Metapopulation viability of a globally endangered gazelle on the Northeast Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Hu, Junhua; Jiang, Zhigang; Mallon, David

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2013.06.011

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…For the sex ratio, the sensitivity test showed a negative trend in the current proportion of males in the population. A similar phenomenon has been shown for other species (Hu et al 2013). This finding could be explained by the fact that one male bull elephant can mate with several females.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Population viability analysis of small population: a case study for Asian elephant in China

Zhu

et al. 2020

Integr. Zool.

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Small populations are at risk of extinction from deterministic and stochastic factors. Less than 250 Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) remain in China, and are distributed in a few isolated areas; yet, population viability analyses of this endangered population have not been conducted. Here, the current genetic status of the Pu'Er‐Mengyang Asian elephant populations in China was analyzed, and the risk of extinction was predicted over the next 500 years. Factors affecting the viability of this population were determined through simulations. The genetic diversity of the population was very low (mean allele number: 3.1; expected heterozygosity: 0.463), even though a recent population bottleneck was not detected. The effective population size was approximately 24.1 adult elephants. Enough adult breeding individuals exist to maintain population viability. VORTEX simulation model showed that this population would not go extinct in the next 500 years. However, illegal poaching and harvesting could negatively affect population size. A sensitivity analysis showed that the mean stochastic growth rate of the study population is sensitive to sex ratio, number of breeding females, mortality of females of different age classes, carrying capacity, and lethal equivalents. Based on our results, we suggest that action should be taken to alleviate inbreeding and any further loss of genetic diversity, by connecting fragmented elephant habitat or by translocating individual elephants. In addition, human–elephant conflict should be mitigated using various modern approaches, including crop guarding techniques, and by encouraging farmers to switch to crops and income sources not vulnerable to elephant raids.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Population viability analysis of small population: a case study for Asian elephant in China

Zhu

et al. 2020

Integr. Zool.

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“…Even though we focused on a small radiation of spiny frogs, the methods employed here for amphibians may be generalized to and help explain patterns of diversity for other vertebrates or even plants in areas on and adjacent to the QTP. Since previous field surveys, molecular analyses and conservation priorities have been heavily biased toward mammals and birds26285152, we infer that genetic diversity and endemism of amphibians on the QTP have been substantially underestimated. In a world of ever-accelerating environmental changes53545556, this study may also be useful in guiding research with regard to lineage diversification, as well as conservation in other threatened global hotspots or similarly complex plateau ecosystems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Niche conservatism in Gynandropaa frogs on the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Broennimann

Guisan

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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The role of ecological niche in lineage diversification has been the subject of long-standing interest of ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Gynandropaa frogs diversified into three independent clades endemic to the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Here, we address the question whether these clades kept the same niche after separation, and what it tells us about possible diversification processes. We applied predictions in geographical (G)-space and tests of niche conservatism in environmental (E)-space. Niche models in G-space indicate separate regions with high suitability for the different clades, with some potential areas of sympatry. While the pair of central and eastern clades displayed the largest niche overlap for most variables, and strict niche equivalency was rejected for all clade-pairs, we found no strong evidence for niche divergence, but rather the signature of niche conservatism compared to null models in E-space. These results suggest a common ancestral ecological niche, and as such give good support to divergence through allopatric speciation, but alternative explanations are also possible. Our findings illustrate how testing for niche conservatism in lineage diversification can provide insights into underlying speciation processes, and how this information may guide further research and conservation practices, as illustrated here for amphibians on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

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“…Procapra gazelles seem to be limited by annual and extreme temperatures and precipitations 20 . Indeed, the severity of winter weather, which is often correlated with reduced food availability and quality that would dampen reproductive rates and increase mortality of young, was found to be negatively associated with population size and survival from summer to winter 12 20 56 . Consequently, we selected six bioclimatic variables that describe surface averages for temperature and precipitation and potentially biologically-limiting extremes from the WorldClim database 57 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Niche divergence accelerates evolution in Asian endemic Procapra gazelles

Jiang

Chen

et al. 2015

Sci Rep

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Ecological niche divergence and adaptation to new environments are thought to play important roles in driving speciation. Whether recently evolved species show evidence for niche divergence or conservation is vital towards understanding the role of ecology in the process of speciation. The genus Procapra is an ancient, monophyletic lineage endemic to Asia that contains three extant species (P. gutturosa, P. przewalskii and P. picticaudata). These species mainly inhabit the Qinghai-Tibetan and Mongolian Plateaus, and today have primarily allopatric distributions. We applied a series of geographic information system–based analyses to test for environmental variation and niche divergence among these three species. We found substantial evidence for niche divergence in species’ bioclimatic preferences, which supports the hypothesis that niche divergence accelerates diversification in Procapra. Our results provide important insight into the evolutionary history of ungulates in Asia and help to elucidate how environmental changes accelerate lineage diversification.

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Metapopulation viability of a globally endangered gazelle on the Northeast Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Cited by 11 publications

References 42 publications

Population viability analysis of small population: a case study for Asian elephant in China

Population viability analysis of small population: a case study for Asian elephant in China

Niche conservatism in Gynandropaa frogs on the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Niche divergence accelerates evolution in Asian endemic Procapra gazelles

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