Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bengt Hansson, Hernan E. Morales, Cock van Oosterhout
Summary: Scott et al. bring attention to species conservation by demonstrating heterozygote superiority among translocated tortoises, but their recommended decision rule may risk setbacks in conservation genomics. Further assessment and improvement are needed to guide conservation management effectively.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Philip W. Hedrick
Summary: The recommendation to use higher genomic heterozygosity to identify individuals for successful translocation is questioned due to factors such as unknown origin, high mortality, insufficient data on resident tortoises, and potential allelic dropout.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter A. Scott, Linda J. Allison, Kimberleigh J. Field, Roy C. Averill-Murray, H. Bradley Shaffer
Summary: Hedrick raises potential concerns that he believes challenge or limit the main finding, focusing on unknown ecological aspects of the translocated tortoises. However, we believe these concerns do not bias the results or interpretation as presented in our original paper.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter A. Scott, Linda J. Allison, Kimberleigh J. Field, Roy C. Averill-Murray, H. Bradley Shaffer
Summary: The main finding suggests that genetic rescue should not solely focus on genetic diversity, but also consider the genetic load and representation of population diversity in translocated individuals. However, these recommendations are based on specific model assumptions and fitness effects, which may not be applicable to all endangered species.
Article
Ecology
Shalyn N. Bauschlicher, Chava L. Weitzman, Victoria Martinez, C. Richard Tracy, David Alvarez-Ponce, Franziska C. Sandmeier
Summary: The Mojave desert tortoises, a threatened species, suffer from a chronic respiratory disease caused by the Mycoplasma agassizii bacteria. Attempts to culture and understand the diversity of M. agassizii have had minimal success. Using qPCR, we found evidence of multiple-strain infections in tortoises and identified a specific gene associated with bacterial loads, suggesting evolutionary patterns of variation, trade-offs, and selection against virulence.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Erica C. Kelly, Brian L. Cypher, Tory L. Westall
Summary: Desert tortoises are vulnerable to predation by various predators such as desert kit foxes and coyotes, with coyotes consuming more adult tortoises while desert kit foxes prefer juveniles. The study found that these canids primarily consumed small mammals and invertebrates, with desert tortoise remains occurring at a low frequency, indicating opportunistic use of tortoises as prey or scavenged food.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. A. Walden, Kevin J. Loope, Elizabeth A. Hunter, Stephen J. Divers, Jessica R. Comolli, Todd C. Esque, Kevin T. Shoemaker
Summary: This study aims to develop a non-surgical method for sex identification to minimize handling of wild animals. By measuring plasma testosterone concentration in 0-3 months old hatchlings, the study successfully differentiated males from females. Injection of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) further elevated testosterone levels in male hatchlings, aiding in sex identification.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Kaija Sander, Elise B. Barbeau, Xiaoqian Chai, Shanna Kousaie, Michael Petrides, Shari Baum, Denise Klein
Summary: There is notable variability in the ability of adults to learn a second language (L2). The inferior parietal lobule, which plays a significant role in successful L2 learning, is connected to language areas in the frontal lobe through the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). The separate contributions of SLF II and III to language have not been investigated in previous studies, despite their distinct frontoparietal connections. Therefore, understanding these pathways and their impact on L2 learning is of great interest.
Article
Neurosciences
Kaija Sander, Xiaoqian Chai, Elise B. Barbeau, Shanna Kousaie, Michael Petrides, Shari Baum, Denise Klein
Summary: Investigating interhemispheric interactions in adult second language acquisition can help understand the specific roles different brain areas play in language processing and how they contribute to language learning success.
Article
Ecology
Kristin H. Berry, Jeremy S. Mack, Kemp M. Anderson
Summary: In the Mojave Desert, the availability of water and annual plant foods greatly influence the survival of the threatened Agassiz's desert tortoise. A study involving the translocation of juvenile tortoises found that larger size and access to suitable burrows during extreme temperatures were key factors for survival. Precipitation and forage availability also impacted movements, growth, and home range expansion of the tortoises.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Emma Suzuki Spence, Jeremie B. Fant, Oliver Gailing, M. Patrick Griffith, Kayri Havens, Andrew L. Hipp, Priyanka Kadav, Andrea Kramer, Patrick Thompson, Raakel Toppila, Murphy Westwood, Jordan Wood, Bethany A. Zumwalde, Sean Hoban
Summary: Genetic diversity is crucial for species survival during environmental changes, and understanding the distribution and amount of genetic diversity across multiple species is essential for conservation. Rare oak species generally have lower genetic diversity than common oaks, with small population size and geographic range possibly correlating with genetic diversity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose M. Gil-Sanchez, Roberto C. Rodriguez-Caro, Marcos Moleon, Maria C. Martinez-Pastor, Mario Leon-Ortega, Sergio Eguia, Eva Gracia, Francisco Botella, Jose A. Sanchez-Zapata, Julia Martinez-Fernandez, M. A. Esteve-Selma, A. Gimenez
Summary: This study investigated the predation of spur-thighed tortoises by golden eagles and found that eagles showed a marked preference for adult female tortoises. This could potentially threaten the local population viability of the tortoises.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. R. Whitehead, J. L. Silcock, C. L. Simmons, L. Monks, R. Dillon, N. Reiter, M. Jusaitis, D. J. Coates, M. Byrne, P. A. Vesk
Summary: A chief tool in plant conservation is the establishment of threatened plant populations by translocating individuals grown ex-situ. Various techniques to enhance translocation performance have become established as standard, including the number of propagules planted, fencing to protect from herbivores, and stimulating recruitment. Factors influencing recruitment were uncertain, but burning and watering increased its likelihood. Translocations in grassland habitats and of perennial grasses performed worse compared to other habitats and lifeforms. Our study supports the effectiveness of a limited number of management interventions and emphasizes the need for more experimental data to improve our understanding of factors influencing success in plant translocations.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ross K. Hinderer, Andrea R. Litt, Magnus McCaffery
Summary: Habitat degradation and fragmentation are major factors contributing to amphibian declines, especially in arid environments. Climate change will increase the importance of microhabitats for amphibians. Understanding fine-scale habitat selection is crucial for the conservation of Chiricahua leopard frogs.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kaitlyn Brown, Tamara Tambyah, Jack Fenwick, Patrick Grant, Michael Bode
Summary: Conservation of single population threatened species (SPTS) is a distinct and important task. A decision-support tool is developed to plan when to trigger ex situ conservation, considering the decline of SPTS, the possibility of failure and the opportunities for in situ actions and learning. The tool demonstrates the importance and adaptability of formulating trigger points for difficult conservation decisions in advance.
Article
Ecology
Jennifer M. Germano, Kimberleigh J. Field, Richard A. Griffiths, Simon Clulow, Jim Foster, Gemma Harding, Ronald R. Swaisgood
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2015)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Melia G. Nafus, Todd C. Esque, Roy C. Averill-Murray, Kenneth E. Nussear, Ronald R. Swaisgood
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Ecology
Joshua R. Ennen, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Roy C. Averill-Murray, Charles B. Yackulic, Mickey Agha, Caleb Loughran, Laura Tennant, Barry Sinervo
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2017)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kimberleigh J. Field, Jay D. Johnson, Nadine Lamberski
JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2018)
Article
Zoology
Brian K. Sullivan, Roy Averill-Murray, Keith O. Sullivan, Justin R. Sullivan, Elizabeth A. Sullivan, J. Daren Riedle
CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Ecology
Seth M. Harju, Scott M. Cambrin, Roy C. Averill-Murray, Melia Nafus, Kimberleigh J. Field, Linda J. Allison
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter A. Scott, Linda J. Allison, Kimberleigh J. Field, Roy C. Averill-Murray, H. Bradley Shaffer
Summary: Hedrick raises potential concerns that he believes challenge or limit the main finding, focusing on unknown ecological aspects of the translocated tortoises. However, we believe these concerns do not bias the results or interpretation as presented in our original paper.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter A. Scott, Linda J. Allison, Kimberleigh J. Field, Roy C. Averill-Murray, H. Bradley Shaffer
Summary: The main finding suggests that genetic rescue should not solely focus on genetic diversity, but also consider the genetic load and representation of population diversity in translocated individuals. However, these recommendations are based on specific model assumptions and fitness effects, which may not be applicable to all endangered species.
Article
Ecology
Amanda M. M. Kissel, Bryan Wallace, Jesse Anderson, Brett G. G. Dickson, Kristen Van Neste, Vincent Landau, Roy C. C. Averill-Murray, Linda J. J. Allison, Amy Fesnock
Summary: By analyzing data from the US Fish and Wildlife Service's long-term monitoring program, researchers have found a declining trend in the population dynamics of Mojave desert tortoises from 2001 to 2018, especially in the northeastern part of their range. They developed a Bayesian dynamic occupancy model using various factors to estimate the influence on the tortoise's occupancy dynamics. They also created an online tool for users to explore trends in dynamic occupancy across the species range.
Article
Ecology
Erin R. Zylstra, Linda J. Allison, Roy C. Averill-Murray, Vincent Landau, Nathaniel S. Pope, Robert J. Steidl
Summary: Estimating population density and identifying changing trends is crucial for conservation and management strategies. However, obtaining reliable estimates for rare, long-lived species that are difficult to detect is challenging. In this study, a hierarchical model was developed to estimate density and trends for the Mojave desert tortoise using distance-sampling data. The density of adult tortoises decreased by 1.8% per year over a 20-year period, with the steepest declines in the western range. Overall, the abundance of this threatened species declined by 36% between 2001 and 2020, accounting for habitat loss. This modeling approach provides spatially explicit estimates and guidance for conservation efforts.
