics, conservation genetics, and functional genetics in wildlife species, including addressing different biodiversity levels and/or multiple species.
Case studies illuminating the link between genetic diversity and ecosystem functioning and community ecology.
Examples for successful implementation of inter-sectorial co-management frameworks (e.g., research, natural resource management, and industry) for the preservation of genetic diversity.
International and national policy frameworks for the protection of natural genetic diversity – gaps and future directions.
Study design and statistics to examine effects in multispecies and multilevel genetic studies at the population, community, and ecosystem levels, as well as temporal changes of genetic diversity in natural populations, including trans-generational feedbacks.
Transnational protection of wildlife populations and their genetic integrity.
The role of protected areas in the preservation of natural genetic diversity.
Knowledge transfer of genetic and evolutionary concepts to conservation managers and policymakers for more effective management of intraspecific genetic diversity.
Citizen science approaches for increasing the genetic literacy of school children and advancing large-scale population genetic research and management.
Co-production of knowledge with local and indigenous communities for the protection of genetic diversity in wildlife species.
Science communication strategies for communicating genetic research to the public and at interdisciplinary conferences.
Harmonization of genetic data sets and data sharing.

The format of contributions is deliberately kept flexible and includes research articles, case studies, technical notes, perspectives, opinion pieces, and review articles. We also welcome pre-submission inquiries to assess the suitability of topics for this Special Issue.

We are looking forward to your contributions.

Kind regards,

Prof. Snorre B. Hagen
Dr. Cornelya Klütsch
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

population genetics
conservation genetics
community genetics
ecosystem genetics
functional genetics
conservation genetics gap
citizen science
knowledge transfer
science communication
natural resource management.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Late Pleistocene Altitudinal Segregation and Demography Define Future Climate Change Distribution of the Peromyscus mexicanus Species Group: Conservation Implications

Sergio G. Pérez-Consuegra

Laura Sánchez-Tovar

Gerardo Rodríguez-Tapia

Susette Castañeda-Rico

and

Ella Vázquez-Domínguez

Animals 2023, 13(11), 1753; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111753 - 25 May 2023

Viewed by 278

Abstract

Mountains harbor a significant number of the World’s biodiversity, both on tropical and temperate regions. Notably, one crucial gap in conservation is the consideration of historical and contemporary patterns influencing differential distribution in small mammal mountain species and how climate change will affect their distribution and survival. The mice Peromyscus mexicanus species group is distributed across mountains in Guatemala-Chiapas and Central America, which experienced significant effects of glacial and interglacial cycles. We determined phylogeographic and demographic patterns of lowlands and highlands mountain lineages, revealing that the radiation of modern P. mexicanus lineages occurred during the Pleistocene (ca. 2.6 mya) along Nuclear Central America. In concert with climatic cycles and the distribution of habitats, lowland and highland lineages showed recent population size increase and decrease, respectively. We also estimated the current and future distribution ranges for six lineages, finding marked area size increase for two lineages for which vegetation type and distribution would facilitate migrating towards higher elevations. Contrastingly, three lineages showed range size decrease; their ecological requirements make them highly susceptible to future habitat loss. Our findings are clear evidence of the negative impacts of future climate change, while our ability to manage and conserve these vulnerable ecosystems and mountain species is contingent on our understanding of the implications of climate change on the distribution, ecology, and genetics of wildlife populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Closing the Conservation Genetics Gap to Advance Wildlife Protection at Different Biodiversity Levels: From Genes to Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Molecular Dietary Analysis of Three Sympatric Mustelidae in Northeast China

and

Animals 2022, 12(23), 3290; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233290 - 25 Nov 2022

Viewed by 910

Abstract

Diet analysis is essential to fully understand the biology of a species and its function within the ecosystem, as well as being key in identifying food web interactions and the population dynamics of predators and prey. The understanding of the diet of small to mid-sized carnivores remains generally lacking or uninformative due to the inability for taxonomic resolution based on morphology. The yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula), Eurasian river otter (Lutra lutra), and Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) are three important Mustelidae species in ecosystems of northeast China. Based on fecal DNA and a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach, we analyzed the vertebrate prey of these three sympatric Mustelidae. Prey included 7 mammalian taxa, 10 fishes, 2 birds, and 2 amphibians, with 85% of the taxa assigned to the species level. In total, twenty-one vertebrate prey taxa were identified from seven yellow-throated martens, eight Eurasian river otters, and two Siberian weasels. Concerning identified dietary species, 10 taxa were consumed by yellow-throated martens, 14 by Eurasian river otters, and 4 by Siberian weasels. Some prey species were identified in more than one species. Amphibians and fishes were the most dominant Eurasian river otter prey categories, whereas Eurasian badger (Meles leucurus), birds, and rodents were the main yellow-throated marten prey; amphibians and rodents were largely contained in Siberian weasel prey. Among prey items, Dybowski’s frog (Rana dybowskii) and Korean field mouse (Apodemus peninsulae) were identified in all three Mustelidae species but our analyses suggest potential diet preferences among Mustelidae species. Future studies should focus on understanding the trophic relationships of these three Mustelidae species, providing valuable information for their conservation planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Closing the Conservation Genetics Gap to Advance Wildlife Protection at Different Biodiversity Levels: From Genes to Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Endangered Nectar-Feeding Bat Detected by Environmental DNA on Flowers

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Animals 2022, 12(22), 3075; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223075 - 08 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1570

Abstract

Leptonycteris nivalis (the Mexican long-nosed bat) is an endangered nectar-feeding bat species that follows “nectar corridors” as it migrates from Mexico to the southwestern United States. Locating these nectar corridors is key to their conservation and may be possible using environmental DNA (eDNA) from these bats. Hence, we developed and tested DNA metabarcoding and qPCR eDNA assays to determine whether L. nivalis could be detected by sampling the agave flowers on which it feeds. We sampled plants with known bat visitations in the Sierra Madre Oriental in Laguna de Sanchez (LS), Nuevo León, Mexico, and in the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, TX, USA (CB). A total of 13 samples included both swabs of agave umbels and cuttings of individual flowers. DNA metabarcoding was performed as a PCR multiplex that targeted bats (SFF-COI), arthropods (ANML-COI), and plants (ITS2 and rbcL). We targeted arthropods and plants in parallel with bats because future metabarcoding studies may wish to examine all the pollinators and plants within the nectar corridor. We developed and tested the sensitivity and specificity of two qPCR assays. We found that both DNA metabarcoding and qPCR were highly successful at detecting L. nivalis (11 of 13 for DNA metabarcoding and 12 of 13 for qPCR). Swabs and flower cuttings and both qPCR assays detected the species over four replicates. We suggest that L. nivalis leaves substantial DNA behind as it forages for nectar. We also suggest that future studies examine the time since sampling to determine its effect on detection success. The DNA metabarcoding multiplex will be useful for parallel questions regarding pollination ecology, while, with further testing, the qPCR assays will be effective for large-scale sampling for the detection of migration corridors and foraging areas. This work may be relevant to other nectar-feeding bat species, which can likely be detected with similar methodologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Closing the Conservation Genetics Gap to Advance Wildlife Protection at Different Biodiversity Levels: From Genes to Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Bat Use of Hollows in California’s Old-Growth Redwood Forests: From DNA to Ecology

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Animals 2022, 12(21), 2950; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12212950 - 27 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2224

Abstract

The loss of roosting resources, either through disturbance or removal, negatively affects bats. Identifying sensitive species and determining roost requirements are critical components in conserving their habitat. Cavity-roosting bats on the North Coast of California are known to use hollows in large redwood trees. In this study, we examined the factors determining the use of basal tree hollows by different bat species at eight redwood forest sites in Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino Counties, California. Bat guano was collected from 179 basal hollow roosts from 2017 to 2018, and guano mass was used as an index of roosting activity. Nine bat species and one species group were identified by analysis of DNA in guano. We made a total of 253 identifications from 83 hollows into the 10 species categories. The most prevalent species were Myotis californicus (California myotis; 28.5% of all identifications), the Myotis evotis-Myotis thysanodes group (17.4%), Corynorhinus townsendii (17.0%), and Myotis volans (15.0%). We evaluated the extent to which habitat variables at the scales of the hollow, vicinity, and site influenced the level of roost use. The correlations between guano mass and habitat variables were examined using generalized additive mixed models. At the hollow scale, guano mass increased with ceiling height above the opening. At the vicinity scale, guano mass increased with less cover of small trees. At the site scale, there was no association between guano mass and distance to foraging areas, elevation, or the number of nearby hollows. These tree hollow roost preferences can inform land managers when planning the management and conservation of redwood forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Closing the Conservation Genetics Gap to Advance Wildlife Protection at Different Biodiversity Levels: From Genes to Ecosystems)

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Open AccessArticle

Cryptic Diversity of the European Blind Mole Rat Nannospalax leucodon Species Complex: Implications for Conservation

Vanja Bugarski-Stanojević

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Animals 2022, 12(9), 1097; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12091097 - 23 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1662

Abstract

We explored the cryptic speciation of the Nannospalax leucodon species complex, characterised by intense karyotype evolution and reduced phenotypic variability that has produced different lineages, out of which 25 are described as chromosomal forms (CFs), so many cryptic species remain unnoticed. Although some of them should be classified as threatened, they lack the official nomenclature necessary to be involved in conservation strategies. Reproductive isolation between seven CFs has previously been demonstrated. To investigate the amount and dynamics of genetic discrepancy that follows chromosomal changes, infer speciation levels, and obtain phylogenetic patterns, we analysed mitochondrial 16S rRNA and MT-CYTB nucleotide polymorphism among 17 CFs—the highest number studied so far. Phylogenetic trees delineated 11 CFs as separate clades. Evolutionary divergence values overlapped with acknowledged higher taxonomic categories, or sometimes exceeded them. The fact that CFs with higher 2n are evolutionary older corresponds to the fusion hypothesis of Nannospalax karyotype evolution. To participate in conservation strategies, N. leucodon classification should follow the biological species concept, and proposed cryptic species should be formally named, despite a lack of classical morphometric discrepancy. We draw attention towards the syrmiensis and montanosyrmiensis CFs, estimated to be endangered/critically endangered, and emphasise the need for detailed monitoring and population survey for other cryptic species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Closing the Conservation Genetics Gap to Advance Wildlife Protection at Different Biodiversity Levels: From Genes to Ecosystems)

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