Endangered species

Jul

3

2008
 
 

Extinction in pieces



Study reveals mixed feelings about tigers, medicine and conservation

bonesFarming tigers Panthera tigris to supply the demand for traditional Chinese medicines is not likely to safeguard their wild counterparts, according to a paper published in PLoS ONE this week. An international team of specialists, led by Save The Tiger Fund worker Brian Gratwicke, quizzed almost two thousand people in seven Chinese cities about their use of tiger-laced medicines, and the findings make grim reading. Nearly half of respondents admitted to using medicines claiming to use tiger parts, even though 93 percent agreed that a ban in the sale of tiger parts was necessary to save the world’s biggest cats from oblivion. Source: Gratwicke B, Mills J, Dutton A, Gabriel G, Long B, Seidensicker J, Wright B, You W & Zhang L (2008) Attitudes towards consumption and conservation of tigers in China. PLoS ONE DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002544
Image: © Jack Lamour

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Jun

26

2008
 
 

Six billion dollar answer



No-take marine reserves help species recover faster than expected

coral trout/grouper/cod fish!The world’s largest network of no-take marine reserves is a success. Relieved readers of Current Biology this week can see how the controversial closing down to all fishing on more than a third of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has allowed significant recovery of target species densities in just two years. A team of scientists led by Hugh Sweatman of the Australian Institute of Marine Science found that populations of coral trout (Plectropomus spp.) — the main target for reef line fisheries — within protected areas had bounced up by around two thirds compared with those where fishing was still allowed. Big, bold initiatives might not be popular with the people they affect most but, in this case at least, they work. Source: Russ GR, Cheal AJ, Dolman AM, Emslie MJ, Evans RD, Miller I, Sweatman H & Williamson DH (2008) Rapid increase in fish numbers follows creation of World’s largest marine reserve network. Curr. Biol. DOI: tba

Image: © Timothey Kosachev

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Jun

24

2008
 
 

Shed a tear for a croc



Scientists discover widespread crocodile die-off at cane toad invasion front

crocodile tears... You wouldn’t think a frog could kill a crocodile, but that’s exactly what’s happening in Australia’s Northern Territory. The invasion by cane toads Bufo marinus – a highly toxic South American species – has given scientists a unique set of lessons on the destructive power evolution can unleash upon a non-adapted ecosystem. In the latest installment, Mike Letnic and colleagues at the University of Sydney report a mass die-off of freshwater crocodiles Crocodylus johnstoni at the invasion front. Ironically, the arid conditions that make a cane toad’s life difficult leads them to seek refuge in the few available water bodies, which also tend to be home to the hungry crocs. The decimation – populations were reduced by as much as 73 percent – could have widespread ecological consequences, writes Letnic in Biological Conservation. However, selection weaves its magic in many ways, and crocs will probably either learn not to eat cane toads or develop tolerance to their poison. Either way, the problem should be over in a snap! Source: Letnic M, Webb JK & Shine R (2008) Invasive cane toads (Bufo marinus) cause mass mortality of freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) in tropical Australia. Biol. Conserv. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2008.04.031

Image: © Stanko Mravljak

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Jun

18

2008
 
 

There’s a catch, after all



Offsetting marine bycatch could do more harm than good, study finds

Trawling for solutionsCan fisheries bycatch impacts be offset by making efforts to protect afflicted species elsewhere? Not according to a study published today in PLoS ONE, which claims that the “compensatory mitigation for marine bycatch” approach is a non-starter. A baker’s dozen of international scientists, led by University of California Santa Cruz researcher Myra Finkelstein, found that diverting attention to other conservation measures – such as removing non-native predators from breeding grounds – could potentially spell disaster. The problem is that such an approach requires action for each individual bycatch species, thereby spreading conservation resources too thinly. The focus should remain on finding ways to reduce bycatch, Finkelstein’s team concludes. Source: Finkelstein M, Bakker V, Doak DF, Sullivan B, Lewison R, Satterthwaite WH, McIntyre PB, Wolf S, Priddel D, Arnold JM, Henry RW, Sievert P & Croxall J (2008) Evaluating the potential effectiveness of compensatory mitigation strategies for marine bycatch. PLoS ONE DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002480

Image: © Thomas Shortell

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Jun

17

2008
 
 

Woe be-toad them



Global analysis could help identify frog species at risk in time to act

going, going, gone A number-crunching study has thrown light on the mysterious global declines in hundreds of amphibian species. Imperial College London researcher Jon Bielby and colleagues collected data on habitat types, species ranges, disease prevalence and a host of other factors to produce a broad scale picture of the health of the world’s frog populations. Of particular note was the finding that aquatic, slowly reproducing species were most susceptible to the fatal Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus. The results, published in Conservation Letters confirm earlier, more restricted findings and should help conservationists decide how to set priorities by enabling them to identify species at risk before it’s too late. Source: Bielby J, Cooper N, Cunningham AA, Garner TWJ & Purvis A (2008) Predicting susceptibility to future declines in the world’s frogs. Conservation Letters DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-263x.2008.00015.x

Image: © Sergey Korotkov

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Jun

14

2008
 
 

Tree of life



Oldest plant seed germinates, but is it a boy or a girl?

Oldest date aroundThere’s great news this week in Science for anyone interested in seed banks: a date palm Phoenix dactylifera seed unearthed during archaeological investigations of Herod’s Masada fortress has been successfully germinated. The seeds were discovered under a pile of rubble in the 1960s, and were stored at room temperature for the following four decades. But in 2005, Sarah Sallon, a plant biologist based at the Hadassah Medical Organization, Israel, and curious colleagues popped three of the ancient pips into plant pots. Eight weeks later one of the seeds had sprouted, and having survived re-potting it currently stands some four feet in height. Sallon hopes it’s a female (she won’t know for a couple of years), as that raises the possibility of resurrecting this long gone cultivar: if it was fit for a king, it will probably be worth the effort. Radiocarbon studies have demonstrated this to be the oldest seed ever deliberately germinated, as long as the dates haven’t been muddled up, so to speak. Source: Sallon S, Solowey E, Cohen Y, Korchinsky R, Egli M, Woodhatch I, Simchoni O & Kislev M (2008) Germination, genetics and growth of an ancient date seed. Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1153600

Image: © Guy Eisner

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Jun

12

2008
 
 

Jets and sharks



Large predatory sharks are about to leave the Mediterranean

Do we still need a bigger boat?The Mediterranean sea is pretty much a big pond, so many European holiday makers would probably breathe a quiet sigh of relief to read in Conservation Biology that the number of big, fierce sharks swimming among them has plummeted in recent years. An international team, led by Dalhousie University’s Francesco Ferretti, fearlessly waded through public and private archives, searching for evidence of population trends among the twenty largest species known to prowl the Med. In the five species for which there were sufficient data – a paucity all too telling of our scientific neglect of these top oceanic predators – precipitous declines were clear. Hammerhead sharks Sphyrna spp. were worst hit: none have been seen in coastal waters since 1963, and no records of the sharks anywhere in the Mediterranean exist after 1995. Nervous bathers should note that only the thresher shark Alopias vulpinus has been recorded in coastal waters in recent years. If looks like it is safe to be in the water after all. Just as long as you’re not a shark. Source: Ferretti F, Myers RA, Serena F & Lotze HK (2008) Loss of large predatory sharks from the Mediterranean Sea. Cons. Biol. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.00938.x

Image: © Bart Coenders

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Jun

11

2008
 
 

Tree of death



Evolutionary phylogeny of British birds flags up species at future risk

scary, isn't it?British bird species with declining populations are more closely related than expected, according to findings published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. The study’s author, Imperial College’s Gavin Thomas, suggests the link might help identify those species most at risk of extinction. The evolutionary tree, which Thomas constructed by comparing mitochondrial gene sequences of Britain’s resident birds, shows that red listed species are clustered together. The reason is simple: closely related species tend to share physical traits, so what’s bad for one is bad for another. However, the findings also suggest a way for conservationists to identify vulnerable species – by looking at those currently in decline it should be possible to work out which ones are next in line to fall off the perch. Source: Thomas G (2008) Phylogenetic distributions of British birds of conservation concern. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0549

Image: © Graham McKenzie-Smith

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Jun

4

2008
 
 

A fish called… what?



Overfished species sold mislabeled, hindering consumer choice

What's your fish?Mmmm, red snapper. But hang on, is that really what you’re eating? A group of Stanford University scientists, led by Cheryl Logan, have used DNA forensics to uncover fishy goings on in the seafood marketplace. Taking 77 “Pacific red snapper” whole fish or fillets from a range of sources in California and Washington, including grocers, fish markets and sushi restaurants, they found a total of eleven species, only one of which was true red snapper Lutjanus campechanus. Between 60% and 63% of the samples were from fish not on the FDA Seafood list. Writing in Biological Conservation, Logan’s team say that although around 80% of all fish landed are identified to species level, that picture changes somewhat by the time they reach our plates. This “institutionalized mislabeling” is preventing customers from making informed, conservation-minded choices about what fish to eat and what to avoid. Source: Logan CA, Alter SE, Haupt AJ, Tomalty K & Palumbi SR (2008) An impediment to consumer choice: overfished species are sold as Pacific red snapper. Biol. Conserv. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2008.04.007

Image: © Jill Chen

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Jun

4

2008
 
 

Flight from an evolutionary trap



Island birds adjust nesting behaviour in response to alien predators

bellbird... not at the nest!Island life for many species was easy until we showed up with our various commensal hangers-on in tow. The arrival of rats, mice, cats, hedgehogs, stoats and even brush tail possums was a disaster for New Zealand’s birds, but a study published today in PLoS ONE shows it’s not all doom and gloom. University of Canterbury researcher Melanie Massaro and colleagues found that the endemic bellbird Anthornis melanura copes with perceived predator threat by altering its nesting behavior, making fewer, more lengthy incubating visits. Massaro interprets this as an adaptation to reduce activity around the nest in an effort to avoid being spotted by hungry predators. The behavioral shift has probably evolved within the last 700 or so years, because that’s when the first boatload of horrible mammals arrived. And the rats, mice, cats, hedgehogs, stoats and brush tail possums… Source: Massaro M, Starling-Windhof A, Briskie JV & Martin TE (2008) Introduced mammalian predators induce behavioural changes in parental care in an endemic New Zealand bird. PLoS ONE DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002331

Image: © Dave Ozanne

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